THE recent interfaith Iftar (breaking of fast) attended by Muslim and Christian groups, as well as representatives from the Buddhist community, is most welcome at a time when toxic politics of race and religion has become overwhelming to the detriment of national integration.

Hosted by Global Unity Network (GUN) in collaboration with Christians for Peace and Harmony in Malaysia (CPHM), the event provided a convenient platform for adherents of two major religions to meet and get to know one another. This goes a long way towards promoting mutual understanding and respect.

As rightly emphasised by the participants, followers of these two faiths should build friendship, ties and trust based on similarities that both parties have – rather than emphasising on their doctrinal differences.

Detractors would be assured that the faiths of these followers would not falter as a result of their getting together. If anything, they would appreciate their own religious traditions more and, in turn, reinforce their own respective beliefs.

A faith such as theirs, particularly that of the Muslims, is strong enough so that, for instance, a mere sight of a postal stamp bearing a picture of an old church would not necessarily weaken their faith, leaving the believers concerned confused and vulnerable.

In line with the concern for mutual understanding among various ethnicities and religious followers, it is refreshing to know that the Malaysian Youth Council has proposed that schools and institutions of higher learning introduce a subject on other religions, apart from the current Islamic studies, so as to enable students to understand other faiths as well.

However, the rejection of Education Minister Maszlee Malik to this noble proposal is highly regrettable, given that such an educational approach would not only widen the intellectual horizon of students, but also may help address, to a certain extent, problems of religious extremism.

While having meals together is a good strategy to increase interaction among various ethnic groups and religious followers, Malaysians should also over time go beyond just having a bite to eat.

They, and others, ought to sit down together to address in a civilised and friendly manner, certain uncomfortable truths that are long overdue if we are to really move forward in our collective desire to enhance national unity, social justice and progress.

A sense of inclusiveness must prevail in this effort to foster good ethnic and religious relations.

If the notion of citizenship among Malaysians is to be made more meaningful, people must realise that citizenship entails certain advantages and privileges that people who are not citizen are deprived of.

In the spirit of a supposedly new Malaysia, these Malaysians ought to start serious conversations about, say, institutional discrimination in areas of employment in both public and private sectors, and of education.

If education is a door to upward social mobility, then Malaysians, particularly the authorities, ought to look seriously into such vital matters as scholarships, university intake and matriculation.

Matriculation, for example, has been a sore point for many parents, particularly from the non-Malay communities because the current system has disadvantaged them, especially the poor and underprivileged.

As long as this back-door entry to public universities, as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad puts it, is still operational, the Education Ministry would need to do more than just increasing the overall matriculation intake. The current quota of 10% intake for non-Malay students ought to be increased as it is measly, to put it mildly.

Furthermore, if education is a human right, access to education must be fair and just.

The present administration has been promoting the Islamic concept of “rahmatan lil alamin” (Mercy to all creations), and thus it is incumbent upon Pakatan Harapan to take care of the welfare of all Malaysians, irrespective of ethnicity and belief.

Justice, in this regard, must be served to all. This is the concrete brick needed in building strong bridges. – May 20, 2019.