THE Association for Community and Dialogue is concerned about a local research hub’s observation that xenophobia and racism are prevalent among social media users both in Malaysia and abroad, with the number of racially charged comments spiking as more people are confined indoors in compliance with orders by governments to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Data compiled by think-tank The Centre showed that most of the xenophobic comments related to the coronavirus are aimed at ethnic Chinese, regardless of their nationality. The report’s authors noted a growing trend of such racially charged insults after they sifted through thousands of Twitter comments, which were used as a parameter to gauge the level of xenophobic remarks being made.

Malaysia was built on the foundation of harmony among all ethnic groups, and has managed its inter-ethnic harmony relatively well compared to other countries. But, the scenario has change over the years, and we are living in the world of social media, in the context of the socioeconomic turmoil we are currently witnessing.

In Malaysia, there are three elements of phobia that we need to address.

First is bigotry – the attitude, state of mind, behaviour or characteristic of intolerance; an obstinate and unreasonable attachment to a particular creed, opinion, practice, ritual or organisation; an excessive zeal or warmth in favour of a party, sect or opinion; and, an intolerance of the opinions of others.

We saw this in political parties and civil society groups when there were demonstrations against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It was obvious that the majority ethnic elite were afraid of equality. Such bigotry was tolerated because it came from powerful ethno-religious parties.

Second is racism – the act of profiling or judging people by their race. All ethnic groups have sections who play up racial issues either overtly or vaguely.

For example, saying the Chinese are rich, or where there are Indians, there would be fights and gangsterism, or Malays are religious fundamentalists or lazy. This type of thinking translates into either overt or vague responses when these issues pop up in the media, or when the writer or commentator concerned is from a particular ethnic group. Even matters like the competency of a particular leader for a particular position can be turned racial.

Third is xenophobia – the fear or hatred of foreigners or people of different cultures. Examples include the anti-Western rhetoric that categorises all Westerners as oppressive, or categorising people as Zionists or Freemasons. This was obvious when a political/religious leader from Malaysia recently penned a letter to foreign leaders, and used such terms.

The lack of care given to migrant workers amid the Covid-19 crisis is also a form of xenophobia, one of indifference.

Lately, we’ve seen a religious leader – who one would assume has spiritual attributes and would act as a bridge-builder between the different races and religions – using social media to exaggerate issues in a racial way, firing up their followers.

All this is happening in a sensitive period, when we are going through a severe economic downturn, which can be used by bigots, racists and xenophobic individuals to play the blame game. This is detrimental to peace and harmony in the country.

These culprits, who are from all ethnic groups, have one thing in common: a simplistic view of people and the world, defining issues in merely black and white.

Therefore, it is vital for the authorities to view bigoted, racist and xenophobic comments online seriously and come up with educational and legislative measures to combat them. Good governance is built on the national consensus that bigotry, racism and xenophobia are detrimental to the nation’s progress.

Firm and unbiased action should be taken against instigators who push their extreme views in the mainstream media as well as on social media, for the sake of harmonious living and solidarity among all ethnic groups. We should take Singapore as an example; the country reins in groups that play the race/religion card, irrespective of the races and religions involved. – April 6, 2020.

* Ronald Benjamin is secretary of the Association for Community and Dialogue.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.