LETTER | I refer to the Malaysiakini report Syed Saddiq and parents surrounded, heckled by mob.
Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has ordered the police to take immediate action and identify the members of a mob (above) who heckled Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman at a political event in Johor recently.
Fast action indeed as both are from the same party and are ministers too. Reading from the media, it must be scary enough as Syed Saddiq was forced to climb over a fence to save himself.
Why is Syed Saddiq often picked upon among the ministers of Pakatan Harapan and the last time (if anyone remembers) he was also allegedly attacked by "Papagomo". He must be an attackers' favourite target.
Violent behaviour is any behaviour that causes another person any injury to the body that interferes with a person’s health or comfort, or that places them in fear of being injured.
The injury only has to be slight and it can include pain or bruising. Violent behaviour is an offence and can carry very serious penalties. If you are charged with an offence relating to violent behaviour, get legal advice quickly.
You don’t have to make physical contact with someone to be charged with a violence-related offence. Placing a person in fear that you will be violent towards them can also be an offence, including:
- threatening to harm someone
- being physically intimidating, such as standing over someone.
It does not matter whether you intend to harm the other person or not, as long as you intend them to believe that you will. Receiving a personal threat is never a pleasant experience, regardless of whether the threat was provoked or not.
Responding improperly to a threat may increase the likelihood that the individual or group that is making the threat will actually carry out the threat.
However, regardless of whether the threat comes in the form of a letter, phone call, -mail or in person, an informed reaction to the situation may help you avoid danger and even possibly diffuse the situation.
Responding with arguments, an elevated voice or reciprocal threats will only escalate the situation and increase the possibility that you are actually harmed.
Be sure to also avoid personal attacks of any kind. It’s best for you to stay calm
It is better to err on the side of caution and contact your local law enforcement authorities when you feel that the threat is real and imminent.
Take the threats seriously and quickly evaluate them to determine whether police intervention is necessary. Depending on where the threat is made and what form it comes in, you may need to seek shelter or move to a new location.
For instance, a threat made face-to-face may require you to retreat to a neighbour's or nearby business to avoid harm.
Collect as much information as you can about the threat. This especially applies to letter and phone-based threats. Mark down the date, time, location and what is said.
This information may be needed if the police become involved. Write this information down in a safe place that you will be able to easily access.
Now, what’s wrong with Syed Saddiq that people seem to be angry with him and to the extent he had to leave the function.
He’s a promising young talent, qualified and a future leader for Malaysia said some.
People threaten action so as to not have to take it. They hope that the threat itself will change the bad behaviour in the other person. Taking action is a lot more trouble than promising to if the situation doesn't change.
To fellow Malaysians, hurt not others if we don’t want others to hurt us.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
