Social media is abuzz and outrage and anger has been sparked over the senseless and untimely death of security guard Thava Sagayam who was fatally beaten up by Ketua Armada PPBM Bersatu Bahagian Kota Baru, Ahmad Noor Azhar Bin Muhammad.

Sagayam was merely doing his duty when the enraged Ahmad Noor Azhar attacked him. Azhar was charged with assault. But since Sagayam succumbed to his injuries netizens contend that Azhar should be charged with murder or at least culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Although this is a rage incident it also reeks of racism and hate if the actual facts of the incident is to be considered and netizens charge that the punishment must fit the crime. But so far the lesser charge of assault has been preferred against Azhar.

Concerned netizens have started a petition to the Deputy Public Prosecutor assigned to the case to charge Azhar with the full wrath of murder for which if he is found guilty he will hang at the gallows and signatories to this petition have by now gone viral.

In the past certain Indian political activists have cited that there is ethnic cleansing of Indians being systematically undertaken by the Barisan Nasional government. A life is precious and everyone’s lives matter including those of the minority race of Indians. Indian lives also matter.

The authorities must consider the gravity of this kind of hate crime and they must also show zero tolerance for such incidents and send out a strong message to Malaysians that the rule of law will prevail.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE