KUALA LUMPUR: Political parties and their members must act as agents of muhibbah (harmony) to our multicultural community, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The MCA president said current political tensions in the country must be moderated collectively by all Malaysians while preserving the respective interests of one another.

“Make politics a force for unity instead of fracturing society,” he said during the opening of the Political Economy Forum 2024 yesterday.

The forum was jointly organised by the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

Dr Wee cited data from the National Unity Ministry, indicating that the occurrence of cases related to 3R (royalty, religion and race) had risen 123% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

“The political challenge in today’s atmosphere is to address 3R issues that have been frequently manipulated by some irresponsible parties,” he said.

He added that both the government and opposition cannot claim to be overly “ultra-right” or “ultra-left” in a multi-racial Malaysia.

“We do not deny anyone’s rights but we must respect each other’s respective interests,” he said.

Later at a press conference, Dr Wee said the government and opposition must find a common platform to create the political stability needed for the people’s wellbeing and economic growth.

He said without political stability, foreign and local investors would lack the confidence needed to generate sustainable and vigorous economic growth.

“Any decisions made will impact the people,” he said. 

Dr Wee also said Malaysia needed to take advantage of opportunities arising from the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.

“The opportunities we have now are very different from the past,” he said.

Also present at the event were MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Insap chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong, Insap adviser Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad, USM School of Distance Education representative Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid and former minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/19/politics-must-foster-unity