人权组织捍卫自由律师团声明：警方和政府未能对挑动和煽动“真主”袜子争议的自命正义团体和高层政客采取行动，这违反了法治精神并鼓励了暴民正义
KK便利店创办人蔡志权和国大教授张国祥最近都被警方传召调查：蔡志权涉及“真主”袜子争议，张国祥涉及其反对母语教育和华社的视频评论。
关于张国祥事件，请参考我上周文章。
过去两周，这两个课题一直主导著媒体和公众的注意力。这并不令人惊讶，尤其自我国独立以来，种族和宗教课题就一直困扰著我们的政治和社会，这只最新的两宗。
这两件事件，表面上尽管毫无关联，但除了有著煽动种族和宗教分裂，以及挑动种族仇恨的影响外，还有以下共同的特征。
首先，这可被视为如西方社会般，不同群体之间冲突的文化战之一。这不一定是种族或宗教的。不同群体之间为各自的信念、信仰和哲学的主导地位而斗争。在西方，这种文化战一直存在于自由派和保守派团体之间，他们往往与流行文化和多样性课题有关，并且是跨越种族或宗教的。
在马来西亚，文化论战往往融合了种族、身分认同和宗教因素，并占据主导地位，其影响延伸到教育、食品、商业，甚至日常生活领域。
早前的文化论战就有围绕著圣诞节、情人节、盆舞节、啤酒节等庆祝活动，以及穿著方式、狗等课题。之后更延伸到教育和商业领域，这不仅加剧了种族和宗教冲突，也是一个危险的事态发展，需要我们的政治领导人和当局迅速采取行动。
其次，这场种族/宗教兼新文化论战的关键发展是社交媒体的使用。在这两件事件中，可以看出人们通过社交媒体和对流量策略操纵，能向更广泛的公众传达出他们的讯息。尽管社交媒体可能成为网路霸凌、散布谣言、错误讯息以及试图制造混乱或恐惧的管道，但其也可以成为提供有用和重要资讯的积极力量，包括传达被主流媒体排除在外的另类观点。
当下两起由社交媒体驱动的文化论战中，以下社交媒体读者的两则评论，应获得政治领袖、当局和警方关注。
袜子门：传教士否认因商业竞争而发帖
“真主”袜事件，是由伊斯兰传教士黄伟雄最先挑起的，现在其声称自己是无辜的。奇怪的是，黄伟雄竟然如此幸运地在KK便利店其中一间分店中发现了相关袜子，在全马有近1000家KK分店。真主一定赐予了他神圣的帮助，让他能够发现有问题的袜子。如果他是个好的穆斯林，他会通知KK管理阶层告知他们这个错误的敏感度。可是，当他把照片放到脸书上的那一刻，他其实就是在没有听取对方的解释下，对一家无辜公司报复。KK便利店没伤害过黄伟雄，但黄伟雄却对KK便利店造成巨大伤害。目前，KK便利店可能不得不按照巫青团长阿克玛的发展速度进行调整。我们没必要存心与那些诚实做生意并且与你没有任何瓜葛的公司/人找麻烦。搭建桥梁，而不是采取不择手段的方式过河拆桥。
煽动对多源流学校的异议
从我的角度来看，我怀疑他（张国祥）是否对在制度化种族主义、马来人至上主义和宗教主义等因素下的华人务实观进行了深入研究。事实上，他没有提到华小有“10万1011或19.75％（2020）”的非华裔学生，也没有去了解这些父母为何送孩子进华小，这说明张国祥并非这领域的研究员和所谓专家。还有，他发表声明的时机充满了恶意阴谋的味道。华人的务实主义，意味华人不会花时间去捍卫华人性、宗教或种族特点。我们努力工作，培养我们的孩子和才能，并与这国家其他社群一起做为一个整体向前迈进。在未来的十年里，我希望华小能迎来大约100万非华裔学生现象，这将有助于消除现行政策下的歧视，进而造福所有马来西亚人。
同时，主流和社交媒体读者可以透过分享人权组织─捍卫自由律师团总监再益马烈主的文告，反击当下或未来文化论战中的政治机会主义、极端主义和霸凌行为。文告内容如下：
2024年3月23日
对昨天（3月22日），当局因“真主袜”争议评论，在吉隆坡地庭援引《1998年通讯及多媒体法令》（CMA）第233条提控卓伟隆（Chiok Wai Loong）。他被判处监禁6个月和罚款1万2000令吉。在沙巴也有类似的案件，被告为利基山（Ricky Shane Chagampag） ......
