Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa. -filepic
Ex-minister: We must tackle the issue seriously amid rise of hate speeches
PETALING JAYA: A former minister has proposed that criminal laws be used in 3R (race, religion and royalty) cases instead of civil laws to maintain order and unity in the country.
“It’s high time for Malaysia to have its own anti-hate speech laws following the rise in 3R cases.
They should be criminalised,” said former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs Senator Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
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“There must be no more fooling around with 3R issues and we must be serious in dealing with hate speech.
“Civil penalties may be too lenient and insufficient in dealing with the offenders,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Mujahid said plans to introduce laws to curb hate speech were mooted back in 2012.
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In 2019, the then Pakatan Harapan government intended to enact new laws to curb issues relating to the 3R, but they were shelved following the change in government the following year.
“We had proposed a Harmony Bill, which would have included the setting up of a Harmony Commission to provide mediation and education on harmony.
“The proposal will also include strengthening Article 8 of the Federal Constitution by introducing an Equality Bill,” he added.
Article 8 (1) states that every person shall be equal under the law and have equal protection of law, while Article 8(2) prohibits discrimination based on religion and race, among others.
Stakeholders will gather today to review existing laws relating to 3R issues and discuss the possibility of enacting new ones.
This comes after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said pointed out that new laws relating to 3R might be “civil in nature”.
It is believed that the Bar Council, which has been invited to the meeting, will give its proposals on the issue.
Offering a different view, Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN) chief executive officer Mohd Jamaludin Shamsudin said the 3R issues are more appropriately dealt with using civil laws.
“ACCIN had proposed for a hate speech commission to handle the issue with more commitment and effectiveness.
“The key is enforcement and we agree that it should be under the purview of civil law instead of criminal,” he said when contacted yesterday.
He added that care must be given to differentiate between hate speeches, 3R transgressions and freedom of speech to avoid the proposed law from being abused.
Besides relying on the law, there is also a need to increase dialogues and engagements to improve harmony in the country, according to Jamaludin.
“Any effort or confidence-building measure should be encouraged so the rakyat will not be easily swayed by hate speeches,” he added.
