Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang (photo) has lamented the fan violence in last night's football match between Malaysia and Indonesia but says that it serves as a timely lesson for our national identity.
Referring to the incident at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta where three Malaysians were injured, tear gas was fired, and Malaysian football fans were pelted with metal objects and water bottles, Lim called it "unfortunate and deplorable".
However, he said in a statement today that the lesson was particularly timely and salutary given the past two months where social media has been dominated by "fake news and hate speech pitting race against race and religion against religion."
"It is a reminder that Malays, Chinese and Indians in Malaysia have more in common with each other than with the Indonesians in Indonesia, the Chinese in China or the Indians in India."
"It is sheer mischief and evil for a foreigner to suggest that Indian Malaysians are more supportive of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than Dr Mahathir Mohamad, just as it is equally mischievous and evil for anyone to suggest that the Malays regard Joko Widodo or Jokowi as their President or the Chinese Malaysians regard Xi Jinping as their President.
"All Malaysians are loyal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the system of constitutional monarchy, and the institutions of state as set out in the Malaysian Constitution," he said.
Lim recounted a story when Mahathir went to China and was greeted warmly by a group of Chinese Malaysians.
"I pointed out that these were Chinese Malaysians, not China Chinese, and though they had worked in China for 10 or 20 years, their heart and soul had all along been with Malaysia as they continued regarding Malaysia, and not China, as their home."
Lim warned that the venom from fake news and hate speech could poison real-life Malaysia, plunging the country into a major interracial and interreligious conflagration.
"The cabinet must be commended for providing the lead in rejecting calls of a boycott on products made by non-Muslims and instead, calling on citizens to support Malaysian-made goods."
"We must not succumb to the wiles and machinations of those who want to see Malaysians more divided than united, seeking new ways to divide Malaysians and poison inter-racial and inter-religious relations."
Lim also appeared to react to a recent letter by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) which stated Muslims in Malaysia are not allowed to participate in interfaith prayers either in the form of mass silent prayer or through separate rituals at an event.
"Interfaith prayers are not about mixing religions but are merely about human fraternity coming together in solidarity to seek universal values of love, compassion and justice."
"There have recently been many instances of religious communities in Malaysia coming together in solidarity prayers, like the MH370 and MH17 air tragedies, as well as the violent attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka," he said.
