JARINGAN Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah Ariffin Abu Bakar has been arrested by police recently for allegedly threatening to attack a police station if no action was taken over the death of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

At the rally where he made the alleged threat, Azwanddin is also said to have used offensive language against unity minister P. Waytha Moorthy, who was accused of causing ethnic tension in the country. In a society where some segments are pregnant with ethnic hatred, it is difficult to discount that such an accusation had racist undertones.

Adib died in the line of duty after he and his colleagues rushed to the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang, Selangor, to douse burning cars and try to save other damaged property.

Like Azwanddin, right-thinking Malaysians would demand those responsible for Adib’s death to be brought to justice. This insistence is in recognition of Adibs commitment to serve the needs of society, irrespective of ethnicity, religion and class.

But unlike Azwanddin, right-minded Malaysians would not want to remember and honour the fallen officer of the Fire and Rescue Department by using, as the former did, inflammatory language that could ignite further ethnic unease and disunity.

This is because Azwanddin’s misguided bravado contradicts the noble work of Adib – putting out fires and rescuing those in distress – which constitutes part of nation building in the wider sense of the term.

Adib’s sacrifice – like the six firefighters who drowned while searching for a teenager in a mining pond in Puchong – will be trivialised by those who are out to exploit the death of those who serve in the rescue services.

Similarly, the significance of the death of another firefighter in March from a fatal snake bite in Bentong, Pahang would be easily eclipsed by those whose battle-cry was informed by ethnic considerations.

People, particularly those who participated in the Klang rally, should realise that there are indeed noble ways of honouring Adib. Hijacking this death to advance political agendas is not a good way, and degrading to the deceased.

Neither is calling for the dismissal Waytha Moorthy, who is, incidentally, not involved in the death of Adib, is the right way. If anything, this is barking up the wrong tree and diversionary.

Instead, honouring Adib as proposed by DAP’s supremo Lim Kit Siang, i.e. to have an annual award in his name, is a good example of a constructive suggestion. Individuals who work tirelessly for the advancement of professionalism and integrity in this country deserve such an award.

There are other unsung “nation builders” as well that deserve our appreciation. Construction workers, for instance, who sweat it out in the scorching sun and climbed scaffolds at their peril deserve a special mention.

The nine workers who perished at the construction site in Bukit Kukus, Penang, are a case in point.  

The fact that many of these dead construction workers are foreign nationals does not make their lives as less valuable than those of our own people. As it is, not many Malaysians lamented the deaths of these workers when news of it broke out.

Apart from compensation that should be offered to their next of kin, their deaths would be in vain if safety regulations are not reviewed and further tightened. Stringent rules should be put in place so as to ensure that employers are made accountable for the safety of their workers irrespective of nationality or ethnicity.

What matters most is that the lives and welfare of workers who help build this nation should be protected by law.

The important contribution of these fallen workers to the nation must not escape our collective memory and gratitude. And they must be remembered in an honourable manner. – January 1, 2019.

* Mustafa is a senior journalist with The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.