The Malaysian Insider
March 28, 2013
MARCH 28 ― They say ignorance is bliss. And Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon says the Cabinet interfaith committee has deliberately avoided censuring those who spark religious tension in order to prevent giving them further publicity.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for unity and performance management said such people would only say “more and more” if the interfaith committee castigated them.
“Very often, ignoring is the best,” he said. “After one day, no more news… We better focus on promoting harmony.”
He has a point there except this strategy has failed miserably. These people are not used to being ignored by anyone and have become more brazen as days go by.
Look at what has happened this year. Malay rights group Perkasa urged Muslims last January to burn Malay-language bibles that contain the word “Allah” and other religious Arabic script.
Columnist Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah allegedly disparaged the Hindu community in an article published in Malay-language daily Sinar Harian on February 18.
All this just a few years after a group of men dragged a cow’s head in Shah Alam to protest a Hindu temple. Cows are sacred in Hinduism, something which almost every Malaysian knows.
Yet, Koh said today that JKMPKA has been privately engaging individuals who expressed extremist views, but refused to specify their identities.
“Such efforts should not get the limelight,” said the senator.
This policy of quiet engagement does not appear to have worked and makes the government of the day appear to be ignoring the “elephant in the room”.
How far do we want to appear as ignoring this problem, which doesn’t seem to go away but continues to grow in our midst?
How long do we want to be ostriches who bury their heads in the sand at the first sign of danger or conflict?
It is time Putrajaya takes this matter seriously and act publicly. If they can name and shame those involved in corrupt practices, they should do the same for those who insult people of differing faiths.
Malaysia is a multi-racial society; that has been said many times. It is time we made sure that everyone has mutual respect for one other, not just mutual tolerance.
That starts by not sweeping such cases or rebukes under the carpet. Take action and punish those who threaten our peace and harmony. Now.
#1 by yhsiew on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 6:56 am
ignoring = condoning
#2 by KeenWatcher_01 on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 7:20 am
Silence and ignoring means = Yes we are quilty.
#3 by monsterball on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 7:35 am
Koh Tsu Khoon is not worth talking about.
He feels no shame to be the biggest puppet to Mahathir for 18 years..and voters told him off at 12th GE.
You can say….Gerakan is dead because of KTK.
Truly a useless politicians.
Under him….Penang ..once known as the Pearl of the Orient…became a den for rouges and thieves…to hide..big time football gamblers…to cheat the innocent…dirty…filthy…city.
#4 by Bigjoe on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 9:50 am
You can’t say you have the right to have a private-labeled screening when the other side don’t have a right to do the same.. Are we a nation of unequal private rights or unequal right to label privacy/public?
I grew up with key people involved with the episode and I will tell you in no way Tanda Putera accurate and its perspective is highly bias. I even met up with my former Gombak kampung chief a few years back whose family warned us of UMNO’s misdeed those fateful days and he reinterated the facts then.
You can’t spread lies and inaccuracy private-labeled or public without being called out for it..
#5 by Dap man on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 10:39 am
If Penang Chinese still want to vote in this man with no b*lls, then there must be something very very wrong with them.
Is Koh saying if Malays mock them, they must accept it meekly as they are of a lower class.
#6 by Bigjoe on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 11:09 am
If the film was accurate. GERAKAN would go find a hole and hide in it until the sun stop shining much less actually came out to defend it. UMNO/BN was the biggest culprit of May 13 but Gerakan was the biggest IDIOT of May 13.
Why would any Gerakan person remind everyone THEIR STUPIDTY and subsequent betrayal of the people when that stupidity caught up with them?
#7 by john on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 11:36 am
Heh Lembik, go and serve your Master Bumno and be contended, happy about it But don’t don’t Sh*t around here ! or back in Penang ever again.
#8 by SENGLANG on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 12:34 pm
Please give him out in total for goodness sack.
#9 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 12:59 pm
Speaking of bigots, yeah jib told the people that over the last few years salary had increased by something like (initially he said 49%) 41%.
Guess what? A staff in a client’s company is now asking for a 40% pay rise!
Lets hope that this is only an isolated incident and that it would not spark a widespread movement which is similar to the min wage demand by foreign workers.
#10 by tuahpekkong on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 5:42 pm
To threaten to burn the Bible is a very serious and seditious matter, be the Bible in whatever language. How can we be so frivolous with such a serious matter? What if others threaten to harm people who caused the furore? Will the police also sit idly and engage these people? Totally unacceptable argument.
#11 by cseng on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 6:37 pm
KTK, you can ignore whatever you like. You can even choose to wipe-off the saliva of Ibrahim ali, Zukifli spitted on your face and walk away.
But we can’t ignore your ignorance and inaction that disrupt the religious harmony of ours. So, KTK, minister of elephant, cabinet is not the place for you, go to the zoo instead.
If you are too weak to stand up for your-self, don’t burden us with expectations on you for anything. Just stand down.
#12 by cseng on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 6:52 pm
KTK;
If you can never stand up for others that is too weak to stand on themselves, you fail you duty to protect. It burdens others.
If you failed even to stand up even for yourselves, NEVER engaged in position, that expected to stand up for injustice for others. It burdens you and others.
If the late Koh Peng Teng never told you so, listen, listen, listen to me….. by the way ‘Peng Teng’ mean ‘justice’ in english.
#13 by chengho on Friday, 29 March 2013 - 11:58 pm
1Malaysia vs Diversity , don’t you want 1School
#14 by Noble House on Saturday, 30 March 2013 - 2:35 am
KTK, with both his eyes looking in different way, is not one that could see straight. When he is not looking he had his head buried deep in the sand most of the time. Next time, it won’t be just that photograph of yours they tore up when you were still the CM then.
#15 by monsterball on Saturday, 30 March 2013 - 3:42 am
A fool rush in and talk nonsense.
That’s chengho’s trademark.