I find it extremely irresponsible for Nur Jazlan to dismiss the recent spate of gun violence as mere “perception” when the public has reached a panic point.
Just within the past month and a half, the media has reported incident after incident of injuries and deaths caused by guns -- businessman Gooi Tan Hock (15 June), KEADILAN Miri branch secretary Bill Kayong (21 June), two motorists (21 June), a company executive (28 June), a 32-year-old woman and her 8-year-old daughter (6 July).
As it should, Malaysia’s Arms Act 1960 and the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act (1971) strictly controls the distribution of guns to the people. However, even with the stiffest, most controversial punishment that is the death penalty under the first act, it is evident that Malaysia is still facing frequent street shootings, indicative of a problem that goes beyond our existing tight regulations for legitimate procurement of firearms. In most of the aforementioned attacks, the make and origins of the firearms are unknown (or perhaps, not made known to the public). However, investigations into the recent Puchong attacks under the instructions of ISIS have revealed that the hand grenade used was obtained in Thailand. Albeit not specifically a gun, this shows that firearms may be most commonly permeating Malaysian borders through illicit means.
It is perhaps now timely to remind Datuk Nur Jazlan of the speech delivered by Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim, during the UN Security Council Open Debate just a year ago, where the Ambassador emphasised “the need to address root causes of illicit transfer of SALW including, inter alia, the supply of Small Arms and Light Weapons to armed groups, whether by governments or through the black market; excessive accumulation and surplus of SALW in post-conflict situations; and the growing demand from SALW by armed groups and non-state actors.”
Even if our gun laws are strict, even if gun violence in Malaysia is statistically low, and even if the attacks are mostly targeted, this isn’t the time for Malaysia to be complacent -- no less our Deputy Home Affairs Minister. In fact, the problem of gun violence should be nipped in the bud before it proliferates. Especially with ISIS taking root in Malaysia, we need conscious effort to plug our shortcomings -- that is the illicit transfer of firearms.
death penalty debate 在 Arguments for and against capital punishment | Britannica 的相關結果
Capital punishment has long engendered considerable debate about both its morality and its effect on criminal behaviour. Contemporary arguments for and ... ... <看更多>