Malaysia is politically fragmented and polarized. To make matters worse, this division is drawn along racial and religious lines, fueling deep and growing distrust between ethnic and religious communities. At the same time, discussions about race and religion remain lacklustre often framed as a highly sensitive issue that shouldn’t be talked about altogether OR oversimplified narratives. 

So, how do we move forward?

Recently, The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Racial and Religious Harmony was officially established as a bipartisan initiative aimed at addressing racial and religious tensions in the country.

But what do they hope to achieve? And how will they be any different from the many “unity” initiatives we’ve seen over the years?

In this episode, we speak to two guests. Firstly, Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa who’s a senator in the Dewan Negara. He is Deputy President of Parti Amanah Negara and is the deputy chairperson of the APPGM-RRH. We’re also joined by Jason Wee, Founder of Architects of Diversity (AOD). AOD is the secretariat of the APPGM-RRH.