COMMENT Several recent racial and religious issues that are taking place in peninsular Malaysia are challenging the harmonious, inter-racial and faith relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims.

This situation demands a serious discussion on these issues by all the major political parties and NGOs in the country.                  .   

Undoubtedly, the recent provocative actions and statements made by some fanatical NGO leaders have made hundred of thousands of non-Muslim Malaysians feel demeaned and left in total exasperation as no action has been taken against these provocateurs.

And who can the non-Muslim Malaysians therefore turn to? Sadly, the answer is none, except to their respective God.

It is interesting to note that the Malaysian Christians have been showing an exemplary attitude by remaining calm during this turbulent and chaotic time, for they know very well that Jesus had endured the same situation, yet he triumphed when he left it to God to determine his fate.

One must also remember that hundred of thousands of Malays too do not condone or even agree with the provocative and inflammatory actions or statements of these fanatical leaders. These people would prefer to co-exist in harmony with the rest of the non-Muslims as they through their daily lives.

High time for all parties to discuss the issues

It is high time for the BN and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to sit down and discuss all the racial and religious issues currently taking place in Malaysia, and to come out with a concrete plan or solution to prevent whatever is happening now to repeat in the future.

After all, they are the servants of the people and not the other way around !  

Whatever the plan or solution is, it should also be adopted into the Federal Constitution of Malaysia as a sign of commitment by all parties to see a harmonious Malaysia.

This is so since, if the issues involving inter-race and faith in Malaysia are not attended to immediately, a great irreparable divide will take place in the country. The losers will be the ordinary Malaysians themselves, not the BN political leaders, some of whom own houses or businesses overseas.    

The onus then is on the BN, which currently runs the federal government, to end all the fanfares brought up by these fanatical leaders by being firm and committed to preserve inter-faith and racial harmony by charging these clowns in the court, since it is empowered to do so.

However, it is saddening to note that several statements by some BN leaders are not helping at all in ending the confusions that are currently taking place.

In principle, when a certain leader is appointed as a federal cabinet minister, he or she is to discharge his or her duty with fairness and full responsibility since he or she is a minister for all Malaysians, irrespective of their race and religion.

A federal minister must speak for all races

It is important for the cabinet ministers in Putrajaya to acknowledge that when he or she sits in the minister's office at Putrajaya, he or she is the minister for the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Dayak, Iban, Kadazan, Bajau and not for his or her own particular race.

I find it a total absurdity whenever a political leader is given a post in the federal cabinet based on the rationale of "ensuring the proper representation of his or her race in Putrajaya" as if his or her race is not important in the eyes of the federal government, despite contributing to the Treasury coffers by paying tax.

Putrajaya is the office for all Malaysians and everyone should be equal in the eyes of the appointed federal cabinet minister, since everybody will equally be paying the same GST next year !

This also augurs well with the prime minister's slogan of 1Malaysia, unless he thinks that it should be the other way around.

So, how could our home minister be closing his eyes with all the seditious and provocative statements and actions made by the fanatical NGO leaders, which included the threat of beheading others?

Is that not an invitation to commit murder against others?

What will happen if a group of people with unsound perspectives are taken by what these fanatical NGO leaders said and run amok, beheading others?   

CHRISTOPHER TOGUK MASUDAL is the press liaison officer for the MP for Penampang, Sabah.