RENOWNED writer from East Malaysia, Joe Samad has cautioned against taking the social harmony enjoyed in Sabah and Sarawak for granted, saying communities in East Malaysia have long embraced cultural and religious differences without conflict.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Joe Samad or his real name Johan Ariffin Samad said it was common in Sabah for Muslims and non-Muslims to dine together at eateries serving different types of food, including pork dishes, without it becoming an issue.
“People eating pork in front of you and you are a Muslim, it doesn’t offend us because we are so used to this culture,” the Sabah born author said.
He added that many coffee shops and food centres in Sabah typically operate with multiple stalls selling different cuisines side by side, including halal and non-halal offerings.
“We order what we want because maybe in that shop there is a soto stall, char siew stall and so on, and it doesn’t bother us,” he said.
However, Samad observed that such openness appeared to be diminishing in Peninsular Malaysia, where issues involving religion and race were increasingly being amplified.
“It bothers people in the peninsula and that gets me,” he said, adding that society there appeared to be becoming “more closed” instead of remaining open and accepting.
Samad also criticised sections of the media for sensationalising minor matters and turning them into divisive public debates.
“You see that in the newspapers every day. The small things spark off certain things and the media, to me, doesn’t do its job either. We highlight things that are minuscule and then blow them up into a big issue,” he said.
He stressed that the spirit of coexistence and mutual respect practised in Sabah and Sarawak should not be taken lightly, warning that social harmony required continuous effort to preserve.
“My question is: don’t take it for granted in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. - May 10, 2026
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