Fear Of Losing Faith In Our Society

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It’s quite scary to think about the incident that happened to former economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s son and wife.
How they were assaulted and then his son was attacked with a syringe is just something too absurd to think that it could happen in Malaysia, isn’t it? It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to throw your hands up and ask, "What the hell is wrong with us?"
Then again, I've been around for a while now, watching Malaysian politics unfold, and I've seen a lot. Political theatrics, mudslinging, character assassinations - it's all part of the show.
It’s a show, just admit it, and we all silently acknowledge it as just how politics is in Malaysia. But when something like this happens, I think we need to draw the line.
As a journalist who has been writing opinion pieces for more than 15 years now, I have had my fair share of threats. People have called me names and criticised me, they’ve threatened to physically beat me up, and there have been occasions where they would touch on my family and children too.
I have never really taken these things seriously because, for the most part, these things happen in the comment section of my writings, in my email inbox and sometimes through messages on my phone.
Thank god nothing has materialised into real life, touch wood. So it’s obvious these are just keyboard warriors.
Act of cowards
When the news broke about Rafizi and his family, it was a shock. You don't touch the family, and you definitely don’t touch the kids. It’s a low blow and an act of cowards.
This isn't just about politics anymore; it’s about a complete breakdown of what it means to be a decent human being. It makes us lose all sense of security and also faith in what is good and bad in our society.
The immediate reaction was, of course, condemnation. Everyone, from the prime minister to the opposition, came out to say how horrible it was.
Even the most obnoxious politicians came out against the incident and in support of Rafizi. This is good because we cannot condone things like this happening in our country.
But it also makes you wonder what would have led to this. Have we really been slowly normalising and conditioning society to be more aggressive, extremist and violent?
How has the political landscape in the country been as far as the negative rhetoric from the politicians and commentators has been? Has it all been contributing to an environment where the unthinkable has finally happened?
Doing the right thing
Ever since I became a journalist, I have always found politics interesting because it is a platform and an environment for the discourse of ideas, policies, and contributions to the country and society.
It should not be about who can inflict the most pain on their opponents. So this incident forces us to think back on our society and see if all this is worth it.
One thing for sure is that at the moment, I and surely many other Malaysians, fear that the feeling of being safe has disappeared.
If something like this can happen to such a high-profile person, what does it mean for ordinary folks? Does this mean that nobody has the freedom and security to express their thoughts and opinions safely?
I have always believed that, in general, Malaysian society is one that can eventually decide to do the right thing. There may be a lot of negativity around, but when push comes to shove, we will eventually do the right thing.
What scares me the most now is that this feeling might go away. I don’t want to lose the trust I have in our society.
I think we are at a tipping point where we can fall either way - the wrong way or the right way. This incident must make us want to tip over the right way.
It should make all of us realise that we do not want extremism and violence to creep into our political landscape. To Rafizi and his family, I cannot offer much but moral support and prayers that everything will be alright. - Mkini
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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