The recent reminder from the police that all political parties should not touch on aspects of the three Rs – race, religion and royalty – when campaigning in the upcoming six state election is timely, wise and necessary.
Kedah Police chief Fisol Salleh said a three Rs special investigation unit would monitor compliance.
The call by the police must apply to all politicians regardless of how powerfully connected or financially oiled they are. We need to weed out this disease once and for all.
Many among the public will welcome the move not only to restrict the three Rs ‘feeding frenzy’ during the election campaigns but to also enforce the warning perennially across the length and breadth of the country.
The nation has been paralysed by the highly divisive, highly explosive weaponisation of the three Rs. It is high time to rid the nation of the barrage of attacks that exploit issues of race, religion and royalty to score political points. Such attacks, if not checked, can hinder Malaysia from moving forward as a nation that cherishes its unity.
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Let’s hope the police will not be humiliated or belittled and that their powers won’t be trodden over by recalcitrant politicians and their hired hands.
The media can play a key role by exposing individuals who insist on playing the three Rs card and then proclaiming their innocence with that all too familiar quote – that they were “misquoted” or “misunderstood”.
Enough of this! Act decisively this time around. Haul up transgressors to court and let the nation know their ugly mindsets.
To love Malaysia means embracing everyone in the country in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, irrespective of ethnic differences.
To love our respective religions is to embrace all the people in Malaysia of other faiths without denigrating them.
To uphold our constitutional monarchy system is to register our confidence in it through legitimate means.
Those who insist on challenging the efforts to uphold unity in our diverse nation should be shunned and penalised.
The country’s leaders should not turn a blind eye to such divisive politicking in the mistaken belief that taking action would compromise public perceptions of their democratic credentials.
Let us for once mean what we say for the good of everyone in Malaysia.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
No chance as political power is dependent on the 3Rs.
Bless all