Former diplomat Noor Farida Ariffin warned that Malaysia could become a failed state, if politicians do not stop the unhealthy practice of threatening others or inciting racial polarisation.

The Group of Eminent Malays (G25) spokesperson said the country needed politicians who would not cause disunity.

“If politicians do not stop unhealthy actions, we will end up as a failed state. Please have the future of our country and rakyat at heart.

“There must be mutual tolerance with one another in order for the country to remain prosperous,” she said, adding it was the politicians who were destroying the country.

The ball, Noor Farida, who is a spokesperson of G25, a group of moderate eminent Malays, said is in the politicians’ court to create mutual understanding and tolerance.

She pointed out that the reason that the ruling party is seen to be more racist is due to them losing the two-thirds majority, where they did not get the support of the Chinese and the urban Malays.

“Hence, they look at the rural areas which is considered their fixed deposit to create this,” she said.

Noor Farida speaking at a conference in Kuala Lumpur titled ‘Nation Building, Unity and the Malaysian Dream: Yesterday, today and tomorrow ’ added because of the red-shirt protesters, she was late in arriving.

“We have a lot of rent-a-mob protesters who are paid by certain quarters. They deliberately want to provoke,” she remarked.

The former diplomat and Group of Moderate Malays spokesperson also expressed her concern over the shifts in education policy when a new education minister is appointed, and this resulted in a flip-flop in education policies.

“That is why we see more and more parents including Malays are sending their children to international schools. I recently met a community of Malays in London who are professionals, and they said they migrated out of Malaysia out of concern over the Malaysian education system.

“The authorities should take heed of this as this involves the future in general and there is a need for a stable public policy to address this,” she said.

Idris: Peninsular Malaysia more polarised

Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala said there was no racial polarisation when he worked in Shell, but he noticed that peninsular Malaysia is much more polarised than in Sarawak.

Idris ( photo ) said there is a need for Malaysians to tolerate one another and accept our differences.

He added that the saddest part when Malaysians go abroad, they stick to their own flock among Malaysians, whereas they could have connected or became part of the global community.

The former minister, who had just returned from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, said he had visited a Jordanian church where there is no problem of the Christians there using the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great) but we have sensitivities here where states have laws barring Christians from propagating to Muslims.

He said the problem with Malaysians is that they are engrossed in self-flagellation and they should wake up.

“We do not find the Koreans nor the Japanese doing that (self-flagellation). We appear to be proud in proclaiming our problems. We should be positive about our country,” he said, adding that freedom of religion is enshrined in the constitution.

Idris also elaborated on the following, “I believe unity is behavioural; there are three levels. The first and lowest level is tolerance; that people tolerate one another, and tolerate each other’s differences, although they may not like each other. So, if you are at this level, you should move to the next and second level, which is unity; unity is acceptance whereby we accept our differences, including races and religious groups other than our own.

“If you are this level, you should move to the third level, celebration, where people celebrate each other’s differences. People see and say positive things about other races and religions, and not just their own.”

Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said he defended the Pakatan Rakyat government despite the differences with PAS, but today we witnessed the birth of a new party, Parti Amanah Negara, which he feels would help build a stronger opposition.