For 1-Malaysia to Work, Remove Interfaith Barriers

Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri, the General Secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia made a strong plea to “remove all political and social barriers for the various religions to intermingle with each other and cultivate respect for each other”.

He made this point, as he participated as a panel member of a day long forum on 26th October, with the theme “ Towards 1-Malaysia: 52 years of Nation Building, organized by ASLI and held at the Sunway University campus.

Over 200 people from a cross section of Malaysian society were present for the event.

The forum was opened by Tan Sri Koh Tsu Khoon, the Minister for National Unity and Performance Management in the Prime Minister’s Department.

The forum dealt with the following sub-themes:

Removing Impediments, Strengthening Unity, Education for Unity, Unity for the perspective of the young, and how religious values help build national unity.

A number of experts and policy- makers were invited to share in panel discussions to stimulate the participants to reflect more deeply on the various dimensions of the 1-Malaysia concept.

Rev. Dr. Shastri emphasized that in order for the 1- Malaysia concept to work, all the religious communities should be enlisted to play their part in helping the government achieve its aims.

He listed the following points as helpful measures to facilitate greater interfaith understanding and cooperation.

The dichotomized framework of one dominant religion relating with other minority religions should be transformed. In a plural society like that in Malaysia, all religions should be treated as equal and no one religion should consider itself as privileged above the others.

Other points he made was to promote the knowledge of all religions by providing for the teaching of religions in school curriculum and granting permits for setting-up of religious-based universities, besides the Islamic International University.

He also proposed the introduction of anti-discriminatory laws to check politicians and others from exploiting inter-religious sentiments. He advocated the setting-up of an interfaith commission to monitor the implementation of such laws.

Based on the understanding that all religions can cooperate for the common good of all, the cultivation and promotion of the true good of every individual, community and society, in every single dimension of human life, is a task shared by all religions.
He concluded his presentation by issuing a challenge: “Let all religions join hands together to dispel every darkness that hinders a true vision of co-existence, religious harmony and integral development for each and every person.”

The 1-Malaysia concept announced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia is a call to all Malaysians to accept nationhood as bearing a common conviction that “all Malaysians belong , in the fullest sense of the word, equally and without distinction, to one country.”

As the Prime Minister had maintained in the many speeches he has made; “That is why 1-Malaysia is about changing mindsets from mere tolerance to one of total acceptance of a plural society,” it is imperative that all religious groups feel confident, and without impediments, be able to contribute fully to the national project.

FULL TEXT OF REV. HERMEN SHASTRI's SPEECH