GEORGE TOWN: Racial and religious tension and disharmony among Malaysians of different backgrounds are caused by politicians who are out to maintain their grassroot support or for other gains, a PAS lawmaker said.

Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the political scene in Malaysia is largely shaped by communal politics; and for politicians to be at the centre of attention, the best way is by inciting racial discord.

“This nation was built on diversity from the very first day. It is wrong to assume that our past leaders did not think ahead about what we are facing today.

“When they laid the foundation of this nation, they knew that the country will be a diverse, multiracial society. This is reflected in our Federal Constitution.

“So how did it turn out to be a different Malaysia today? Those to be blamed are politicians,” he said at last night’s Negaraku roadshow titled “Kembalikan Negara” in Komtar, Penang.

Mujahid and other speakers at the roadshow — Negaraku steering committee chairman Zaid Kamaruddin and Aliran committee member Dr Prema Devaraj — were discussing the present state of Malaysia, where interracial relations were increasingly put to the test, and how to put an end to all the negativities.

Mujahid said the country was much dictated by politicians because the people have largely remained silent, failing to raise their voice against extremism and those who incite hatred among the people.

“There is a rise in extremism and this is something we cannot stop. There is extremism in all parts of the world, in every race and faith. We have to stand together and fight against extremism, regardless of where it comes from,” he said.

Mujahid said his stand on the Allah issue was that it should be resolved through dialogue. On the remark by Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali to burn Malay-language Bibles containing the word Allah, he said he had disagreed with the explanation that the former was defending Islam. “In Parliament, I said it humiliated Islam, a religion that never taught its followers to burn the holy scriptures of other faiths. I challenged MPs who disagreed with me to stand up in the House. Nobody did,” he said.

Mujahid said Malaysians should focus less on their racial identities and start respecting their fellow citizens as humans. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 24, 2014.