MARCH 6 — Like many other Malaysians, I was shocked to learn of the recent arrest of a 14-year-old schoolgirl from Muar, Johor as she was about to depart KLIA for Egypt, purportedly to marry a 22-year-old man she befriended on Facebook before absconding to join the jihad being waged by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

That was a close call, as the young girl had been stopped moments before it would have been too late. Still, it really frightens me how we nearly lost another Malaysian, and a young naïve girl to boot. 

To be sure, in this borderless world that we now live in, where individuals from every corner of the world are able to connect instantaneously and privately, such an occurrence should not be surprising. In fact, there are probably numerous teenage girls being sweet-talked by men with questionable intentions right now as you are reading this.

However, this does not mean that nothing can be done. After all, our authorities have demonstrated uncanny talent for hunting down and catching those responsible for anonymous Facebook posts that they deem seditious. 

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Lately, however, even fair comment and personal opinions, especially by Opposition figures, are very rapidly clamped down by none other than the Inspector-General of Police himself! In fact, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar is even known to give instructions to his subordinates via Twitter. This online activist IGP could certainly claim the title of the world’s most social media savvy chief of police!

Sadly, such speed and efficiency only seems to be displayed in cases of political persecution. When it comes to restricting the movement of their political rivals, our government is as Orwellian as the best of them. If only such dedication and resources are directed towards dealing with real crimes, ensuring border security and investigating grand corruption.

I think it is high time that our government repositions its priorities, in particular institutions such as the Home Ministry, the police and the Attorney-General’s Office, all of whom appear to have too much time in their hands.

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Malaysians want these institutions to do real work and protect them from real criminals. We do not, for example, need to be protected against books, holy or otherwise. Yet, that is exactly what they are preoccupied with. Consequently, it is innocent individuals such as Borders bookstore manager Nik Raina Nik Aziz who are forced to face the full brunt of government persecution despite having clearly committed nothing illegal.

Why any book needs to be banned in the first place is a separate discussion. As a lawyer, I cannot for the life of me understand why the legal officers would allow the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI) to waste time and public funds pursuing a case it could never have won from the beginning. Typical of the same sort of efficiency displayed by IGP Khalid, JAWI had raided the bookstore and seized the books in question a week before they had been officially banned! Despite the case being open-and-shut, poor Nik Raina had to be dragged through more than two years of legal misery.

If only JAWI and the Attorney-General’s Office could focus on more fundamental issues rather than raiding bookstores and dragging cases through to the Apex court.

Similarly, I am sure resources can be more effectively deployed to catch men who lure innocent young girls through the social media rather than hunting down anti-establishment Facebook and Twitter users.

However, what is clear is that the government would not change its ways if left to its own devices. This is where we as right-minded Malaysians come in. Together, we need to take a stand against this misguided attempt by the authorities to act as our moral and ideological guardians. The more the silent majority remains silent, the more our lives will be dictated and controlled.

Before the JAWI raid on her bookstore in May 2012, Nik Raina was part of the silent majority. Today, after a victorious court decision last week, she defiantly declared that: “I stand here today not only for myself, but for all my colleagues, especially the Muslims who could face the same action by the religious authorities for merely doing our jobs.”

Nik Raina has stood up, so when will you?

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.