DEEPENING suspicion and prejudice fuelled by identity politics could destroy Malaysia’s ambition of building a united nation, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari warned.
He said differences involving religion, groups and generations were inevitable in a diverse society but should not be magnified to the point of creating distrust and undermining unity.
“Among the challenges that we must do our utmost to overcome is the suspicion and prejudice that are spreading.
“This matter will only bring destruction to the aspiration of building a united Malaysia,” he said at a Malaysia Day special forum at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah on Tuesday.
Amirudin said differences did not necessarily lead to division if managed fairly, maturely and with mutual respect.
“Identity has already permeated various fields. There are religious identities, group identities and generational identities.
“There will certainly be differences and variations, but if these differences continue to be magnified or deepened without sufficient understanding, they will become a challenge for us,” he said.
He said the tendency to raise identity issues was no longer confined to politics but had spread into various areas of society.
Amirudin also called for greater understanding between generations, saying younger Malaysians should understand the experiences of their predecessors while older generations should recognise changes in the thinking of younger people.
“Younger generations need to understand previous generations, but previous generations must also recognise the understanding and changes of the younger generation,” he said.
He said the effort to build a confident and cohesive nation remained unfinished and had to be renewed by every generation. - September 16, 2026
