I write this as a citizen more than a journalist, having “long held my horses” when commenting on race and religious issues, because in Malaysia, “offending the sensitivities of Muslims” has no boundaries.
What many will see as fair comment can and will be used to intimidate or silence critics of the system, which obviously is in dire need of reform and improvement.
From air wells resembling crosses, to the sale of beer in convenience stores in Muslim-majority areas, to the attire of flight attendants and athletes - almost anything can be branded “sensitive”.
Not by any decree of the government or religious authority, but by some self-appointed politicians and unknown men of the cloth who claim to speak for the flock, perhaps for their two minutes of fame on national television.
The lesson was...