AOD FINDINGS TO BE USED AS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO UNIFY MALAYSIANS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of National Unity will use the findings by the Architects of Diversity (AOD) Malaysia - 'State of Discrimination Survey 2023as an early warning system to intensify efforts to unify Malaysians.

National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the ministry will focus on four basic efforts to achieve national unity, namely the Unity Ecosystem, MADANI Harmony Initiative, Rukun Tetangga and Socio-Cultural Community.

He said they are the basis of the ministry's direction this year in maintaining unity among the community.

"The implementation can be done by announcing through various platforms by the respective agencies as a message that Unity Is A Shared Responsibility.

“This synergy is hoped will be able to strengthen unity and harmony in Malaysia which will at the same time reduce the feeling of discrimination in the society, " he said when winding up the debate on the royal address on behalf of the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

The survey by AOD, a non-governmental organisation founded by a group of volunteers, showed that 64 per cent of the 3,283 respondents experienced discrimination related to economic status, age, ethnicity, skin colour, culture, tradition and mother tongue or accent. 

Aaron said that the ministry has mobilised various community-oriented initiatives through the MADANI Malaysia Unity Campaign, which is structured around three main program clusters: Semarak Kenegaraan, Semarak Perpaduan, and Komuniti Rahmah.

Among the activities implemented are Jejak Harmoni, World Tolerance Day,  World Interfaith Harmony Week,  talks,  dialogues and Discourse on Fostering Unity in Religious Diversity.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues on Monday. 

-- BERNAMA