How about some compassion for Vivian Lee?

This reader believes society must temper punishment with compassion, more so for young offenders who have not shown a consistent pattern of bad behaviour.

COMMENT

By TK Chua

Vivian Lee is going to prison for six months over a Facebook post uploaded during the holy month of Ramadan, featuring “bak kut teh” with a halal sign. I do not know her personally but feel compelled to write something in her defence, not to seek excuses but to show how we as a society could have some compassion and forgiveness for her.

What she did in that Facebook post was inappropriate and wrong. Her “lifestyle” before her “bak kut teh” antics probably did not meet the approval of many too.

I am here not to comment on the jail sentence she received. I am here to say that sometimes playing pranks can badly affect our whole life if we are not careful.

What happened to Lee is very unfortunate. However, it is my hope that society would look at her more gently. Does she have a history of inciting others? Of deliberately causing racial tension? Or of indulging in politicking using race and religion as a template? I am afraid we might have judged her based on her “unconventional” lifestyle, and nothing much else.

I urge all of us to think a little of the kind of things we did when we were young. Did youthful exuberance spur us into doing many silly things? Did our free spirits and inexperience lead us to experiment with life’s many colours and shades? Many of us must be thankful we did not get to face the consequences that Lee is now having to deal with.

At age 27 and now going to jail for six months, I think it is not just the physical trauma and punishment she must endure. She will face a lifelong stigma that will be difficult for her to disassociate herself from.

I believe we must all be responsible for our actions. However, sometimes we must temper punishment with compassion, more so for young offenders who have not shown a consistent pattern of bad behaviour and have not committed physical violence. A compassionate society must be a society that believes in second chances.

I think Lee has suffered enough and has very likely learnt enough from this episode in her life. I wish that a Muslim individual or an organisation could come forth to say something magnanimous on her behalf. It will go a long way in helping to heal the wound, not just for her but all Muslims hurt by her indiscretion and thoughtless antics.

TK Chua is an FMT reader.