Malaysia cannot
flourish if the country’s religious and ethnic minorities are sidelined,
President of the United States Barack said today.
Obama said that
prejudices against people from different religions and races have no place in
the modern world and must be removed.
“Malaysia won't
succeed if the non-Muslims do not have the same opportunity,” Obama said in a town
hall event at University Malaya.
Obama said
non-Muslims in Malaysia are currently facing hostility, and some have felt
oppressed.
He compared the
struggle for civil rights across the world to the long fight to eliminate
discrimination against ethnic minorities in the US, which culminated in him
being elected president.
Obama said countries
including Malaysia will not succeed if women, who comprise roughly half of the
population, are not given the same opportunities as men.
The president then
drew on Christian values on which he was raised, saying that people must treat
others the way they would like to be treated themselves.
He also stressed the
importance in treating those who are seen as “different” with respect.
“Treat people with
respect,” Obama told hundreds of the audience in the event organized by Young
Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative.
“Expect your
government to treat everybody with respect and you’re going to be okay.”
