Maintain Constitution to preserve peaceful ethnic ties, says USM don
In his presentation earlier, Sivamurugan had referred to Articles 3, 152, 153, 18, 18 (3) of the Federal Constitution, saying that these articles have to be preserved.
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider
The Federal Constitution should be kept as it is because the country’s supreme law is a core part for the preservation of ethnic relations in multi-racial Malaysia, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) professor, said today.
“The Constitution and the Rukun Negara have to continue to be a reference… in the process to preserve ethnic relations,” Sivamurugan said in a presentation at the Barisan 1 Malaysia gathering at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today.
He acknowledged that there may be different interpretations of the Federal Constitution.
“But we have to preserve what has already been agreed under the Constitution. The Constitution is not based on each individual’s comfort, when we like we follow; when don’t like we don’t follow,” he said.
In his presentation earlier, Sivamurugan had referred to Articles 3, 152, 153, 18, 18 (3) of the Federal Constitution, saying that these articles have to be preserved.
“Don’t we ever try to change because that is the foundation of the management of ethnic relations,” he said.
Last week, The Malaysian Insider reported that a UK-based study on discrimination and equality in Malaysia showed that the country should repeal or amend two constitutional provisions protecting the special rights and land of the Malays to avoid discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity.
The study was jointly conducted by international charity organisation Equal Rights Trust (ERT) and local rights group Tenaganita.
The four-part study said the existence of Articles 89 and 153 of the Federal Constitution were among the strongest causes behind racial discrimination in Malaysia as both had purportedly failed to meet the original intention for positive action.
Instead, the provisions had “violated international law standards”, it was said in the executive summary of the “Washing the Tigers: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Malaysia” study published on the ERT website last Monday.
