KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Malaysia could take a cue on maintaining religious harmony among its multiracial, multireligious citizens from its neighbour Singapore, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.
The foreign minister praised the island republic for having done well in that aspect despite differences in the issues it faced, Singapore daily Straits Times reported today.
“I think they have done a good job.
”We have our issues, they have their issues, but to a certain extent, they have done quite well and we can emulate, if not all, at least the spirit behind the experience that they have gone through,” the Indera Mahkota MP was quoted saying.
Race and religion have been trigger points in Malaysia over the years. The use of “Allah” for God beyond the Islamic context and religious conversions, especially of minors, to Islam, have led to court disputes that have also created tensions in the public sphere.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs, Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa, announced yesterday a proposal for the set up of a national harmony and reconciliation commission to safeguard communal and interreligious interests in the face of rising extremism and bigotry.
He also said the government plans to introduce a law to address religious and racial hatred.
Mujahid said both the commission and the proposed law will incorporate elements of the defunct National Unity Consultative Council, of which he used to be chairman.
He said that while the Sedition Act and Penal Code have been used to address such offences before, these were not specifically aimed at racial and religious instigation.
