YOURSAY | ‘This extremism must be nipped in the bud, it is getting out of control.’

'Death awaits you' – Threat shocks DAP rep

Eric C2: If you are hoping for action by the police after DAP Seri Delima assemblyperson Syerleena Abdul Rashid received a death threat, you can wait till kingdom come.

The threats are a warning to Malays to stay away from DAP. If this were to happen to an Umno member, I’d be willing to wager the police would have swung into action and the culprits caught almost immediately.

Apologies to the police, but nothing they have done inspires confidence. In fact, their ineptitude makes one wonder if they are trying to hasten the demise of Pakatan Harapan.

Yes, sadly that’s how we view the way they react to instructions from a duly-elected government – one that was elected by the people.

The police must take swift action against those threatening our elected representatives. This is uncalled for and cowardly.

All For It: Syerleena, Penangites are behind you. The cowards who did this cannot bear Malays working with DAP, so they resort to such dirty tactics to deter them from joining the party.

Clever Voter: The threats to the stability and harmony of a fragile society remains. The Harapan victory in the 14th general election doesn't mean all the bigotry and racism of yesteryear have gone away.

The fragility of society is very obvious given that race and religion have always been misused.

Syerleena needs to be careful because of this, and so too many urbanites, whose comments may not augur well for those who make their living through these nefarious means.

It is best to be tactful and sensitive, and avoidance is best. Because, sadly, that is the state of society today.

Frank Auger: The threats were issued on the basis of individuals believing that Syerleena "would fight for Christianity to be made the official religion of the country."

What a lame excuse to threaten somebody with. This is exactly why we need to become a secular state. No more of fighting over whose deity should be made official. The offender should be found and charged.

Roger 5201: We may not know the motive or who the faceless cowards issuing this death note are, but we can connect the dots and develop a pretty good idea who is behind it.

Our inspector-general of police is under the watchful eyes of the rakyat, who are curious to see if he takes this death threat seriously. Especially since his predecessor had a habit of suggesting that "it is not a threat until it happens."

Existential Turd: What kind of organisation receives protection from death threat-issuing cowards who trust fake news and do not denounce such cowardly acts immediately?

What kind of values does such an organisation represent? Should such an organisation be allowed to continue to propagate those values?

Visu: From this unfortunate situation, it appears that terrorism is very much alive in Malaysia. Today, these terrorists target liberal Muslims, but it will not end there. Eventually they will get around to the ‘kafir’ if this is not nipped in the bud.

But when we have a prime minister who has given someone like Zakir Naik refuge and a safe abode in Malaysia, the threat to all liberal and fair-minded Malaysians is lurking at the doorstep.

Please, Malaysia, pull the venomous thorn out of the flesh before it is too late.

Jocelyn Nya: I wouldn’t be surprised if the individuals who issued this death threat are the kind of people who would be inspired by hate preachers like Zakir.

This is what we get for playing with religion as a political tool. It’s getting out of control.

Proarte: This is the result of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad going soft on Zakir – it has given extremists a clear signal that terror and violence against liberals and non-Muslims will be tolerated.

Hmmmmmmmm: The Harapan government should take this opportunity to stamp out religious extremism. If they wait too long, it will send the message to extremists that it is okay for them to continue with their old ways.

Don't be afraid to carry out radical changes. What is the use of a new government if everything remains the same?

Hplooi: This is to be expected, when our security services think that Shiites are a greater existential threat when Sunni extremism is more ascendant worldwide.

The overfunded religious bodies that are part of the administration has spawned a growing crop of bureaucrats whose only function is moral policing.

Any threat – perceived or bureaucratic rationalisation – to their existence will be taken seriously by this growing crop. The Wahhabist exceptionalist mindset is increasingly becoming mainstream.

Thus, if the mainstream is considered ‘tolerant’, what do you think may be on the fringe? After 1969, the ultras became mainstream. Now in 2017, the exceptionalists – as exemplified by Zakir – are now mainstream.

The future is already here, and it’s not bright.

No Nonsense: The top priority for Mahathir and his cabinet is not to jail former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. That should be left to the attorney-general, police and MACC, and the law to take its course.

Instead, the cabinet’s top priority should be to check racial and religious extremism, otherwise we are all doomed. This should be done urgently now, without fear and favour, and unemotionally, without bias.

Cocomomo: Extremism must be eradicated from our society. Let us respect one another for our differing beliefs.

Everyone believes their own faith is right. There should be no problem preaching and trying to convince others, but everyone must make their own choice.

We must respect variations in belief within the same faith as well. Threats, force, deception and violence should never be practiced or tolerated.

Mahathir must take a firm stand on this. Extremism of any form – racial, religious, ideological – should no longer be practiced or tolerated in the new Malaysia.

OMG: I am very impressed with Syerleena's capacity for independent thought. But I am most concerned that she received such a threat. The police must take the threat very, very seriously and get to the bottom of it.

Society needs to protect individuals like her who are on the cutting edge of change – that is precisely why they are so feared by soulless, braindead characters like those that made the threat.

I pray that she is protected. And I hope DAP and the police will provide some discreet 24/7 protection for her.

Iwasaks: Malay woman DAP politicians are the bravest politicians in the land, in my opinion.

This is because they are constantly in danger of facing such threats, ridicule, and even ostracisation from the ‘ketuanan’ extremist bigots.

Clearly, the National Civics Bureau (BTN) has done its job well.

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