We come from different cultures, histories, and faiths. Yet, on one important truth, humanity speaks with one voice: hypocrisy and lying destroy us. They corrode trust, hollow out the soul, and weaken the bonds that hold families, communities, and nations together. Across time and traditions, we are reminded that without truthfulness, no relationship, no society, and no spiritual journey can endure.
The BIBLE reminds us that God detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). Falsehood is described as the devil’s “native language” (John 8:44). Hypocrisy is when we profess faith but betray it in our deeds. Jesus rebuked those who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:7–8). He likened hypocrites to whitewashed tombs—beautiful outside but rotten within (Matthew 23:27–28). Here, lying and hypocrisy are inseparable from sin, while truth leads us closer to God.
Confucius, through the ANALECTS, taught that sincerity is the heart of social harmony. Words must match deeds. When our speech outpaces our actions, shame follows. Fine words and pretension, he said, rarely accompany virtue. Trust is the foundation of friendship and of states. Without trust, society cannot endure. Hypocrisy is therefore not just a personal failing—it endangers the very stability of our communities.
The DHAMMA of the Buddha is clear: falsehood is not a small fault, but the root of suffering. Lies corrupt the mind, feed delusion, and plant the seeds of karmic debt. Hypocrisy is living with a double face—claiming virtue while hiding vice. The Dhammapada warns that liars fall into suffering and hell, and that words without action are empty. Yet even a single true word can bring peace. Truth is medicine for inner conflict; it is the path to liberation.
The GURU GRANTH SAHIB teaches that falsehood is poison. It clouds the mind, distances us from the Divine, and robs us of peace. Hypocrisy is outward ritual without inner devotion. Worship without love of Naam is wasted. Only truth abides, and only those who live truthfully draw near to Waheguru. The scripture reminds us: “Truth is high, but higher still is truthful living.” To live truthfully is the measure of a person’s soul.
The TIRUKKURAL, the Tamil classic, says truth is the root of all virtue. It sustains harmony, builds character, and leads to greatness. Lies, even when they bring temporary gain, only end in disgrace. Hypocrites may wear the form of men, but lack true manhood. “What is truth? Speech that harms none.” In this tradition, truth is both a personal discipline and a duty to society.
And finally, the QUR’AN links lying and hypocrisy in the strongest of terms. Hypocrites are liars (63:1), their existence a deception (2:8–9; 4:142). Lies sustain hypocrisy (9:56; 16:105). Repeated lying hardens into hypocrisy, until truth and falsehood blur together (2:11–12; 2:42). The Qur’an warns that hypocrisy corrodes faith itself. To live in truth is therefore not just a moral choice—it is the essence of belief.
When we listen carefully, all these voices—the Bible, the Analects, the Dhamma, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Tirukkural, and the Qur’an—speak in unison. They may come from different lands and different peoples, but they stand shoulder to shoulder against hypocrisy and lying. They affirm together that truth is sacred, hypocrisy destroys, and lying is poison.
In Malaysia, we are blessed with this diversity of traditions. Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Confucianism, and Tamil wisdom live side by side. Each of them calls us to truth and warns us against hypocrisy. If we stay true to our faiths and traditions, we can resist the culture of lying and double standards that weakens our society. When we choose honesty in our words, sincerity in our deeds, and integrity in our leadership, we not only honor our religion but also strengthen our unity as Malaysians.
Unity in diversity is not only about celebrating festivals or enjoying one another’s food. It is about living by a shared moral compass. If each of us—in our homes, our workplaces, and in public life—chooses truth over falsehood, sincerity over pretense, and integrity over hypocrisy, Malaysia will stand tall. We will be a people who embody the wisdom of our traditions, enriched by diversity, and bound together by truth.
As the Qur’an reminds us:
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (49:13)
Let us, as Malaysians, embrace our diversity as a gift, and unite in doing good—living truthfully, acting sincerely, and building together a society free from hypocrisy and lies.
Peace,
anas
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