KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 ― Malaysia could be a shining example of multi-racial peace and harmony if its citizens abide by the Federal Constitution and principles of the Rukunegara, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today.

The Gelang Patah MP said Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, must steadfastly speak up for peace, harmony, tolerance and goodwill to foil the designs of those spreading hate, extremism and strife in plural Malaysia.

“Recently, the voices of hatred, intolerance and extremism seem to have reared their ugly heads, designed to keep races, religions and cultures mutually suspicious and distrustful of each other like the demand that the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and non-Muslims be barred from breaking fast with Muslims ― contrary not only to the teachings of Islam but practices in Malaysia and all over the world.

“My Muslim friends tell me that fasting in Ramadan is not just abstaining from food and drink, but also from bad practices like malice, suspicion, vulgarity, immodesty, arrogance, ignorance and thinking ill of others ― in the journey to become good Muslims,” he said.

Lim said that Malaysians should all be guided by the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukunegara principles, and the first of the five principles ― Belief in God ― states that one could be good Malaysians by being good Muslims, good Buddhists, good Christians, good Hindus, good Sikhs or good Taoists.

“A good Muslim is not a threat to a good Buddhist or a good Christian or a good Hindu and vice versa,” the DAP parliamentary leader said.

“If we follow these precepts in our Constitution and the Rukunegara, Malaysia can be an example to the world as an oasis of peace, harmony, mutual respect, tolerance and goodwill with a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural citizenry.”

Lim pointed out recent incidents such as the clashes with jihadists in southern Philippines, the bombings in Manchester, Jakarta and Egypt in the past week as sad reminders of the troubled times.

“We can show the world that the confluence of different races, religions, cultures and civilisations need not be one of conflict and strife, but can be one of peace, harmony, mutual respect, tolerance and goodwill.

“There is no meaning or purpose in Malaysia preaching the wasatiyyah principles of moderation, fair play, justice, balance, mutual respect and excellence on the international stage if we these are not living values in our daily national life,” Lim said.