COMMENT | Malaysia stands today at a critical juncture in its nation-building journey. National unity and social harmony are increasingly strained by divisive rhetoric and insensitive labelling.

Derogatory references to South Indians as “botol kicap” (soy sauce bottle)and branding of non-Malays as “pendatang” (immigrants) are among the corrosive forms of language that persistently surface not only in chauvinistic circles, but even brazenly in the media and public domain.

These racially tinged narratives have been compounded most recently by controversies over the landholding status of long-established Hindu temples that date back to colonial Malaya.

They risk deepening mistrust and undermining the shared values and mutual respect among ethnic groups upon which our nation was founded.

As a nation shaped by its unique historical confluence of diverse cultures and yet shared aspirations, Malaysia must continually...