Ambiga: ‘Negara-Ku’ for unity

KUALA LUMPUR:A civil movement called “Negara-Ku” (My Country) was launched today to address race-based politics and religious issues which have recently affected the nation.
Its patron, former Bar Council president Datuk S. Ambiga, said the movement was needed because after last year’s general election, issues such as religious extremism and threats to burn down effigies have “got out of hand”.
As such, a movement was needed to preserve the country’s peace, she said in her opening remarks at the launch here.
She also advised the public that despite their differences, they should be dignified and courteous when discussing sensitive issues.
She also called on the public to revert and study the language embedded in the Federal Constitution “which is a document meant to unite us” in which the people’s fundamental rights are enshrined.
National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who is also the movement’s patron, lamented that religion is now being increasingly used as the “main marker” to represent an individual or group’s identity.
He also said there are political parties and their affiliates which prefer to pursue their own interests rather than focus on nation-building.
As such, this mobilisation and manipulation of race, ethnicity and religion has resulted in the emergence of political violence towards society at large.
Negara-Ku, which is comprised of 68 NGOs, will strive to mitigate these actions by returning to the Federal Constitution as the country’s supreme law, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara (national principles) as a guide for national objectives and values.
The NGOs will meet up soon to form a proper committee.