KUALA LUMPUR: The National Unity Ministry is urging Malaysians to stop issuing statements that can spark racial tensions and threaten the sensitivities of the nation's multicultural society.
Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Anak Dagang said today (April 8) that Malaysians should uphold peace and harmony by refraining from engaging in acts that lead to racial tensions.
He said the ministry focused only on monitoring unity issues and implementing intervention programmes in high-risk areas to boost interaction and integration among the people.
"It's not that the ministry is not involved, but only the Home Ministry and Communications Ministry can take action against those who commit such action (in creating racial tensions) through several laws, including the Sedition Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Police Act, Penal Code and Communications and Multimedia Act.
"(So) I believe that solidarity and our of spirit of togetherness are keys to addressing threats to unity and harmony.
"The nation and public's security is a shared responsibility that must be borne by us."
He said the ministry would implement five plans through the National Unity and Integration Department to manage unity issues as the ministry did not have the authority to take legal action on issues related to unity.
The implementation, he said, included the management and observation of unity issues at the grassroots level through the department's E-Sepakat system.
The system, he added, would facilitate the workflow of detection, monitoring and reporting of unity issues digitally.
"The use of the system will involve users among (ministry) officers at the district, state and headquarters levels.
"The information will be shared with the ministry's partners, such as police, National Security Council and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)."
Other implementations include the establishment of community mediators as peacemakers and the establishment of an Inter-Faith Harmony Committee.