IPOH: Perak Ruler Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah has warned of the dangers of hate speech in the country.

Describing the act as a ticking time bomb, he urged the people to come to their senses and avoid doing this.

“It is not healthy, as it puts the country in a dangerous situation.

“The majority of the people love peace, and they are worried, becoming more anxious and fearful, ” he said at the state Maal Hijrah celebration at a hotel here on Sept 1.

He criticised people, including leaders, who competed to the extent of lowering their self-esteem for the sake of gaining influence and political support.

He said the political climate after the 14th General Election was getting heated through acts carried out by political leaders, whether from the government or the Opposition.

“Fragments from this time bomb will not differentiate its victims, which include the grandchildren and families of those who spew hate speech, who are also exposed by these short-sighted actions, ” he added.

Sultan Nazrin said a lot of people had been clouded by their emotions rather than focusing on the facts of an issue.

"The more they let emotions take control of their judgement, the more shallow their minds get.

"It seems that whenever an accident happens on the road, changes (are made) to the school curriculum or mistakes made when flying the flag, these are being described as a racial or religious issue, ” he said.

"We need to wake up and do something about it," he said, adding that the future generations of this country would be affected if nothing was done.