Legal actions to dissipate chaos
Sin Chew Daily
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail finally takes actions to fight against a series of disordered events recently by charging those allegedly making seditious remarks and harming racial relations under the Sedition Act 1984. They include Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman (picture) who is alleged to have made seditious remarks by saying that the Chinese who came to Malaya were “trespassers”; Gopinath Jayaratnam who published a statement on his FaceBook account which allegedly insulted Allah and the Prophet Muhammad; and Hidayat Muhamad who published a statement on his FaceBook account which was allegedly insulting to Hindu devotees.
Seri Delima state assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer was also on the list for uttering the “celaka” remark when debating at the Penang state assembly sitting last month, but his case was postponed at the last minute until further notice. However, the 15 men trespassed the Penang state assembly following Rayer’s remark were charged.
The Sedition Act 1984 has always been controversial. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced last year that the Act would be repealed and replaced by National Harmony Act instead. However, the Act is still in force as the government has not yet published in the Gazette to repeal the Sedition Act.
The repeal of the Act is certainly controversial as it is a double-edged sword that depends on whether it is used at the appropriate time. The Attorney-General charges the above mentioned three persons allegedly to have made seditious remarks, and undermined racial relations could help in preventing more similar remarks and avoiding chaos. Meanwhile, it could also deter other parties or racists from brazenly provoking sensitive issues.
A number of events involving racism, extreme views or deliberate provocation of religious sensitive issues have taken place recently. If the police still do not take actions to stop them, the situation could continue deteriorating and eventually become out of control. To fight for political interests, the ruling and alternative coalitions have kept playing with racial politics. Politicians deliberately provoke racial sentiments while some party members make troubles like rogues, creating contradictions and conflicts, while undermining national harmony. These violent behaviours are extremely dangerous in this multi-racial and multi-cultural society.
In this era of social media, it has become increasingly common for Internet users to publish remarks that are seditious to other religions or remarks that can harm national unity. The young generation lacks the judgement for right and wrong, as well as the ability to distinguish authenticity. They simply upload or repost inappropriate remarks and become irresponsible Internet users who spread rumours. Such seditious remarks spread through the Internet could bring far-reaching impacts and serious harm to social peace. The police have charged some Internet users under the Sedition Act in the past but some young people are still doing it, causing social unrest. It is indeed worrying.
Although legal actions may deter the repetition of unpleasant events and temporarily reduce people’s anxiety, whether the people can live a peaceful life and whether various races can unite and live in harmony still depend on whether the government can fairly treat and properly handle racial and religious sensitive issues. If the ruling and alternative coalitions keep politicising and racialising various issues, it will not only make it hard to dissipate unrest, but the country will instead fall into a chaos.
