COMMENT So much has happened in just one weekend that I was away at an eco-resort, where there was hardly any Internet connection.

PAS spiritual adviser Haron Din passed on, and of all things illogical to me, three people including Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi are being investigated for allegedly insulting Islam. I have not managed to read the entire story in its context, as time did not permit, but taken with a pinch of salt, Ooi’s statement on social media was hardly insulting to anyone.

It was his simple way of saying, “Goodbye to a dear friend, and may there be peace.” In short, what is wrong with a Rest-in-Peace (RIP) message that people post on the social media?

Malaysia has been embarrassed by bad Google translations when receiving some Chinese delegates, so what is wrong with Ooi’s translation similar to the song, ‘Goodbye, my trusted friend’. If even the word ‘peace’ can land Ooi into trouble, I wonder where we are heading to as a nation.

“Let there be peace” is a common way of expressing one’s position. For example, “Between you and I, let there be peace.” Or, the word, “Shalom” (in Malay, Salam) is also very common which a man of peace is expected to utter. Correct me if I am wrong, but even the Buddhists love to say, “Sin Chai, Sin Chai” (which in my understanding means much as the same as “Salam” or “Peace”).

Haron had, in fact, been more vocal against the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scam than PAS president Hadi Awang, yet I do not understand why there is so much brouhaha over Ooi’s RIP message. One trend is obvious.

The same has happened to Batu MP Tian Chua, whose speech was intentionally taken out of context when he said our commandos did not need to die in vain or “mati katak” had the right strategy been employed from the beginning when dealing with a group of armed invaders in Sabah, who were in hiding.

Under such circumstances, the police commandos were ill-prepared to face the combat from snipers in their hiding places, while the military was better equipped with their tanks.

Or even Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer’s utterance of “Umno celaka!” or “Celaka Umno!” was stretched to the extreme. For that, Rayer, too, faced a sedition charge against him, from he was later acquitted by the court.

The same with Teresa Kok who was also charged over her satirical video clip one Chinese New Year, but the charge against her was dropped.

Not to forget one of the most prominent cartoonist that the country has produced, Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque or Zunar, has nine charges against him. For one who has received numerous international awards, it speaks volume about our country’s state of affairs.

Most sound-minded people would know that a number of these charges are politically-motivated. While rascals like Umno Sungai Besar chief Jamal Mohd Yunos and the infamous Gerakan Merah president Mohd Ali Baharom, who is also known as ‘Ali Tinju’, can utter words that allegedly amount to both sedition and even threats to human lives, yet they are not arrested; instead, a former journalist, Sidek Kamiso was arrested and treated as if he were a terrorist.

What appears to me is that there is an attempt to demonise the DAP in Penang, making it look as though it is anti-Islam. These are signs that the general election is indeed coming.

Tomorrow: On redelineation and the Citizens’ Declaration

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.