YOURSAY ‘Mutual respect is ‘Do unto others as you would others do unto you’.’

 

PM defends Sedition Act, mutual understanding lacking

Anticonmen: PM Najib Razak, you talk about mutual respect but you refuse the right of all citizens to be equal under the law, according to the federal constitution.

 

You talk of mutual respect but you create imaginary enemies out of Chinese Malaysians at your party's general assembly.

 

You talk about mutual respect but you do not respect the right to freedom of speech for others when your party members are allowed to get away with sedition.

 

As US President Barack Obama said, mutual respect is governed by the maxim ‘Do unto others as you would others do unto you’.

 

Bamboo: The problem is total lack of respect of Umnoputras towards the rest of Malaysians, not otherwise.

 

Selective use of Sedition Act is a useful tool to stifle criticisms and thus preserve Umno's power. We don’t trust the wolf to guard the chicken coop.

 

Nonbeliever: Freedom of speech in Malaysia means, “What they can say, you cannot say.” And mutual respect means, "You have to respect them, but they do not have to respect you.”

 

Swipenter: When we are living and playing racial politics for the past 57 years, the result can only be mutual distrust and discrimination. That is the essence of divide-and-rule policies under such political climate.

 

Malaysians, in particular our parents and grandparents, were generally a meek and conforming lot, but not anymore.

 

We have had enough of being told what to do, massive corruption, racism, religious bigotry, cronyism, nepotism and poor governance under Umno-BN.

 

Negarawan: Inter-racial and inter-religious harmony cannot be built by using draconian laws to force people into a mould.

 

Harmony can only be built by fair and equitable government policies which treat all races in the country as equals.

 

The Umno-BN government has failed in this regard due to its ‘ketuanan’ policies which disregard non-bumiputeras and treat them as ‘pendatangs’ (migrants).

 

Look at how Singapore has successfully integrated all races into one Singaporean nation, where race and religion are no longer election issues.

The real reason for the so-called Sedition Act is to basically use it as a political tool to silence and incarcerate opposition leaders.

 

The list of people charged under this act clearly shows the real intention, while Umno-BN racial instigators like Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, who threatened to burn the Bible, have the blessings of the attorney-general.

 

Jamal Jaz: Why do we always believe that Sedition Act is all about curbing criticism of the government or the monarchy? People criticise the PM almost daily, but nothing happens.

 

The opposition spins the facts until their zombie supporters believe that the Act is there to prevent people from criticising the government, which is not true.

 

KY Jelly: There is no selective prosecution. It's up to the judge to decide whether a person is guilty or not guilty without any influence from outside parties.

 

As we can see PKR vice-president Tian Chua was acquitted of the charge of making a seditious statement previously.

 

Senior: Oh? What about PKR rep Haniza Talha (who is probed for sedition for questioning the budget for Permata, the childhood education programme)? The men in blue acted on their own?

 

1Malaysia: When there are urgent needs to exercise leadership, the PM was elegantly silent, and now he wants to talk about mutual respect?

 

What is important here is keeping your promise, especially so when you are No 1 in Malaysia. If you can't, please do not make any more promises, period.

 

Kingfisher: The taint on Najib’s leadership, if not his character, resulting in this U-turn in a fundamental human development issue will be very difficult to erase within the minds of the public.

 

The public are convinced that those who have been in power are responsible for the increased racial polarisation.

 

If the PM seeks to genuinely redeem himself from this setback and encourage the return to harmonious inter-racial discourse and respect for the plurality of religions in Malaysia, he needs firstly to educate and contain those within his own fold.

 

He needs to restrain emotional rhetoric and to be mindful of perception that he is protecting and promoting the extremist in society.

 

Malaysians are exhausted of hearing federal ministers in this multiracial country still beating their chests about protecting a specific community, after 50 years in power.

 

Show good leadership. Malaysians know the federal constitution.

 

The Analyser: Umno has done nothing more than capitalise on the insecurities already existing in Malaysian society.

 

Well, they did help things along a bit by hijacking Islam and using it magnify the aspects of that religion that are its hallmark - insecurity - and from that evolves all the problems that we now accuse Umno of promoting.

 

The real issues that need to be addressed are ignorance, greed and selfishness, and you learned those on your mother's knee.

 

Look around you and ask yourself what Malaysia would truly be like without Umno. Pakistan under PAS, Singapore under DAP, more of the same under Pakatan Rakyat, Beijing under MCA, Kolkata under MIC.

 

Are you getting the idea? The problem with Malaysia is Malaysians.

 

Forgotten Hero: The failure of the United States in preventing racial riots is proof that the Sedition Act in Malaysia is required.

 

Malaysia cannot afford to do away with the law as “irresponsible” and “immature” individuals still contribute to tensions among different ethnicities in the country.

 

That is why the PM decided to keep the Sedition Act. Not to restrict democracy and not to stifle the opposition.

 

If you notice, the opposition is still free to do whatever they want. That means democracy is still alive in the country. What we want to ensure is that there wouldn’t be any conflict among religions and races in this country,

 

NuckinFuts: Mutual respect; is that the new medical term for spine?

 

Ipohcrite: Najib's reasons for retaining the Sedition Act came across like a satirical comedy show. Except that, no one was laughing.

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