‘Reject Violence, Advocate Peaceful Dialogue’

By Advocates for Peaceful Dialogue

Last week a draft statement calling on leaders and rakyat of Malaysia to condemn violence and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve current ethno-religious issues was circulated.

It is indicative of the dangerous times that Malaysians are presently living in that the draft quickly drew a strong response. More than 200 academics, thought leaders and civil society organizations from Malaysia and abroad, all of whom want to see the country thrive and fulfil its full potential, wrote in support of the statement.

The campaign reminding the country’s leaders – and in fact all citizenry – to stand firm against intimidatory acts and violence needs to be sustained.

To ensure that the campaign reaches far and wide as well as serves as a wake up call to the Government of the day to live up to its political and moral responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of all Malaysians, the petition has been made available for access and endorsement through the following links:

• https://www.facebook.com/APD2014

• https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/representatives-and-rakyat-of-malaysia-condemn-violence-advocate-peaceful-dialogue#

Advocates for Peaceful Dialogue (APD)

• Lim Teck Ghee, Director, Center for Policy Initiatives

• Gregore Pio Lopez, Visiting Fellow, Department of Political and Social Change, Australian National University

• Azmi Sharom, University of Malaya

• Tessa Houghton, Centre for the Study of Communications & Culture, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

The contents of the petition are also reproduced below, as are the names of key academic signatories and civil society organizations from home and other countries of the world concerned about the future of Malaysia

“We, the undersigned, are individuals and organisations, both in Malaysia and abroad, with a deep interest in seeing the nation pursue a path of development that is based on diversity, mutual respect, and peaceful progress.

However, developments in the country, especially since the 13th general elections, are a serious cause for concern.

We are particularly concerned by the threat of violence by various irresponsible organisations and individuals in response to racial and religious issues. This threat is all the more palpable because of the failure of Prime Minister Najib Razak and his ruling coalition government to stand up to elements in society that are bullying or intimidating other Malaysians and advocating a ‘might is right’ approach to resolving societal differences.

We urge all Malaysians to condemn the use of intimidation and violence by any individual, organisation or institution as a means of resolving differences.

We urge the Najib administration, the opposition, civil society movements and organisations, and most importantly, all Malaysian citizens, to speak up against intimidatory acts and the use of violence to resolve differences.

Finally, we urge those in leadership positions – at all levels of government and society – to work together to develop new initiatives that uncompromisingly reject violence and promote peaceful dialogue.

All Malaysians and their elected representatives should take a united stance against allowing these violent elements to tear the Malaysian house asunder.”

`Tolak keganasan, syorkan dialog aman’

Satu draf kenyataan yang menyeru pemimpin dan rakyat Malaysia supaya mengecam keganasan seraya berusaha menjalankan dialog aman untuk menyelesaikan isu-isu etno-agama semasa telah diedarkan kepada awam pada minggu lepas.

Kenyataan kami itu dengan cepatnya mendapat perhatian lebih daripada 200 orang ahli akademik beserta para pemimpin beberapa badan dan pertubuhan yang mencorakkan pemikiran masyarakat. Sambutan terhadap inisiatif kami oleh orang Malaysia yang berada di dalam dan di luar negara menunjukkan keprihatinan warga dalam saat-saat genting di negara kita. Maklum balas yang memaparkan sokongan padu kepada seruan untuk menolak keganasan membayangkan bahawa rakyat Malaysia menginginkan negara kita maju dan memenuhi potensi perkembangannya.

Kempen mengingatkan pemimpin-pemimpin kita dan termasuk juga semua khalayak umum agar berdiri teguh terhadap perbuatan menggertak dan mengganas oleh anasir-anasir anti-perpaduan perlu dikekalkan momentumnya.

Bagi memastikan mesej kami akan sampai ke seluruh pelusuk ceruk rantau dan juga berfungsi sebagai peringatan kepada pihak kerajaan akan tanggungjawab politik dan moralnya untuk menjamin keselamatan dan kesejahteraan semua rakyat Malaysia, maka petisyen kami telah dimuatnaik ke laman-laman berikut supaya kalian boleh membacanya serta menyatakan sokongan anda.

Pautan-pautan ‘Tolak keganasan’:

• https://www.facebook.com/APD2014

• https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/representatives-and-rakyat-of-malaysia-condemn-violence-advocate-peaceful-dialogue#

Kempen oleh Advocates for Peaceful Dialogue

• Lim Teck Ghee, pengarah, Centre for Policy Initiatives

• Gregore Pio Lopez, felo pelawat, Jabatan Politik dan Perubahan Sosial, Universiti Kebangsaan Australia

• Azmi Sharom, Universiti Malaya

• Tessa Houghton, Pusat Pengajian Komunikasi & Kebudayaan, Universiti Nottingham kampus Malaysia

Turut diulangsiar di bawah ialah isi kandungan petisyen dengan nama-nama tonggak (senarai tandatangan ahli akademik orang tempatan dan asing) yang mengambil berat tentang masa depan Malaysia.

Kami, nama-nama tertera di atas, merupakan individu-individu dan organisasi dari dalam dan luar Malaysia yang ingin melihat negara ini maju dengan asas-asak yang kukuh dari segi kepelbagaian budaya, saling hormat-menghormati di antara kaum dan agama dan perpaduan yang menjadikan kita semua boleh hidup aman damai.

Namun begitu, perkembangan semasa dalam negara, khususnya selepas Pilihanraya Umum ke-13, memperlihatkan tanda-tanda yang amat membimbangkan pencinta keamanan.

Kami amat khuatir terutamanya akan ancaman keganasan oleh sesetengah organisasi dan individu tertentu ekoran kemelaratan isu kaum dan agama. Tindakan balas mereka jelas amat tidak bertanggungjawab.

