Malaysia is fed up with the barbaric treatment of the media, which reached a new low two days ago when staff of the newspaper Tamil Malar were attacked by a gang led by a MIC leader, as reported in the media.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan was seen with a gang harassing and later violently attacking the management and staff of the Tamil daily in a video that has since gone viral.

The attack on Tamil Malar was due to a published article that alleged Saravanan stole money from the rental collection of the state MIC building, as admitted by the MIC man in media reports.

At the same time world was shocked and saddened by the merciless killing of a prominent Indian journalist, Gauri Lankesh, 55, who was critical of Hindu nationalist politics.

She was shot dead in the southern state of Karnataka.

Is this what the police and government in Malaysia are waiting for before acting against those who threaten the media in Malaysia?

Does it need to go that far?

Luckily, no one was harmed in such a manner in the Tamil Malar incident, but given the heated circumstances and the presence of gangsters at the scene, one could certainly ask the question: what if it did?

The police should make an example of Saravanan to deter such actions from ever happening again. Not taking any action would simply mean threats against the media – such as the one against Tamil Malar – are tolerated and are the norm in the country.

I urge the new inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun to take the sternest action possible against Saravanan and the gang members involved.

I also urge Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to lead by example and remove Saravanan from the Cabinet, and urge the MIC president S Subramaniam to remove him from the party.

This, and only this, will send a clear message that the media in Malaysia is an important and valued institution of check and balance for the people.