DAP parliament leader Lim Kit Siang has questioned the federal government's commitment under Najib Abdul Razak's leadership to World Inter-faith Harmony Week.

Celebrated every February, Lim said in a statement today that Najib's itinerary last year included visiting places of worship of five religions.

They were the Sri Sakhti Karpaga Vinayagar temple, the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple, the Tamil Methodist Church, the Taoist Sam Kow Tong temple and the Madrasathul Gouthiyyah Surau.

But this year, he noted, the Department of National Unity and Integration under the Prime Minister's Department, seems short of conviction and enthusiasm.

Indeed its website is blank on national level celebration events for the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2014.

 “The government should have gone out of its way to ensure that the events to celebrate the event is on a grander scale and more meaningful than last year, bearing in mind that inter-faith relations, goodwill and harmony, have been sorely tested in the past eight months,” he said.

 

Incessant incitement

The Gelang Patah MP alleged this had resulted in the worst racial and religious polarisation in the country.

This was followed by the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred by a small group of reckless people who seemed to enjoy immunity, as they tried to provoke racial and religious strife in the country.

 

Lim ( left ) also cited the lack of commitment in Najib's administration regarding national reconciliation.

 

Najib had last week welcomed the national reconciliation efforts and the formation of bi-partisan discussion in areas of national reconciliation plan based on social, political, government and international relations.

But the DAP supremo said until today, Pakatan has not received any feedback on its offer to work with BN to promote national unity.

Lim said Saturday would be the 111th birth anniversary of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first prime minister.

For him, the best way to commemorate it would be to revive the Inter-religious Council which Tunku Abdul Rahman set up in early decades of nationhood.

It would help to resolve differences and promote goodwill and understanding to stem the ceaseless stoking of racial and religious hatred.

 “There should not be any more procrastination but a swift and speedy holding of the BN-Pakatan leaders’ summit on national reconciliation,” he asserted.