Apabila belas ihsan mengatasi konfrontasi

Malaysia's Executive Director of FMT, Nelson Fernandez, spoke at the Muslim Community Youth Forum in Kuala Lumpur, emphasizing the importance of the media and civil society in overcoming interfaith conflicts. In conversations about religion, he noted, there is little talk of love, kindness, and goodness—qualities that should define the discourse. He questioned how discussions about religion and conflict can coexist in the same breath.

Fernandez argued that such conflicts should not dominate the news narrative. "Conflict becomes part of the news, but it should not be the only story," he said. He stressed that respect must be cultivated by the media among Malaysia's people and this should start within the newsrooms themselves. "It all begins with better reporting on issues concerning race and religion starting from our own culture," he urged.

"How do we support one another, how do we make editorial decisions, and are we applying the same standards to everyone?"

He also highlighted the importance of working together from diverse backgrounds within the newsroom. A diverse team can better recognize religious or cultural sensitivities that others might overlook, ensuring the news is not biased due to headlines or lack of context. The panel discussion titled "The Digital Battlefield, Social Media and the Young Generation" underscored the same point.

Fernandez shared a powerful example of the power of kindness overcoming racial divides. A middle-aged woman entered the office, crying, asking for help to raise funds for her severely disabled daughter who suffers from muscular dystrophy. Within hours, FMT's report went viral, and within days, Diya Amanda contributed RM150,000, while broader fundraising efforts successfully financed her surgery.

Fernandez noted that despite the woman being a Chinese national and the reporter Chinese, the daughter was Malay. This diversity in backgrounds did not hinder the public's willingness to help.

For Fernandez, this incident demonstrated the strong unity that exists in Malaysia. "This reflects the deep unity that truly exists in our country," he said. "Diya Amanda's story illustrates the value of having a strong platform and readers who believe in us, not just in terms of the number of readers, but in the ability of the news to mobilize society to take action."

He also emphasized that journalism can be part of the healing process, not by ignoring divides or sensitive issues, but by ensuring such stories are not the only narrative told about Malaysia's relationship with one another.