Is Syerleena the only outraged MP?

 

Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the member of parliament for Bukit Bendera in Penang, posted an impassioned and emotional video on her socials, in the immediate aftermath of the latest sexual predator scandal besieging our country.

This week, Malaysian police rescued 402 children and youths in raids carried out at 20 premises that they say were operated by Islamic conglomerate Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).

The firm, which has been linked to a banned Islamic religious sect in Malaysia, is involved in businesses ranging from supermarkets to laundromats with operations in 20 countries, according to its website. The police say that some of the children were disabled or sick, while 13 had been sodomised.

It is sickening to think that this is happening in our country.

Syerleena, in her video, said, 

…this situation is beyond enraging. How can anyone justify abusing vulnerable children in institutions that are meant to protect and uplift them. Now, these predators, hiding behind the cloak of religion are a disgrace, not only to the victims, but to the entire faith they claim to represent.

The Bukit Bendera MP pleaded to her compatriots in our house of representatives by saying, 

…I urge other members of parliament to speak up against this. It is time for us to demand real change…

And here’s the kicker, this bold representative of 92,521 registered electors in Penang, slammed home her point by saying, 

…those in power must also be held accountable, and the entire system that allows this to happen must be dismantled.

Bravo YB Syerleena Abdul Rashid. Finally, a member of parliament worthy of the 

YB

 prefix – which means 

The Honourable.

 It’s a phrase usually bandied about willy-nilly in Malaysia for the great unworthy.

Our representatives in parliament are elected to keep watch, protect, and serve us, the people. We regularly see some MPs behave like circus clowns. These jamokes scream and hurl insults at each other in our august Chamber. Many simply take up polarising positions and yell at each other. We all know the usual suspects from both sides of the political divide in our country.

And for a Malay Muslim MP like Syerleena to come out with such a visceral and unequivocal statement, which I assume was shared widely, is not only commendable, but absolutely necessary.

Where are the MPs, and NGOs that launch a multitude of police reports on comedians, musicians, and performers, now? Why is there pin-drop silence from those demanding 

moral values

 be upheld in our tourist beaches?

Where is the national dialogue led by MPs and ministers on this matter, like how they recently did on the 

halal-certification

 suggestions? How come there are no demonstrations happening led by religious groups?

And why hasn’t any other member of parliament spoken up, with the same ferocious energy that this first term MP has done? Where are all the 

old guys,

 the 

experienced fellas

…why the quietude?

It seems that morality works only in one direction in Malaysia. It’s only 

us, our religion, and our sensitivities, which matter.

 Don’t forget these 402 children are 

our

 children…all Malaysians. Despite alleged alarm bells being sounded as far back as 2011, no action was taken on this group.

Why are we still tolerating a system that allows such atrocities to continue to happen? We get enraged and show compassion for the suffering of children in the Middle-East that is thousands of kilometres away. But yet we don’t demonstrate the same outrage for the dastardly acts that take place in our own backyard.

There’s something seriously wrong with this, isn’t there?

And really, where are our custodians? Our members of parliament, and ADUNs. Why are we not hearing relentless statements from them? Are they all just good at 

politicking

 and only interested in secure positions in their own parties and in government?

Kudos to Syerleena for standing up, speaking up, and showing us her outrage. It’s just a shame she was not nominated to contest the Penang DAP elections. This is the type of courageous and racially diverse leader Penang needs. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.