BUTTERWORTH, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- A total of 1,273 cases have been successfully resolved through community mediation from 2017 to 2025, said National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
He said the initiative is now supported by 595 certified community mediators who help settle disputes peacefully, quickly and prudently without the need to bring every case to court.
Speaking at the national-level DARES@Komuniti 2026 programme launch here today, the minister highlighted that 10 Community Mediation Centres are currently operating nationwide, offering their services free of charge.
He added that 12 new organisations have been identified to expand the programme's reach through collaboration with local authorities.
"Dialogue and community mediation must be continuously reinforced to tackle conflicts, the spread of hatred, and social deficits that could affect the harmony of our plural society," Aaron stressed.
Aaron said the nation's diversity of religions, ethnicities, cultures and languages is its greatest asset, emphasising that it will only become a source of strength if the people choose understanding over prejudice and practise mutual respect.
He warned that unity today is no longer challenged only within physical communities, but also via smartphones and social media, which can unfortunately become platforms for spreading slander, hatred, religious provocation and racial incitement.
The minister pointed out that fake news can reach millions of people within minutes, yet efforts to correct perceptions may take days or even years.
As such, he said, the country needs more digital unity agents who choose facts over falsehoods, empathy over emotion, and dialogue over provocation.
He also called on the youth to become responsible users of the digital space and to recognise that every share, comment and online action impacts societal harmony.
-- BERNAMA