It will be a folly if PH federal government takes national harmony and unity for granted

Zakir Naik's combative style of spreading Islam not suitable for Malaysia, says Mujahid Rawa
NATION
Monday, 24 Sep 2018
7:09 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR: The combative style of propagating Islam, which puts down other beliefs, as practised by Dr Zakir Naik (pic), is not suitable for Malaysia said Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs hit out at the controversial preacher from India who has a penchant for insulting other religions. Zakir has sought refuge in Malaysia amid an investigation for fostering terrorism by authorities in his home country. “We don’t want a debate that ridicules others. We need a more intellectual and composed method of Islamic propagation without the need to ridicule other religions,” he was reported as saying on Free Malaysia Today in his speech to launch a seminar today on Islam and the challenges in a multiracial society. Various groups previously have condemned Dr Zakir’s sermons, which they have labelled as extremist and disrespectful of other religions … for more, go to https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/24/zakir-naiks-combative-style-of-spreading-islam-not-suitable-for-malaysia-says-mujahid-rawa/ 

It will be a folly if PH federal government takes national harmony and unity for granted

Of course the May 13 racial tragedy is not yet dead and gone. As long as there are racial and religious extremists who continue to hero-worship the likes of Zakir Naik, national harmony and unity will always be threatened.

The only question is whether there will be enough extremists to trigger another bloody May 13.

And the outcome of the May 9 14th General Election (GE14) and the three by-election showed all are still healthy for Malaysians and Malaysia.

The majority are still Malaysians who treasure national harmony, peace and unity - that was one of the major reasons they rejected the racist and extremist Umno, among the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) being corrupted to the core and on the verge of bankrupting Malaysia, just like Greece.

How long will Malaysians remain the majority - not race - depends on the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government’s political will to really transform Malaysia into a country for Malaysians.

And we have many sane Malay Malaysians, like Dr Syed Husin Ali and those from Patriots who have raised and expressed fear of those out to create racial and religious tensions to serve their political agenda.

In Malaysia, lies become truth when the lies are allowed to be repeated long enough.

Therefore, the PH federal government must use enforcement to nip in the bud the anti-nationals using racial and religious slurs out to destabilise Malaysia.

Sane Malaysians have started raising fears of the rise of such anti-nationals to an unprecedented force - the Umno-PAS politics of race and religion - if left unchecked.

It will do well for the PH federal government to not underestimate the damage such anti-nationals can inflict on Malaysians and Malaysia or take national harmony and unity for granted and not do anything about racial and religious extremists.

Read on what is worrying Dr Syed Husin, before it is too late for Malaysians and Malaysia:

"‘MAY 13’ NOT YET DEAD & GONE: ‘PEOPLE STILL DON’T TRUST EACH OTHER, CONFLICTS CAN OCCUR IF PAS-UMNO START FANNING THE FLAMES,’ PKR VETERAN WARNS UNREST NOT IMPOSSIBLE IF RABBLE-ROUSERS GIVEN TOO MUCH ROPE TO HANG THE NATION

Politics | September 23, 2018

A PAS-UMNO pact will create racial tension and not benefit the country, said former PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali.

He said if a formal political cooperation between the two Malay-Muslim parties materialised, it would only serve to inflame racial and religious sentiments.

Prior to the 14th general election, these same sentiments were played up against Pakatan Harapan parties – namely DAP, which has for years been accused of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam – to no effect, he said.

“They played up those issues in GE14, but it didn’t work. So, they will try again in the next general election.”

Syed Husin, who authored Masa Depan Orang Melayu (The Future of Malays), however, conceded that a PAS-Umno tie-up strategy might work on Malays.

“They may gain a bit in terms of seats, but it will split the people in terms of interracial relations. Tension will break out.”

The former Universiti Malaya sociology and anthropology lecturer said Umno and PAS should be more mature and effective opposition parties to keep the government in check.

PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim at the launch of Dr Syed Husin Ali’s book, A People’s History of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur on September 16. Former PKR deputy president Syed Husin says interracial relations in the country have not vastly improved since the change of government, judging from the racism seen on social media. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, September 23, 2018.

PAS and Umno have been cosying up to each other since the Seri Setia, Balakong and Sg Kandis by-elections in Selangor, in which the parties campaigned for or supported each other.

Umno’s top leaders – president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, secretary-general Annuar Musa and vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob – also attended last weekend’s PAS muktamar in Terengganu.

The Islamist party’s top leadership is expected to attend Umno’s general assembly next weekend.

Syed Husin said interracial relations in Malaysia have not vastly improved since the change of government, judging from the racism seen on social media.

“People don’t trust each other. Ties are worsening. If it gets worse, we may have a conflict.

“We have not had incidents like (the) 1969 (racial riots) recently. People have experienced fights, and are afraid. More youth have been talking about unity, too.

“But, conflicts could occur if there are incidents, and if parties start fanning the flames.” – https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/Malaysia Chronicle"

Moments in U.S. Diplomatic History
A Black Day in May for Malaysia
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Malaysia has a long history of racial tension, dating back to the influx of Chinese workers in the 19th century, and which was exacerbated after Malaya gained independence from the UK in 1957. Constant tension simmered between the native Malay population and the more economically powerful Chinese population, which erupted into violence after the election of May 10, 1969. The governing Alliance won less than half of the popular vote and while it had a majority in Parliament, its number of seats was significantly reduced. The Opposition, despite their showing, claimed “victory.” Some Malays felt threatened and called for a procession; Malays were brought from the rural areas into Kuala Lumpur, which was a predominantly Chinese city. Thousands of Malays, some of them armed, arrived to join the parade… for more, go to https://adst.org/2016/03/a-black-day-for-malaysia/