Liew said Malaysians have long formed their identities based on their respective religions, forgetting that all creeds share the same universal values. — Picture by Hari Anggara

PETALING JAYA, May 31 — Nationhood for the “new Malaysia” begins by boosting the economy for all races, according to DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong.

He said the “old Malaysia” concept divided the nation based on fear and suspicion and urged Malaysians to cast aside fears and insecurities so as to foster better interracial understanding.

“We are too familiar with ethnic identities. But in real life and in nationhood, we both need work, food, education for children, good transportation, clean water, and so on. This is not a matter of race because we as Malaysians, equally need it.

“We need to remember that there is nothing to say about the economics of the Chinese, the Indian economy or the Malay economy. There is only a Malaysian economy that involves all Malaysians,” he said in a Facebook post today that touched on religious matters and racial unity.

Liew also said Malaysians have long formed their identities based on their respective religions, forgetting that all creeds share the same universal values.

“Substance is more important than form. In religious politics, I see that we have spent a lot of time defending our identity but we forget about the true meaning of religion.

“For me, although the text is important, the context is actually more important. When we understand the context, then this text has its meaning,’’ he wrote.

He said there might be differences in food and language, but stressed that they were insufficient to erase each person’s real identity.

“This is a challenge for all religions, that is how we hold on to the same values, whether we are a majority or a minority. The important thing is we need to be consistent,’’ he added.