DECEMBER 12 — In the midst of boisterous shouts of extremist outfits, finally came an open letter to all Malaysians jointly signed by 25 prominent Malay leaders in the country. They expressed their concerns of the country's situation and hoped the government and moderate Malaysians would do something about this trend.

Political and religious right tilt has aggravated psychological extremism while the recent conflicts have further bogged down the forward advances of democratic politics. Such a phenomenon has been attributed to to Umno and PAS inching towards conservatism as they fight for their respective political gains, and this has given the extremists a good chance to advance their causes. Because of this, more and more non-government organisations have joined the right tilt.

If our leaders lack the political will to thrash these irresponsible people before they get stronger, in the end they will very likely surrender the power that is already in their hands.

We have already seen instances of the consequences of a government bowing to extremist outfits and organisations.

University professors, social activists and opposition leaders have been regularly brought to court for seditious acts while journalists and lawyers have been summoned to give their statements. Nevertheless, individuals making extremist statements have often escaped legal actions.

Meanwhile, Umno leaders have drastically changed their stand, from one that supports the repeal of the Sedition Act to one that advocates the retention and enhancement of the act. This has subsequently invited criticisms from US vice-president Joe Biden and US Ambassador to Malaysia Joseph Yun.

Political right tilt means racist politics and racism are emboldened. More and more inequitable race-oriented policies are in the pipeline. The status of Chinese and Tamil primary schools are being questioned, as Umno grassroots have voiced out proposal to close down Chinese primary schools.

Excessive political conservatism does not augur well for religious harmony and extreme religious politics will put the country at the edge of the cliff. Worryingly, more and more people are unable to discern between the right and wrong, claiming unashamedly that they shouldn't feel embarrassed being accused of embracing racism or rightism.

Religious conservatism has also made it much tougher for different religions to communicate and interact with one another, hence a series of incidents ranging from the use of the word "Allah," the confiscation of Bible, children's custody right and banning of cross-dressing and the hudud law controversies, etc.

Religious regulations have gradually influenced the life of ordinary people. For instance, the Kelantan state government imposes strict dress code for Muslim women while the Kedah freezes new entertainment licences.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom announced recently that the syariah courts will be further expanded to five levels and will eventually be same as the civil courts.

But, as the 25 prominent Malay leaders have said, there have been overlapping between the syariah courts and civil courts. If we don't review these laws, more controversies are in the offing.

The fact that many young sympathisers have joined the IS terror group highlights the urgency to preserve religious moderation.

The appointment of Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller to helm the MAS NewCo is poised to facilitate the introduction of new management concepts. Unfortunately Khazanah's move has triggered strong opposition from many conservatives.

Appointing a foreigner or Mat Salleh to helm a government-linked company (GLC) does not mean Malaysians are stupid or incompetent. Many GLCs have remained stagnant because they are bound by the decades-old management styles and are afraid to axe their unproductive staff. In the absence of fresh creativity, they are simply unable to reduce their operating cost and boost their profits.

Only foreigners can help us break such deadlock so that our GLCs can move in tandem with the times and venture abroad aggressively like Genting, YTL Corp and IOI Corp.

Thanks to fast sliding oil prices, Khazanah is no longer capable of bearing the losses of GLCs. Consequently it urgently needs to enhance these companies' management and not to be over reliant to the government.

Moderation and diversity are our treasured assets and advantages. Unfortunately, certain quarters are adamant to have them buried. It is now time for the silent majority to speak up and save this country before it gets too late. — Sin Chiew Daily

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.