Perikatan Nasional has made bold and loud statements that the six state elections will be a referendum of the rejection of the Unity Government headed by Anwar Ibrahim.

The coalition has used many issues of race and religion to lead the Malay voters into the idea of a “failed state” to the Malays in terms of its racial and religious “ketuanan.”

In this article, I am calling out all Malaysians to sound off our own Rakyat Referendum against the politics of hate, extremism and bigotry.

Let us turn the tables on those who would do harm to our values as a nation using their own clarion call to do “jihad in the pilihanraya.”

We, Malaysians shall do our own “jihad” against the forces of untruths, uncouth and pure selfishness.

One leader of the PN has called non-Malays and non-Muslims as “binatang.” The same leader has accused that non-Malays and non-Muslims are corruptible.

Another politician aligned to PN called Malaysia not a multicultural nation but a nation of only one preferred race.

The use of the phrase “kafir harbiy” or enemies of Islam has again made headlines.

The political coalition seems to support the idea of Malaysians not of one particular race and religion to be considered “submissive” citizenry.

They also have given the impression that the economy is not being managed well even though they themselves were in charge of it for more than two years with a blank check during a false emergency declaration.

The Center for Independent Journalism has recorded more than 18,000 hate speeches, and Tun M and Hadi Awang head the list of hatemongers.

It is time for good upstanding Malaysians of all faiths, of all races and of all stations to come out in droves to send a clear and decisive message to these political leaders of hate and mistrust that we Malaysians tolerate none of their aim to destroy the Malaysia we know and honor.

Let us come out and consider our votes as a Referendum for Our Malaysia against a false politics of hate, mistrust and mismanagement.

Let us all Malaysians wake up on the morning of August 12 and walk out to the polling stations with an air of dignity, with a sense of confidence and with a strong zeal of righteousness from whichever faith we believe in, to deliver a message of unity, strength and pride against the hatemongers and religious extremists that have defied even the will and concern of the YDP Agong and his brother rulers.

If PN wants a referendum, let’s give them one. If PN wants a statement of “changing governments,” well let’s call out their arrogance.

We, the people of Malaysia, stand together with our brethren citizens of all faiths and races to uphold our values of Malaysia enshrined in Rukun Negara.

We, the people of Malaysia, reject those who wish to divide us with hate speeches, undue accusations of immorality and status of a “second rate” citizens.

We, the people of Malaysia, claim our country a blessed cauldron of multi-faith, multicultural and multiracial mix that defines well about Malaysia being truly our family in nationhood.

We Malaysians reject the weaponizing of religion against the nation’s Constitution and multi-faith values.

Malaysians have an opportunity not to retaliate verbally or on social media against the dismantling of our values as a nation and of our citizen brotherhood simply by using our power of one person one vote.

Malaysians must call out loudly for all to be shoulder-to-shoulder in strength and resoluteness to reclaim our country from selfish politicians and their supporters of racial and religious bigotry.

Let August 12 be known as the day that Malaysians fight back the onslaught of hatred and mistrust bred by politicians unfit to be called “citizens of Malaysia.”

Let that day be a day when we Malaysians walk in unison and cry in a single voice… We will not be divided, we will not be defeated, and we will never surrender our dignity, our faith and the future of our children.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)