Argue with facts instead of making police reports

 

 What do you think of the hype surrounding the recent Rukun Negara issue where former DAP MP Tony Pua responded to the Selangor sultan urging politicians to understand the Rukun Negara better?

Pua had said that in Malaysia, the monarchy’s power is limited and confined to specific areas. He said the country is not ruled by royal decree but by a constitutional monarchy in a parliamentary democracy.

This is not the issue that I would like to talk about. What I do want to discuss here is that there were almost 80 police reports made against Pua for his remarks.

What were the reasons behind such a move?

Whether one agrees with what Pua said is besides the point. The former Damansara lawmaker made a statement and should have the freedom to do so. Does Malaysia not have freedom of expression and speech?

If anyone disagrees with him, by all means, argue against his points instead of lodging police reports because expressing a view is not a crime.

State your facts and evidence, present them to Pua, or even to the public. That’s how actual public discourse happens.

Ex-Damansara MP Tony Pua

Resorting to reporting it to the police only shows that these people likely have nothing substantial to counter the argument with, and they know they would not be convincing in public discourse.

Cop-out move

Because the police need to respond to all reports, an investigation against Pua will have to happen. Whether the investigation ends with a charge in court or is marked as no further action doesn’t matter.

It already becomes a form of punishment or bullying because it creates a hassle for the person being reported. He or she may have to appear at a police station for questioning, while phones and computers could also be confiscated.

This is a sneaky cop-out move. Come on, if you feel that strongly about the issue, surely you have something significant to say.

Wouldn’t you want the opportunity to prove Pua wrong in public? Present your facts, figures and evidence, and show the public why he is mistaken. You would get to shame him, right?

But if you cannot do that, then perhaps accept that you are wrong, that he may be right, or simply that you are unable to argue your case effectively. In that situation, it is better to stay quiet than resort to bullying.

The high intellectual road

This culture of lodging police reports against people who express views you disagree with needs to stop. It is a disservice to society because it discourages discussion and debate that are essential for progress.

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When debates or public discourse take place between people with differing views, the public gains the opportunity to hear alternative perspectives and understand them better.

Society can then decide for itself which ideas are more convincing.

The culture of making reports only kills the spread of ideas. It proves these people are narrow-minded and can’t, or refuse, to be open to any ideas other than their own. This is very regressive and, honestly, fascist behaviour.

At the end of the day, whether Pua is right or wrong doesn’t matter. What Malaysia needs is freedom of speech and expression. That is the culture we want to progress as a nation.

I would much rather Malaysians be open-minded to accept different ideas and opinions. And when there is disagreement, be smart enough to argue intelligently instead of taking the cowardly approach of strong-arming silence. - Mkini

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ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.