YOURSAY | ‘…and keep them in perpetual fear of everybody and everything.’

Anwar: We shouldn't pander to racial, religious sentiments

Anonymous_4031c: Controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik has attracted a large following and will easily be able to influence his Muslim followers, even if they don’t understand what he is preaching.

He is a problem that needs to be dealt with now as his support base has grown to a worrying level. If he is not nipped at the goatee, he will be a bigger problem to deal with come GE15. As is, the opposition is exacting political mileage.

Pakatan Harapan should stick to the script it presented to the rakyat who subsequently voted them in.

The recent criticism against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad are not unfounded, given the decisions of the government that ran contrary to its election promises, and reliance by Harapan on the script provided by PAS and Umno to counter Malay support.

In pandering to racial politics, it is slowly losing the support of the non-Malays. Recent criticism of DAP from the Chinese community is evidence of the disastrous path that Harapan has taken.

Albert Ponniah: Anwar, just say your view. Just call a spade a spade.

People want to know the real Anwar. There is already a lot of doubts. I wish you will rise to the occasion. Now.

Idiocracy: Anwar should have said, if someone is preaching racial or religious bigotry, no party should support and profit from it politically. Bigots are not welcome in Malaysia.

That would have been simpler for average folks to understand. Subtlety can be misconstrued for being unclear and indecisive.

Brahman: I’m not really a fan of Anwar. However, I am more disappointed and fed up with Mahathir.

But it would be foolish to think that politics is a simple yes or no matter. A lot would like Mahathir to consult his cabinet before making a policy decision.

Anwar has unambiguously said he will not pander to racial and religious bigotry, but since what he says will become PKR's official stand, he wants to involve his PKR 'cabinet' in the matter, as what is demanded of Mahathir.

Yet, people still want him to unilaterally say what he will do to Zakir Naik without any consultation with his colleagues.

Just a Malaysian: Anwar, you make sense. Multiracial Malaysia needs your guidance.

Stand firm against bigotry and extremism. Do not allow bigotry to hijack Malay minds and keep them in perpetual fear of everybody and everything.

Truth Will Always Prevail: Indeed, this is a good measured response worthy of a PM. Not like Mahathir saying he doesn't know if Indian Malaysians are loyal to the Malaysian PM or the Indian PM.

I hope Anwar can take over from Mahathir as soon as possible.

Fair Malaysian: This is how clear and decisive a leader should be. No leader can afford to ignore the danger and damage to the relations among the races/religions.

The majority race is Malay and the religion of the Federation is Islam. No one disputes that.

Bahasa Malaysia is our national language. Besides its importance in the Constitution, it is widely spoken and has united all the races. Strengthen the language and no one is going to fight over it.

Instead, it is sad we are diverting our attention to other issues like khat.

KerbauM: Anwar, tell that to all the Harapan leaders.

Tell them to focus on the welfare of all Malaysians and leave the 3R (race, religion and royalty) politics to Umno and PAS.

3R politics is simply a selfish, desperate strategy that will self-destruct in the long run.

Ipoh Pp: Until Zakir Naik is on the plane with his family members, that’s when I will believe.

Similar to the Harapan victory in GE14 and the manifesto, where are we? Dilly dallying. And issues being introduced to create division.

Hope you get the drift.

Veritas: It would be bad for Anwar's leadership in Harapan and for Malaysia if his response to Zakir Naik is even more equivocating than Mahathir's tepid scolding.

At least draw the line in the sand concerning what is deemed unacceptable behaviour by that menace Zakir.

Reasoned discourse is not possible in Malaysia. Otherwise, there would be a robust intellectual response to all the one-sided verbiage of Zakir, including questioning the ontological premises of his argument.

Most people know they have to shut up if they don't want to incur the wrath of the mob or the police.

Neither Anwar, the Islamicists, nor the majority of Malaysians would allow for any kind of communicative rationality in Malaysia.

So let's not pretend to have discourse, have non-abusive chatter instead, but Anwar should try to shape a situation where no one causes great discomfort to the normal way of life of the various groups, including their existential assumptions.

If people need to say and hear that Islam is the best, truest religion ever, fine, many would understand the psychological needs of Malay Muslims and Zakir Naik.

But why not teach believers how they can be more perfect as persons without trashing the other religions?

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