KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not use “fear-mongering” as a way to encourage ethnic Malays to be brave but should lead the way in showing courage by protecting Malaysia’s minorities, former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has said.

In a blog post, Zaid said the prime minister should set an example by protecting the rights of the country’s minorities instead.

On Tuesday, Najib told Umno members to ensure the survival of the party by emulating the bravery of seen in the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant, a militant group Islamic in Iraq and Syria.

The prime minister’s office has since issued a statement saying that Najib’s remarks on the militant group had been taken out of context and that he is firmly against extremism.

Zaid said Najib should help the Malays address the self-generated fear that the “whole world is against them.”

Groups often touted as the enemies of the Malays - the Chinese, Jews, Christians - are all busy gaining wealth and had no interest or time to hurt them,  he added.

“The Malays will never learn to be brave if their political and religious leaders only open their mouths to talk about the enemies who are out to destroy them.

“It’s time leaders reassure the Malays that their position is safe, and let them learn to be positive about their future. The PM himself should stop this fear mongering,” Zaid added.

He said the prime minister can help Malays become brave by explaining the rights of all Malaysians under the Federal Constitution and telling them they can grow in strength by working together with other races.

“Recognising and protecting of the rights of all minorities under the law is an act of courage,” he said.

Zaid said Najib could show bravery by withdrawing the government’s ban on the use of the word “Allah” in the Herald.

“If his Cabinet stands by the 2009 Cabinet decision on the use of ‘Allah’, then he must have the courage to retract the Home Minister’s decision on the Herald and save the country from endless confusion.

Najib can also give clear legal weight to the Cabinet’s 10-point solution in 2011 - stating that Christians are free use and distribute bibles with the word “Allah” - by turning it into a piece of legislation.

“He must show courage by passing a law in the next Parliamentary session to clearly set out the position reflected in the Cabinet’s 10-point decision,” he said.

On Monday, the Federal Court decided by a 4-to-3 majority to deny the Catholic Church the right to appeal a lower court decision preventing it from using the word “Allah” in its weekly paper Herald.

On the same day, a spokesman from the Prime Minister’s Department said that Malaysian Christians were still free to call their God “Allah” in churches and stressed that the Federal Court’s decision was limited to the Herald.