KUCHING: Sarawak Community Civil Awareness Association has called on everyone to not take the law into their own hands.
Any type of violence, regardless of reason, is unequivocally reprehensible and wholly unjustifiable, said its chairman Datuk Dr Lau Pang Heng.
He said this in the aftermath of the recent incident where a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a KK Mart outlet in Jalan Satok here.
“Throwing a Molotov cocktail at KK Mart, resulting in the ignition of consumer goods, is utterly unjustifiable. We must consider the welfare of the innocent workers at KK Mart.
“Had the fire spread, which fortunately it did not, the consequences for the workers, their families, and their livelihoods would have been dire,” Lau added.
He said given that Sarawak is a harmonious society extremism should not exist here and that those responsible for fueling hatred have made their point and should stand down.
“We are grateful the authorities are taking immediate action to address this issue.
“We hope for the swift apprehension of the culprits and their subsequent prosecution, as deemed appropriate by the authorities,” said Lau.
He reminded that at its core every religion advocates for peace, compassion, and understanding.
Committing such acts therefore not only contradicts the essence of religious teachings but also causes immense suffering to innocent individuals who are not involved in any religious, political, or societal conflicts, he said.
“Acts of violence only deepen divisions, breed hatred, and worsen tensions within communities and societies,” he added.
In this context Lau pointed to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, urging everyone to refrain from exacerbating the situation further and to allow the authorities to conduct their investigations.
“His Majesty emphasised the importance of allowing the authorities to conduct investigations and take legal action, thereby discouraging any party from stoking further anger.
“Similarly, our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for calm and urged people not to take matters into their own hands, emphasising the need to await the court’s decision,” he said.
“The authorities have already investigated and following the rule of law, the accused have been charged in court.
“People should respect this and allow the process of justice to take its place. Acts of violence are never the solution and one can only wonder of the true motive of resorting to such acts,” he said
