Sidelined minorities told to take a stand

The Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) has urged all sidelined minorities, including non-Muslims and the Orang Asli community, to take a stand against systemic discrimination and the government’s failure to address inflammatory remarks made by Islamic preachers.

GHRF president S Shashi Kumar emphasised that hate speech and religious defamation must not be tolerated, calling on authorities to take firm and immediate action.

“We cannot allow continuous insults against our faith and identity to go unchallenged. If the government remains indifferent, we must assert our rights through protests and strategic voting,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

During the event, a 20-minute video was screened, showcasing a compilation of seven Muslim preachers in Malaysia who had openly insulted various faiths.

Despite numerous police reports filed against them, these individuals were ultimately cleared with a ‘No Further Action’ (NFA) status by both the police and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).

Shashi further stated that GHRF had exhausted all diplomatic means to address the issue, having already handed over a memorandum and taken the matter to court in pursuit of justice.

Additionally, concerns were raised about the continued neglect of the Orang Asli community.

Reports of discrimination and injustices faced by the indigenous population have been consistently dismissed, with authorities failing to act on complaints and police reports lodged by Orang Asli activists.

The lack of enforcement and accountability has left the community vulnerable to exploitation and systemic marginalisation.

This call for action follows growing concerns over the authorities’ inaction against preacher Zamri Vinoth, who is the subject of nearly 900 police reports for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Hindus.

Most recently, he sparked controversy by making disrespectful comments about the Hindu kavadi ritual in a Facebook post.

Also present at the press conference, lawyer-activist Siti Kasim urged Malaysians of all backgrounds to elect leaders who are committed to justice and accountability.

“We must exercise our power at the ballot box. Do not be deceived by politicians who offer empty promises but fail to take real action,” she said.

Meanwhile, M Suthan from Malaysian Indian People’s Party called for an end to divisive rhetoric and urged people to foster harmony.

“We must cultivate unity and mutual respect instead of perpetuating hostility that undermines our society,” he said.