MALAYSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY, MEDIA UNITE TO LAUNCH #MZB365 MOVEMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- Civil society and media organisations in Malaysia have joined hands to introduce the #MZB365 movement aimed to combat ethno-religious hate speech and promote forgiveness. 

The initiative aims to encourage Malaysians to embrace the practice of seeking and giving forgiveness every day of the year.

The #MZB365 movement stands for "Maaf Zahir Batin Hari-Hari” (seeking and giving forgiveness every day) and emphasises the importance of this practice across various faiths and cultural backgrounds, including Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, and indigenous beliefs in Sabah, Sarawak, and the Peninsula.

"We call upon all Malaysians to take the practice of seeking and giving forgiveness ('maaf zahir batin') to the next level. 

“Let's make seeking and giving forgiveness an all-year-long practice, not limited to the Aidilfitri festival and the month of Syawal, but from the first day of Muharram to the last day of Zulhijjah, from January 1st to December 31st, 365 days a year,” the organisations said in a joint statement today.

Drawing parallels with the successful #KitaJagaKita movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisations urged Malaysians to embrace #MZB365 as a collective response to counter ethno-religious hatred.

The participating NGOs, including Projek SAMA, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), have rallied behind the #MZB365 movement, recognising its potential to promote unity in the country.

-- BERNAMA