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To foster Malaysian unity and social cohesion, the 2026 Roundtable Discussion on Multi-Faith Partnership in Praxis for Human Dignity and Flourishing was held on August 4 to 5, 2026 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The two-day conference brought together religious, government and community leaders from across the region and globally to reflect on the need for peace and harmony to enable individuals and societies to flourish, and to discuss how to solve common challenges and obstacles to that end.
Elder Kelly R. Johnson, the Asia Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened the conference and welcomed participants. “Interfaith harmony is not about erasing differences,” Elder Johnson said. “It is about learning to respect diversity while discovering shared values.”
Elder Johnson emphasized that without sincere dialogue and greater understanding, religion could become a source of conflict rather than unity, not unlike the early history of the Church when more than 10,000 Church members faced persecution and a government extermination order from the United States due to religious misunderstanding and intolerance.
Religious and community leaders have a critical responsibility to become promoters of human dignity, understanding, tolerance, flourishing and unity, he said. Meanwhile, discussions about unity should inspire lasting changes in attitudes, actions and culture, rather than just end with the discussions themselves.
Malaysia National Unity Minister, YB Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, also urged religious leaders to foster interfaith trust and embody moral values. From his perspective, multi-faith partnership is not merely about religious tolerance; it is about working together despite our differences to solve common challenges, such as what Malaysian faith-based organizations repeatedly have done in serving humanity whenever there have been floods and other times of need to rebuild communities.
Last year, the Church participated in more than 3,500 humanitarian projects benefiting people of all faiths in 196 countries, spending US$1.6 billion on humanitarian assistance. It is the Church’s belief that all people are children of a loving God, who do not have to look alike, think alike or agree on everything in order to love and respect one another. This shared relationship calls on the Church to care for others regardless of religious affiliation.
“A culture of harmony is built through everyday acts, greetings, friendships, shared meals, gestures of kindness and participation in humanitarian projects that slowly but steadily weave a tapestry of trust,” Elder Johnson said.
Four scholarly speakers with professional backgrounds then shared their insights during a roundtable titled “East-West Multi-Faith Partnership for Human Dignity”. Professor Brett Scharffs, a leading scholar in law and religion and director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham Young University, a Church-funded university in the United States, shared his beliefs about human dignity as one of the panelists.
He believed human dignity is genuinely a universal principle for unity, serving as a common thread linking the values set out in the National Harmony Charter and helping different communities build bridges and find common ground.
“Harmony Charter’s values and principles such as mutual respect, tolerance, cooperation, empathy, moderation, justice, trustworthiness, unity, inclusiveness, civic responsibility, kindness and openness to dialogue all connected naturally to the idea of human dignity,” Professor Scharffs said.
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The Church's delegation take a photo at the 2026 Roundtable Discussion on Multi-Faith Partnership in Praxis for Human Dignity and Flourishing from August 4 to 5, 2026 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.On the second day of the conference, leaders of Pertubuhan Keharmonian Inklusif Tanah Air Sabah (KITA) arranged an interfaith tour, reinforcing the spirit of interfaith collaboration. Delegates visited various faith centres in Likas, learning about how the centres work and ways their members serve the wider community through education, medical assistance, food, care and shelter.
Lee Poh Peng, National Communication Director for the Church in Malaysia, said she was deeply impressed by the selfless service she witnessed during the interfaith tour — people living their faith by serving those in need, regardless of faith or ethnicity. It reminded her that compassion and service can bring all together to make a difference in the lives of others.
“This aligns with our Malaysia Church Communication Council’s goal this year to extend interfaith dialogues into action,” Lee said. Under the theme “Unity and Compassion in Action”, she said they plan to bring different faith communities together to provide health screenings and hygiene packs to those in need.
Last year, the Church in Malaysia lent its support to many interfaith events, such as Malam Muhibbah organised by the Pure Life Society Malaysia, where a large number of people of different races and faiths came together in an evening filled with music, culture and joy. She described the event as a beautiful celebration of unity, peace and love.