The former Batu Kawan MP said as the future of this nation, the youth should be agents of peace and change, and stand together to bring these universal values to people of different races and religions.

“The universal values that bind us are respect and tolerance. The youth must play a role by calling out irresponsible politicians who try and divide the people.

“Call your elected representatives now and ask them what sort of politics are they bringing to the table,” she said in a forum entitled “Youth As Peace Agents Or Otherwise?”, which discussed promoting tolerance and preventing violence.

At the same time, she emphasised that the government has to look within and change the system to promote public unity.

“This includes refreshing the school syllabus and providing a safe environment for dialogues to be held without the fear of being attacked because of your race, gender or religion,” she said.

Kasthuri added that, while there will always be a clash of ideas, those who promote unity must band together to initiate healthy conversations with people outside their circles and close the racial divide.

The two-term former Batu Kawan MP is also the steering committee member of the international panel of parliamentarians for freedom of religion or belief.

Meanwhile, another panellist, Calvin Ohsey said religious institutions must play their role to bridge the gap between people of different faiths and combat radicalism.

“One way to combat radicalism is to build bridges and knock on the door, we have to make sure our focus is to unite the people and ensure the religious institutions are not being exploited for a political agenda.

“We need to create a path and encourage more dialogues as the third force,” said Ohsey, who is a special officer to Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol.