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Kota Kinabalu: Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau called for the establishment of two additional 24-hour hotlines in Malaysia – one to handle complaints about insults towards any faith other than Islam, ethnic group, language, culture, lifestyle or identity.

And the other for the public to report instigation and promotion of violence.

Tangau, who is also Emeritus President of Upko and Chairman of the Wisdom Foundation, applauded the existing hotline set up by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) for reporting insults against Islam. 

He praised Prime Minister Department’s Minister for Religious Affairs Senator Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar and Jakim Director-General Datin Hakimah Mohd Yusoff for this “excellent initiative.”

“Islam, as the religion of the Federation and of all the states except Sarawak, and the religion of the majority of Malaysians, must be protected from insults. 

“Setting up this hotline should send a clear message to all Malaysians of all ethno-religious backgrounds that Islam cannot be insulted or made fun of,” Tangau said in a statement, Sunday. 

He said going by the same logic, all belief systems from Bahaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, to animism and humanism and all communities – regardless of their ethno-linguistic-cultural origin, lifestyle and social status –  must equally be protected from insults and ridicules.

Tangau said respect for every religion, heritage, language, culture, lifestyle and identity is how Sabahans and Sarawakians managed to live harmoniously and peacefully, and this must be promoted nationwide, covering every human.

He is confident that the Madani Cabinet would support this idea as it is another manifestation of the value respect and eagerly looked forward to an announcement on this by the Minister of National Unity Datuk Sri Aaron Ago Dagang and Director-General of the Department of National Unity and Integration Datuk Che Roslan Che Daud.

Additionally, Tangau called for a third 24-hour hotline for the public to report on instigation and promotion of violence, which he believes is necessary as speeches promoting violence and intense hatred are more harmful and disastrous than verbal insults on belief systems and their adherents.

He believed Minister of Communication Fahmi Fadzil and the Chairman of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din would agree that instigation and abetting violence is the greatest threat to law and order and must be stamped with no less seriousness than the ban of 3Rs (Race, Religion and Royalty).

Tangau said there is a need for clear guidelines on what constitutes “insult of Islam”, “insult of members of any religious, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and lifestyle communities” and “instigation and promotion of violence” to ensure consistency and no double standard in law enforcement and to avoid abuse of these three hotlines by organized complainants.

The MP expressed trust all three ministers would do their best in setting up the three 24-hour hotlines and make Malaysia safer from violence and intense hatred, promoting harmony in the multi-ethnic, multi-religious society.