THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Cyber bullies take it out on 'traitors'

Cyber bullies take it out on 'traitors'

Something is seriously wrong with Malaysia when anyone who expresses support for the Barisan Nasional is viciously attacked by cyber bullies. And this is more so when that person happens to be from the Chinese community.

To fanatical supporters of Pakatan Rakyat, it is an unforgivable act of treason for anyone from that community to back the Barisan government. The impression given, unfortunately, is that the Chinese must stand up against Barisan.

It seems ironic that the other major communities – Malays and Indians who are also being courted by both sides – are not subjected to the same “us-or-them” siege mentality.
It is a dangerous trend and, if not properly addressed, the cyber bullies, emboldened by the anonymous nature of social media, will be further encouraged to intensify their attacks.
Their most high-profile target to date has been international actress Michelle Yeoh, who is being vilified simply because she has exercised her democratic right to support BN. She has made no secret of the fact that Barisan is her choice and that she genuinely believes Najib Tun Razak is the best person to lead the country.
The whole point of having a general election is that people are given the freedom to choose who they think is the best to govern. That fundamental right must be respected.
Those who are Net-savvy, more than any other category of people, should be aware that it is a given in any democracy that celebrities lend support to political parties. Just check the list of actors and actresses, athletes and Nobel Prize laureates who openly endorsed either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney in their race for the White House. These are people whose appeal cuts across all divides, yet they were not castigated when they openly stated their choice during the last US presidential election.
But here in Malaysia, when you do that, you risk being labelled a running dog or traitor, and these are pretty mild terms when compared to other unprintable labels hurled at Barisan supporters. And you don’t even have to be a member of the ruling coalition.
One recent example was when pro-opposition cyber troopers uploaded a photograph of a woman and accompanied it with vulgar comments. The woman, a committee member of the Malaysian Youth Rights Movement, was also threatened with gang rape and murder over her stand on some issues.
We appear to be heading towards a fascist state, in cyberspace at least, when groups who do not share your political ideals will shout you down and punish you. Incredibly, these cyber bullies have been telling us that they are fighting for freedom of expression and democracy, which they strongly feel are ideals missing from this country. Yet, they have become more monstrous than those they claim are shackling our democratic liberties.
Blame it on the heat of the elections but surely we must be able to conduct ourselves in a moderate manner instead of fanatically shouting down anyone who has a different viewpoint.
Granted, we are all interested in the general election and all the issues that have been raised. This is a healthy development in a changing political landscape, but we need to remind ourselves that everyone is entitled to his or her choice.
There seems to be a “stereotype” mentality that if you fall within certain categories – race, religion, occupation, place of residence – your political affiliation is already confirmed. Social media has allowed many of us to connect through forums that bring together people who go to the same schools or universities, and come from similar professions and who share the same hobbies. Yet, even in these seemingly innocent forums, throw in a bit of politics, and people start to fight.
And what about those who are attacked simply by association? As one Barisan candidate told a forum at a church, the children and wives become targets even when they are not involved at all in politics.
Why do we place more importance on politicians rather than our friends, colleagues, neighbours or employers?
Long after the dust has settled, when we become ordinary people in an ordinary world, we will learn that most of the newly elected representatives will no longer be free to see to our needs. The person who is all smiles while seeking your vote will suddenly be too busy to even take an appointment then. But the people you have forsaken in this short but silly season will be the ones who rally around you in your time of need.
I believe we should all be passionate about what we stand for, but let us also at the same time accord the same respect to those who think otherwise. Isn’t that what real democracy is all about, be it at home, the workplace, our place of worship or society at large?
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