A shop at Low Yat Plaza closed down after the July 13 incident. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: People need to think of the consequences before posting their comments online, especially if they are racist comments.
“This is due to the fact that there are no written rules and code of ethics on what can or can’t be said online,” said 27-year-old banker Zainul Arrifin Mohammad.
He cited the example of last week’s riot and brawl which broke out in Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur.
“What was meant to be a criminal case was blown out of proportions, and hours after the first incident, hundreds or thousands of postings, comments and shares emerged on Facebook and Twitter,” he said.
“Let’s turn Hari Raya into a platform to forgive and forget as we are all Malaysians.”
A 33-year-old legal advisor Ahmad Bakhtiar Hamdan said people should not believe everything posted online as there are chauvinists, supremacist, idealists and zealots among the public.
“Some don’t care about the repercussions of their postings. One should not exacerbate the situation by forwarding or sharing offensive postings.
“Those who wish to share anything should take a few moments to think whether they are being fair to others. Be smart in your postings and be nice to people around you,” he said.
For the coming festivities, Bakhtiar called on the people to break free from the online addiction by visiting friends to do some social catching up.
Percival Tan, 34, believed that issues raised on race and bashing one another on social media should not be shared but ignored.
“A fine example is Alvin Tan who is now seeking asylum in the United States. In my opinion, Malays should know that Alvin’s opinion and act do not represent those of the Chinese community.
“And the Chinese should be aware that Alvin’s online act was spreading like wildfire among the Malay community,” he said.
Tan said society should ignore these people, who will get bored of seeking publicity and fame.
“We have bigger issues to tackle than hate each other. We rely on each other as we are all Malaysians,” he said.
He calls for everyone to turn Hari Raya into a platform to visit their Malay friends, and ignore racist issues that negatively impact the nation.