PM Anwar says denying any race or party a place in government is ‘arrogant’

PUTRAJAYA, June 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said it would be arrogant to deny any race or political party a place in government after they had secured public support through the democratic process.

While stressing that Malaysians must move beyond merely tolerating differences and instead seek to understand one another, he said respect for the people’s choice is a fundamental principle of democracy.

“In a democratic system and practice, we must respect the people’s choice.

“Therefore, it would be arrogant for us to make decisions that deny any race or political party the right to participate in and be part of the government,” Anwar told a monthly assembly at the Communications Ministry today.

Without naming any individual or political party, Anwar said heated political campaigns sometimes lead to statements that go too far and that such excesses should be corrected.

He added that personal beliefs and perspectives are often shaped by people’s upbringing and life experiences, but warned that such differences should never result in attitudes that lack humanity.

“We did not choose to be Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban or Kadazan.

“We did not choose our ethnicity or the colour of our skin,” he said.

Drawing on Islamic teachings, Anwar said diversity should be viewed as a blessing rather than a source of division.

He said the Quran teaches that people were created as different communities and ethnic groups so they could know and understand one another and respect those differences.

“These differences can at times feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, but this should not lead to intolerance.

“Diversity extends beyond differing opinions and includes differences in race, ethnicity, language and appearance.

“While racial harmony is often framed in terms of tolerance, Islam sets a higher standard through the concept of lita’arafu,” he said.

Explaining the term, he said it goes beyond simply accepting differences and instead calls for people to genuinely understand, appreciate and respect one another’s culture, language, customs and beliefs.

“It is not enough to merely tolerate differences,” he said.

“In building our society, we must strive to know one another, understand one another and respect one another.”