Malaysia to set up racial conflict warning system
MALAYSIA plans to develop what could be the world's first computerised early-warning system on racial conflict.
National Unity and Integration Department director-general Azman Amin Hassan said it will be installed in an operations room at the department's Putrajaya headquarters and will process a database of information and reports on unity in every district.
The system will assess how prone each area is to incidents involving race and religion, he said.
Districts will be colour-coded on a map, with 'red' areas the most prone to strife.
'The system will monitor every inch of Malaysia. If we know which areas are prone to conflict, we will have a better chance to prevent an incident,' he said.
No date has been set for the system's roll-out.
Datuk Azman said the system will initially process the information monthly, but will eventually be able to give weekly updates.
Datuk Azman made the announcement when he gave details of the government's five-year unity plan - the country's first - aimed at creating multiracial activities in schools and institutions of higher learning.
The RM100 million (S$430,000) programme recommends, among other initiatives, that schools seat pupils from different races next to each other and encourage multiracial interaction in activities.
The overriding objectives of the 2006-2010 National Unity and Integration Action Plan are stemming racial segregation and building stronger ties.
The plan contains 266 recommendations that will be carried out by 18 ministries, the state governments and 22 public agencies.
Non-governmental organisations will also be encouraged to take part.
Datuk Azman said the plan is needed to head off the polarisation in schools and universities.
'Our concern is with the lack of space in many schools for children to mix, a problem even more compounded in mono-ethnic schools,' he told the New Sunday Times.
Datuk Azman, whose department comes under the Prime Minister's Department, said a Cabinet committee on national unity and integration, to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, will be set up soon.
While many ministries and agencies are already conducting pro-integration programmes, the plan will be able to centralise all the initiatives and make them easier to monitor.
'Previously, if any agency did not respond, then we were in no position to follow through. But now we can,' he said.
'The aim of this plan is to get an integrated approach involving all relevant parties. It will be easier to get results if we all work together.' -- NEW SUNDAY TIMES.
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