Racial harmony bills to be tabled next year, says Waythamoorthy

Putrajaya will table three new bills in Parliament next year to promote inter-racial harmony, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waythamoorthy.

He was referring to the Racial and Religious Hate Crimes Bill, the National Harmony and Reconciliation Bill, and the National Harmony and Reconciliation Commission Bill.

"The three bills are being scrutinised by our department and we will conduct public consultation to get input from all stakeholders.

"If everything goes smoothly, these special laws on resolving ethnicity issues will be tabled at the Parliament session in 2019," he said during the question-and-answer session at Dewan Negara today.

The national unity and social well-being minister was responding to workers' right activist ST Chandra Mohan, who asked about the timeline for the bills that have mulled since the formation of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) in 2013.

Last month, Waythamoorthy's colleague Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, said the bills would be tabled in Parliament soon.

Mujahid said these bills can protect both Islam and other religions in the country against offensive remarks.

[More to follow] - Mkini