THE Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue (ACID) disagrees with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement that the view expressed by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok on halal certification does not reflect the position of Pakatan Harapan (PH).

One wonders who PH actually represents if not the people who voted for it.

Is the prime minister implying that the PH has become an elite coalition that is only concerned about politics that is stable, an international recognition that is positive, and the economy that is rising while downplaying the legitimate concerns of the community?

Today the argument not to touch on royalty, race and religion (3R) has created a paradoxical confusion on what constitutes an expression of justice in the context of safeguarding the ethno-religious feelings in the country.

Is there a distinction made by the authorities between a deliberate motive among politicians to create division among ethnic groups in the country through political expediency of hate speeches touching on royalty, race, and religion, and in reverse, an expression of justice that touches on a sensitive aspect of ethno-religious feelings, but transcends it by addressing the concern of all communities including those who are from the community that said to be sensitive to the statement?

It is a pity that the prime minister in responding to Kok’s statement seems to take a safe, understandable political approach than dealing with the nuance and complexity of the issue from an enlightening perspective.

What the country needs today is to respect the freedom of conscience that transcends the narrow dimension of the 3R issue.

An MP who represents the realities on the ground has every right to speak publicly on any issues on behalf of his or her constituents or the country as whole provided the message is expressed without divisiveness and criminal intent.

Therefore, ACID urges the authorities to use reason and depth in responding to issues that are considered sensitive so that Malaysians could live in peace and harmony that respects the freedom of conscience.

It is the exercise of freedom of conscience over the years that exposed abuse of power and corruption that has brought a certain modicum of changes we see in the country today. - Sept 10, 2024

Ronald Benjamin is the secretary of the Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/halal-cert-issue-respect-the-freedom-of-conscience/