OP ED | Home- Stop exploitation of race and religion for personal gain

Pix for representational purpose only/SUNPix

.Sze Loong Steve Ngeow
Kajang

.

TAN SRI LEO MOGGIE’S call for peninsular Malaysians to refrain from exploiting race and religion as it can divide the nation and cause disunity is timely advice.

His reasoned view on the importance of preserving the traditions and cultures of the various races, which has become a melting pot that has added more richness to the civilisation of our country, emphasises the idea of Malaysians striving to move forward as one and respecting one another as part of a larger family.

If race relations are more strained than in previous times, it is reasonable to attribute much of our division to unethical politicians engaging in extreme politics for their personal or party gains.

Experts have shown that integration
brings together distinct elements in a complementary manner, enabling the retention of unique qualities. Conversely, assimilation tends to result in the negative outcome of the dominant culture subordinating the others.

The strong historical and contemporary economic and social contributions of the Chinese, Indians and other smaller communities are evidence of the sound integration. In this context, it is reasonable to say that integration, not assimilation, is the right approach to a harmonious nation.

Maintaining distinct cultures has not prevented these communities from coexisting in unity and tolerance.

On the contrary, integration has
benefited our nation, enabling us to strategically maximise our diverse strengths.
It also promotes peace by upholding the universal values of respecting the rights of people to practise their unique cultures.

Note that other thriving countries have not required minorities to assimilate but, instead, integrate by way of a positive multicultural policy.

Therefore, our leaders must align their actions with their rhetoric on integration as it harnesses the diverse strengths within our pluralistic society.