COMMENT | Sarawak state minister Abdul Karim Hamzah came down hard on a group of individuals who disrespected the national anthem by refusing to stand when it was played at a function in Kuching last week.

Among other things, he said heavy punitive actions should be taken against those individuals and they should be charged in court as such behaviour should not be tolerated.

“It is so unbecoming, so unpatriotic and disloyal to see somebody making fun of our own national anthem. I get so disgusted by that,” Karim said.

Of course, I do not expect a minister or any government officer to say anything else other than to condemn the group’s action. That was the normal, expected thing for servile government servants to do or say.

But I think Karim’s harsh words were somewhat of an “overkill”. Requesting the group to apologise and repent for their action would have sufficed...