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Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Malik Imtiaz says that people should not misread the special press statement issued yesterday by the council of rulers on Malaysia's social contract.
“It is not a caution to non-Malays but a statement to everyone,” said Malik. He emphasised that the rulers were merely reminding the rakyat that the Federal Constitution provides guarantees for all races and not only one particular race. “I think it is a fair statement because it places equal emphasis on both Malay rights and non-Malays rights. You should not read what they are saying as supporting the NEP,” he advised, referring to the much-debated New Economic Policy introduced by second premier Tun Abdul Razak in 1971. “I think the discussion on pluralism is not inconsistent with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.Their Highnesses are not saying that we should not discuss pluralism, but to remember what the Constitution has provided,” he elaborated. Speaking to The Malaysian Insider from Singapore, Malik said the exploitation of racial issues by certain “political actors” in the last few months has reached a worrying level, compelling the rulers to make a clear stand. “The rulers felt it necessary to say that because they are merely trying to quell any possibility of any outbreak arising from escalating tensions. The rulers see that if the situation is left unchecked, it will get out of hand,” he rationalised. “What is being spun out by the media is suggesting that there is a disagreement by the non-Malay groups with their constitutional rights. That is a spin. That is not exactly what is happening,” he stressed. “For example, the politicians who are trying to suggest that there is a move to abolish Malay rights, they should keep in mind that there is no such move to amend the Constitution. So don't create trouble on both sides of the division. Nobody is saying other than ‘Let's all be fair’,” he concluded.
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