A new NGO in town, inspired by Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, has been set up to deal with constitutional matters.
People's Rights Organisation president S Raveentharan (above) said respect for the Federal Constitution had continued to "wither away" after Tunku's rule, adding that every effort must be made to protect the rights of the minority.
"It is slowly decaying, especially after Dr Mahathir Mohamad took office (in 1982), with our multiracial Malaysia during the days of P Ramlee of people living in peace, respect and harmony, no longer existing," he said.
"During that time, people were more open, cultured, courteous and well-mannered.
"These days we usually see only the rights of the majority being protected but the rights of the minority have not been codified, they are not protected," Raveentharan told Malaysiakini at his office in Batu Uban.
Raveentharan's remarks come after Putrajaya said it will defend the Federal Constitution in relation to the existence of vernacular schools which the government said is consistent as their existence was enshrined in Article 152 of the constitution.
Raveentharan, the former PKR Batu Uban assemblyperson, said Malaysia should not lose its multiracial, multireligious and tolerant identity and that "we should return to the basics".
People's Rights Organisation president S Raveentharan (above) said respect for the Federal Constitution had continued to "wither away" after Tunku's rule, adding that every effort must be made to protect the rights of the minority.
"It is slowly decaying, especially after Dr Mahathir Mohamad took office (in 1982), with our multiracial Malaysia during the days of P Ramlee of people living in peace, respect and harmony, no longer existing," he said.
"During that time, people were more open, cultured, courteous and well-mannered.
"These days we usually see only the rights of the majority being protected but the rights of the minority have not been codified, they are not protected," Raveentharan told Malaysiakini at his office in Batu Uban.
Raveentharan's remarks come after Putrajaya said it will defend the Federal Constitution in relation to the existence of vernacular schools which the government said is consistent as their existence was enshrined in Article 152 of the constitution.
Raveentharan, the former PKR Batu Uban assemblyperson, said Malaysia should not lose its multiracial, multireligious and tolerant identity and that "we should return to the basics".
Malaysia used to be a tolerant society until certain quarters tried to incite hatred between the different races, he added.
Asked to explain the focus of his NGO, Raveentharan said its constitution was based on PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's concept of civil society (masyarakat madani).
He acknowledged that Malaysia has gone through several periods of racial tensions but added "we have to learn lessons from the past and move on" in order to progress.
"Who else is doing the job of uniting Malaysians now? Tunku used to be the Father of Independence and Unity.
"It is now Anwar. He has made the effort to gather politicians, academics and activists under one roof to talk about Islam and Confucianism, an event which was held in Bayan Baru at the end of November. It is a good start," Raveentharan said.
He acknowledged that Malaysia has gone through several periods of racial tensions but added "we have to learn lessons from the past and move on" in order to progress.
"Who else is doing the job of uniting Malaysians now? Tunku used to be the Father of Independence and Unity.
"It is now Anwar. He has made the effort to gather politicians, academics and activists under one roof to talk about Islam and Confucianism, an event which was held in Bayan Baru at the end of November. It is a good start," Raveentharan said.
"We are not against Islam as the official religion but trust among the different races needs to be cultivated for effective nation-building," said the lawyer.
Asked to cite anti-constitutional examples, Raveentharan pointed to the times when the loyalty of non-Malays and Muslims to the country was questioned.
Asked to cite anti-constitutional examples, Raveentharan pointed to the times when the loyalty of non-Malays and Muslims to the country was questioned.
He also pointed to the recent arrests of 12 Malaysian Indians under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 for alleged LTTE (Liberation Tamil Tigers of Elam) links, saying the 2009 defunct movement was no longer a terrorist threat.
He said it was "hurtful" to hear non-Muslims being continued to be labelled "pendatang" when many had given their lives in serving the country including those in the army and police force.
He added that principles in the constitution have also not been complied with when stateless children not permitted to go to school (even though one parent is a Malaysian).
"These are issues my NGO will tackle, its role is to also raise awareness of the constitution with fora and talks about these topics," Raveentharan said.
"At the moment, we have carried out activities to promote unity among the different races, religions and nationalities including a gotong-royong where we collaborated with the Indonesian consulate to bring their citizens and ours together for a good cause," he added. - Mkini
He said it was "hurtful" to hear non-Muslims being continued to be labelled "pendatang" when many had given their lives in serving the country including those in the army and police force.
He added that principles in the constitution have also not been complied with when stateless children not permitted to go to school (even though one parent is a Malaysian).
"These are issues my NGO will tackle, its role is to also raise awareness of the constitution with fora and talks about these topics," Raveentharan said.
"At the moment, we have carried out activities to promote unity among the different races, religions and nationalities including a gotong-royong where we collaborated with the Indonesian consulate to bring their citizens and ours together for a good cause," he added. - Mkini
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