PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Home Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, and Deputy IGP Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, who once headed the police’s counter-terrorism branch, must act immediately to nib domestic terrorism at the bud, now that the third politically-motivated arson has happened in three months before even Quarter 1 of 2024 passes.
This morning (March 30) at 5am, a KK Super Mart outlet in Sungai Isap in Kuantan, Pahang, was attacked with a firebomb. Four days ago (March 26), at 5.35am, another KK Super Mart in Bidor, Perak, was attacked with a molotov cocktail.
On January 10, at around 3am, the house of Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham in Kampung Air Tawar, Perak, and three cars were set on fire by a molotov cocktail, while Ngeh and his wife were sleeping inside. They could have been burned alive to death if they had not been woken up by passersby.
All of these molotov cocktail attacks are acts of terrorism, which is defined by Section 130B(3) of Malaysia’s Penal Code as “an act or threat of action… if it (a) involves serious bodily injury to a person, (b) endangers a person’s life, (c) causes a person’s death, (d) creates a serious risk to the health or the safety of the public or a section of the public; (e) involves serious damage to property; (f) involves the use of firearms, explosives, or other lethal devices;…”.
So, terrorists can be “lone wolves” and not necessarily members of groups.
Section 130C then provides for the punishments for terrorist acts: death if the act results in death, and otherwise, 7-30 years in jail and a fine.
Further, Section 130G provides for a maximum 30-year jail term and fine for those who “knowingly incite or promote the commission of a terrorist act.”
Peace-loving Malaysians should therefore report to the police or on social media any incitement of terrorist violence they encounter on Whatsapp, Facebook, or other social media.
Our law is serious about terrorism. Do we see the same seriousness in law enforcement? On January 16, chief police officer (CPO) of Perak Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri reportedly said two suspects in the molotov cocktail attack on Ngeh’s home would be charged the next day under Section 435 of the Penal Code for ‘mischief by fire’ which carries a maximum jail term of 14 years.
I just checked with Ngeh and learned that, sadly, no one has been charged after two and a half months.
I urge IGP Razarudin Husain to assure Malaysians that the three cases of molotov cocktail bombing, at KK Super Mart outlets and Ngeh’s home, would be investigated under Section 130B of the Penal Code.
The police should also investigate and charge anyone who has incited or promoted such an act.
If two netizens could be swiftly caught, charged, and sentenced to six-months’ jail and a five-figure fine (problematically, without legal representation) for insulting Islam, surely the police can act swiftly on domestic terrorism, unless firebombing is perceived as a lesser crime than a 3R online insult.
Only when budding terrorists are being pursued with maximum seriousness can we deter others from doing a copycat.
Zero tolerance for domestic terrorism, even if executed by lone wolves, is important to stop the spiral of violence.
If anyone can enjoy effective impunity after committing terrorism in the name of religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or lifestyle, then political violence will become reciprocal.
Forget about attracting foreign investment, we will have flights from domestic capitals instead.
I appreciate PM Anwar Ibrahim’s relentless efforts to travel around the world for investment, trade, and tourism, but unfortunately, his efforts would be in vain if Malaysia cannot provide the rule of law and political stability.
The last time Malaysia saw serial violence in the name of religion was 14 years ago, when churches, mosques, and Gurdwaras were burned or desecrated in January 2010 after rage was incited against the high court’s “Allah” verdict.
The government and the police must get their logic right: suppressing 3R expression is only justified if it can prevent violence, don’t come down hard (and selectively) on expressions while appearing soft on violence.
On this note, I call upon Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Nor to secure the commitment of Sabah CPO Datuk Jauteh Dikun and make public that all KK Marts in Sabah would be protected from any terrorist attacks. Not even vandalism should be tolerated.
We Sabahans have suffered political violence in certain dark days in the mid-1980s. We must not let lawlessness be imported or incited again. Sabah today must remain sane and safe no matter what madness or sleepiness consumes Malaya.
Of course, I pray that sanity prevails in the entire Malaysia. Whatever our political opinion, we Malaysians must unite to condemn political violence and terrorism.
All coalitions and parties in the government – PH, BN, GPS, GRS, Warisan, PBM, KDM – and in opposition – PN and MUDA – must speak in one voice to denounce violence and terrorism, not afraid of any backlash from their radical supporters.
Perhaps more importantly, we need leaders from all religious and ethnic communities to collectively promote peace and denounce violence, which is against Islam as much as it is against Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, animism, and humanism.
Losing control of ourselves is not part of any civilization or culture in Malaysia, be it Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, or Sarawakian.
We must not be unequivocal in getting the message across to all Malaysians – no matter how justified you feel your anger is, you have no right to harm lives or destroy properties.
We must make sure violence and terrorism – threatened or actualised – will never be a “business as usual” in Malaysia. There is no winner in lawlessness. – March 30, 2024
Wilfred Madius Tangau is Tuaran MP in Sabah, emeritus president of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), and president of the Workable Initiatives for Secularism, Decentralisation, Openness and Moderation (Wisdom) Foundation