BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Beyond The Ballot Box  >  How to Strengthen Racial and Religious Harmony in Malaysia?

How to Strengthen Racial and Religious Harmony in Malaysia?

Jason Wee, Founder, Architects of Diversity (AOD) | Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Senator, Dewan Negara

11-Mar-25 15:00

How to Strengthen Racial and Religious Harmony in Malaysia?

Malaysia is politically fragmented and polarized. To make matters worse, this division is drawn along racial and religious lines, fueling deep and growing distrust between ethnic and religious communities. At the same time, discussions about race and religion remain lacklustre often framed as a highly sensitive issue that shouldn’t be talked about altogether OR oversimplified narratives. 

So, how do we move forward?

Recently, The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Racial and Religious Harmony was officially established as a bipartisan initiative aimed at addressing racial and religious tensions in the country.

But what do they hope to achieve? And how will they be any different from the many “unity” initiatives we’ve seen over the years?

In this episode, we speak to two guests. Firstly, Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa who’s a senator in the Dewan Negara. He is Deputy President of Parti Amanah Negara and is the deputy chairperson of the APPGM-RRH. We’re also joined by Jason Wee, Founder of Architects of Diversity (AOD). AOD is the secretariat of the APPGM-RRH.

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politics

Tags:  religious harmonythe bigger picturebeyond the ballot boxracial unitynational unityAPPGMracial harmonypolarizationmulticulturalism





Play / Pause

Listen now : Talkback Thursday: Have you ever experienced burnout?

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Imran Yusof, Head of Research, MBSB Research gives us an outlook for Malaysia's oil & gas sector in 2026.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Sabrina Firdaus Aloysius, Senior Executive of Research from IDEAS, shares insights into how influencers shape Malaysia’s political conversations.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

H.E. Gerhard Eisl, Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia, discusses how Austria’s culture, innovation, and opportunities are strengthening ties with Malaysia.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Joanne Orlando of Western Sydney University discusses the impact of Australia’s historic under-16 social media ban.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President of the Association Private Hospitals Malaysia, discusses the government’s ongoing review of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

Ringgit & Sense

Kimberly Law, co-founder and licensed financial planner at Uno Advisers discusses what to do and what not to do with your first salary.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Weisheng Neo, General Partner, Qualgro

11:00 AM

Tech Talk

Bala Kumar, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Jumio

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Prashant Kumar, Founder, Entermind

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

H.E. Gerhard Eisl, Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia, discusses how Austria’s culture, innovation, and opportunities are strengthening ties with Malaysia.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

Malaysia’s interethnic income inequality story is marked by decades of inconsistent policy focus and overly broad ethnic categories. We speak to Dr Lee Hwok-Aun about a better way to understand and frame the issue.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

For years, lung cancer has been a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. We hear about some lung health developments in Malaysia which may bring hope to patients.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Talkback Thursday

Have you ever experienced burnout?