Over the past 60 years, Malaysians of different ethnic groups and faiths have tolerated, if not necessarily accepting each other, said Umno Youth exco member Shahril Hamdan.

This model, he said, was unsustainable, and a solution that will bring different groups closer together must be found soon.

"In the grand narrative, the Malays still do Malay thing, while the Chinese and Indians do their own things. It's the same with Kadazans and Ibans," he told a forum on public policy and youths at Parliament today.

At present, the divisiveness of race and religion is less apparent only within certain elite circles...