Safeguarding harmony, rejecting division

The path forward lies in lawful processes, mediation, and respect, not in protests that threaten social cohesion and deepen fracture.

From Charles Santiago 

Malaysia’s strength has always rested on restraint: the collective understanding that sensitive issues of faith, land, and identity are handled with care, not confrontation.

The planned protest over so-called “illegal Hindu temples” departs from this tradition and risks turning administrative questions into a public spectacle charged with racial and religious meaning.

This protest is divisive by design. It collapses complex historical realities such as decades-old temples, unresolved land titles, bureaucratic inertia into a simplistic and inflammatory narrative.

Such rhetoric invites suspicion and resentment, and encourages the public to see neighbours not as fellow citizens but as targets.

In a multiracial society, language that stigmatises an entire community’s religious sites is reckless and irresponsible. The fact that this mobilisation is led by an individual with a documented history of provocative statements only heightens the risk of racial disharmony.

There is also a troubling pattern of selective outrage from certain leaders, whose voices grow loud only because the places of worship in question are Hindu temples. Similar land or planning disputes involving other religious structures rarely provoke the same urgency, language, or mobilisation.

This uneven response exposes not a principled concern for the rule of law, but a willingness to weaponise selective issues when it is politically convenient and socially divisive.

Public assemblies carry power and responsibility. When that power is used to inflame sentiment rather than seek solutions, the consequences can extend far beyond a single protest, undermining trust between communities and confidence in public institutions.

The Federal Constitution protects freedom of religion and the peaceful coexistence of diverse communities.

I, therefore, call on the authorities to uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and free expression, while exercising their responsibility to prevent any gathering from being used to incite hostility or deepen racial and religious divisions.

I also urge all leaders to exercise restraint and reject rhetoric that fractures our social fabric. The path forward lies in lawful processes, mediation, and respect. Not in protests that threaten social cohesion and deepen fracture. - FMT

Charles Santiago is the former MP for Klang. 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.