LETTER | Lately, there has been an ongoing political spat between Umno Youth and DAP Youth.

DAP Youth had condemned the statement of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who urged the public to “visit” a business premises located in Kepala Batas, Penang “to right” the issue of a Jalur Gemilang being hung upside down.

Looking at the behaviour of both youth leaderships, one wonders whether they represent national-based parties with a plethora of real issues to resolve or confining themselves to being heroes to their respective supporters.

Issues related to violating a national flag should be seen from the perspective of intentions and be corrected through education, if there has been a mistake.

The force of law should come into play when people deliberately violate what is considered a symbol of national identity and unity.

The Malaysian flag itself reflects the substance of national unity and both Umno Youth and DAP Youth should focus on that by working together to build a cohesive and progressive society.

They should reflect on the deeper message that emanates from the Malaysian flag as follows:

Creating a cohesive society

Currently, Malaysia is going through various global and national socio-economic challenges, which could only be navigated if there is national consensus and cohesiveness on the direction of the nation.

The current trade war in the form of tariffs has forced many nations to re-examine their socio-economic systems that could threaten cohesiveness.

For example, Singapore has launched a review of its economic strategy, establishing committees to address socio-economic challenges.

These committees, composed of political office holders, union representatives, and private sector leaders, would develop strategic recommendations aimed at strengthening Singapore's global competitiveness and improving its start-up ecosystem.

The committees will focus on areas like sectoral restructuring, future-ready workforce development, and entrepreneurship. The recommendations are expected to be published by mid-2026.

All the issues mentioned transcend race and religious issues. All this is possible in Singapore because it has built a cohesive society where the traditions of ethnicity and religion complement rather than becoming a threat to society.

Constitutional principles of justice

It is vital for Umno Youth and DAP Youth to come up with a common understanding of fairness and justice in applying the rule of law and the pursuit of social justice.

In Malaysia, the perception of double standards in the application of the rule of law is common.

We need a youth vision in the country where wrongdoing is punished irrespective of parties, whether in government or opposition.

There should be a sense of fear and respect for institutions that will not hesitate to even investigate the prime minister and upper-class elites for wrongdoing.

Both Umno Youth and DAP Youth should create such a vision of institutions that respect the wholeness of the Constitution. Institutions of justice should project credibility and integrity if they respect and value the Malaysian flag.

The Constitution should also be interpreted in its wholeness and not in parts. Politics of race, religion and ideology tend to view things in parts, and this leads to a myopic vision of the Constitution.

Platforms for dialogue, consensus

Finally, dialogue in pursuit of unity and social justice is imperative since Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and religious society, with Islam as the official religion of the Federation.

The historical roots and formation of the country should be respected and at the same time, the evolving history of Malaysia from an ethno-religious society to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious one should be accepted as fact and reality.

Once this foundation is agreed upon without ethno-religious politicking, dialogue among communities of all ethnicities becomes a reality.

It is through face-to-face dialogue that one would be able to understand the fears, grievances and aspirations of the other.

As for the flag issue, the issue could have been resolved if DAP Youth and Umno Youth sit down and deliberate on the substance of the issue, instead of trying to score political points through the media to show that they are speaking for their communities.

There is a necessity for current and future generations to build a culture of dialogue to resolve complex national and global issues.

Therefore, it is time for both youth wings to wake up from their selective focus on issues and deal with the real problems facing Malaysians.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.