NO one can deny that religion and race were and are the backbone of ancient and modern civilisations, and can be used as a defining trait of groups to help them achieve independence, progress and continuity.
However, like all other things, race and religion, when manipulated and exploited by a few, can turn ugly and even lead to bloodshed.
The world has witnessed the dangers of these two elements. In terms of race, for example, there were Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide, and neo-nationalism in the United States, Europe and India; many are linked to racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia.
As for religion, we merely need to look at The Troubles in Northern Ireland, al-Qaeda and Daesh in West Asia and North Africa.
Malaysia has not been spared from the scourge of extremism, albeit on a smaller scale. Its impact, nevertheless, has spanned more than two generations, from the Amanat Haji Hadi episode to Islamophobia over Islamic-Malay legacies such as the Jawi script. The May 13 episode is the clearest example of the dangers of politicians — be they from the government or opposition — failing to control the blaze they themselves started and that was later fanned into a wildfire by their own supporters.
The reality is that while there are many "stakeholders" behind extremism, the dominant players and those who stand to benefit the most are the politicians, who play on the obsession of supporters and fear of the enemy, which can ultimately be exchanged for votes.
Incidents such as accusing others of being "kafir" (infidels), organising separate Friday prayers without permission from the authorities, forbidding supporters from attending opponents' "kenduri", labelling certain moves as attempts to Islamise the non-Muslim community, make up but a few of the black episodes in the country's political history.
In the latest incident, an opposition leader repeated his claim that it is "haram" (forbidden) to vote for a candidate from another party. This was done despite the person having no religious authority or knowledge — either as a mufti or at the very least, an academician — to issue such edicts. The episode shows that religious manipulation and exploitation has reached critical mass.
This is also not an isolated incident but merely the latest in a series of manipulation and exploitation of race and religion, which have seen an increase, especially during the 15th General Election.
The danger is that the practice is no longer restricted to party leaders but has spread to the grassroots, who can be seen actively echoing such views in discussions on WhatsApp, Telegram and on social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and TikTok.
All this runs contrary to the history of Malaysia's birth and development, which saw the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli and ethnic groups of Sabah and Sarawak joining hands to build an independent nation.
Disharmony, mutual suspicion and constant mudslinging are extremely dangerous as the nation will face many more state elections — in Sabah, Melaka, Johor and Sarawak — before the 16th General Election. It is also possible that some state elections will be held separately. What should be a green field of fertile democracy could instead be razed by the flames of religious and racial manipulation.
The editorial leadership of Berita Harian, New Straits Times and Harian Metro collectively believes that racial and religious exploitation has grown tremendously, even riding on political interests for short-term gain without considering the negative impact on the country and its people.
The authorities, such as the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, must take stern action and speed up investigation of political leaders who commit such acts, without fear or favour. It is well known that investigations of regular social media users who touch on the 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues are swifter compared with others, as seen in cases involving Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, Lim Guan Eng and P. Ramasamy.
This slowness not only creates a perception that there are two clusters — the "haves" and "have nots" — but also fuels public suspicion that there are hidden hands controlling the authorities.
We believe this political nonsense must be ended once and for all, and that all political parties, both from the unity government and the opposition, must sit together to find common ground by signing a memorandum of understanding that specifies what lines cannot be crossed, as well as the need to respect democracy.
Realising that asking politicians to lay out these boundaries and find a democratic solution is akin to the blind leading the blind, we ask that the Malay rulers oversee this peace process and ceasefire by making it a key agenda of the Conference of Rulers, aided by academicians, mufti, as well as religious and cultural leaders.
Once a consensus is reached, we are confident that the government and the opposition can both carry out their respective duties, be it spurring economic growth or serving as a system of checks and balances.
Political leaders who step out of line must be subjected to action immediately, either by
the party itself or the country's laws.
This MoU must be a priority for all as the country's economic recovery is of paramount importance in this post-Covid-19 era of geopolitical crises, as well as dwindling foreign investment, which can be summarised as volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
We are certain that if all politicians can clear their hearts and minds and work together, Malaysia will weather this massive storm.