I would like to applaud Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s keynote speech at the first online Asean Digital Ministers’ Meeting today.
He had suggested that Asean should take a tougher stance against hate speech, including harassment based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality.
Such speech, if not contained, will promote violence and attacks, be it verbal or physical, against individuals, and this should be discouraged strongly even in his backyard.
For far too long, the majority of Malaysians have watched with disgust the way how PAS and Umno politics have been played on both racial and religious bigotry, destroying the multiracial fabrics of our society.
I wonder whether Muhyiddin is serious about his speech if he has done nothing to contain such speeches, even if it is done by two of his strongest coalition partners.
As the Malay proverb saying goes, “Mengajar anak ketam berjalan” (teaching the baby crab to walk correctly), Muhyiddin has to walk the talk and must not be just paying lip service to his international counterparts.
Moving forward, Muhyiddin and his Perikatan Nasional Plus government should enact specific laws to deal with such hate speeches as proposed by the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC).
While the DAP does not necessarily condone the LGBT, it does not mean that laws should be enacted to further persecute them. Instead, if religious leaders think that this is a “wrongdoing”, some form of counselling should be provided to help LGBT people return to mainstream society.