Unity Ministry Has Role But Not In Acting Against 3r Cases Aaron

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Recent 3R-related cases have once again placed National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang in the spotlight, forcing him to clarify that his ministry has no authority to act against or penalise individuals involved in such cases.
In an X post this morning, Aaron stated that over the past few days, his ministry has repeatedly been questioned over its perceived lack of action against those who raise sensitive 3R issues.
However, he explained that enforcement powers and legal action fall under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, the police force, the Communications Ministry, and the MCMC – but not the Unity Ministry.
”The above ministries and agencies are responsible for taking legal action against those who stir up 3R issues.
”I hope enforcement efforts by these agencies will be strengthened,” he said, referring to cases involving race, religion, and royalty.
He then highlighted several “reformative and intervention” measures undertaken by the Unity Ministry to address the spread of 3R-related issues.
Among the initiatives listed were monitoring online discourse through the eSepakat system and channelling relevant information to the authorities, as well as utilising an analytical dashboard to identify hotspots requiring intervention programmes.
He added that the ministry is able to provide mediation services through 571 community mediators, who operate via a non-litigation platform.
There is also a committee comprising 12 ministries and various agencies, whose proceedings help facilitate follow-up measures on 3R-related matters.
In his defence
Last month, Aaron defended his role amid public criticism over the ministry’s effectiveness.
This followed academic James Chin’s call for the Unity Ministry to be shut down due to its alleged poor performance in improving national unity.
Recently, three Era FM hosts faced public backlash after a video surfaced of them mocking the Thaipusam kavadi ritual.
Following the uproar, the trio were suspended from the radio station while MCMC and the police launched investigations.
On March 5, Aaron called for stern action against several individuals, including controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth, for making religiously offensive remarks, particularly in the wake of the Era FM incident.
MIC deputy president M Saravanan highlighted that Zamri has a long track record of making inflammatory remarks under the guise of religious preaching. - Mkini

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