“I will never surrender let alone apologise. Because I was taught to defend religion, race and my motherland even if I have to put my life on the line.”

- Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh

COMMENT | At the launch of the Malaysian Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (MyPCVE) Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his concern for the deteriorating racial and religious discourse in this country.

He said - "Who would have thought that when we achieved independence in 1957, everyone was accepted; Malays, Chinese, Indians and then in 1963, together with Sabah and Sarawak, and then the May 13 event (in 1969) happened.

"We know that racial debates and riots through political statements in previous years, especially near the election, have now reached a very intense and dangerous level."

The prime minister claimed that everyone was accepted in 1957 and then things suddenly changed culminating in the...