It is not social media, it is half baked NGOs – TK Chua

Each time an incident happens, what else is more convenient than to blame the social media?

What else could provide a more convenient excuse to restrict and control the use of social media?

But I think social media is here to stay. The authorities shouldn't be wasting time trying to control it.

Instead, they should try to educate and make the people, politicians, political parties and NGOs more responsible when posting and communicating in the net.

Individuals may incite, causing an insignificant incident into a major trouble.

But to me, nothing is more potent and incendiary than politicians, political parties and NGOs indulging in provocation and incitement.

When a dispute or an altercation happens, rightly only the legitimate authorities should intervene.

The Low Yat Plaza incident should rightly be handled by the police quickly and decisively.

Whether the police was effective or not is a separate issue altogether. In any law and order enforcement situation, there should only be one official agency calling the shot.

This brings me to the next issue which I think is the major cause of the trouble – the role of some half baked NGOs taking upon themselves the role of protecting the right and justice of certain race and community.

When half baked NGOs are involved, the effects on the people at large are very different.

They inevitably heighten tension due to wrong perception being portrayed, more so the NGOs concerned are known for "championing" race and religious issues.

Law and order is the responsibility of government, which in this case, is the police.

The police must take charge and ban NGOs from getting involved. NGOs and half baked politicians have no business and expertise to deal with disputes and altercations, worse still if they are themselves biased, racist and parochial.

I think the main cause of the problem in Low Yat Plaza is not due to individuals posting or communicating in the social media.

Usually information and misinformation cancel each other out.  They are some who are deliberately hostile and inciting but they are also many who are reasonable, inclusive and sensible.

I blame the fracas in Low Yat Plaza squarely on half baked politicians and stupid NGOs who are ever ready to capitalise on every opportunity to prove their "usefulness" to the people they claim to be protecting.

They incite and provoke, causing innocent people to fall victims to their treacherous scheme.

I urge the police to show no mercy on them, unless the police want their roles replaced.

* TK Chua reads The Malaysian Insider.