Ancaman ini dirasakan lebih serius memandangkan kegagalan Perdana Menteri Najib Razak bersama barisan anggota kerajaannya yang gagal menangani kejadian membuli dan menakut-nakutkan warga Malaysia yang lain. Golongan yang segelintir ini mengambil pendekatan ‘Yang Kuat itu Benar’ (Might is Right) sebagai kaedah penyelesaian bagi mengatasi perbezaan dalam masyarakat.

Justeru itu, kami menyeru agar semua warga Malaysia mengecam pendekatan mereka-mereka yang mengancam dan mengganas terhadap ahli-ahli masyarakat lain yang tidak sehaluan.

Kami juga menggesa pentadbiran Najib Razak, pihak pembangkang, gerakan dan organisasi masyarakat madani, serta yang paling penting setiap warganegara Malaysia yang bersikap moderat untuk bersuara demi membantah tingkahlaku puak yang menganggap bahawa kerja mengancam dan mengganas adalah cara paling berkesan untuk meleraikan kekusutan.

Akhir sekali kami ingin mengajak para pemimpin di setiap peringkat dalam kerajaan dan masyarakat untuk berkerjasama dalam membangunkan inisiatif baru serta menolak segala bentuk keganasan seraya menyokong usaha dialog secara aman.

Semua warga Malaysia bersama-sama wakil rakyat yang dipilih mestilah bersatu mengambil pendirian menentang unsur-unsur keganasan yang kian merosakkan perpaduan dan keharmonian yang dicapai kita di Malaysia.

Academics/Ahli Akademik

No	Name	Institution
1	Professor Abdul Rahman Embong	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2	Professor Alberto Gomes	La Trobe University
3	Dr. Amanda Whiting	University of Melbourne
4	Professor Amarjit Kaur	University of New England
5	Associate Professor Andrew Aeria	Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
6	Professor Andrew Harding	National University of Singapore
7	Emeritus Professor Anthony Reid	Australian National University
8	Associate Professor Ariel Heryanto	Australian National University
9	Dr. Arnold Puyok	Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
10	Dr. Asma Abdullah	Universiti Putra Malaysia
11	Associate Professor Bridget Welsh	Singapore Management University
12	Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr. C.P Ramachandran	Ex-Universiti Sains Malaysia
13	Dr. Charis Quay Huei Li	Université Paris-Sud
14	Dr. Christopher Chong
15	Charles Sullivan	University of Michigan
16	Emeritus Professor Clive Kessler	University of New South Wales
17	Dahlia Martin
18	Professor Donanld M Nonini	University of North Carolina
19	Professor Francis Loh Kok Wah	Universiti Sains Malaysia
20	Professor James Chin	Monash University (Malaysia Campus)
21	Dr Julian Hopkins	Monash University (Malaysia campus)
22	Dr Khoo Boo Teik	Institute of Developing Economies
23	Melissa Yoong	University of Nottingham (Malaysia campus)
24	Dr Rosli Omar	Ex-Universiti Malaya
25	Dr. Patricia Martinez
26	Dr. Pauline Eadie	University of Nottingham
27	Associate Professor Rueban Balasubramaniam	Carleton University and Jurist Malaysia Initiative
28	Dr Sumit Mandal	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
29	Professor Terence Gomez	University of Malaya
30	Dr. Terence Lee National	University of Singapore
31	Associate Professor Thomas Pepinsky	Cornell University
32	Associate Professor Timothy Daniel	Hofstra University
33	Professor Wan Abdul Manan b Wan Muda	Universiti Sains Malaysia
34	Dr Yaso Nadarajah	RMIT University
35	Professor Zahrom Nain	University of Nottingham (Malaysia campus)

Civil society

No	Name	Organisation
1	Dr. Ahmad Farouk Musa	Islamic Renaissance Front
2	Ambiga Sreenevasan
4	Andrew Foong	Global Bersih
5	Anil Netto	Aliran
6	Anthony Wee	Archdiocesan Office for Human Development
7	Arlene Tan	Projek Dialog
8	Azrul Mohd Khalib
9	Bala Chelliah	Global Bersih
10	Bishop Paul Tan SJ	Catholic Church, Diocese of Melaka-Johor
11	Carmelo Felito	Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS)
12	Charis Quay	Global Bersih
13	Chong Pin Lim	Global Bersih
14	Clement Ong	Institution For Leadership and Development Studies (IDEAS)
15	Colin Rajah	Global Bersih
16	Daniel John Jambun	Common Interest Group Malaysia
17	David Teoh	Global Bersih
18	Dina Zaman
19	Ivy Josiah	Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
20	Kanul Gindol	Borneo Rights International
21	Kean Wong	Global Bersih
22	Kevin Bathman	Global Bersih
23	KJ Abraham	Oriental Heart and Mind Study Institute
24	Dr. KJ John	Oriental Heart and Mind Study Institute
25	Lydia Chai	Global Bersih
25	Marina Mahathir	Sisters in Islam
26	Noor Amin bin Ahmad	Institute for Leadership and Development Studies (IDEAS)
27	Praveen Nagappan	Global Bersih
28	Professor Wan Abdul Manan b Wan Muda	Malaysian Academic Movement
29	Rev Dr Herman Shastri	Council of Churches Malaysia
30	Robert Foo	Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
31	Sharmini Darshini	Amnesty International Malaysia
32	Sivin Kit
33	Sonia Randhawa
34	SV Singam	Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
35	Tong Soo Tim	Malaysian Bar
36	Tricia Yeoh	Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS)
37	Uthaya Shankar SB	Kumpulan Sasterawan Kayvean
38	William DeCruz	Global Bersih
39	Yoland Augustin	Global Bersih
40	Yu Ren Chung	Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)