IN JUST a matter of a month, three separate incidents have once again exposed the ugly reality of racism and religious intolerance in the country.
The first involved a Malay hawker who put up a sign explicitly stating that he would not sell corn to Indians by using a racial slur. This is despite the fact that his own wife was a foreigner without valid travel documents.
The second incident occurred on ERA FM where radio hosts openly mocked the Hindu Kavadi dance by chanting “Vel Vel” in jest.
This act of disrespect took place in front of an audience in the studio while being broadcast to the public.
The third and perhaps most disturbing case involved Zamri Vinoth, a Hindu convert to Islam who claimed that those performing the Kavadi ritual appeared “possessed and drunk on toddy” (a type of coconut wine).
His remarks not only insulted a deeply revered Hindu religious practice but also reinforced negative stereotypes.
Despite an apology from the ERA FM hosts, Astro merely handed them a temporary suspension – an inadequate response to such blatant disrespect.
One cannot help but wonder how the authorities would have reacted if similar insults had been directed at Islam or Malays.
Zamri Vinoth, in particular, has a history of making derogatory remarks against Hindus, seemingly emboldened by support from certain religious authorities.
Despite multiple police reports and legal actions against him, he continues his attacks without facing serious consequences. Does he enjoy protection from powerful figures?
The inconsistency in law enforcement is troubling. In the case of the hawker, he was given a minor fine while his wife was detained for overstaying. But had a non-Malay hawker refused to serve Malays or Muslims would the punishment have been as lenient?
Astro’s lacklustre response to the ERA FM incident is equally disappointing. Simply removing the hosts temporarily does not send a strong enough message against racial and religious hate speech.
Editor’s Note: A notice of intent to suspend ERA FM’s licence has also been issued to the station’s licence holder late yesterday (March 6), according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Following thus the licence holder has been given 30 days to submit a response before any decision is made.
The multimedia watchdog added that investigation papers (IPs) regarding a video allegedly mocking the Hindu religion, which was uploaded to the TikTok account of radio station ERA FM, will be submitted to the Public Prosecutor on Wednesday (March 5).
Hate crimes and religious insults, regardless of their target, must be taken seriously. If authorities selectively enforce the law based on potential social consequences, they risk enabling further division.
A crime of racial or religious hatred should not be judged by its likelihood to spark unrest – it should be dealt with swiftly and decisively.
Whether the victims are Muslims or non-Muslims, Malays or non-Malays, justice must be upheld with equal weight. – March 6, 2025
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
