00:00Academics have played down the need for an anti-racial discrimination law, saying sufficient
00:05legal provisions exist for the investigation and prosecution of offences involving racism.
00:11University Kebangsaan Malaysia legal advisor Salawati Mahad Basir said Malaysia already
00:16had the Sedition Act to curb incitement, while Kartini Abu Talib, also of UKM, said there
00:22were over 20 laws that could be used to tackle such offences.
00:26Speaking to FMT, Salawati said that instead of introducing new laws, it's more important
00:30to ensure that existing laws are being enforced and to raise greater awareness about tolerance
00:35and diversity.
00:37Kartini, who has a doctorate in law, policy and society, said there were sufficient legal
00:42provisions for the authorities to employ, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act
00:462015.
00:48She questioned if introducing rules and putting in place controlled measures would make society
00:52better and more civilised, adding that there was no need for knee-jerk reactions for isolated
00:57incidents.
00:58A trader recently apologised to Malaysians, particularly the Indian community, for putting
01:03up a sign written in Malay which contained a racist slur against Indians and stating
01:08that his produce was not for sale to Indians.
01:11The incident prompted DAP Chairman Lim Guan Eng to propose the enactment of an anti-racial
01:15discrimination law to check and punish deliberate acts of racism.
01:20Dhanusha Jareza, FMT News.
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