Sabu’s statement stirs up debate

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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With the drama unfolding over Mat Sabu’s statement a few voices of sound judgment and maturity do appear to be emerging.

Some believe that there are two issues to be considered in this debate. One being of Mat Sabu’s  right to speak at the rally and to voice his opinion, and the second being  whether he  is right or wrong in labeling people as he did.  So, whether Mat Indera is a true hero is debatable and does not take away Sabu’s right to opinion.

Another outlook is that such debates should be left to the skill of historians who are the true experts to define facts related to the incident.

Debating an emotinally evocative incident which took place in an entirely different political context and in a time when perhpas a large number Malyasians were not even born, needs to be adressed sensitively and with the backing  of well researched facts. ‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing’ as goes the saying and in this context most definitely so. Provocation will achieve little other than whip up passions and divert attention from more crucial national tasks at hand. 

For the large majority of Malaysians, communism is a sensitive issue and should be so treated.  Perhaps this is where Mat Sabu needs to show tact. While he has a right to voice his opinion, being a public figure he does reqire to exhibit sound judgment when making remarks which could hurt national sentiment at large. The public on the other hand needs to remain unprovoked in  knowing that a statement cannot change historical facts or lessen the role and sacrifices made by their family members.  

Whether Mat Indera is a national hero or not cannot be answered simplistically.  It is some thing perhaps akin to seeing a glass half empty or half full in the context of whether one is thirsty or not.   One hopes that the nation is able to come together on this issue and not be torn by it. It takes years to build a nation and minutes to tear it apart.

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