Letter to Editor
THE battlelines have steadily been drawn with politicians drumming up 3R (race, religion and royalty) rhetoric with each electoral campaign seeing the ante being upped.
Things have been heating up since Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s controversial remarks at a ceramah in the run-up to last weekend’s Negeri Sembilan state election.
His pointed “Chinese have China, the Indians have India, the Cambodians have Cambodia, the Siamese have Thailand and the Malays only have Tanah Melayu” statement sparked much debate on identity politics in the country.
As if by synchronicity, the canine death of Rocky lands just as things are reaching a boiling point. In case anyone is in the dark, this very unfortunate episode involves the death of a dog during an operation to round-up strays in Port Klang.
What started as a case of animal cruelty has now boiled over into a race row as reflected in the many postings on the issue.
Non-Muslim animal lovers are perceived to be over-stepping the boundaries in making Rocky a cause celebre.
Images of these animal rights activists milling outside the Klang Police station has sparked plenty of resentment from Muslims who feel that the issue has been blown out of proportion with plenty of fitnah and misinformation muddying already very murky waters.
There is a worrying trend as many netizens have lumped various disparate incidents as evidence of NMs being “kurang ajar” (disrespectful).
These range from the disputed kuil haram (illegal temples) issue to alleged execution of suspected criminals by the police while any protest or public retaliation is perceived as a threat to Malay-Muslim rights.
Things are hardly helped when citizens take it upon themselves to further inflame matters by hurling insults at one another’s religion.
There is the perception that NMs are keener to demand justice for Rocky than fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim who was mortally injured before succumbing to his injuries during a 2018 Hindu temple riot in Seafield, Subang Jaya.
Add liberal sprinklings of misinformation to all the above incidents and you have the perfect tinderbox waiting to explode.
Few things the aftermath of the Rocky incident highlights.
Firstly, social media is playing its part in stoking the flames of social unrest. From influencers wanting to have their two sen’s publicised to cybertroopers hoping to create more mischief with all manner of provocative statements, the cyberspace has become an ideal battle zone.
There is also a tendency for many Malaysians to use race as a de facto excuse and justification for everything. Statements such as “that’s just how those people do it” or “that’s the mentality of their people” have become typical in today’s conversations.
With every new controversy seemingly tied to identity politics, it does appear that Malaysians are regressing in terms of national unity. We have never been further apart as we seek to highlight our differences rather than the ties that bond.
Is Rocky the straw that breaks the camel’s back?
Being able to live in peace and harmony is a value that is perhaps under-appreciated by Malaysians.
Please don’t let the memory of a dog’s death kill everything that is precious about Malaysia. – Aug 3, 2026t
Very Distressed Citizen
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
