The public outrage towards the nine Australians who had caused a stir with the Malaysian flag swimming trunks betrays the double standards of Malaysians.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief operations officer Tricia Yeoh said in contrast, Malaysians had been quick to defend the wrongdoings of nationals caught on the wrong side of the law abroad.
Yeoh cited the prominent case of defence attaché Muhammad Rizalman Ismail who had been convicted in New Zealand for indecent assault.
"We saw a majority of the people here say the (Malaysians involved) deserve a second chance
"The Malaysian High Commission even tried to get diplomatic immunity for him," said Yeoh at a forum today.
Yeoh also cited the case of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) scholar Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin who was student jailed in London for possessing child pornography.
"In that case, they said the student should be given a second chance because he is a bright student and could be an asset to the country," she said at the Malaysia Freedom Summit 2016 at Shah Village Hotel, Petaling Jaya.
No second chances?
However, said Yeoh, Malaysians were unforgiving on the case of the nine Australians, and on the group of climbers who had stripped for photos on Mount Kinabalu last year.
On Friday the court discharged the nine Australians dubbed the ‘Budgie nine’ who stripped to their trunks bearing the Jalur Gemilang at the Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang last weekend after the group spent four days in remand.
"Where was our public morality, when it involved Malaysians committing offences abroad," she asked.
The two cases involving Rizalman and Nur Fitri were far more serious in nature, said Yeoh.
She said Malaysians think highly of their moral standards, but should in fact learn to live with unease about practices of others, as incidents are always bound to arise in a multicultural society. -Mkini
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