Speaking up for moderate Malaysia
Dyana Sofya, The Malay Mail
The newly-minted Menteri Besar of Selangor’s call for moderation and upholding justice is timely advice, and certainly something the majority of Malaysians would agree to.
However, it must be said that the word “moderation” has been overused ― and in many ways misused as well ― in recent times. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, for example, has adopted the term as something of a tagline, culminating in the establishment of the Global Movement of Moderates, an initiative attempting to apply “perspectives and frameworks of moderation to realise world peace and harmony.” In fact, Najib goes so far as to declare that global conflict is not between religions or between socio-economic classes, but between moderates and extremists.
His effort would actually be commendable, if it weren’t for the ironic fact that all his rhetoric on moderation is actually a façade that conceals his government’s less-than-moderate preoccupation with fanning ethno-religious divisions.
I wonder, Mr Prime Minister, if you would consider it an act of moderation to publicly threaten to burn religious holy books? No moderate in their right mind would condone such an inflammatory act, yet your government has not only declined to charge the perpetrator and worse, actually defended him by stating that his threat was merely done to protect the sanctity of Islam.
If that’s moderation, I cannot imagine what extremism is.
Having said that, I would also like to implore the real moderates of Malaysia to stand up and be accounted for. To paraphrase Edmund Burke, the triumph of evil men is only possible when the good ones do nothing. Thus, we, the peace-loving majority of Malaysians, cannot ignore this cancer of bigotry and extremism. If we don’t stand up for what’s right, who will? Certainly not our prime minister.
Why is it important to speak up, again and again?
The last few weeks have certainly been rough. Not just for me personally, but also for our country, as the nation watched Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being dragged through the mud during his sodomy conviction appeal at the Federal Court. Lurid accusations of sexual debauchery were once again hurled about in court in a clear attempt at character assassination.
Turning as I often do to music when times appear bleak, I had David Cook’s rendition of Billie Jean in the background when I suddenly recalled what my mentor, Lim Kit Siang, once said to me.
