MIRI: Kudos to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Sri Abdul Hamid Bador for stepping up to fill a leadership void in our nation, said Miri Indian Association (MIA) chairman, Karambir Singh. Karambir, who is also a councillor of Miri City Council, was responding to the IGP’s firm statement warning those who fan racial issues in the country. “It is necessary for him to take firm measures before hate speeches lead to worse situations,” he said.
Emotions have been running high on all sides and it is important that no one is allowed to trigger any form of racially or religiously charged unrest. “The maintenance of peace, stability and unity must become a priority at this point in Malaya,” he said.
The recent turmoil related to racial and religiously divisive and negative comments espoused at religious gatherings triggered a lot of hate comments on social media. “This must be stopped, but at the national level it seems there is no political will to manage the situation,” he said.
Therefore, the statement by the IGP is a welcomed step forward to bring the situation under control. Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) central committee member and PAS Sarawak deputy commissioner Mukhtar Suhaili shared similar sentiments. “Racial and religious issues always exist but their negative sides must not be allowed to cause conflict in our multi-racial society,” he said when contacted by the New Sarawak Tribune.
Mukthar therefore lauded IGP’s stern statement that people including politicians who incite racial and religious conflicts will be arrested without warning.
“We must be aware that such issues are extremely sensitive in the country,” he said, adding that certain religious and racial matters are spelled out in the Federal Constitution and must not be questioned.
“We must respect the law, cultures, religions and sensitivities of the multi-ethnic citizens,” he said. Mukthar also reminded all politicians regardless of their political parties to behave properly when giving speeches in public.
