KUALA LUMPUR: Racial tension remains a prevalent issue in Malaysia which must be addressed to avoid further detrimental impacts on the country, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said social media, while being an effective communication platform, can be abused and trigger discord when issues concerning race, income or religion are raised.
"Due to this, there is an unease which affects the relationship between the communities. This should not continue.
"Take the topic of wealth distribution, for example. The Malays, who are the biggest component of the community, may feel that they are not being cared for enough by the government, especially in aspects of aid distribution.
"Previously, we had the New Economic Policy (NEP) but we have witnessed numerous leakages and less than savoury things.
"There was dissatisfaction among the Malays, but the same thing is also evident within the Indian and Chinese communities.
"Some of them are disadvantaged and poor and earn low incomes, hence it has become the Perikatan Nasional government's policy to address these weaknesses.
"However, we don't want to be seen as defending only one side and ignoring the other. It is difficult to tackle this perception," he said during his townhall session on the Shared Prosperity of Kuala Lumpur or "Sesi Balai Rakyat Makmur Bersama Kuala Lumpur" event on Tuesday.