A platform to "defuse" the racial and religious tensions played up by certain quarters was today set up by a coalition of civil society groups in Kuala Lumpur.

Plan of Action 4 Malaysia (Poam) seeks not only to prevent such provocations from disturbing the balance of interests and grievances of the various communities making up Malaysia’s pluralist society but to counter attempts to escalate the tensions by way of the various sensitivities of the different groups.

“As (ratcheting up) racial tensions was not effective, they are now moving towards creating religious tensions," Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, chairperson for National ‘Interlok’ Action Team (Niat) alleged when met at the launch of Poam's 15-point charter at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) this morning.

Niat, a group formed to lobby against the Interlok novel that some had criticised as perpetuating racist stereotypes, was one of the 21 civil society organisations making up Poam.

Poam co-chairperson and KLSCAH president Tan Yew Sing, said while defusing communal tensions is the ultimate aim of the body as stated in its charter, the collaborative and consultative umbrella body is multiethnic and multireligious, and open to engaging even with Malay rights group Perkasa.

Islamist group Jim’s president Zaid Kamaruddin, a fellow Poam co-chairperson, said Poam’s "unique" constitution-based platform is not designed to "defend or fight for" any issues in particular, but to foster harmony “through non-confrontational "consultation, raising of public awareness and engaging with groups and the authorities.

It also will conduct policy research, he added.

"Even groups like Perkasa may actually have points that we share common ground with," Zaid told Malaysiakini .

There were some, however, who took a more hardline approach towards groups like the Malay rights NGO.

"For Perkasa and and its president, Ibrahim Ali, there is no place for them in this world," said Johan Tan from Community Communication Centre (Komas), which is one of the members of the coalition.

Poam's 15-point charter amongst others, touched on issues such as judicial independence, fair and clean elections, media freedom, zero-tolerance for corruption, and respect for women's and indigenous rights.

The movement and its charter came about after discussions by 39 academicians of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, who came together to find ways to combat what Poam said is "the growing reports of (racial and religious) tensions being played up by certain parties".

"Racial tensions which have divided us," observed Evelyne Tina Tawa, coordinator of Anak Muda Sarawak, which also endorsed the Poam charter.