KUALA LUMPUR: Exactly two years ago, the government set up the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) to brainstorm new ideas and measures to foster national unity.
Free from politics, the notion was that the council would meet behind closed doors to deliberate frankly on issues of ethnicity, constitution, religion and other policies.
The 29-member NUCC, whose two-year term has just expired, was supposed to come up with recommendations on four broad topics: laws, the Federal Constitution, values and programmes.
Two years on, there are mounting calls for the government to adopt and execute some the NUCC recommendations and dismantle policies that are dividing Malaysians rather than bringing them closer.
Chaired by retired top civil servant Tan Sri Samsudin Osman and comprising a diverse membership, the NUCC produced quite a comprehensive report and outlined 16 recommendations for government consideration.
There have been calls for the government to release the report to the public and debate it in Parliament, and then, introduce appropriate laws and policies to further foster national unity.
“Some of our recommendations are doable,” said Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who served as deputy chair of the NUCC.
“The government should operationalise them. At least our efforts are not in vain.”
Another NUCC member, who declined to be named, said many in the council were disappointed that the report had been kept under wraps for so long.
Among others, the NUCC had called for the formulation of the National Unity Blueprint for Malaysia, the setting up of Community Mediation and Conflict Resolution Centres to deal with disputes, and the formation of a Law Review and Reform Commission.
The NUCC’s proposal for the repeal of the Sedition Act and the formulation of a new law to deal with hate speeches, incitement of threat of harm and invoking violence and social unrest had been shelved after the government decided to retain and reinforce the Sedition Act.
Other recommendations included improving “democratic” literacy and for the government to urge the private sector to hire without bias of ethnicity, race, gender and class.
What has been the government’s response so far?
Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity, said the National Unity Action Plan framework would be tabled before the cabinet “away day” in February next year. He said earlier this month that the plan, which was based on the recommendations by the NUCC, basically had been approved by the government.
“The plan has been presented in the cabinet meeting and in a meeting with all menteris besar and chief ministers recently.
Kurup said the National Unity and National Integration Department, under his charge, would draw up the action plan and that it would ensure effective implementation.
But he was quick to add that there was no need to formulate new legislation relating to unity.
Even the proposed Community Mediation and Conflict Resolution Centres, which would be set up nationwide, would not have punitive powers.
The NUCC, in a draft report to the government seen by NST, said the National Unity Blueprint would develop a proactive approach towards action and intervention.
This would be done by “strengthening the positive aspects of our diversity and unity while remaining vigilant of possible avenues and sources of friction in society”.
It noted that many of the divisive issues were often complex in nature and frequently possessed many contradictory elements, and the nature of the problems was seldom very clear-cut.
It said these ethnic and religious tensions stemmed primarily from political and civil society leaders through their speeches and actions.
This was in contrast to the Malaysians at large, who spoke of how they generally maintained cordial ties with their neighbours, the NUCC said.