In a letter to the prime minister, dated Dec 24, the 9-member group, which included the likes of prominent lawyers Ambiga Sreenevasan and Shad Saleem Faruqi criticised the “public discourse” on race and religion.
“This is presented in a divisive way, as well as one which is too emotive and counterproductive to inter-religious dialogue and harmony, which is not constructive to nation-building,” the letter read.
“While we respect the government’s position on the democratic space to express dissenting views, we are of the strong belief that it needs to set limits to hate speech, intimidation and threats of violence.”
Michael Yeoh, Daniel Ho, Denison Jayasooria, rights activist Simon Sipaun, lawyer Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari and former civil servants Asiah Abu Samah and Ramon Navaratnam were among the people who signed the letter.
They cited the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) debate and the “public vilification” of federal minister P Waytha Moorthy after the Seafield temple violence.
“These are examples of public outrage which are not based on objective assessment of the situation and issues… it has been politicised to whip up sentiments against the government.”
They said Putrajaya must give a “clear, public explanation” on the violence that erupted at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ25, possibly in the form of a white paper to be debated in Parliament.
Furthermore, Putrajaya must also ensure a “speedy trial” for the culprits in the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim who died from injuries sustained during the temple riots.
On Waytha and calls for his resignation, the group said Putrajaya should provide the public with the right information, identify who is responsible, set right miscommunications and ensure mutual support in Cabinet.
The group asked for the National Unity Consultative Council to be introduced and recommendations in its earlier report to be used “as a basis for fostering national reconciliation and social cohesion”.
A national consultative council for a transformative economy with inclusivity and sustainable development at its core should be established with a special focus on the bottom 40 income group, the letter said.
Meanwhile, Mahathir must release the reports of the Council of Eminent Persons and the Institutional Reform Committee for public debate and see if their recommendations can be executed, the group said.
They also said they would be happy to meet Mahathir on these issues or “serve in any capacity to assist in nation-building”, and wished him, his family and the Cabinet a Happy New Year.
“We have all been active in public policy discussions and have taken on various voluntary roles in nation-building.
“We write this letter to you in our personal capacity as responsible and highly concerned Malaysians.
“We write this letter to highlight some possible ways to redeem the situation while still keeping the democratic reform in place and enhancing public participation.
“This is to enable the nation to focus on the new Malaysia beyond 2020 and a review of the Vision 2020 agenda.”