Don't ignite the flames that will destroy racial harmony - Zaman Khan

Don't ignite the flames that will destroy racial harmony - Zaman Khan

It is interesting to read the piece, “Not May 13 looming, but class war among Malays".

It is also interesting to listen to what Former Bukit Aman CID chief Tan Sri Mohamed Zaman Khan Rahim Khan had gone through during years of service.

Tan Sri Mohamed Zaman retired from the police force almost 17 years ago. During those years he had gone through the Hartal in 1967, then May 13 racial riots and Ops Lallang.

These views on the present national climate in the context of multi-ethnic and multi faith nature of the people of Malaysia is not as a Malay or Islam, although he is Malay and a Muslim. He is also a Malaysian, who is concerned with the issues that has been rocking the boat of unity and harmony.

In his most humble assessment, he sees the vicious exchange of seditious outbursts with racial, ethnic overtones, and most dangerously the blasphemous rhetoric, has reached a very dangerous level, awaiting to spark and cause a conflagration that will destroy whatever racial goodwill, unity and harmony that remains. The erosion is taking place and Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman says he is afraid because there is only a thin layer of that remaining.

He is with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin on this issue, and he will not hesitate to echo that "another racial riot could happen amid the recent rise in racial tension."

Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman’s article, "Stop Rocking the Perpaduan and Harmony Boat" dated February 25 was written over concerns that should Malaysians of all races and faiths disregard racial, ethnic and religious sensitivities. It is a wake-up call. It is not a challenge for anybody to ignite the flames of tragedy.

In his humble opinion, that was what Tan Sri Muhyiddin meant. He was not calling for us to start causing trouble. However, a politician up north thinks otherwise. That mentally-blinkered politician (a doctor, no less) should have echoed what the Deputy Prime Minister had said and meant.

Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman feels that we all should call on the rest of the rakyat to refrain from uttering words with seditious and blasphemous tendencies – words that will, invariably, stir the anger and incur the wrath of the others.

You may have read an article posted on Facebook  just before this auspicious Islamic month of Ramadan, written by someone appearing to be a Chinese going by the name of Chow Jack, who wished Muslims “Selamat Menyambut Hari Syaitan Aidilfitri pada 28 Julai 2014, dan sebulan puasa makan babi hingga sebulan pada 28 Jun – 27 Julai 2014. Selamat Menyambut Hari Syaitan daripada Facebook Melayu makan bah kut the sama Nabi Mohd syaitan anjing pukimak anjing syaitan.”

Surely this is blasphemous and extremely provocative.

Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman says it is Allah’s words unto Muslims not to create havoc, and as such, this article alone could have been inflammable enough to ignite a religious riot.

It is a fact that the Malay persona is all about patience, but then being mere mortals, some may not have gone by the book, when some wayward among the flock had done similarly provocative and blasphemous act over the cow head incident. The difference here being that they have been charged and convicted.

Lastly, Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman asks, “Have you read the book, “Kontrak Sosial: Perlembagaan Persekutuan 1957: Pengikat Jati Diri Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka” by Mohd Rizal Yaakop Shamrahayu A.Aziz? Get it from MPH and understand the mould of the situation.

-- By Aziz AS (based on the thoughts of Tan Sri Mohamad Zaman Khan)