PROMINENT Southeast Asia governance expert James Chin has questioned the relevance of Malaysia’s Ministry of National Unity (MNU), suggesting it serves little purpose beyond issuing statements after crises have already been addressed by other ministers.
Citing recent incidents like the KK Mart controversy, hate speech cases, and the firebombing of a DAP MP’s home, Chin argued that the MNU remains conspicuously absent during critical moments, only surfacing when tensions have subsided.
This minister hails from Sarawak, and I’m curious about what the Ministry of National Unity (MNU) has been doing since 2022. It seems that whenever there’s an issue, the MNU is nowhere to be found until after other ministers have already tackled the problem.
Then, they appear… pic.twitter.com/rS6tpuPahs
— James Chin (@jameschin110) February 7, 2025
“If the MNU were effective, wouldn’t ethnic and religious relations be improving rather than deteriorating?” he asked, sarcastically suggesting that the ministry’s success may lie in enforcing unity on the terms of one race and religion.
Chin proposed shutting down the ministry entirely and reallocating its budget as grants for non-Islamic religious groups, calling it a more practical way for the government to foster a multiracial society.
Mocking a recent remark by the minister that all government policies must consider “unity,” Chin quipped, “I nearly fell off my chair laughing.”—Feb 9, 2025
Main image: New Mandala
