KUCHING, Aug 18 — State Reform Party (STAR) president Lina Soo today urged Sarawakians not to be distracted by all the dramas in Peninsular Malaysia which have nothing to do with the state.
She said they must not be ensnared into hate speech, racial and religious discord played out in the Peninsula today.
“To be embroiled in the problems and controversies of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government which are self-inflicted, is only to distract us and derail us from our aspiration to prepare a better future for our Sarawakians,” Soo said here.
She said Sarawak concerns are bread-and-butter issues, such as access to basic needs like water, electricity and healthcare, food on the table, good education for children, job and business opportunities and welfare of the senior citizens.
“We need to see our Sarawakians uplifted from poverty, and every Sarawak citizen has equal opportunity to pursue his economic, social and political future.
“Sarawakians need to set priorities, be socially and politically matured, and happy with the government,” she said.
Soo noted that of late, there have been many issues boiling over to the state, with controversies ranging from khat, Lynas, Selangor conversion bill, sex videos, Zakir Naik, to third national car and flying car.
She added in nation-building especially where it is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, there must be racial unity and religious harmony in tandem with economic and social development.
“In a country where ethnicity is played to the hilt in politics, the racial approach to economic development is the rule of the day with resources channelled not according to economic needs but based upon race-based policies.
“Therefore, there may indeed be little light at the end of the tunnel towards establishing a united nation of people with a shared sense of duty and destiny,” Soo said.
She said escalation of acrimony and hostilities between communal and religious groups will result in conflicts which may possibly lead to state failure.
She said a failed state is a government where the responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly due to societal collapse and the failure of state institutions.
She pointed out one alarming concern in Malaysia politics today is the proliferation of hate speech which is the scourge and menace to the society where ethnic relations are frail and fragile.
She said speech spread, incite, promote and justify hatred and discrimination against a person or group of persons which can lead to acts of violence and conflict.
Soo stressed online hate speech posted on Facebook and social media such as WhatsApp and Wechat incubate hatred and radicalise people who can turn to real life violence offline.
