Rumours of racial clashes in two Johor townships has resulted in residents staying at home, stocking up on food and generally fear for their lives.

Although Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the police have dismissed them, security has been tightened in Masai and Pasir Gudang, the affected townships.

The authorities have arrested two persons under Internal Security Act yesterday for circulating the rumour via SMS.

Malaysiakini spoke to scholars and social scientists on why Malaysians still react to a rumour of this kind although we are supposed to be a mature nation ready to celebrate our 50th Independence tomorrow.

This is what they have to say:

Osman Bakar, ethnic relations scholar

We need to improve ourselves since we're seemingly weak and vulnerable that we could believe such a rumour. Something needs to be done to our national education system.

We need to look whether it is contributing towards unity in school, where racial unity is supposed to be enhanced. We cannot keep on praising ourselves that everything is fine. I personally would urge the authorities to look at our current policies and correct the situation.

Dr Kua Kia Soong, social scientist

The rumours are a clue that something is wrong in the country. The message given by "irresponsible" Umno leaders could be a reason why the public are reacting to the rumours.

Hishammuddin Hussein raised a keris in last year's Umno general meet. Umno leaders who waved their daggers to incite bloodshed in public could have contributed to this. Their actions have possibly created such an atmosphere where the people begin to believe that such a rumour is real.

However, a racial riot will not take place spontaneously because of the rumours as Malaysians are peace loving people by nature. I don't believe in spontaneous racial clashes. They are always orchestrated..

Haris Ibrahim, human rights lawyer

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Maximus Ongkili once said that we don't have any race problems on the ground. However, when some politicians start waving the keris, the people will react to rumours like this, The public would not be threatened if the government gives a strong message that it will not tolerate instigation from any parties.

Civil society must keep their cool and not react to this rumour. They should instead focus on taking hold of the country's present situation.

Harcharan Singh, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism

It is a kind of human feeling. When you don't get enough news from the right sources, they opt for the new media.

Also, they react to such a rumour because there is a growing feeling that racial polarisation is evident in the country. It's a kind of mental setup. It makes them believe that this could be true.