Even Seai Kie tells Muhyiddin, Umno: Check first, don't turn dog video into religious CONFLICT!

Malaysians must respect the religious beliefs and values of others, and be sensitive to not publish any content or issue any statement which may be deemed insulting or harmful towards others. Living in a multiracial country such as Malaysia with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, values such as harmony in society must be founded based on the spirit of inclusiveness, mutual respect and tolerance.

Although Article 11 of the Federal Constitution enshrines that all people are entitled to freedom of religion, this does not mean that one can do anything they wish to at the expense of ignoring the sensitivities of other religions and cultures.

Thus, the recent Aidilfitri greeting video which is being circulated on the internet featuring a person and three dogs entitled “Raikanlah Aidilfitri Bersama-sama Tanpa Mengira Spesies, Warna dan Asal-Usul” is provocative and displays irresponsible behavior. It is regrettable that this video comes at the heels of similar incidents e.g. the Alvivi buka puasa greeting, shower room canteen controversy and “balik India dan China” slurs by a school principal.

It is not wrong for anyone to make festive greetings, but one should be mindful of the sensitivities of each and every single race, culture and religion. Whether the person made such a video out of ignorance or even though with good intent, it should be avoided. Anyway, such incidents by a few individuals should not be turned into a religious or racial issue.

Investigate before commenting to score political points

To avoid unnecessary polarization, we urge everyone especially public figures to refrain from making sweeping comments without any investigation. Although we understand that many political parties are now in the process of holding their party elections, we urge all quarters to be cautious with whatever comments they utter. Please do not sacrifice national unity for personal political agenda. We also hope this incident can alert and educate our public to be more cautious and sensitive.

Meanwhile, I urge the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to take immediate action in preventing this video from being disseminated out lest it causes unnecessary misunderstanding and conflicts. The MCMC should also take harsh actions fairly and justly against any person responsible, regardless of ethnicity and creed, if it is found that they had deliberately intended to provoke and undermine our nation’s racial harmony and unity.

Datuk Heng Seai Kie

MCA Publicity Bureau chairman

MCA Deputy National Organising Secretary