Why we must stop exploiting communal sentiments over land

Malaysia is a beautiful country. I say that not as a slogan, but as someone who has lived long enough to see how fragile that beauty can be.

Every few years, something happens – a land dispute, a demolition, a protest, a house of worship built on land that later becomes ‘controversial’.

And suddenly, what should have been a matter of paperwork, planning and enforcement turns into a storm of race and religion.

And I ask myself, did we not learn anything? Is this about faith? Or is it about land titles? Is this about devotion? Or about approvals and planning? Is this about injustice? Or about failure in governance?

We are too quick to light a match before we check if there is already petrol on the floor.

Planning rules exist for a reason

The building of any house of worship – whether a mosque, surau, temple, church or tokong – is not supposed to be random. There are processes, zoning laws, local authority approvals, demographic studies and safety requirements.

There are also township masterplans designed to balance infrastructure, access, population density and long-term growth. Town planning is not emotional. It is structured, technical and deliberate.

So when a structure is built on land without proper approval, it is first and foremost a governance issue. When enforcement is delayed for years, it becomes an administrative failure. When no one monitors until tension explodes, it becomes a dereliction of duty.

But somehow, in Malaysia, we skip all of that and jump straight into race.

Why? Why is it that the moment enforcement begins, it becomes an ‘attack on religion’? Why does accountability immediately transform into victimhood? Why do political actors rush in before the planners and legal officers do?

If a mosque is built illegally, it must be addressed. If a temple is built illegally, it must be addressed. If a church, surau or any structure violates land law, it must be addressed.

The law cannot have a skin colour or religion.

Selective enforcement is poison.  Once people see one exception, the mindset becomes simple – “If they can, why can’t we?”

Then we wonder why nothing ever gets resolved.

History has already warned us

We have seen where this road leads. The 1978 Kerling incident was not just a line in history. It was a warning.

When emotions are inflamed and religion is politicised, reason is the first casualty. Once that happens, the mob takes over the mind. People forget humanity, neighbourliness and the Malaysia we claim to love.

I remember meeting individuals in my younger days who were academically brilliant, disciplined and intelligent – yet completely consumed by extremist thinking. Brainwashing does not discriminate by IQ. It can happen across all religions, all ideologies and all communities. When emotion overrides reason, education alone cannot save us.

Today, we are not just quarelling on the streets. We are quarelling in digital space. Social media has become a war room. Troll farms, cybertroopers, rage-bait creators – all working overtime. Narratives are shaped before facts are verified. Videos are clipped without context. Anger travels faster than truth.

And it always seems to intensify as elections approach. Is it a coincidence that ‘three R’ issues (race, religion and royalty) heat up closer to the general election? Or is perception warfare already in motion?

We saw how the 2022 general election unfolded. TikTok was flooded with stories of 13 May, and religious fearmongering targeting young voters. Many believed or reacted before they verified or researched. Are we about to repeat that cycle?

The real hijack

The tragedy is this – what begins as a land dispute ends up dividing ordinary people in Malaysia: the hawker, the teacher, the engineer, the retiree – people who just want stability aand for their children to grow up safely.

Instead of asking, “Was proper approval obtained?” we ask, “Which race is involved?” Instead of asking, “Did the local authority monitor?” we ask, “Which religion is under threat?”

That shift in framing is the real hijack.

We must be mature enough to separate governance failure from ethnic sentiment. If local authorities did not update their standard operating procedures, say so. If monitoring was weak, fix it. If approvals were bypassed, investigate it. If politicians interfered, expose it.

But do not weaponise faith. We cannot build a nation if every issue becomes communal ammunition.

Being ‘1Malaysian’ is not a hashtag. It is a discipline. It means defending the rule of law even when it affects your own community. It means rejecting emotional manipulation even when it benefits your preferred political side. It means holding leaders accountable without turning neighbours into enemies.

So I ask, sincerely: are we reacting based on facts or forwarded messages? Have we read land documents or only headlines? Who benefits when people in Malaysia quarell with each other? Are we loyal to justice – or to personalities? Are we defending truth – or ‘our side’?

And for the authorities – are they being proactive enough? Why wait until something explodes before acting? Why allow issues to accumulate for decades and then expect society to remain calm when enforcement finally happens?

Governance must be consistent, transparent, fair, communicated early and applied equally. Otherwise, perception fills the vacuum.

As we move closer to another election cycle, the temperature will rise. Three R issues will be sharpened. Political actors will test boundaries and social media will amplify extremes. Some activists will be genuine. Others will be opportunists. Yet others will simply want chaos.

Will we allow ourselves to be used?

My loyalty is to the nation – not to any party, politician or personality cult.

Once we start defending wrong actions simply because ‘our side’ did it, we have already lost morally.

Malaysia does not need more shouting. It needs more thinking and planning. It needs more integrity in approval systems and more accountability in local governance.

Most of all, we need more courage to say no – even to our own community when they are wrong.

If we truly love this country, we must stop playing the racial card every time land law is enforced. We must stop turning administrative issues into religious conflicts. We must stop allowing perception to outrun principle.

History has already warned us. Will we finally listen?

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