第三，众所周知，卓伟隆的个人资讯在网路上遭人公开，有不法分子人肉搜索和上门找到卓伟隆，威胁他对著镜头道歉。大家都看到了这个视频，都觉得恶心。如今卓伟隆已迅速被逮捕、提控和监禁，但那些不法分子动用私刑，可能犯下多个罪行，他们被对付了吗？这包括《刑事法典》第503条文的刑事威胁、第505（b）条文的蓄意导致公众恐慌及破坏社会安宁的罪名，以及《通讯与多媒体法令》第233条文（错误使用网络设备）。
为何警方在对付卓伟隆时行动迅速，但是却不对付这些不法分子？马来西亚如今难道沦为暴民统治了吗？
第四，那些煽动、挑动、火上加油的政治大人物能逍遥法外吗？这些政治人物，特别是来自巫统者，把一般人认为的KK便利店的供应错漏诠释为羞辱伊斯兰。这导致了一场暴徒私刑运动，不法团体可以对付任何他们认为触犯敏感言论者。
默默无闻者在社交媒体上发布的贴文不会损害社会结构；然而，路边正义和因个人认为受到轻视而公开羞辱他人，都是有害行为，必须给予打击并采取严厉行动。
法律不能依据声量最大的群体随意执行，援引《通讯与多媒体法令》第233条文来对付上述两人，等同于选择性提控，有违法治精神。
尽管政府似乎热衷于压制社交媒体上的种族或宗教仇恨，但他们无法区分无知或愚蠢的行为和实际的有害行为。当涉及种族和宗教争议时，他们反而在迎合偏执者，尽管这可能会给马来西亚社会的凝聚力带来灾难性的长期后果。对这种行为的容忍可能会导致暴民随后采取更激烈的行动，从而导致人身伤害甚至死亡。
我们要提醒政府，他们有责任维护我们多元文化和多元宗教的社会结构。这种责任不仅限于刑事起诉，而且必须主要透过全面的公开沟通对话和教育来解决。
林德宜《袜子、母语学校和敏感课题处理》原文：Socks, Vernacular Schools and Dealing with Red Lines
Failure of police & govt to act against vigilante groups and top politicians who instigated & fanned the flames in "Allah" socks controversy is repugnant to the rule of law & encourages mob justice
Lawyers for Liberty Press Statement
KK Chai and Teo Kok Seong recently met the police to respond to the reports against them: the former in relation to the socks controversy, and the latter on his video comments against vernacular education and the Chinese community.
On Teo Kok Seong, see my earlier article - https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/mingjia/2024/03/22/639302?utm_source=mobile-share&sfnsn=wa&mibextid=VhDh1V
The two controversies have been dominating the media and public attention for the past fortnight. This is not surprising. They are the latest in racial and religious incidents that have bedevilled the nation's politics and society especially since independence.
Although apparently unconnected, they share common features apart from their impact in stroking racial and religious division and inciting racial hate.
Firstly, they may be seen as a part of the culture war related to conflict between social groups as seen in the west. These are not necessarily racial or religious. The competing groups fight for dominance of their ideals, beliefs and philosophies. In the west where this war has been ongoing between liberal and conservative groups, they often relate to popular culture and diversity issues and can cut across race or religious concerns.
Here in Malaysia, race, identity and religious considerations are often fused and dominate in the culture war with their effects extending into the sectors of education, food, business and everyday life.
Earlier cultural wars in the country have been waged over the celebration of Christmas, Valentine's Day, Bon Odori, Oktoberfest, modes of dress wear, dogs, etc. This extension into education and business is not only intensifying racial and religious conflict. It is a dangerous development that calls for our political leaders and authorities to act quickly.
Secondly a key development of this racial/religious cum new cultural war is the use of social media. In both episodes, the reliance on social media and manipulation of the click bait strategy to convey their messages to the wider public can be discerned. Although social media can be a channel for cyberbullying, rumour mongering, misinformation and attempts to generate confusion or fear, it can also be a positive force providing useful and important messages, including alternative views excluded from the mainstream media.
