1Malaysia on the 52nd Birthday - Laws that act selectively

Hindraf has filed a police report on the 'cow head' protest and urged the police to act swiftly. K Selvam acting for Hindraf lodged the report at the Shah Alam district police headquarters. He was accompanied by 16 leaders and supporters.

"We wonder why the police have yet to take any action against the protesters although they have promised to act swiftly. Until today, nothing has been done," he said.

The act of marching with the cow's head could create racial tension. “They marched about 300 metres with the head....it was seditious and the police did not do anything (to stop them),” he said.

Last Friday, some 50 residents from Section 23 in Shah Alam staged the protest against the proposal to relocate a Hindu temple to their area by carrying the head of a cow by its horns to the State Government Building. Before dispersing, several protesters spat and stomped on the cow's head.

By implications this is clearly inflammatory and provocative, as the cow is a religious symbol of the Hindus - a significant part of the Malaysian populace.

This action that should have immediately invited the application of the Seditions Act by the Police -it is expressly for this purpose that this law exists.

Quote "Act 15 SEDITION ACT 1948
Seditious tendency
3. (1) A “seditious tendency” is a tendency — .......
(e) to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia;.....
4. (1) Any person who—
(a) does or attempts to do, or makes any preparation to do,or conspires with any person to do, any act which has or which would, if done, have a seditious tendency; shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable for a first offence to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both

Imagine what would have happenned if a Chinese group in Kedah had taken a head of a pig like this when their slaughterhouse was demolished to the gates of the Government to protest against the act of demolishment..... Just imagine.
I think it would have setoff a tremendous furore across the country and all those involved would have been dealt with summarily and immediately.It would have been seen as a terribly provocative act.......... Compare!

1Malaysia on the 52nd Merdeka day for you.

All this must change - we need a new Malaysia.
A Malaysia bult on Justice.
A Malaysia built on Equality.
A Malaysia we can all equally celebrate.
A Malaysia we can all be equally proud of.

But we are some ways off from all of that. We can only that create that Malaysia through struggle. Struggle on issue big and small like this.It is not going to happen easily. All the struggles against injustices like this will push the boundary continuously and we will slowly get there. And we do not stop till we get there.

Makkal
31/08/09

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