Govt told to curb racial politics to prevent animosity, violence

The government has been told to put effort into curbing and preventing elements of racial politics in the country from spreading.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said this was because elements such as hate speech would lead to animosity and cause violence to erupt.

“I consider racial politics as the source of other ‘diseases’… if a government allows racial discrimination to occur, then there lies the problem.

“This is because… racial discrimination can occur everywhere such as in terms of the provision of laws, policies, in public institutions as well as government programmes which are merely efforts to win elections and remain in power,” he said at a webinar organised by the Southeast-Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism today.

Saifuddin said to tackle the matter, tolerance, understanding and embracing cultural and racial diversity should be the foundation in creating an environment of peaceful coexistence.

He said the concept of wasatiyah or moderation in practising one’s culture should also be applied so that the people could celebrate pluralism and be kind to all groups without discrimination.