Indonesia is taking steps to battle content containing elements of hate and intolerance. Malaysia should follow suit, writes JD Lovrenciear.
According to news reports, Indonesia is taking stringent measures to curb radicalism in this Muslim-majority nation.
For us here in Malaysia, where race and religion are being played to the gallery each passing day, we should learn a thing or two and do something similar before it is too late.
Indonesia has launched a website that allows the public to report “radical” content posted by civil servants. The country is also replacing 167 Islamic textbooks in its efforts to crackdown on radicalism.
The reasons for this unprecedented action in Indonesia sound similar to our own growing concerns here in Malaysia.
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Indonesia, which is officially secular, has witnessed a rise of conservatism with some politicians demanding a larger role for Islam and some groups even calling for an Islamic state.
Our closest and historical neighbour, Indonesia, is taking the right steps under Jokowi’s leadership to battle content containing elements of hate, misleading information, intolerance and even anti-Indonesian sentiment.
Even commenting positively on content deemed radical on social media will be acted upon. Textbook content used in schools with traces of intolerance for the minority non-Muslim population could be removed.
The Indonesian director-general of Islamic education reportedly explains (Free Malaysia Today, 12 November 2019): “The intention is so that religious teachings can make students more tolerant and appreciate others who are different from them.”
The Pakatan Harapan government must explore this same path taken by Indonesia before its too late here.
With so much of threatening emphasis and clamouring for Malay dignity, Malay rights and even the push to seeing Malaysia as an Islamic nation, we certainly have much to worry about.
The mushrooming religious schools that often hit the headlines for poor management and scandalous behaviour cannot be overlooked.
The growing intolerance towards all things other than Malay or Islamic must be addressed with fervour like what is being done in Indonesia.
Nationalism must supersede all else in Malaysia if we want to be maintain our democratic space.
Given our tiny population compared to that of Indonesia, the government should be quick to plug radicalism.
Our rulers too have time and time again expressed their concern and appealed for our multi-racial and multi-religious landscape not to be be trampled upon by any form of extremist thought or action.
Hopefully, now that the government has allocated a sizeable, unprecedented budget for Jakim, we will be able to witness quick measures being spearheaded, not only by Jakim but also by all and sundry who are committed to making Islam great again in the eyes of the minority non-Muslim population.
Source: malaysiakini.com
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
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- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Malaysia will never learn about Racial Harmony, Racial Rights, Racial Equality from Indonesia. The growing fanaticism in Indonesia is (allegedly) due to Malaysian Fanatic racial leaders instigating & fuming racial politics there. Eg; Bali bomber was a Malaysian..
I have lived & worked in Indonesia for almost 10 years.
Its a waste comparing Indonesian Islamic Culture, Traditions, Religious practice in comparison with Malaysian Muslims preachers and politicians do here.
In Malaysia everything is racial, racial and racially discriminated……..
A poster at UKM Kuala Lumpur Hospital stating Jakim Certificate of Halal Food. Non halal food cannot be brought into hospital. How far more is fanaticism going to go to in Malaysia??