I’m relieved that I can now discuss this without the fear of committing a crime or being summoned by the authorities. So here we go.
I actually cheered when I read a news report quoting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who recently told university students that discussions on 3R issues are allowed if done with respect.
Here’s some background. According to the United Nations, the original 3R initiative – reduce, reuse, recycle – was launched at the Ministerial Conference in Tokyo, Japan, back in April 2005, aiming to shift global consumption and production patterns toward a sustainable society.
But in Malaysia, we have our own version of 3R – royalty, race, religion. These topics are considered sensitive, and we’ve been asked to avoid discussing them. As a news report once noted, “…Malaysians have been urged to help control the spread of hate speech and negative statements touching on 3R issues…”
In July this year, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil supported the idea of imposing civil penalties on those who exploit the issues of race, religion, and royalty. This suggestion was also backed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Given our unique history, I dare say that in Malaysia, almost everything is connected to at least two of the three Rs. Some parties manipulate this for personal gain. But let’s be logical. If something involves child abuse, exploitation, or trafficking, we should call it what it is. Simple.
When the story about the school bus driver recording kids on his bus and posting the videos online first broke, ministers immediately voiced their outrage. Yet, in recent child abuse cases, government silence has been deafening. Kudos to a few brave key opinion leaders (KOLs) who addressed these issues on social media. If we just focus on the main issue, there’s no problem.
As a PR practitioner, I apply Michael Losier’s Law of Attraction to everything I write. The law is simple: attract more of what you want and less of what you don’t.
When I speak or write, I use positive, action-oriented words. It’s basic – like training animals with clear commands like “sit”, “come”, “stay”. For instance, if a child is jumping on the sofa, instead of saying, “stop jumping,” it’s better to say, “please sit.” Focus on the desired action. If you say “stop jumping”, you’re still emphasising the act of jumping.
Now, back to the topic. Given that today’s attention span is just eight seconds (shorter than a goldfish’s nine seconds), perhaps we should focus on just one R: respect.
So, to those still telling the rakyat to “tolerate” others and their beliefs, let me be clear – “tolerate” is a bad word. The right word is “respect”.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Twentytwo13.
