KUALA LUMPUR: An activist has warned that Malaysia is at risk of becoming a failed state if religious intolerance and extremism are not curbed.
Global Human Rights Federation deputy president Peter John Jaban said growing racial and religious intolerance threatened national unity and harmony.
"Today racism in Malaysia is a pervasive and persistent problem that continues to plague our nation," he said in a statement.
Peter cited recent "provocative and inflammatory" remarks related to vernacular schools and the opening of school canteens during Ramadan among others.
He also said race-based affirmative action policies could lead people from other communities to feel excluded.
Peter also spoke against curbs and guidelines imposed on foreign artists in the name of cultural and religious sensitivity.
"Acts of racial and religious intolerance in Malaysia continue to pose a threat to social harmony and unity.
"The future of Malaysia depends on the ability to embrace diversity and promote economic growth without sacrificing cultural and religious freedoms."
Peter said the authorities must do more to tackle racism, fanaticism, and extremism in the country.
