You’ve gone too far, army vet tells politicians to stop polarising nation

KUALA LUMPUR – A video of a man who appeared to be a decorated army veteran is making the rounds on social media after he criticised certain politicians for fanning racial and religious flames in the country, despite the sacrifices of the armed forces personnel who fought for peace and harmony.

In the nearly two-minute video posted on social media platform X yesterday, the individual, who identified himself as a retired serviceman named Mustafa Ali, urged the leaders involved to cease fueling divisions in the country.

“To our politicians and any undesirable elements who are ignorant of our (veterans) sacrifices, we urge you to stop. I say again, stop.

“This unnecessary racial and religious polarisation, which seems to have gone a bit too far, will not benefit anyone,” he said.

In the video, the man, who is dressed in an army camouflage t-shirt and a military beret, said that he represents his fellow veterans who fought against the country’s adversaries during the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, and the communist insurgency until the offshore surrender in 1989.

“We put our lives on the line for our beloved nation and successfully achieved peace and harmony for all Malaysians. 

“We, the armed forces veterans, are beyond race and religion, and we would like to maintain this hard-earned respect nationwide and eventually worldwide,” he said.

Although the video was shared by a third party, it is believed to have been shot recently amid the recent controversies involving racial and religious sentiments.

This includes the sale of “Allah”-printed socks in KK Mart convenience stores, as well as the latest controversy over fashion brand Vern’s shoe sole imprint, which was accused of bearing the holy script. 

Among those at the centre of the controversies is Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, who is under a police probe over alleged sedition following his calls to boycott KK Mart.

The veteran ended the video with Aidilfitri wishes, “maaf zahir dan batin”.

#MZB365 for national reconciliation

On Saturday, a campaign called #MZB365, initiated by some 18 civil society organisations and the local media, was launched in a bid to seek national reconciliation amid rising racial and religious tensions.

The campaign seeks to institutionalise the tradition of seeking forgiveness, commonly observed during Aidilfitri celebrations, as a continuous practice throughout the year. 

The participating organisations stressed that seeking and granting forgiveness is not only a principle deeply embedded in Islam but also resonates with the teachings of other religions practiced in Malaysia, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, and indigenous beliefs. 

Prominent social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye has commended the launch of the #MZB365 campaign and emphasised the importance of the initiative in addressing various societal issues that could potentially lead to conflicts, particularly those related to racial and ideological differences. 

Highlighting recent incidents such as the controversy surrounding the “Allah”-printed socks and remarks made by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, the coalition urged Malaysians to reject hatred and embrace forgiveness as a means to strengthen social cohesion and trust. 

Amid rising tensions fueled by divisive rhetoric and misinformation, the campaign advocates for solidarity among Malaysians, transcending ethnic and religious boundaries. 

The campaign, spearheaded by civil society group Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Project Sama), also proposed a three-pronged approach to de-escalate ethnoreligious tensions, consisting of counter-framing to effectively neutralise the escalating tension, effectively upholding the rule of law, and introducing a multipartisan, cross-ministry mechanism to manage, defuse, and prevent ethnoreligious tensions. – April 9, 2024