Malaysia’s reluctance to confront rising racism in the country stands as one of the most significant impediments to the nation’s progress, according to a new Pusat Komas report launched today.
Pusat Komas director Jerald Joseph said recent political speeches have exhibited a troubling trend of unabashed racism, with numerous derogatory remarks being made without consequence.
He said that while the police were the current authority dealing with such incidents, the country needed a dedicated body to address racial and religious complaints separately.
In light of these concerns, Pusat Komas put forth several recommendations, chief among them being the establishment of a National Harmony Reconciliation Commission (NHRC) tasked with overseeing matters related to racial harmony.
“Politicians should refrain from exploiting religion for their gain. Unfortunately, they often resort to using religion as a tool for self-promotion. It is disheartening that even in modern-day Malaysia, this behavior is tolerated, with many followers buying into it,” said Jerald.
Pusat Komas programme director Ryan Chua said although the government has stated its commitment to international declarations such as the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), more must be done to combat racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia that continue to undermine national unity.
Chua stressed the need for politicians to cease using divisive rhetoric centred on race and religion.
“The government must establish the NHRC to provide redress to victims of racism and racial discrimination. Additionally, it should enhance existing legal frameworks, aligning them with international standards such as the Rabat Plan of Action, and introduce specific legislation to address racial issues,” Chua said.
He further emphasised the importance of conducting extensive awareness campaigns and providing training to officials to foster understanding and respect among communities.
“Finally, the government must demonstrate unwavering commitment to substantially improving its human rights record, particularly in combating racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia,” Chua added.
The Malaysia Racism Report highlighted a decrease in reported cases from 82 to 50 between 2022 and 2023, although it noted that many incidents likely went unreported.
Pusat Komas also lamented the lack of repercussions for politicians who made racial remarks, such as PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang who, among others, claimed DAP was using a Malay spokesman to advance Chinese interests on May 4, 2023, and who said Muslims should prioritise themselves over other local communities.
Former Prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also cited for his racially charged statements, such as his claim on March 9 that Malays do not benefit from Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society due to Chinese dominance in the business sector.
The report cited incidents involving other politicians like former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Bersatu MP Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Ahmad Kamal, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as those who engaged in racist behaviour without repercussion.
According to the report, reported cases of racism dropped from 82 in 2022 to 50 last year, but suggested that this was because 2022 was an election year when politicians used race and religion to garner votes.
From the 50 reports, race and religion politics constituted the highest number of cases at 31.4 per cent. expressions of prejudice, provocation and incitement (17.6 per cent), discrimination in the education sector 9.8 per cent, sports (7.8 per cent), racist or discriminatory policies (7.8 per cent), xenophobia (11.8 per cent) and racial discrimination in other sectors (13.7 per cent). – MMO