COMMENT | Looking at all the major issues facing the country today - pig farming in Selangor, matriculation quotas, temples labelled as illegal, halal and non-halal controversies, the Rohingya question, and more - one thing is clear: almost all of these issues are rooted in racial and religious tensions.

These tensions dominate social media discourse and create an atmosphere of insecurity and unease. This feeling is felt across the country, but more especially on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where the population is more diverse and plural.

Major parties like DAP and PAS actually gain votes because they cater to their respective voter bases by creating fear of what happens if the other side governs.

Using these fears, they both gain votes.

That is why elections in Malaysia are about...