Putrajaya's newly formed National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) will comprise of 29 members from a broad range of expertise and have six months to brainstorm new measures to foster national unity.
The council, headed by Employees Provident Fund chairperson Samsuddin Osman, will present its recommendations to the cabinet and has the freedom to gather feedback and decide on issues that it will tackle.
In announcing the formation of the council today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the new body will be have the freedom to even discuss sensitive topics such as the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims, housing issues and issues involving Sabah and Sarawak.
However, the council can only meet behind closed doors.
"The idea is to have a much more controlled-environment - as the NUCC will discuss issues of ethnicity, constitution, religion and other policies.
"If it is discussed as polemic outside ... this will burn the feelings of inter-racial relations and that is not healthy. So we need a closed-consultative council that can have open and frank discussion," Najib told reporters at the launch event in Kuala Lumpur today.
He said that the NUCC will be free from politics and its recommendations can cover four broad topics: Laws, the Federal Constitution, values and programmes.
Part of reconciliation plan
Najib denied suggestions that the NUCC was a reaction to 13th general election results, which some claimed went along racial lines.
Instead, he said that the NUCC was "part and parcel" of his national reconciliation plan.
"NUCC is not seen as a pro-government or opposition but those with objective viewpoint... those who have an open attitude and not use this as a political platform, then we welcome their participation," Najib said.
"The process of nation-building is a long process and we need positive intervention in a more structured manner."
Asked if the NUCC was his answer to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's call for dialogue on national issues, Najib said that the opposition leader's suggestion was a separate issue.
"That is the realm of politics and this is about nation-building."
Former MP and social activist Lee Lam Thye will serve as the NUCC's deputy chairperson. The other 27 members of the NUCC are as follows:
1. Ramon Navaratnam
2. Pheng Yin Huah
3. Napsiah Omar
4. Michael Yeoh Oon Kheng
5. Johan Jaafar
6. Boon Som s/o Inong
7. Mujahid Yusof Rawa
8. Clarence Bongkoks Malakun
9. John Sikayun
10. Lim Kok Cheong
11. Saifuddin Abdullah
12. Haji Zainal Abidin Haji Abdul Kadir
13. Rugayah Abdul Majid
14. Dr Kantayya Mariappan
15. Dr Madeline Berma
16. Dr Suresh Kumar Govind
17. Dr Bilson Kurus @ Belson Bingku
18. Tan Yew Sing
19. Lim Chee Wee
20. Liaw Lam Thye
21. Sardar Jagir Singh
22. Marina Mahathir
23. Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee
24. Mohamad Anas Omar @ Anas Zubedy
25. Wardina Safiyyah Fadlullah Wilmot
26. Mohamad Ariff Irwani Azahari
27. Audrey Goh
The council, headed by Employees Provident Fund chairperson Samsuddin Osman, will present its recommendations to the cabinet and has the freedom to gather feedback and decide on issues that it will tackle.
In announcing the formation of the council today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the new body will be have the freedom to even discuss sensitive topics such as the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims, housing issues and issues involving Sabah and Sarawak. However, the council can only meet behind closed doors.
"The idea is to have a much more controlled-environment - as the NUCC will discuss issues of ethnicity, constitution, religion and other policies.
"If it is discussed as polemic outside ... this will burn the feelings of inter-racial relations and that is not healthy. So we need a closed-consultative council that can have open and frank discussion," Najib told reporters at the launch event in Kuala Lumpur today.
He said that the NUCC will be free from politics and its recommendations can cover four broad topics: Laws, the Federal Constitution, values and programmes.
Part of reconciliation plan
Najib denied suggestions that the NUCC was a reaction to 13th general election results, which some claimed went along racial lines.
Instead, he said that the NUCC was "part and parcel" of his national reconciliation plan.
"NUCC is not seen as a pro-government or opposition but those with objective viewpoint... those who have an open attitude and not use this as a political platform, then we welcome their participation," Najib said.
"The process of nation-building is a long process and we need positive intervention in a more structured manner."
Asked if the NUCC was his answer to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's call for dialogue on national issues, Najib said that the opposition leader's suggestion was a separate issue.
"That is the realm of politics and this is about nation-building."
Former MP and social activist Lee Lam Thye will serve as the NUCC's deputy chairperson. The other 27 members of the NUCC are as follows:
1. Ramon Navaratnam
2. Pheng Yin Huah
3. Napsiah Omar
4. Michael Yeoh Oon Kheng
5. Johan Jaafar
6. Boon Som s/o Inong
7. Mujahid Yusof Rawa
8. Clarence Bongkoks Malakun
9. John Sikayun
10. Lim Kok Cheong
11. Saifuddin Abdullah
12. Haji Zainal Abidin Haji Abdul Kadir
13. Rugayah Abdul Majid
14. Dr Kantayya Mariappan
15. Dr Madeline Berma
16. Dr Suresh Kumar Govind
17. Dr Bilson Kurus @ Belson Bingku
18. Tan Yew Sing
19. Lim Chee Wee
20. Liaw Lam Thye
21. Sardar Jagir Singh
22. Marina Mahathir
23. Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee
24. Mohamad Anas Omar @ Anas Zubedy
25. Wardina Safiyyah Fadlullah Wilmot
26. Mohamad Ariff Irwani Azahari
27. Audrey Goh
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