In the current two episodes of social media driven cultural war taking place, here are two comments from social media readers that political leaders, authorities and police should give attention to.
Sock-gate: Preacher denies making post due to business rivalry
Firdaus started the fire and now claimed innocence. It is strange that Firdaus is so lucky to detect the offending socks in an KK outlet when there are almost 1,000 KK outlets in Malaysia. Allah must had gifted him divine help to be able to spot the offending socks. If he is a good Muslim, he would had seek KK management to inform them about the sensitivity of the mistake. The moment he put the picture in his Facebook, he is seeking vengeance to an innocent company without hearing from them. KK mart did no harm to Firdaus but Firdaus causes big harm to KK mart. Right now, KK mart may have to bungus at the rate Akmal is going. There is no need to cari pasal with company/people that are doing a honest business and has no issues with you. Build bridges. Don't burn bridges by unscrupulous ways.
Stoking dissent against vernacular schools
From my perspective, I doubt he [Teo] did any in-depth research into the pragmatism of the Chinese in light of institutionalized racism, the ketuanan Melayu and religious anticis. The fact that he didn't mention ..."101,011 or 19.75 percent (2020)" non-Chinese in Chinese vernacular schools, or interact with their parents speak loud his skewed incompetence both as a researcher and so-called expert in this area. Finally, the timing of the release of his statement stinks of malicious conspiracy. The Chinese pragmatism is that we have no time to defend the Chineseness, or religion or ethnicity. We work hard, nature our children and talents, and move forward with other community and as a community in this country of ours. Over the next decade, I hope the one million or so non-chinese enrolled in the vernacular school will help eradicate the current policies for the betterment of all Malaysians.
In the meantime, mainstream and social media readers can help in the campaign to fight against the political opportunism, extremism and bullying unleashed by this and future cultural wars by sharing this from Zaid Malik, Director of the Lawyers for Liberty
*Press Statement*
23 March 2024
We refer to the charge brought against Chiok Wai Loong yesterday at the KL Sessions Court under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 ("CMA") for a comment he had made on the "Allah" socks controversy. He was sentenced to 6 months jail and an RM 12,000 fine. A similar sentence was meted out to Ricky Shane Chagampag in a Sabah court.
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Thirdly, it is public knowledge that Chiok's personal details were made public online and a vigilante group had unlawfully tracked him down and intimidated him into making an online confession. Everyone saw this video, and it was sickening. While Chiok was arrested and charged and swiftly jailed, what action has been taken against the vigilante group that took the law into their own hands and committed several potential offences? These include offences under section 503 Penal Code for criminal intimidation, section 505(b) for statements causing mischief and ironically, section 233 CMA as well.
Why are the police so quick to act against Chiok, but have taken no action against this vigilante group? Is mob rule now permitted in Malaysia?
Fourthly, are those big political personalities who instigated, agitated and added fuel to the fire, to get off scott-free? These politicians, particularly from Umno, framed what
appears to any reasonable person as a supply mistake by KK Supermart as some kind of
full-blown insult to Islam. This led to an active 'lynch-mob' campaign against anyone who made comments on the issue which may be regarded as insensitive by vigilante-type groups.
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Social media posts by unknown individuals do not harm the fabric of society; roadside justice and public disgracing of individuals for perceived slights however are harmful behaviour that must be combated and met with stern action.
The law is not to be executed at the whims and fancy of the group that cries out the loudest. The decision to prosecute the men under section 233 of the CMA amounts to selective prosecution, which is repugnant to the rule of law.
Despite the government's seeming fervour to clamp down on social media for racial or religious hatred, they are unable to distinguish between ignorant or idiotic behaviour and actual harmful conduct. They are pandering to overzealous bigots when it comes to racial and religious controversies, despite the disastrous long-term result it may bring to the cohesion of Malaysian society. Tolerance of this kind of behaviour could lead to more drastic action by mobs later on that could result in physical injury or even loss of life.
We remind the government that they have a duty to maintain the social fabric of our multicultural and multireligious society. Such duty is not confined to criminal prosecutions but must be primarily addressed through holistic open dialogues of communication and education.
