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Stop Malaysia’s descent into mob rule

Mariam Mokhtar

-24 Mar 2024, 07:00 AM

Anwar Ibrahim and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail should tell police chiefs to strictly enforce the law and stop the harassment and intimidation of ordinary citizens.

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The nation cannot be cowed into submission when a few people take the law into their own hands just because they disagree with the personal remarks of other people.

Malaysia’s descent into mob rule must be stopped immediately. It is outrageous that some politicians have chosen to add to the tension instead of calming the situation. It reveals a lot about the state of the nation when vigilante groups think it is their right to dispense their own form of justice.

Amid the latest socks debacle, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his home minister, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, should tell police chiefs to strictly enforce the law and stop ordinary citizens from harassing and intimidating other citizens.

If the vigilantes have committed a crime, they should be punished. It is ridiculous that punishing those who make personal remarks carries more weight than punishing those who threaten violence.

Both Anwar and Saifuddin have failed to see the seriousness of the socks issue. Anwar’s prolonged silence is disappointing and Saifuddin was not proactive enough. Both men only acted when it appeared that the country was heading for a breakdown in community relations.

Punishing the innocent

These mobsters did not just stop at bullying others into submission. There are also reports of personal details of those whom they consider guilty being posted on social media.

Such an irresponsible act will endanger not just the people who were doxxed, but also the innocent – people like their children, elderly parents and friends of those whose personal details were leaked.

Circulating in our society are some people with serious mental health problems, people who are easily offended and also serial troublemakers who will not hesitate to punish others for what they perceive to be an insult.

When Anwar returned from a working visit to Germany, he said that he wanted Malaysians to focus more on the economy and investments, instead of dwelling on small issues like vernacular schools, bak kut teh, and school canteens staying open during Ramadan.

We support him in his efforts to rebuild the economy and attract investments, but how far will the government go to stop mob rule?

First it was beer. What next?

In 2018, the erstwhile menteri besar of Perak, Ahmad Faizul Azumu, did nothing to punish a group of men who raided a corner shop over the sale of beer, harassing the shopkeepers before ordering them to remove the cans from the shelves.

As far as we are aware, the store had an operating licence to sell beer, but the villagers from Kampung Manjoi decided that it was their business to decide what the shop should sell.

It was beer that upset those villagers, but what will it be tomorrow? Books? Cans of Spam, which is processed canned pork? Cans of corned beef which does not display the words “halal” on them?

Faizal failed to punish the mobsters.

Local business people will fear aggrieved individuals who may target a shop because they disagree with the items on sale. If a business feels that it is not worth operating in such contentious areas, then jobs will be affected, competition for trade subsides and the community will ultimately suffer.

The same goes for foreign investors.

Shameful political opportunists

Anwar wants to build the economy and encourage investment, but if he, Saifuddin and the police do not control the vigilantes and, more importantly, censure hotheads like Dr Akmal Saleh, the Umno Youth leader, then little progress will be made.

Akmal is more keen on stoking religious tensions than he is on building bridges. Now, many mediocre politicians are also jumping on the socks bandwagon and telling all and sundry that they are protecting the sanctity of Islam.

No, they are not! They are just making hay while the sun shines. They are shameful political opportunists and they lower Malay dignity.

Threats against factory

There are those who have threatened to burn the Batu Pahat factory which supplied the socks.

When it was reported that the particular socks imprinted with the words “Allah” had been imported from China, why didn’t the vigilante groups picket in front of the China embassy? They took the cowardly option of harassing the factory workers and attacking individual citizens whose opinions differed from theirs.

The factory owner’s personal details have also been leaked online. When will the police and MCMC act on the individuals who have probably put the safety of the factory owner and his family at risk?

Deliberately insulting Islam?

KK Mart’s founder, KK Chai, has already apologised for the error. He is aware that the oversight has cost him dearly. He has even severed business ties with the socks supplier.

Some politicians claim Chai deliberately insulted Islam. Why? He has been in business for decades. He won’t risk his business empire, his reputation and the livelihoods of his workers by knowingly selling these socks.

Hence, it makes little sense for the police to propose criminal charges against KK Mart and its supplier. They, too, are the victims, just like the rest of the nation.

Controversial politicians and vigilante groups deter local and foreign investment.

Stop the mob rule before investors steer clear of us. More importantly, do more to maintain public confidence in the police and the government.

We want nation-building, not more division. It should be rule of law, not vigilante justice. Its democratic rule and not mob rule!