If a so-called Chinese paper, i.e. the party owned Rocket had published a similar column like that which was carried in the Utusan - except substituting anything 'Malay' with 'Chinese' what would have been the government's immediate responsible action?
By J. D. Lovrenciear
It is frightening at the rate certain local dailies are spewing out all kinds of editorials and news that are simply racialistic.
Despite the Home Minister's warning, one particular media is said to be advocating a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement.
Some other media are accusing an opposition party of being a chinese race based party with an agenda to overthrow the Malays. Is 1Malaysia about Chinese and Malays or is it about Malaysians?
Where is the cracking whip of Malaysia's infamous ISA? Why are all these journalists allowed to sharpen their race-based weapons of destruction through the newspapers?
Let us just pause and look at the scenario with wisdom and objectivity. If a so-called Chinese paper, i.e. the party owned Rocket had published a similar column like that which was carried in the Utusan - except substituting anything 'Malay' with 'Chinese' what would have been the government's immediate responsible action?
Now citizens are asking why it is not the same equation when it comes to another media that is screaming for race-based blood.
No, we cannot continue like this and if we persist, we are going to lose all the scrutinizing investors, the jittery tourists and the young, talented minds of Malaysia.
Worse, we would have dug ourselves so deep down the gutter that we may never rise again to our past glory.
It is time that citizens demand from our able leaders to put a final nail to the coffin of any and all racist sentiments. Otherwise we might as well dump 1Malaysia into the murky rivers.
The ball is in the PM's court of course. He has to act decisively, fairly, without fear or favor. He has to be urgent in his stand on the matter so that the nation can rise again to salute his leadership.
Otherwise, Malaysians who are already asking too many questions will act decisively, in a united voice of people power because Malaysians largely do not subscribe to racism.
If the government machinery cannot put a stop to all these racial incitement in the media, then the heads of all religious faiths must convene and stand united over their stand, representing their respective faithful.
Media ethics must overule all other temptations, inclinations and obligations. These are dangerous times and it needs ethically motivated journalism to enable humanity to rise with admiration and not sink with destitute.
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