KUALA LUMPUR: With the seeming rise of conservative Islam in Malaysia, the government, NGOs and citizens are banding together in promotion of the country's professed moderation. “I think we have a lot to offer as an Islamic nation that is also tolerant and open to many cultures,” said cultural analyst and blogger Mohammad Mahfouz, who told Bikyamasr.com that “all countries have their problems, so it is important not to become radical in the view of Malaysia and our people.” His comments come after Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin commented that the prevalence of peace and prosperity in Malaysia has existed for more than five decades after independence and speaks “volumes about the validity and power of moderation in a multiracial society.” The deputy said that the country “took pride in efforts spearheaded by Prime Minister Najib Razak in advocating the concept of moderation through his Global Movement of Moderates which had garnered international recognition.” Malaysians who spoke to Bikyamasr.com, Malay, Chinese or Indian, all tended to agree with Yassin's argument that Malaysia is a symbol of tolerance and moderation. “I have lived here all my life and am pleased at the openness of the people from different ethnic backgrounds. It is great,” Rajeev, an Indian-Malaysian, told Bikyamasr.com. The deputy said it was “not uncommon for leaders of Barisan Nasional (BN) to sit down and resolve even the most highly potentially explosive issues in the country, guided by the principles of the Constitution and the political will to cooperate, tolerate and share power. “More often than not, we manage to avoid conflict from erupting, rather than terminating ensuing conflicts, and by so doing we protect our people from the menace of violence and destruction,” he said. Muhyiddin said this when closing the two-day Umno International Forum themed ‘Conflict and Conciliation in People's Politics' organised in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly 2012, on Tuesday. “I can say that Barisan Nasional, of which Umno is a component party, assumed and important role in maintaining peace and stability in the country,” Muhyiddin said. Elaborating, he said that it was “the will to live in peace and harmony, in the spirit of togetherness and brotherhood that the people of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds in Malaysia continued to enjoy peaceful and harmonious life in the country.” But he said people had to be mindful that the will to cooperate and share power among leaders of different communities alone did not guarantee continued peace and stability of the political system. He drove home the point that it was important for those in power to uphold the fundamental principle of mutual respect, understanding and moderation in managing all issues, particularly the sensitive ones, such as race and religion. “Moderation here means our unwavering commitment to be fair, just and reasonable in all our dealings with others,” he said. Muhyiddin also stressed that the country's Constitution not only guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties of individual citizens but also conferred specific rights and privileges for ethnic communities. “The Constitution serves as a guiding principle in meeting expectations of the various communities and resolve potential conflicts,” he added.
