The View Through Hate-Tinted Lenses

The View through Hate-Tinted Lenses

By Datuk Huan Cheng Guan

Vice-President, Parti Cinta Malaysia

Since GE 12 and 13, PR 's gospel of hatred has corroded public opinion and created greater hostility toward our ruling government. 

Undoubtedly, the widespread use of hate politics has created such a fragmented and divided society that today, our country is opposingly different from the one formed by our forefathers when independence was declared in 1957. Unlike before, many look at one another through hate-tinted lenses.

With the surfeit of hate messages, negative comments via speeches, Malaysians have seen the emergence of ‘anti-politics’ where more have growing contempt for  politics and politicians thereby fanning a cauldron of anti-establishment sentiments stirred by rabble rousers. 

A political coalition and its members that claims victory by laying a foundation of racism has no basis to gloat over how they won the popular vote. Realistically, Pakatan Rakyat secured seats via a platform of hatred, lies, and propaganda to manipulate and motivate citizens to vote for them and to turn against the government.

PR is least concerned about being factual, ethical or truthful because they blatantly go against these ethics which they freely use to judge BN. All they need to do is to make citizens hate anything and anyone related to the ruling government.

When Malaysians are not informed but inflamed, they will believe anything and everything that comes from the mouth of PR leaders.

Even if the PM or PMO or any upright leader were to defend any issue, brainwashed citizens would not cast a second look at those messages because their minds have already been indoctrinated with hate and fear.

The Opposition constantly bombards its audience with the same message that PR leaders are the only ones telling you the truth whereas BN leaders are corrupt and are lying. They teach Malaysians to distrust and disrespect the government by accusing them of all kinds of crimes – from corruption to discrimination to concealing the truth.

Today, Malaysia is at the threshold of a very dangerous possibility that the mongrels of hatred could cause their victims to run rabid in street protests that could lead to clashes. Citizens are incited to show their displeasure physically via brazen street protests or to sue those who speak against them.

These reasons and the series of unfortunate events in the last two years must have spurred PM Najib to declare that Seditions Act will "be strengthened and made more effective", with "a special clause to protect the sanctity of Islam, while other religions also cannot be insulted".

A second clause will make it illegal to call for the breakaway of the states of Sabah and Sarawak, on Malaysian Borneo, he said.

It is not a question of reneging on his July 2012 announcement that he will repeal the Sedition Act. Current political ambiance has left PM with no choice but to rein in negative comments, which seem to be second nature for many netizens or citizens.

Implementing a National Harmony Act when hate is in the air would be a farcical move.

Few would admit that the government has been quite liberal in allowing dissenting thoughts to be openly voiced not just locally, but also internationally. In fact, since the abolition of the ISA, Malaysians have become more brazen in their critique of the government and leaders, not just verbally or in written/electronic form but also in digital art form where insulting graphics that divide citizens are spread like wildfire in social media.

Imagine the anarchy that might reign in both the Internet and the real world if indeed the Seditions Act was withdrawn. Hence, PM’s move is timely and laudable.

The Seditions Act is the last stronghold the government possesses to  ban any act, speech, or publication that brings contempt against the government or Malaysia's nine royal sultans and to prohibit people from inciting hatred between different races and religions, or questioning the special position of the ethnic Malay majority and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. To remove this Act is akin to giving citizens and PR the visa to inflict more damage and disunity than what it has already wrought on our nation’s moral fabric.

I beg to differ from Lim Kit Siang’s lame accusation that the PM’s announcement to retain the Sedition Act is a U-turn from “buckling under pressure” and succumbing to threats by Umno rightists and extremists. It takes true grit for our PM to go against the flow publicly before the UMNO General Assembly to make such a stand for it shows his sincerity in taking the bull by its horns in dealing with subversive elements, which are invoking anti-establishment sentiments to the highest degree.

It is not a question of bypassing the cabinet as alleged by some. Rather, it is getting the support  from the UMNO members our PM represents so that he has the mandate to bring it up to Parliament.

The motive is sincere for the PM stated clearly that the enforcement of the act would be fair to ensure a more stable, peaceful, and harmonious nation for all. To object to the PM’s move would be tantamount to agreeing to an unstable, chaotic, and divided nation. Is this what Malaysians want? 

Removing all hate-tinted lenses can certainly help us see the issue more clearly.