PUTRAJAYA: Every ministry plays a role in addressing issues involving religion, race, and the royal institution (3R) to ensure national harmony and unity are preserved, National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said.
He said the approach involves several ministries and enforcement agencies, including the Home Ministry (KDN), Communications Ministry, National Unity Ministry and Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT).
“Each ministry plays a role through a reformative approach such as intervention, mediation, and awareness initiatives to address sensitive issues related to religion, race, and hate speech,” he said in a Facebook post.
Aaron said the police (PDRM), under the Home Ministry, can take enforcement action under several provisions of the Penal Code.
These include Sections 295, 296, 298, and 298A, which cover offences such as insulting religion, disrupting religious ceremonies, and making statements that could incite hostility.
Action can also be taken under Sections 504, 505, and 506 of the Penal Code for offences such as intentional insult likely to provoke a breach of peace, statements conducing to public mischief, and criminal intimidation.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), under the Communications Ministry, has the authority to investigate cases under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 involving the dissemination of false, threatening or extremely offensive online content that may cause distress or annoyance.
Aaron said the ministry has also established a Fake News and 3R Task Force to monitor and address the spread of false information, including content touching on sensitivities related to religion, race, and the royal institution.
He said the National Unity Ministry monitors hate speech through the eSepakat System and the National Public Community Complaints Network System (Rakan).
It has also set up the Unity Issues Management Committee (JPIP), comprising 12 ministries and agencies, to coordinate action on matters that could affect national unity.
The ministry has developed a Unity Analytics Dashboard to identify locations at high risk of racial or religious tension, and provides mediation services through community mediators to help resolve conflicts at the grassroots level.
“For matters involving non-Muslim houses of worship, KPKT ensures that construction complies with the law, including the Local Government Act 1976, the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, and the Town and Country Planning Act 1976,” he said.
Aaron said the integrated approach was important to ensure 3R-related issues are handled prudently without affecting harmony in the country’s multiracial society.
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