THERE is a difference between political satire and racism. Surely, we should still know where that line is.
A Facebook account calling itself “Harakat Daily” — and not to be confused with Harakah Daily — crossed it this evening when it posted a photograph of former minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan with the caption: “Lokap SPRM akan bertambah gelap esok.”
The reference was obvious: the MACC lock-up would supposedly be “darker” tomorrow, as Saravanan is expected to be brought to court to face charges under the MACC Act.
Whatever Saravanan is accused of, his skin colour has nothing to do with it.
That is not satire. It is a racist remark.
And calling the account a parody does not make it any less racist.
Parody is not a licence to say anything. Political figures can be mocked, ridiculed and criticised — sometimes quite harshly. That is part of political discourse.
But there is nothing political about reducing someone to the colour of his skin.
What followed in the comments was just as troubling.
Instead of calling out the post, some users appeared to treat it as an invitation to pile on, with remarks including “lagi satu lembaga hitam”, “tambah jerebu”, references to a temple being built in the lock-up and comments about a “geng kongsi gelap”.
At that point, whatever excuse there might have been about humour or parody becomes difficult to sustain.
It is simply racism being normalised in a comment section.
And that should concern everyone.
Saravanan is not above criticism because he is an Indian politician. He is also not fair game for racial abuse because he is facing criminal charges.
If the prosecution has a case against him, let it be tested in court. If he is found guilty, let him face the consequences.
But judge him on the case, not on the colour of his skin.
This is also where the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should act.
The commission should look into the post and the account swiftly and determine whether the content breaches any law or regulatory provision.
If it does, the appropriate action should follow. Where content has to be removed, it should be removed.
There is little value in authorities acting only after a racist post has gone viral and thousands of people have had the opportunity to repeat it.
Social media is not a consequence-free space. A racist remark posted behind a screen does not become less harmful simply because the person making it does not have to say it face to face.
What is perhaps more depressing is how quickly people joined in.
Malaysia talks constantly about racial harmony. We talk about respect, moderation and living with differences.
But those ideas mean little if they are forgotten whenever someone becomes a convenient target.
It should not matter whether the target is Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Dayak or anyone else.
The standard has to be the same.
You can dislike Saravanan. You can question his record as a minister. You can support his prosecution or oppose it.
What you cannot reasonably defend is making his race the joke.
There is already enough political anger around us. We do not need to turn racism into another form of entertainment.
A parody account can make fun of politicians. It should not make racism acceptable.
And those laughing along in the comments should know the difference. – August 27, 2026
