Any suggestion of double standards is met
with reflexive declarations that “no one is above the law” - a mantra
repeated so often it has lost all meaning.
The nation watches,
less in awe than in anger, as some break the law with impunity while
others face its full weight. The authorities' subdued response to these
transgressions has cemented a public perception that justice in Malaysia
is not blind - in some cases, it merely looks the other way.
DAP
politicians have been in the forefront pressuring for action to prevent
threats to social harmony and the nation’s stability as racial tensions
flare.
The
clip has since triggered highly provocative, emotive, and incendiary
reactions across social media, further inflaming tensions.
This is
not an isolated case. A handful of others, including two Muslim
converts and self-proclaimed preachers, Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong,
have in the past escaped citation for similar activities or provocative
posts.
READ MORE: AGC's inaction will embolden Zamri, Firdaus - NGO leader
When a temple in Rawang was demolished two weeks ago, Gobind, in a statement, said: “I have raised this matter in the cabinet on numerous occasions.
“However,
the final authority to prosecute rests with the attorney-general (AG).
He must explain why there has been such a slow response thus far and
what he intends to do to change the growing perception of inaction.”
Yesterday, Gobind issued another reminder: The authorities need to take swift action against those who disrespect the “soolam” (trident) as the police did in a recent case involving the prosecution of an individual accused of stepping on the Quran.
‘Unwilling to prosecute’
But
here is the bitter truth: Zamri and Wong, who were previously reported
to have insulted religion, but not prosecuted because the police
classified their cases as “no further action”.
Appearing
on behalf of the AG, deputy public prosecutor Ainul Amirah said the
Attorney-General’s Chambers was unwilling to prosecute the duo as police
had classified their cases as NFA.
The important question is: why is there inaction on the part of the police, despite hundreds of reports lodged against Zamri?
This
has led to speculation that he and the others enjoy special privileges
or have a patron who ensures that the long arm of the law does not reach
them.
Most
believe such a perception is true because Zamri has been belittling
other religions, especially Hinduism, continually over the years, and
has escaped scrutiny.
Yesterday, Wong dropped the name of Prime
Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s wife on social media. He wrote: “I was also
surprised when Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail mentioned my name during her
inaugural speech.
“Azman Abidin, political secretary to Prime
Minister Anwar Ibrahim, invited me to attend the Bandar Tun Razak
parliamentary Iftar Jamaie event with Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia at the
Azzubair Ibnul Awwam Mosque.
“Before Wan Azizah left, she called me over and said: “Keep up your work.”
Firdaus thanked her for those words of encouragement, adding, “They mean a great deal to me.”A post shared by Firdaus Wong Wai Hung (@firdauswong)
The recent parade of provocations exposes a rot that runs deeper than isolated instances of bigotry.
When
Wong - a figure with a documented history of controversial religious
posts - can publicly name-drop the prime minister’s wife as his source
of encouragement, the message to the nation is unmistakable: proximity
to power confers immunity.
A failed system
This
is the defining characteristic of a failed system. While Gobind rightly
demands swift action against Tamim for desecrating a Hindu symbol, the
authorities remain conspicuously unmotivated when confronting Zamri -
despite hundreds of police reports lodged against him over the years of
religious belittling.
The question writes itself: What explains the paralysis in one case and the quickness in another?
We
are told no one is above the law. But when preachers drop political
names as shields, when activists film their own desecrations without
consequence, and when hundreds of reports vanish into bureaucratic
oblivion while others face prosecution within days - the mantra becomes
mockery.
The authorities cannot posture as defenders of social
harmony while allowing serial provocateurs to operate under political
patronage. They cannot claim to be blind defenders of justice while
selectively closing one eye.
Malaysians
are not fools. We see the double standards. We hear the name-dropping.
We watch as some are elevated above the law while others are crushed
beneath it.
And to those who believe their political connections
render them untouchable - remember that in a nation watching more in
anger than in awe, public patience is not unlimited.
Justice delayed may be justice denied, but public memory is eternal.
The
question now is not whether the system is flawed or failed. The
question is whether those who benefit from its failures will ever be
held accountable - or whether in Malaysia, the name you drop matters
more than the law you break.
