When Malaysians flee to get justice

In the same week that Malaysia won a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, a Malaysian shockingly fled Malaysia to seek asylum and protection from what he called oppression from authorities and gangsters.

Activist Ali Abd Jalil is the second Malaysian in as many weeks who ran away, citing oppressive laws and lacking faith in the system to protect his rights.

Posting in his Facebook page, Ali said "Now I am in Sweden, looking for asylum… the Malaysian government and sultan treated me like rubbish.

"I have been threatened by gangsters and racist Malay groups in Malaysia. Malaysia is not safe for me, police and gangsters are following me all the time."

Ali faces three sedition charges for allegedly insulting the Johor royalty and the Sultan of Selangor in his Facebook postings.

He has been accused of posting seditious remarks on a Facebook page called "Kapitalis Bangsat" that allegedly belittled the Johor sultanate.

Another Malaysian, Alvin Tan, who is facing criminal charges under the Sedition Act as well as the Film Censorship Act for controversial online uploads, including a photo deemed insulting to Islam on Facebook, is seeking asylum in the United States.

Ordinarily, these two are facing criminal charges and that should be the end of that. But there has been a rise of vitriol and venom against those who allegedly cause offence to be taken by certain groups.

To say that the police have been quick to stem such toxicity in the bud as they are in looking for Ali and Alvin would be too naive.

Which is why, rightly or wrongly, these two men have left the coop because they believe they won't get justice in Malaysia.

This is a major embarrassment for the Najib government, which has been at pains to paint the country as a moderate nation, and that its election to the UNSC is due to its moderation and peace-loving values.

And no amount of speeches at the UN or in international events can wipe away this blemish – that two Malaysians do not believe they will get justice in Malaysia.

Perhaps we think we are, and perhaps we do that abroad but in Malaysia, what we can term moderation in the broadest of sense that does not appear to exist.

Malaysia has seen the rise of a few groups which use hate speech to run down and threaten people, to the extent that Muslims who touch dogs are deemed apostates and anything Western is seen as a conspiracy against the Malays and Islam.

What more for the likes of Ali and the case against him.

Not only is he facing a trial, he is facing groups that have threatened his life. And nothing much has been done about it. Hence, the decision to run away.

No one should condone Ali's alleged offence. But no one should also condone those who want to harm him for what he has done.

Malaysia is in the UNSC to promote peace and moderation. It must also be seen to do that in the country. If not, we are just a country that speaks from both sides of the mouth.

No one is going to listen, let alone respect Malaysia if we allow this hypocrisy to continue. – October 26, 2014.

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