I refer to the recent comments by the Gerakan Youth chief of his interpretation of a speech by DAP member Hew Kuan Yau during campaigning for the Batu Kitang state assembly seat nominee Abdul Aziz Isa during the recently-concluded elections in Sarawak.

According to the Gerakan Youth chief, Hew is a racist. To be more precise, he is apparently anti-Malay.

Now, the Gerakan Youth chief’s comments were made apparently after watching a video publicised with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

It is trite law that an offence for sedition does not require intent. If statements are inciting racial hatred, then whether that person intended it to be that way or not is irrelevant. So long as it has the tendency of inciting racial hatred, that is enough.

If a person does not understand a particular language and totally relies on subtitles provided by some other person, and makes irresponsible and racial remarks thinking that that is the accurate translation, he must take responsibility.

In the circumstances, the police should do the necessary to investigate the Gerakan Youth chief, and possibly also Raja Petra Kamaruddin for making statements that have the tendency of causing a racial issue.

The moral of the story is, if you do not understand a speech spoken in a language foreign to you, don’t rely on subtitles prepared by another person completely, and make ridiculous statements based on your interpretation of it.

PUTHAN PERUMAL is an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.