PARTI Warisan is concerned over the racial and religious hatred that is being spread online by politicians and content creators.
Party deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking said the views expressed online about the KK Mart socks affair and the stripping of last year’s Unduk Ngadau winner’s title had caused public anxiety and tension.
If left unchecked, he said it will continue to fuel bigotry and hatred among Malaysians.
“The authorities, especially the Communications Ministry, play a crucial role in addressing these issues,” he said.
“What we’re witnessing right now is a concerning trend of prominent figures and content creators exploiting their freedom of expression to incite hatred."
Leiking said East Malaysians have been known to uphold pluralism and oppose the ideologies imposed by West Malaysia.
For instance, Sabah has reinstated English as the teaching medium in school and as a second language for the government departments.
Sarawak has also done to same in disregarding the “Malay only” directive, he said.
“Both Sabah and Sarawak had also asserted their authority to prevent the entry of Islamic radicals, racist politicians, and other unwanted elements in the past.
“This demonstrates our dedication to preserving our plural and secular identity.”
He said Sabah politicians reject religious and racial provocations and have mostly refused to talk about the KK Mart issue.
Even Umno Sabah has expressed concern over the attempts to get the state chapter involved in the controversy, he said.
Leiking stressed that East Malaysia has the autonomy to oppose dominance by the peninsula, which is set out in the Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
"We must now move forward as a nation. Dialogue has commenced and apologies have been issued; it's time to close this chapter,” he said.
“They did not only victimise good and responsible Malaysian individuals but also tarnished Malaysia’s reputation as a beacon of unity in diversity,” he said.
Leiking called for strict monitoring of political figures and content creators so that they adhered to standard community guidelines to prevent further exploitation of racial and religious matters in Malaysia. – The Vibes, April 11, 2024
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