POLITICAL and religious leaders must speak up against the spreading of hatred that could destroy the peaceful multiculturalism of Malaysia, Professor Shad Saleem Faruqi said today.

The constitutional law expert said community leaders must also stop politicians from stoking hate.

“Anywhere in the world, stoking racial and religious sentiment is a profitable business. In a democracy, you need votes and politicians want to cater to the wishes and sentiments of voters,” he said.

“More often than not, these sentiments are populist in nature rather than what ought to be. The authorities must spread the right message. Religious leaders must take a stand against bigotry, so do the rest of us.

“If one person takes a stand and says, ‘I think that’s wrong’, it may have a ripple effect, and others may be encouraged to say the same.”

Shad was speaking at the Tun Hussein Onn Chair Lecture Series and the launch of his new monograph Multiculturalism and Nation Building in a Plural and ‘Divided’ Society: The Case of Malaysia, organised by Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

He used the example of former leaders, the likes of Tun Hussein Onn who walked the middle path in crafting the constitution at a time when Malay nationalism was strong because it was the right thing to do.

“We have decades of experience of living in harmony. We can capture what our forefathers painstakingly established,” he said.

“Tear down the walls of separation and rebuild bridges of understanding. The quality of civilisation is not based on military power, but the ability to live together in peace, harmony and respect.”

To that effect, Shad recommended that the government set up a new statutory institutional framework for reconciling race and religious conflict.

He suggested taking a more rehabilitative approach towards bigotry and hate speech instead of punitive measures.

“A National Harmony Act should be drafted after wide consultation with various stakeholders,” he said.

“Under the act, the government can administer caution and (issue) warning when peace is poisoned by hate speech and actions. There is no need to criminalise such acts.”

There is no specific provision to penalise hate speech, although actions can be brought under the Sedition Act and penal code. – July 28, 2021.