KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia must ensure non-Muslims in the country also have equal opportunities as its Muslim majority if the country wanted to continue prospering, US President Barack Obama said today.
"Malaysia won't succeed if the non-Muslims do not have the same opportunity," Obama said in a town hall meeting for Asean youths at Dewan Tunku Chancellor in Universiti Malaya here today.
He said non-Muslims in Malaysia are currently facing hostility, and some have felt oppressed.
"There shouldn't be reason to discriminate, and you have to make sure that you are speaking out against this in daily life.
"And as you emerge as leaders, you should be on the side of politics that brings people together rather than drive them apart," Malaysian Insider quoted Obama as saying to cheers from the crowd.
He said this when answering a question from a Myanmar youth on factors of cooperation that can bring Asean together given its diversity.
He said one of the problems in Myanmar was that the rights of its minority Muslim community were not protected.
He added that the situation was not unique to Myanmar; in Malaysia, which had a majority Muslim population, there were instances where those who were not Muslims found themselves experiencing hostility.
"Malaysia won't succeed if non-Muslims don't have equal opportunity, Myanmar won't succeed if the Muslim population is oppressed."
Obama called on youths to embrace culture and be proud of who they were, while also appreciating differences in languages, food and how differently one worshipped God.
He said that almost every religion teaches the basic principle of "do unto others as you want others to do unto you" and to "treat people the way you want to be treated".
"And if you are not doing that, then we are going backwards instead of going forward and this is true all over the world."
-Sundaily
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