Malaysia is multiracial and multireligious.
Former Malaysian ambassador to the US, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, has commended the people of Sabah and Sarawak for embracing Malaysia’s multiracial identity and urged Malays in the peninsula to do the same.
“This country is not just for Malays and Muslims. It is multiracial and multireligious. We cannot speak as if we only represent the Malays and Muslims,” Nazri said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
When asked about Malaysia’s political direction and the growing influence of political Islam, he highlighted that Sabahans and Sarawakians govern their states as Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.
“In Sabah and Sarawak, they run their states as Malaysians. They remain Malaysian, regardless of their background, and can live together. We should follow them,” he stated.
In contrast, he criticised some Malays in the peninsula for prioritising racial identity over national unity, often identifying as Malaysians only when politically convenient, particularly during elections to secure non-Malay votes. He described such individuals as “fake Malaysians.”
“I do not agree that this country belongs solely to the Malays. (National sports icons) Datuk Nicol David and Datuk Lee Chong Wei did not compete internationally as Chinese or Indian. They played for Malaysia,” he added.
Nazri also strongly opposed the continued presence of fugitive Indian preacher Zakir Naik in Malaysia.
“He had problems in India and came here. And now, he wants to tell us how to be Muslims and how we should interact with non-Muslims.
“Don’t tell me how to be a Malay-Muslim. I was born here. The reality has always been that we are multiracial and multireligious,” he said, emphasising his positive relationship with non-Muslim Malaysians.
On 21 February, the Home Ministry confirmed there was no longer a ban preventing Naik from delivering public sermons in Malaysia. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that the previous restriction, imposed in 2019, had been lifted.
Naik has been evading Indian authorities since 2016, facing allegations of making hate speeches and money laundering. Indian officials linked his speeches to a 2016 terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which left 29 people dead.
In June 2019, India’s external affairs ministry confirmed a formal extradition request had been submitted to Malaysia, with legal proceedings still ongoing. That same month, an Indian court ordered Naik to appear in person for a case.
Naik is believed to be residing in Putrajaya after being granted asylum in Malaysia in 2018.