I am alarmed and saddened to see the growing number of people being arrested for insulting someone or another.

In a truly fair and just society, inhabited by reasonable and fair minded people, no one should ever be arrested and charged under the Penal Code with insulting anyone else.

However in Malaysia, this cannot always hold true as many are at that level, and yet and there exist laws that says otherwise.

So let’s accept that insult against religion, race and royalty is not tolerated and appropriate action is taken as that has been happening over the years in Malaysia.

However, why are so many people being arrested for insulting individuals, either politicians or personalities?

Criminal action is not necessary under these circumstances and if anyone feels aggrieved there is always the civil action through court which is available.

Criminal or penal action by arresting and getting the state to charge at taxpayers’ expense what is a personal insult should not be the practice. The government of the day should not surpass its authority by bringing penal action against all those who insult it.

After all many government personalities regularly insult the public, like the minister who called all Bersih supporters stupid for linking the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) to terrorism.

Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law and arresting anyone for insulting a person makes it some are higher than the rest.

Recently KL police arrested someone for insulting or being critical of the police. Surely it is not fair for the police to arrest anyone who allegedly insulted or were critical of them. They should not be the investigating authority of an action where they are the complainant.

This should have been left to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as the cause was words spread by social media.

Regardless, the point is these ‘crimes’ should not be an ‘arrestable’ crime.

Public officers and civil servants should expect a reasonable amount of criticism and insults that come with their job as taxpayers think they have a right to criticise for ‘poor’ service.

We should just stop this madness of arresting people for insulting public and civil service. Of course those who abuse and become violent and disturb the peace should face the full brunt of the law.

But just words? Surely no need to arrest anyone. Especially when many are going around threatening to slap someone or ‘bring down’ buildings face no charges as these were words only.

As the home minister once said, threatening to slap is no crime.