At the launch of Pusat Komas’s Malaysia Racism Report 2024, its operations manager Faribel Fernandez said the 73 cases in 2024 were a significant increase from the 50 reported the preceding year.
Incidents of racial or religious discrimination were split into eight different categories, including workplace, education, politics, and Parliament specifically.
Of the 73 cases, 28 were reported in Parliament, 11 were categorised as incitements, and eight involved businesses or workplaces.
The report found a reduction in cases of racial discrimination in politics. However, Pusat Komas said the reality on the ground indicated that there were still a handful of politicians who used the race card for political mileage.
The NGO said several MPs had used racial and religious sentiments in their speeches in Parliament, giving subtle or overt hints of racial superiority, stereotyping, prejudice, or misinformation of existing laws.
It said one such example was when an MP had said there was no need to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as there was no discrimination in Malaysia.
ICERD is a United Nations treaty that commits member states to the elimination of racial discrimination and promotion of understanding among races.
Pusat Komas said this indicated that the MP had denied the presence of discrimination against minorities despite documented instances of such practices in the country.
Another example cited in the report were the claims by certain MPs that they were being “generous” by tolerating non-Malays and non-Bumiputeras, despite the fact that the nation’s independence was collectively achieved.
Pusat Komas coordinator Umi Maisara Khamis said the idea that non-Malays were outsiders or “pendatang” (immigrants) should be put to an end, especially in Parliament.
She added that MPs should instead be drafting policies that protect the rights of all Malaysians.
Pusat Komas’s recommendations in its report included establishing an independent national harmony commission to monitor and regulate racial tensions in the country.
It also suggested making it mandatory for all MPs to undergo “racial sensitivity training” and for media literacy programmes to be held in schools and communities to combat misinformation on matters related to race and religion.