My congratulations to the members of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), who must have internalized and taken to heart the teachings of Jesus and Buddha, by calling for the death sentence against the 6 who tortured and murdered Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain seven years, to be commuted to a long prison term.
Suhakam’s call reminds me of Jesus saying “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
It reminds me of the Buddha saying that “Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even at that would not be doing my bidding.”
Someday, I hope to refine myself to the extent that I will be able to reach the extent of their purity and nobility in spirit, and forgive everybody in this world for whatever they do, but that day is not today.
Today, I, like the judges who sentenced the 6 to death, am of the view that the 6 who tortured and murdered Zulfarhan should die.
I understand that the weight of every death sentence passed by the court is borne by the nation, and I, as a citizen, am willing to bear this weight.
I agree with the judges that the murder of Zulfarhan from seven years ago represents one of the rarest and most extreme forms of cruelty.
I also agree with the judges that no parent deserves to feel disappointment, anger, sadness, and grief upon receiving their beloved child’s body in such a heart-wrenching and tragic condition, and feel that it is the duty of this nation to provide them with an answer.
I understand why Suhakam believes that the “death penalty is a form of punishment that is irreversible and does not allow for the possibility of rehabilitation in the event of judicial error” and I also understand why Suhakam is to the opinion that the death penalty “is not a just or effective solution”, but as much as I understand Suhakam’s point of view, I also understand that 7 years ago, “the late Zulfarhan’s hands and feet were tied while the 6 pressed a steam iron against his body. Before that, the victim had already been beaten up by the group. Despite seeing the victim writhing in pain, the six accused ignored his suffering and continued pressing the iron against his entire body (except the face), resulting in 90 burns.”
If I was a part of the 6 and the death sentence was passed on me, I will understand and accept the sentence. Considering that, I think that the 6 should understand why they have to hang as well.
I think that as adults, it is important to remind ourselves that there are such things as a line that should not be crossed. Once you cross it, there is no turning back. If we assume too conveniently that everything that we do, no matter how heinous, is subject to forgiveness, we will condemn ourselves to be children, even if we reach 80 years of age. Not everything is negotiable. The buck must stop somewhere.
I saw how Zulfarhan’s parents knelt outside of the courts after hearing the death sentence passed to their son’s murderers.
Only the heavens know how hard it must have been for them to wait patiently for seven long years for justice to take its course. Now that they have finally gotten it, I am not going to be a party to any effort to deprive them of the fruits of their prayers.
I am writing this to state that Suhakam’s position on this particular case does not represent me, and I truly believe that it does not represent the view of the vast majority of Malaysians either. I hope more of my fellow citizens will speak up on the matter, less Suhakam’s view is taken as representative of us, in lieu of our silence.
Nehru Sathiamoorthy is the author of “While Waiting for the World to end”. He was a columnist at FMT and a frequent contributor to the South China Morning Post, The Star, Malaysia-Today, MalaysiaNow, MalaysiaKini and Focus Malaysia
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