PUTRAJAYA, Feb 24 — Ethnicity remains the biggest challenge to national unity, according to findings from the 2025 National Unity Index (IPNas) survey, says National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
He said the survey identified five main issues most frequently felt by the public, with ethnicity being the greatest concern at 60.3 per cent, followed by media (57.2 per cent), politics and federalism (56.9 per cent), religion (56.7 per cent) and social class (47.5 per cent).
“Based on the Pareto Principle, focusing on these five issues would address the majority of public grievances regarding unity,” he said in a statement today.
Aaron noted that ethnic sentiment and patterns of social interaction must be managed more prudently to avoid widening social divides.
The prominence of media as the second-highest concern highlights the powerful influence of news reporting, digital content and viral messages on emotions and perceptions between communities, he said.
Aaron said the near-equal ranking of politics and federalism indicates that public understanding of the respective roles of federal and state governments shapes perceptions of fairness and shared belonging.
Religious issues, he stressed, require careful handling due to their sensitive nature and potential for misinterpretation, while social class and education underscore persistent gaps felt by the public, particularly in relation to cost of living, economic mobility and access to quality education.
The survey also analysed regional differences in perceptions of unity across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, especially in matters of governance, federal-state relations and access to development.
The minister said a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer relevant, and there is a need for unity narratives tailored to regional and local contexts.
“The 2025 IPNas findings send a clear message that unity cannot be built through symbolic campaigns, political rhetoric or broad-brush approaches alone,” he said.
Aaron stressed that unity must be strengthened through transparent and fair governance, economic delivery that benefits the people, responsible media narrative and information management, and differentiated strategies based on region and community groups.
Although the country is free from physical conflict, he warned that the main threats today are narrative and economic polarisation.
In response, he said the Madani Government, through the National Unity Ministry, will use the IPNas 2025 findings to guide policy interventions focused on people-centred governance, media and information management, and narrowing socio-economic gaps.
“We must reinforce what is strong and repair what remains fragile. Unity is not a permanent inheritance, but a trust to be safeguarded by every generation,” he said.
Aaron also outlined five key measures to further strengthen unity, namely pursuing fair and inclusive development; revitalising national values in daily life; turning social interaction into genuine cooperation; enhancing transparent micro-level governance; and positioning high-performing states as benchmarks of best practice.
“The survey also found that social interaction alone is insufficient to drive unity, stressing that positive relations must translate into meaningful collaboration in community activities and everyday life,” he added. — Bernama
