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Focus Malaysia
6 days ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Human rights NGO joins MIC to slam authorities' reluctance to act against Zamri Vinoth, Firdaus Wong
FACT: There were 900 or more police reports lodged against controversial Muslim convert preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong over provocative and inflammatory remarks. Fact: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has declared that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute these individuals. The fall-out? A widespread perception that there is selective prosecution pertaining to 3R (race, religion and royalty) matters. That is the contention by Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) and the MIC. In a recent statement to the Dewan Rakyat arliament, Azalina revealed that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) would not file charges due to 'insufficient evidence' – a decision that has reignited widespread public disquiet over how Malaysia handles religiously sensitive cases, especially when minority communities are the target. Just how did the learned minister come to this conclusion when both individuals have made remarks that were widely seen and shared on social media, not least Zamri's offensive statement equating kavadi bearers to drunkards? Such statements caused great outrage not just among the Hindu community but also among other minority Malaysians. That such remarks go unpunished reinforces the view that certain individuals have carte blanche to do as they wish. Glaring double standards The laws of the land, racial harmony and 3R sensitivities be damned. 'When justice appears selective, it ceases to be justice,' argued GHRF president S. Shashi Kumar. 'A judiciary that applies the law unevenly undermines its own legitimacy. The law must protect every Malaysian equally without fear or favour, regardless of race or religion.' Echoing MIC, the GHRF claimed that this issue went beyond the two individuals. 'The broader issue is not just about two individuals but the perception that the law is being selectively enforced,' fumed the human rights activist. 'In cases involving perceived insults to Islam or the monarchy, authorities are often swift to investigate, detain and prosecute, sometimes within hours. Yet when minorities are targeted, investigations are prolonged, explanations vague and charges rare.' Such blatant selective prosecution will only embolden the right-wing faction that seek to sow the seeds of discord. It means that individuals such as Zamri and Firdaus are free to continue thumbing their noses at minority groups knowing that they are protected under the flimsy guise of 'insufficient evidence'. For minority Malaysians, the message this sends out is disheartening and quite simply offensive in itself. The laws of the land can be treated with impunity and the sentiments of minority groups are of little or no consequence. Such inaction underlines that a Malaysian Malaysia remain just a pipedream. Earlier, MIC president Tan Sri V.A. Vigneswaran shared a similar sentiment when he argued that the 3R principle is not a legal tool to defend the sanctity of only one religion. On the contrary, it exists 'to preserve religious harmony, public order and social cohesion across all communities in our diverse, multi-religious nation.' It was also pointed out that this was NOT the case in neighbouring Indonesia despite the country being the world's most populous Muslim nation which has barred global celebrity Indian preacher Zakir Naik from public-speaking. Contrast this with Malaysia where not only is this agent provocateur is allowed to give his sermons but is widely celebrated with politicians and senior religious figures attending his ceramah. – July 24, 2025
Malaysiakini
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Appellate court blocks bid to compel action against preacher
The Court of Appeal has denied an attempt to obtain leave for a judicial review to compel the attorney-general (AG) and inspector-general of police (IGP) to prosecute Muslim preacher Syakir Nasoha for alleged inflammatory remarks. The court dismissed the appeal by the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak, Sarawak Association for People's Aspiration, Ex-Students of Chinese Schools, and Pertubuhan Malaysia Tamilar Munnetra Kalagam. Lawyer T Gunaseelan, who appeared for the applicants, told Malaysiakini that...
Focus Malaysia
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Activist to Abang Jo: Use special state assembly sitting to push forth Sarawak's autonomy agenda
PROMINENT Sarawakian rights activist Peter John Jaban has urged the state's Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg (Abang Jo) and the Sarawak state assembly to declare the Sarawak's full autonomy within the terms of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) during a special sitting on July 7. Responding to speculation in the media that the sitting will focus specifically on electoral reforms, the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) deputy president believes that Sarawak would be better served by unilaterally declaring the autonomy it was promised when the state agreed to be part of Malaysia in 1963. 'Although the MA63 special Cabinet Committee has been in place since 2018, the matter pertaining to our autonomy has been dragged out in discussions with Putra Jaya for long enough,' lamented Jaban in a statement. 'The push to provide redress of the historical loss of seats in the Federal parliament and most importantly, the veto power of the Borneo states as enshrined in MA63, is non-negotiable.' As it is, the Sarawak state government under Abang Jo's leadership has begun to reclaim Sarawak's primacy in the form of own education, healthcare, infrastructure development and the petroleum sector (through the formation of state-owned PETROS in July 2017). 'I now hope that our Premier will maximise this opportunity of a special sitting to build on the work he has already put in place to allow Sarawak to stand on its own two feet,' suggested the Malaysian Action for Justice & Unity co- founder. 'We applaud his efforts to provide revenue streams, financial institutions an educational and healthcare ecosystem as well as air connectivity through our own airline. 'We're all even fully used to addressing him as Premier now! He has demonstrated the potential, power and purpose of our Sarawak institutions. But it's also the ime to realise the full restitution of Sarawak's rights under MA63. The discussions have continued long enough.' With a bill at in the state assembly to unilaterally declaring the state's autonomy, Jaban is optimistic that the Sarawakian civil service will be able to start putting in place the administrative requirements needed to realise this goal. 'Much work remains to be done – the strengthening of immigration, abolition of the cabotage policy and the Borneonisation of our institutions, to name just a few,' asserted Jaban. 'But we cannot move forward while we are stuck in endless talks. This is why a special parliamentary sitting should not be focused on small outcomes.' – June 25, 2025
Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
MCMC probes viral TikTok Live showing Jalur Gemilang stepped on
The TikTok Live video has been online for more than four hours. PETALING JAYA : Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil has instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to look into a TikTok Live video in which people were seen stepping on the Jalur Gemilang. It is understood the video, which is being streamed from Sri Lanka and has been online for more than four hours, is part of a cyberwar between cyberbullies in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. 'This is too much. I have alerted MCMC,' Fahmi told FMT. MCMC's chief network security officer, Sulaiman Sultan Suhaibuddeen, said it is investigating the video and working to restrict access to the live broadcast. 'We are monitoring this and have contacted TikTok,' he told FMT. The Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), which brought the video to FMT's attention, said tensions erupted after Malaysian and Sri Lankan users exchanged racist remarks, shared religiously offensive content, and targeted women during a widely viewed livestream. According to GHRF, the incident began when a Sri Lankan national residing in Kuwait was seen burning the Malaysian flag during a live TikTok session hosted through a fake account. The session, viewed by about 300 users, quickly descended into hate speech, obscenities, and the mocking of Malaysian viewers who attempted to call out the behaviour, said a GHRF representative. GHRF said the origin of the cyberwar can be traced to the previous day, when a Malaysian TikTok user allegedly uploaded photos of Sri Lankan women, including private or random images, in what appeared to be an act of public shaming or trolling. In retaliation, Sri Lankan users targeted Malaysian women by posting random images alongside sexual threats, vulgar comments, and other forms of harassment. Despite hundreds of live viewers reporting the livestream, TikTok responded with automated moderation messages stating that 'no community guideline violations were found,' GHRF said. 'This is not just 'social media drama', it is a human rights and national security issue.'
