COMMENT | What is hate speech in Malaysia?

“We engaged with the National Security Council, religious authorities and community leaders to tell them that it was very dangerous to allow race and religious issues to be played (up) by politicians."

– Former IGP Abdul Hamid Bador

COMMENT | As reported in the press, a group of current and former MPs of Asean countries warned of the dangerous rise of hate speech in this country.

The problem here in Malaysia is that hate speech is difficult to define and indeed people who advocate egalitarian and secular positions would be accused of hate speech or hurting the sensitivities of others.

For instance, the speech and policies against the LGBTQ community are hateful but because it comes under the umbrella of religious and Asian values, it is condoned.

Indeed, LGBTQ activists are often targeted by the state and people find themselves in a position where their rights of speech and assembly are sanctioned because of the sensitivities of the majority.

Religion and race are of course the battle cry for race-based hegemons. Indeed when non-Malays speak on racial and religious matters they have to be...