Anyone keeping up with the news in Malaysia knows that the past one month has been probably one of the scariest, what with all the shootings and crime cases going almost everyday, and most maddening, seeing the authorities continuously punishing people who are really doing no harm to anyone other than behaving like idiots, while the real criminals continue to enjoy their spree on the streets. It makes me want to create a magical big bubble to live in where guns, crime, discrimination and hatred don't exist and I get to play with cute baby animals all day... or at least just continue writing about silly frivolous stuff on my blog like I intended this blog to be for.
What is equally scary to me is the reactions I've been seeing from people online. And I don't mean just people of a certain race, I mean Malaysians in general. On one end, there are the high profiles incidents that have stoked the anger of the Malays to point where they make death threats, which is frightening enough. On the other hand, I've seen comments and reactions from non-Malays that are scary as well, usually towards those in power who we know are causing the racist issues...but sometimes it's towards other fellow citizens who have fallen who their racist games and stoke the other races online.
It seems to me it's gotten to the point where people have lost the ability to filter whatever they post online with their brains. Just because it's easier to get away with throwing brickbats online than in person, we think we can say what we like without consequences, but you don't consider the negative side effects. The non-Malays are constantly being accused of being ungrateful. We know that's not the case coz' if we weren't grateful to be in Malaysia, we wouldn't be fighting and demanding so much to make it better, we'd just leave the country. But by openly insulting the intelligence of certains leaders or other netizens online, we are really not doing much to help dispel the notion that we are 'ungrateful' and just giving them more reason to be angry and more hell breaks loose. Why do they always say we only know how to complain? Because it really seems to be true, we scream our heads off at everything we don't like like the aunties and uncles selling meat at the market, but when something good is being said and done (yes I know it's rare), we are unable to acknowledge it.
Basically it's ok to be critical of people, but it's not ok to be overly critical to the point of spewing hate and insults and declaring your hope that some leaders would die and directly insulting the intelligence of individual netizens that annoy you, even if you know you're right, because you're just falling into the trap of stoking the racist flames which is exactly what those annoying politicians want. On one article I read from a Malay lady who commenting on the issue of Muslims and dogs, it seemed to me like she was being perfectly reasonable in explaining that dogs should be treated kindly but within the limit of Islamic teachings, and instead of being supportive, all she got was a bunch of angry inflamatory insults towards her intelligence and beliefs. Is that what we're reduced to? Because our leaders attack the beliefs of non-Muslims, we attack theirs too? Tit for tat, butter for fat and all that nonsense? For goodness sake, we're not five year olds, people! Behave in a way that is respectable and you get respect, and only then others will stop to listen to your opinions and consider if it is reasonable.
If you want people to respect your beliefs, then learn to respect others too. And if you want things to get better for everyone in this country and for everyone to be accepting of each other like we used to be, then stop being a troll. Think before you post, refrain from posting insults and excessive exclamation marks, and most importantly if you have nothing really constructive, helpful or at least humourous to say other than to spew off some anger, then better don't write anything at all. We're all working towards a common goal for a better country here, don't screw it up by being immature and creating unnecessary extra dissension among people who are already easily influenced by the wrong people.
I'm going to go crawl into my imaginary magical happy bubble now and hope I wake up to some less exasperating news tomorrow.
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