By Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, Tuaran Member of Parliament,
UPKO Emeritus President and WISDOM Foundation chairman
KOTA KINABALU: I applaud the initiative of JAKIM setting up a 24-hour headline for the public to report on any incidents of “insult of Islam”.
Both the PM Department’s Minister for Religious Affairs Senator Dato’ Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Na’im bin Haji Mokhtar and JAKIM director-general Datin Paduka Hajah Hakimah Binti Mohd Yusoff must be praised for this excellent initiative.
They truly materialise the value of ‘respect’ in PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s vision of Madani.
Islam as the religion of the Federation and of all the states except Sarawak, and the religion of majority of Malaysians, must be protected from insults.
Setting up this hotline should send a clear message to all Malaysians of all ethno-religious backgrounds that Islam cannot be insulted or made fun of.
On the same logic, all belief systems, from Bahaism, Buddhist, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, to animism and humanism, and all communities – regardless of their ethno-linguistic-cultural origin, lifestyle and social status, must equally be protected from insults and ridicules too.
Hence, I call for another 24-hour hotline to receive complaints about insults of any faith other than Islam, any ethnic group – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Momoguns (Kadazan, Dusuns, Muruts, Rungus), Dayaks, Bajau, Melanau, Suluk, Bugis, Senoi, Negrito, Proto Malays, Siamese, Kristangs, other indigenous and non-indigenous groups, language of any speakers, practitioners of any culture and lifestyle, so that every Malaysian can feel dignified and respected.
Respect for each and every religion, heritage, language, culture, lifestyle and identity is how we Sabahans and Sarawakians manage to live harmoniously and peacefully. It must be promoted nationwide covering every human.
I am fully confident that the Madani Cabinet would support this idea as it is another manifestation of the value ‘respect’. I eagerly look forward to the announcement on this by the Minister of National Unity Dato Sri Aaron Ago anak Dagang and Director-General of the Department of National Unity and Integration (JPNIN) Dato’ Hj. Che Roslan Bin Che Daud.
We need the third 24-hour hotline for the public to report on instigation and promotion of violence, which may lead to Molotov cocktails and other attacks of domestic terrorism.
This is absolutely necessary because speeches promoting violence and intense hatred are more harmful and disastrous than verbal insults on belief systems and their adherents.
I have confidence that Minister of Communications YB Fahmi Fadzil and the Chairman of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (“MCMC”) Tan Sri Mohamad Salim bin Fateh Din would agree with me that instigation and abetting violence is the greatest threat to law and order and must be stamped down with no less seriousness than the ban of 3Rs (Race, Religion and Royalty).
To ensure consistency and no double standard in law enforcement and to avoid abuse of these three hotlines by organised complainants, there must be clear guidelines on what amounts to insult of Islam, ‘insult of members of any religious, ethnic,linguistic,cultural and lifestyle communities’ and ‘instigation and promotion of violence’. Only with these well-crafted guidelines, we can better attain peace instead of building up the under- currents.
I have all my trust and confidence that all the three ministers would do their best in setting up the three 24-hour hotlines and make Malaysia safer from violence and intense hatred.
