by Ramon Navaratnam
The Malaysian Insider
February 26, 2014
“Dear fellow Malaysians,
Like most Malaysians , I am deeply disturbed by the serious developments that have been unfolding in our beloved country Malaysia in recent times.
It is depressing to read mass media reports on the increasing number of “hate incidents” occurring all over our country.
I ask myself constantly, what is happening and why are these extremists, who commit these hate crimes, doing so and worse still, why are they getting away with it?
Why has the government and the police not come down hard on these destructive elements?
Why are those who are brazenly and unashamedly preaching and practising hate on racial and religious grounds not being publicly reprimanded and/or brought to book immediately?
The authorities are relatively “silent” and are causing great uncertainty, unrest and disharmony among the people by their relative slow, if sometimes ineffective, response.
There is now growing speculation among the public that some parts of government may even be quietly helping to stoke hate and social and religious unrest behind the scenes.
This is serious and can lead to grave implications for our country and all our people now and in the future.
We have all contributed to build up our beautiful and blessed country and all can be lost almost overnight.
This no exaggeration as this can more easily happen in a uniquely complicated multiracial and multi-religious society such as ours.
I myself believe that most Malaysians are mature and patriotic and loyal enough to resist violence of any kind from all quarters.
However, I also believe that we cannot take peace and national unity for granted.
We must fight the extremists or be overcome by them as history elsewhere has shown so clearly for all to see.
But some seem blind!
We must act immediately to stop all irresponsible and destructive and male fide individuals and groups from creating and cultivating hate, dissension and disunity.
As a simple but proud and patriotic citizen, I appeal to the government and the powers that be to take severe and speedy action against all those who defy our precious constitution, the Rukun Negara.
We all need to re-dedicate ourselves, especially our leaders, to basic human and genuine religious values that strongly cry out to promote peace, national unity and love and goodwill for all god’s children.
We all hope and pray that the government will take lead, with god’s guidance, to maintain and sustain the peace, wellbeing and national unity in our dear Malaysia.” – February 26, 2014.
* Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam is the chairman Asli’s Centre for Public Policy Studies.
#1 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 7:53 am
Why do we keep asking the same questions we already know the answer? Just because UMNO/BN will not admit the creature that they are, does not mean we don’t know after so many decades.
The truth is the lies they have been telling for decades – WE NEVER BELIEVED THEM. We tolerated it because of our own weakness – part materialism part lack of conviction. But these no longer the case – we are no longer poor and we are more educated.
Why are they so malicious about just one man Anwar when the fact is Pakatan is beyond that already? Because simply what they fear most is that we know exactly what they mean by Anwar and that means we know exactly WHO THEY ARE ALL THESE TIMES.. So much of what they believe they have succeeded fundamentally – the lies and revisionism was NEVER true.
UMNO Baru is NOT UMNO. They were pretender, Tunku called them the thieves of the “lampu ajaib”. They are a foreign perversion, nay invasion, and its time to drive them away from our shores.
#2 by boh-liao on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 9:27 am
Funny, mata2 hving a long constipation, just cannot SOLVE d cases involving some special grp of trouble makers
#3 by waterfrontcoolie on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 9:29 am
The current leaders of MCA is trying to ask people to ignore the wrongs of MCA’s past behaviour with no promise of ever changing this behaviour. Liow’s conclusion that PKR does not care just because they [PKR] are cautious with the States’ coffer? Or they need to simply put the cash into their cronies’ pockets? For MCA to survive; it has to prove that they have changed not by words but through real affirmative actions which many people doubted based on the current batch of leaders! Liow, you just can’t proclaim; the people are smarter than your average members; though of them have indeed forsaken your party as witnessed by the last election.
#4 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 10:06 am
Touch wood. Despite the fierce and active participation of umno-owned mainstream media, the racial and religious bigotry that are being stoked by perkasa & gang (i.e. the various branches of umno) just do not seem to gain much traction.
That being the case these umno idiots have quite obviously decided to raise their level stupidity (actually lower their level of stupidity) by stoking the emotions of the christians instead. Hoping of course that the christians would react and thereby give umno a reason to clamp down hard on the opposition and their supporters.
It aint gonna work, umno. It wont work.
#5 by worldpress on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 3:57 pm
don’t let here becoming a safe haven for Islamic derrorists
spread terror and crime
#6 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 6:58 pm
Mamakthir is rejoicing over these hate incidents. The more hate there is the safer for him and his families billions.