SIBU: In a chilling and unconscionable act that has sparked outrage nationwide, the child of Economy Minister, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, has become the victim of what is described as a cowardly, despicable, disgusting, heinous, revolting and repugnant attack.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Chief, Kevin Lau Kor Jie, said the party stood unequivocally in condemnation of the atrocity and called for justice with maximum severity.
“This act is so heinous, it demands unwavering condemnation. It is an offence against innocence itself.
“Targeting a child strikes at the very root of our societal principles,” Lau said in a press statement today.
He said political passion and ideological differences, no matter how deep, could never justify violence or intimidation, especially against a child, urging the authorities to act swiftly and use the full force of the law to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“While I may disagree strongly with some of Rafizi’s views, especially those concerning Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas, never in my wildest imagination would I have believed that there are people capable of stooping so low to target his child,” Lau added.
Lau said political conversation and democratic contestation might be fierce, sometimes painfully so, but must always remain within the bounds of civilised discourse.
Crossing into violence, especially against the innocent, he added, was an abandonment of democracy and an embrace of barbarism.
“Democracy is not just the right to speak, but the responsibility to speak with respect, especially for the weak.
“This attack breaches a moral boundary that must be enforced with absolute clarity: children are off-limits,” Lau opined.
He questioned what kind of society would allow such an incident to occur, warning that if politics seeped into violence against children, the nation risked losing its moral moorings.
Those responsible for the assault, he said, must be found and given the harshest sentence permissible not only as justice for the victim but as a warning that children are sacrosanct and crimes against them will result in the severest penalties.
“A strong judicial response is the best assurance that no one else will think to commit such cruelty again.
“Such a response would serve as a powerful deterrent and a statement that this line, once crossed, cannot be tolerated,” Lau stressed.
In a message extending beyond partisan lines, Lau called for all to stand by Rafizi and his family.
“The common humanity we share must override partisan identities when a child is harmed.
“Every decent heart must rally, extend support, care, and comfort to those who have suffered such a brutal blow,” he added.
He said a united front would send a clear message to all Malaysians that such behaviour is unacceptable, calling for speeches, activities, letters, petitions, moments of silence, or symbolic gestures reaffirming the sanctity of children.
