An Act Of Barbarism

by | Jun 29, 2014 | Law, Politics

On the 28th of June, it was reported that a cow’s head was dumped outside RSN Rayer’s house. “The cow is deemed sacred in Hinduism, and Rayer and his family are Hindus.” Isn’t it clearly an act of barbarism?

The perpetrator desecrated a cow’s head in an attempt to offend RSN Rayer. However, the insensitive act earned the ire of all Malaysians

To many, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this was payback because of RSN Rayer’s “UMNO Celaka” remark and his refusal to apologise. Nevertheless, what was done was beyond acceptable!

Even if the cow head culprit was offended by what RSN Rayer said in the Penang state legislative assembly, he/she should not have stooped so low! Such an abominable act is akin to a hit below the belt!

What is worse is that when Malaysians looked to our Home Minister for assurance that action will be taken, he said he sympathized with Rayer but added that Rayer had it coming because he is a loose cannon

To me the double whammy was completely uncalled for. It was bad enough that someone belittles your religion. On top of that, the appointed custodian of your rights says you deserve it

I mentioned in one of my previous articles that. s.298 of the Penal Code makes “uttering any word or making any sound in the hearing, or making any gesture or placing any object in the sight of any person with intention to wound his religious feeling” a criminal offence. The maximum punishment would be imprisonment for one year, or fine, or both

Furthermore, “causing, etc., disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing, etc., the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion” is also an offence as per s.298A of the Penal Code. The punishment is imprisonment between 2 (min) to 5 years (max).

Seems to me like Datuk Zahid Hamidi is taking the law into his own hands. He refuses to be impartial and even adds his own unnecessary comments

Wouldn’t it amount to another act of barbarism? Failure to act on such heinous occasions would leave us in a state of lawlessness and Archie Lee Moore once wisely said, “If we resort to lawlessness , the only thing we can hope for is civil war, untold bloodshed, and the end of our dreams”

Let us just hope that our Inspector General of Police will be a good example by refusing to be indifferent in this matter!

*Read this also at The Malay Mail Online and The Malaysian Insider