Malaysiakini
May 18, 11

‘Does it mean we can all now make seditious and insensitive remarks without any repercussions? This has gone out of line.’

Nazri: No action against Ibrahim Ali

Roberts: De facto law minister Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz misses the point. Yes, it is true that hundreds of irresponsible bloggers of all colour and creed have made sensitive comments to hurt and inflame other communities. But they are individuals.

Perkasa is a registered organisation and Malay daily Utusan Malaysia is a licensed newspaper. Can they act in the same wanton abandon as irresponsible bloggers and tweeters?

Rape is rampant in Malaysia – do we want to condone it by saying that it is the norm? Corruption is rampant – shall we then legalise it? Drug addiction is widespread, shall we let it be and say it is the norm? Crime is widespread these days – shall we do nothing about it?

There will always be irresponsible individuals, but when institutions like Perkasa and a national daily act recklessly, then our society will really go down the drain, for these institutions represent our collective conscience and morality.

Black Mamba: I am shocked that the de facto law minister can come out with such a lame explanation like that. Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali did not tweet nor blog his warning to the Christians. He aroused religious sentiments in a public rally in front of a 150-strong crowd.

If you are prepared to condone such actions, be prepared for the consequences.

Hamisu: Does it mean we can all now make seditious and insensitive remarks without any repercussions? This has gone out of line. Now it appears that if something’s a norm, then there’s nothing wrong with it.

This appears to be the prevailing twisted logic of our de facto law minister. Crimes are the norm. Drug abuse has become the norm. Abandoning babies has become the norm. Domestic violence has become a norm. Does it mean everything is alright? What kind of minister is this?

Changeagent: What a weak and lame reasoning by the de facto law minister. Just because something is a Malaysian norm doesn’t mean that it has to be tolerated, not especially when it relates to matters as serious as religious extremism, creating racial tension and inciting social upheaval or violence.

That is why we have common laws to safeguard public order, security and civility. Anyone who breaches the law or commits an offence must be prosecuted, and it matters little whether the crime is considered a norm or not.

It seems that Nazri is extremely unqualified to hold onto his current portfolio ministership when he doesn’t even understand the basic functions of law in society. He is seriously out of his depth here.

Cannon: That’s how arrogant and defiant Umno is in standing up for its rabid mouthpiece. Other than practising tokenism, Umno refuses to share power with its BN ‘partners’, let alone turn over its power to another.

That’s why it violently resists the possibility of Pakatan taking over Putrajaya and, through Perkasa, threatens to spill the blood of Christians, if they should vote for the opposition. This gangsterism of Umno/Perkasa is a ‘norm’ Malaysians have to accept.

Nazri has made a mockery of PM Najib Razak’s moderation. The fact is, Umno will not accept a two-party system, which means that a vote for BN is a vote for Umno and for more of this nonsense – and worst.

If Umno should retain power, it will ensure that the two-party system will never take root. Umno will finish dismantling our system of checks and balances to safeguard its power. It’s vital for Malaysians to unite and vote out Umno in GE13 before it demolishes our democracy.

Alan Goh: Nazri says that it is the norm for everybody to make seditious remarks and the news media can print anything, and therefore no action will be taken against them.

Thank you, Nazri, for the clarification. But please ensure that this new interpretation of the law applies to everyone and not just Umnoputras, Ibrahim Ali and Utusan.

Anonymous_40a7: Nazri, from this second onwards, you and the government will be held responsible for all the abuse, torture, suffering, victimisation, injuries and death to the Christian community by the radicals and fanatics of Islam due to your insensitive and warped thinking. Remember – each blood dropped is on your hands now.

Tan Kim Keong: Nazri, if the need is there to prosecute all people accused of making seditious statements, then it has be to done. You are a lawyer. A felony is a felony. I believe you know this very well.

In a civil society, people who commit felonies do not go unpunished. Otherwise the authority will be deemed as condoning incitement of religious and racial hatred, as in the case of Ibrahim Ali.

So what is stopping you from charging Ibrahim Ali with making seditious statements against adherents of another religion?

Chipmunk: So what Nazri is saying is that since it is a “norm” in Malaysia, the door is open for all to criticise every other religion, and I believe, that includes Islam and the Muslims? Can Nazri issue a directive that we can now criticise the Malays as well?

The other races have been tolerant and have refrained from saying anything about Islam, but since it is a norm, as what Nazri said, I want to see if any action will be taken if the Malays were criticized.

Easyone: Don’t fall to Nazri’s trap. The moment DAP says something disputable, they will be put under the ISA. These lackeys cannot be trusted.

Anak Kedah: This moron and his handlers are trying to provoke a violent response to Perkasa’s verbal vomit so that they can use it as an excuse for Ops Lalang II.

They have been trying hard to decapitate Pakatan Rakyat’s leadership – Anwar Ibrahim with the sham Sodomy II trial, and now preparing the ground to round up the rest of Pakatan leaders with Ops Lalang II.

The Tarik: If making such sensitive statements is okay, then why do we have ISA and the Printing Presses and Publication Act?

If you are sincere, then scrap both these acts. Let all the newspapers in the country openly discuss the so-called sensitive issues. Let the Star, New Straits Times, Tamil Nesan and Sin Chew Daily report the scams and scandals that are being discussed only in the alternative media.

Let there be press freedom. Give Pakatan licence to start newspapers. Let our country’s press freedom index rise from the bottom.

Otherwise, Nazri, your comments are pure baloney. Otherwise you are practising selective persecution and are not fit to be the law minister. Otherwise you are a law minister only to protect the interests of Umno, Perkasa, and Utusan. And otherwise, your comments smack of stupid hypocrisy.

Solomon Moses: Very well, Nazri, you have opened the floodgates. I am calling on all level-headed Malaysians to declare ‘jihad’ against Umno and Perkasa, and all level-headed Malaysians, I am sure, will join this ‘jihad’.

Dood: Well, if they’re not going to take action against Ibrahim Ali for his very obviously dangerous threats, then why would there be any question of any action against what the pastors supposedly said?

Is it more dangerous to declare ‘jihad’ against another community or to declare a desire for a Christian PM (if that even happened)?

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