WE have been moving from one crisis to another. It started with socks and then moved onto shoes and now involves prayer mats. There are insensitivities all round and this is but in the nature of plural and diverse societies. No one community can claim that it is more sensitive than the other.

What is sad in the case of Malaysia is that after sixty years of independence with racial unity being the cornerstone of our developmental policies, we seem to have not moved to an area of greater understanding. We do not have in place systems and processes to deal with ethnic and religious crisis management.

Polarisation continues despite all the slogans and visions. Those who continue to play the ethnic card betray the trust of Malaysian citizens. In most areas of life, be it in education, healthcare, civil service, the armed forces, it is all one majority race. A few here and there to exhibit some diversity.

With little or no interaction, our civil society lives in ethnic ghettos and this is most evident in the political scenario. It is the ethnic card that delivers the vote and we do not have statesmen who have the capacity to lift the national agenda and articulate policies and processes that lead to the creation of a more cohesive Malaysian society.

Yet the reality is that the sands of change are evident. The very fact that we have today a “unity” government, a motley combination that in itself acts as a check and balance as well as discredits itself provides paradoxically some possible hope for the future.

The one hopeful segment is in the areas of non-governmental organisations and civil society groups. Here, you will see evident, groups of Malaysians championing the cause for reforms, working on human rights, social justice, poverty and migrant workers, to mention a few issues.

“Malaysia Madani” is soon becoming another slogan just like Mahathir’s clean, strong and trustworthy government. Hot air that did not make any difference but added to the number of scandals that discredited his regime.

The way the Madani government has handled the recent crisis relating to the socks issue disappoints many. Who in the present government exhibited qualities like respect, trust, compassion not to speak about sustainability, prosperity and innovation?

It would be good for the Madani government to set up a people’s consultative committee that draws on the diversity of Malaysia and acts as a crisis management group that immediately responds to such issues. The people are more committed to peace and forgiveness than are the politicians who always have a divisive agenda.

It is in the nature of diversity that issues will arise but if we have respect and trust, things can be resolved. Failing this, we leave it to the bigoted politicians who are waiting for such opportunities to exhibit their stupidity.

I was really sad that the Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar commented that the statement by MCCBCHST was misleading and may cause disharmony. For a religious affairs minister, I have greater expectation from him especially since he represents the Madani government.

What would it have cost him to call up the group, have tea with them and listen to their perspectives? He has probably never met them and this was an opportunity for him to show that the Madani government is not about playing politics but about engendering trust, respect, friendship and understanding.

Imagine what this would have done to the government’s credibility and his own commitment to the notion of Madani. Otherwise, these are just slogans and expressions that make no difference. The religious affairs minister should also step outside his boundaries and inspect the feelings of minorities.

Surely by meeting the group and assuring them that the amendments would only affect Muslims and that any changes would be within the framework of the federal constitution would have been a positive step. He could have also listened to their fears and insecurities. Dialogue is the key and he missed an opportunity. Perhaps for him also Madani is just a political slogan.

The minister must also appreciate that there have been enough legal cases that have caused concern amongst believers of other faiths. This government must walk the talk and unless the ministers and leaders show what it means to earn respect, trust and compassion, Madani will remain another hollow slogan.

We are all Malaysians and it is not too much for the government of the day to take initiatives and listen to alternative views. If nothing is achieved, at least there has been a dialogue and both sides acknowledge their positions. We do not want a top-down autocratic approach as has been the case for decades.

It is a sad day when issues of inter-faith are questioned in Malaysia. As professor emeritus Osman Bakar so clearly elucidates in his paper on inter-faith and inter-civilisational dialogue: “Ethnic and regional pluralism was a contemporary issue for the Prophet (PBUH) because his vision was, among others, to create out of the Arab pluralism a model of multi-faith and multi-ethnic living founded on spiritual principles that future societies could look back upon for inspiration”.

We must move from the agenda of you, me and them to one of harmony as we share a common humanity. This is the leadership we expect from this Madani government and their failure on this recent debacle with “socks” shows how many of them are really committed to the Madani vision. I would recommend that the PM send his ministers for further training under him in this area.

If this government does not take the leadership to quell such issues, then they leave it de facto to the bigots and stupid politicians who have no issues relevant to the people to champion but hide behind the mask of religion and expose their hypocrisy.

The key question to ask is, “Is Madani for real!” – April 15, 2024.

K. Haridas reads the Malaysian Insight.