As Malaysia prepares to celebrate its 69th Merdeka Day, an interfaith group has called for greater mutual respect amid what it described as the disturbing normalisation of hate speech, bigotry and divisive rhetoric.

“The freedom we achieved was never intended to become a licence to divide us,” said the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) in its Merdeka message.

The council pointed to the...