Rafidah: The feeding of xenophobic sentiments must stop

rafidah-aziz PETALING JAYA: Malaysians must stop harping on issues that only feed xenophobic sentiments, says former minister Rafidah Aziz.

Rafidah, who was once international trade and industry minister, said this when lashing out at “recent events and developments” that she said led her to believe the “bonds holding us together as Malaysians are loosening and unravelling.”

She is believed to be referring to the controversial debate sparked by the tabling of a Private Member’s Bill seeking an amendment to the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, or the hudud bill, by PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang in Parliament last week.

“There are just too many issues that are going contrary to the core principle of inclusiveness, which is the essence of cohesion and unity,” Rafidah wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“Why are we doing things that only feed sentiments of xenophobia?”

Rafidah railed against those she said were “playing with fire” by stoking potential xenophobic sentiments with issues related to religion and race.

“Never make religion a political football. Religion is about personal faith – not the machinations of the State or individuals,” Rafidah wrote.

“In the worst-case scenario, the inability to effectively manage the situation can spawn extremism.”

Rafidah warned that these issues increased the chances of division in society and polarisation along racial and religious lines.

“(There will be) in fact divisiveness even amongst those within the same race and religion!” she said.

These xenophobic sentiments, Rafidah added, were increasingly dividing Malaysians into two, playing on the fear of losing one’s identity.

“This fear of that which is foreign or strange…may lead to action to secure the presumed ‘purity’ of that group,” Rafidah warned.

She urged the public to think their moves through carefully, especially those with the potential to harm the nation and society.

“We have enough issues yet unresolved on our plate. Political expediency has no validity when race and religion become unnecessarily fractious issues,” she wrote.

“Good social and political governance dictates that we do what unites, not what divides. The nation’s interests must prevail.”

The controversy over Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill has seen politicians from both sides of the divide either defending or arguing against the passing of the Bill on hudud.

Component parties of Barisan Nasional have been particularly quick to denounce the Bill, with politicians from MCA, MIC and Gerakan threatening to resign if the Bill comes to pass.