DECEMBER 18 — It is often said that the bigots, xenophobes, racists, extremists etc. in every society are the vocal minority while the moderates who believe in peace, equality and freedom of speech and belief are the silent majority that generally express their views through the ballot box.
While that may generally be the case, there are times that the language of hate becomes the voice of the country, as in Nazi Germany or Apartheid South Africa. Because they claim to speak for the majority, no dissent is tolerated and the most awful crimes are committed with impunity in the name of the so called majority.
This is why the principle of free speech is so important. If people are allowed space to express their opinion and argue with their opponents without fear and intimidation, a more nuanced and balanced result is more likely than when leaders muzzle free expression under the guise of keeping the peace and then act unilaterally in favour of the dominant public voice in a bid to keep power.
Back in Malaysia, a long-established tradition of celebrating the diversity of a truly multicultural society is under serious threat. Emboldened by the tacit support of the powers that be, there are now self-appointed heroes of the Malay-Muslim community who rave and rant endlessly about Malay supremacy, demand that they be given preference in every aspect of human endeavour and generally run down everybody else in the world be they Americans or Chinese, Liberals or Pluralists, Meritocrats or Economists on the back of some seriously half-witted "facts."
The response from the other side has been muted so far, in part because the retention of the Sedition Act has created the perception that free speech is only for those talking the language of supremacy. Even the open letter by 25 prominent Malay-Muslims arguing for a more moderate resolution of issues based on the primacy of the Federal Constitution was met with derision, presumably because Perkasa, PAS and ISMA have members in their millions, while the intellectuals are only 25.
They are emboldened by this silence to even claim that they can take power at the centre by replacing Umno as they now represent the true aspirations of the community. Left unopposed as they seem to be now presages a future for Malaysia that is more authoritarian than ever before, and not in any benign manner either.
If genuinely the majority of Malaysians do not agree with the philosophy and vision for the future espoused by these groups, waiting for the next General Election may be too late. What many commentators today call creeping Islamisation may be revving up to a gallop. As it is, freedom of speech is under a cloud, PAS is relentlessly campaigning for Hudud, the Allah issue shows no signs of abating and the supremacy of the civil justice system is being severely tested by interfaith custody battles and the mooting of an expanded Shariah justice system.
As always, youth is showing the way for the other side to be heard. Young people around the world are using technology to resist simplistic propagandistic stereotyping of entire faiths and communities to send a strong message to extremists as well as politicians that their voices count too.
Young British Muslims started the #notinmyname hashtag to express their rejection of ISIS and their desire not to be identified as part of the support the movement claimed to have from ordinary Muslims. Again, in the midst of the gruesome Sydney siege, there was the #illridewithyou hashtag which went viral, expressing the support of ordinary Australians for Australian Muslims who felt insecure about a possible violent backlash against their community in the wake of the tragedy.
Hashtags are better than petitions because they allow for the sharing of individual stories under a broad theme, making them more empathetic and powerful. As one of the most connected countries in the world, maybe it is time for ordinary Malaysians to start a hashtag campaign of their own to express their point of view on the direction the country is taking.
How about #kamubukankami?
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
