VIEW: Is religion being used again? —Farish A Noor
Every single leader who has climbed up the greasy pole of power in Malaysia has done so by playing the race — and now increasingly, religion — card close to his chest
Malaysia-watchers would know by now that the country is divided along the lines of race and religion, and has been increasingly divided thanks to the tendency of Malaysian politicians and social leaders to play the race or religion card whenever it suits them.
Politicians of course are fully aware of the divisive potential of sectarian politics. Why, then, do they constantly fall back on such parochial and primordial sentiments such as racial, cultural and religious loyalty to serve their own limited ends? Weighing the costs of such moves may point us to the simple conclusion that sectarian politicians seldom care about the unity and well-being of the nation as a whole, particularly when that nation happens to be a complex and plural one in the first place. More often than not, the demagogues and chauvinists among us would be more inclined to keep to their own narrow corners...
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