Malaysia’s delicate race relations fabric fraying at the fringes

Race relations in Malaysia have always been, at best, a tenuous subject matter, judiciously avoided by mainstream media and politicians. Malaysia’s Madani Administration, under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim, calls itself a ‘Unity Government’ has ironically seen some of the worst racial and extremist rhetoric from both sides of the political divide. To confirm what everyone knows, an NGO (Non-Government Organisation) released its Racism Report for 2024 said that there was a “significant increase” in the number of incidents of racial or religious discrimination over the preceding year, 2023. The report came on the heels of an offensive video that mocked the Thaipusam Kavadi ritual uploaded by DJs from Astro’s radio station Era FM. The ensuing fallout was palpable, with the three being suspended immediately and the station fined RM250,000.

Growing anti-Indian/Hindusim trend

Prior to the offensive video uploaded on the station’s Facebook page, there was a slow but the audible proliferation of caustic and incendiary speeches by various leading figures touting themselves as religious leaders, targeting particularly Hindus and Indians in Malaysia. Even a corn vendor had put up a sign on his cart that no Indians would be served at his roadside stall! Another individual had posted an Instagram clip mocking Islam, the faith of the majority of Malaysians and the religion of the Federation. It appears that media figures, religious leaders and ordinary citizens are now engaging and participating in a free-for-all tit-for-tat name-calling hate speech. If these episodes of unregulated hate speech go unabated, Malaysia risks going down a murky quagmire from which it may never recover.

Anwar’s temple of doom?

The authorities' failure to come down hard and decisively could result in the 3R (race, religion, royalty) narrative, in the words of Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain, a tool that could undermine national stability. The latest debacle plaguing the Madani Administration revolves around a smallish 130-year-old Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Masjid, India. About the size of four tennis courts, the temple was earmarked to be demolished and in its place a new mosque, called the Madani Mosque, is to be built on the grounds with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is slated to officiate at its ground-breaking ceremony on March 27. There has been a lot of push and pull with politicians and one Muslim leader claiming that the temple was built without consent on land reserved for the mosque. But the MIC’s V Saravanan, speaking at the temple site, said that Kuala Lumpur City Hall, DBKL had approved the temple’s renovation in the past, and this was proof that it was lawfully built. He added that the authorities could have demolished the temple if it was deemed illegal in 2008.

Ultimatum Not Negotiations

With the ground-breaking event just days ahead, Anwar has appealed for calm and that negotiations should be carried out to resolve this very touchy issue that involves race and religious matters in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial nation that prides itself as a paragon of unity in diversity. Some have said that if the status quo remains, with the VVIP set to launch the Madani Mosque, that then the negotiations are a myth and it is an ultimatum and a done deal. The human rights group Lawyers for Liberty, PSM’s Aruchelvam and former politicians have proposed that the temple co-exist alongside the mosque in what is deemed a win-win solution. But, is this enough for a leader who seems to be losing his popularity among the majority Malay- Muslim vote bank to pull off a victory for unity? Anwar is in an unenvious position. If he goes ahead with the ground-breaking event, he faces the loss of support from not just the Indian community but his traditional supporters, the non-Malay voter. And if he consents to keep the temple where it is and build the mosque on an adjacent piece of land, he risks irking the wrath of right-wing politicians on both sides of the divide. The clock is ticking, and if no solution is reached within a few days, Anwar’s Unity Government faces a serious trust deficit among the Indian community and a big fallout among both the Malay and non-Malay constituents.