LETTERS: There is no room for racial slurs and religious bigotry in Keluarga Malaysia, or Malaysian Family, as advocated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob.
When such things happen in our homes, it is the duty of the head of the household to chastise the offending member.
And, when it happens in public, it is the duty of the head of government — the prime minister — to step in and put things right.
For now, it is appreciated that National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu have come out strongly against the racist remarks made by another politician against badminton player S. Kisona.
The derogatory racial slur against our sportswoman shows how insensitive and racist some politicians have become. Halimah said such remarks are the antithesis to the culture of a multiracial society.
We hope her call will be echoed by other senior politicians, starting from the very top, so as to clear any doubt that Malaysia condones racial prejudices.
Sadly, Kisona's was not an isolated case. Social media has been abuzz with other instances recently of remarks by some ulama against the followers of religions other than Islam.
Although the rant of one such bigot is not shared by the majority of Malaysians, his conduct must be roundly condemned and taken to task.
We must not just pay lip service to Keluarga Malaysia or Malaysian Family. It must be a reality in our daily lives and in our interactions with people of all races, religions and gender.
We must not tolerate extremist views of any kind or by anybody.
A few people have tried to justify the remarks of this bigot by saying that there is religious intolerance and prejudice and discrimination in many countries of the world and, therefore, it is not wrong to raise such issues at home.
We must always be mindful of the fact that we are not in a position to do much against such global injustices except speak out against them at international forums just as Ismail Sabri did in the United Nations recently.
But, we are certainly in a position to do something about such utterances when they are made at home.
Now that police reports have been made against this offending ulama, Malaysians are now waiting to see action taken against the culprit.
Such actions must be nipped in the bud immediately by police action. Such acts must also be roundly condemned by all right-thinking politicians from both sides of the political divide.
It is time for the government to have zero tolerance for any kind of racial or religious bigotry since all Malaysians are part of Keluarga Malaysia as emphasised by the prime minister.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Trustee,
Malaysia Unity Foundation
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times