POLITICIANS must concentrate on important issues that affect the nation, rather than bickering over Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) decision to demolish its rooftop, The Centre said today.

The recently established think tank said making noise over DBP’s plans, and turning it into another racial and religious issue had no benefit to anyone and was a waste of time.

The Centre’s founder Shahril Hamdan said objections to the plan were only games of sentiments, of which the people will eventually grow tired.

“It is therefore better for both parties to talk about the nation’s future and start discussions about issues that benefit the people.

“As long as we keep bickering over petty issues, and start playing on people’s sentiments, we will soon lose the support of young people, especially those of voting age,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

DBP’s recent announcement to demolish the rooftop of its tower structure, which appears like an open book, led to questions of whether ulterior motives were afoot.

Former Utusan Malaysia editor Ku Seman Ku Hussain described the planned demolition as “Islamophobia”.

Others, such as PAS central committee member Riduan Mohamad Noor, said the structure was a Quran book rest (rehal).

“The rehal is a symbol of Malays seeking knowledge and there are those who feel uncomfortable with it,” he had said in a Facebook post.

DBP executive director Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran was reported as saying the demolition was carried out on the advice of the Public Works Department due to safety concerns.

He noted that, while there was nostalgia over the symbolic structure, public safety must come first.

Shahril also urged the government and its agencies to communicate better with the people to overcome negative perceptions.

PKR-linked Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) deputy director Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman said issues such as the DBP’s demolition of rooftop, as well the recent unhappiness over the introduction of khat lessons in primary schools would not erode people’s trust in the Pakatan Harapan government.

He said a recent study by IDE showed that the people still felt positive about the government in protecting the sanctity of Islam.

“Although, when we look at the chats in the social media, we feel as though the government is under severe danger of falling due to these issues, the reality is something else.

“People generally are not concerned by these issues. We found that the support of the Malays and among the non-Malays for the government is very high.

“The non-Malays too do not feel like there will be Islamisation process imposed on them,” he told The Malaysian Insight. – August 11, 2019.