Malaysia’s king calls for unity amid racial tensions
Opposition Umno claims the privileged status of Malays will be undermined if the government officially recognises Chinese-language academic qualifications
Malaysia’s king has appealed for calm amid growing racial tensions in the Muslim-majority country after an electoral earthquake in May toppled the Malay-dominated coalition that had ruled the country for decades.
In his inaugural address to lawmakers during the new parliament session, King Sultan Muhammad V urged “every citizen to preserve and strengthen” Malaysia’s “peace and unity.”
Race, language and religion are closely intertwined with politics in Malaysia, where Muslim Malays make up about 60 per cent of the 32 million population, followed by large Chinese and Indian minorities.
Malaysia experienced deadly race riots in 1969 that still haunt the country.
Tensions have increased since a May election that saw the Barisan Nasional coalition, led by former prime minister Najib Razak, defeated for the first time since independence from Britain in 1957.