Rethinking the Need for an Anti-Racial Discrimination Law in Malaysia
Academics Weigh In
PETALING JAYA: The recent incident of a trader displaying a sign containing a racist slur against the Indian community has sparked calls for the enactment of an anti-racial discrimination law to check and punish deliberate acts of racism. However, academics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have played down the need for such a law, citing existing legal provisions that can be used to tackle racism.
Existing Laws Enough
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia legal adviser Salawati Mat Basir emphasized that Malaysia already has the Sedition Act to curb incitement, while Kartini Aboo Talib, also of UKM, pointed out that there are over 20 laws that can be used to tackle such offences. "Instead of introducing new laws, it’s more important to ensure that existing laws are being enforced and to raise greater awareness (about tolerance and diversity) among segments of the community influenced by issues involving racism," Salawati said.
More to Be Done Than Just Laws
Kartini, who has a doctorate in law, policy, and society, agrees that there are sufficient legal provisions for the authorities to employ, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015. However, she emphasized that more needs to be done than just having laws against racism. "Would introducing many rules and putting in place control measures make society better and more civilized?" she asked.
Isolated Incident or a Call for Action?
The incident involving the trader has prompted DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng to propose the enactment of an anti-racial discrimination law to prevent "extremist politicians or irresponsible individuals" from engaging in hate speech and provocative acts, or spreading lies against a particular community to divide Malaysians. However, Kartini views this as an isolated incident and believes that there is no need for knee-jerk reactions in the enactment of new laws.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the recent incident has raised concerns about the need for an anti-racial discrimination law, academics like Salawati and Kartini believe that existing laws are sufficient to address such issues. Instead, they suggest that it is more important to ensure that these laws are enforced and that greater awareness is raised about tolerance and diversity among different segments of the community.
FAQs
- What are the existing laws that can be used to tackle racism?
According to Kartini, there are over 20 laws that can be used to tackle such offences, including the Sedition Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015. - Why is it important to ensure that existing laws are being enforced?
Salawati believes that enforcing existing laws is more important than introducing new laws, as it would ensure that the laws are effective in addressing the issue of racism. - Is the recent incident an isolated incident or a call for action?
Kartini views the incident as an isolated incident, while Lim Guan Eng believes that it is a call for action to enact an anti-racial discrimination law.