By Lyra Deanna

Reading the news coverage on the nine Australian men arrested at the Sepang F1 Grand Prix for stripping down to their Jalur Gemilang-printed undies, I was disappointed with the reaction by some in government, be it ministers or other senior officials.

One minister was even reported to have said that these men “must face the consequences.”

What an interesting notion that is! Must be a foreign one, though.

Because while the Budgy Smuggler strippers must face the consequences of their actions, I recall that the Malaysian government was quick to smuggle an individual charged with attempted rape out of New Zealand and then wrangle for months over whether he should face the full wrath of the law for his far more reprehensible actions. The Malaysian High Commission in NZ even invoked diplomatic immunity, although the man accused was not entitled to such a privilege after a report was made against him by the victim of the assault.

Putrajaya also intervened in the case of a Mara scholar caught with child porn in the United Kingdom. There was a lot of evidence in that particular case. Gigabytes of evidence, or to put it more simply 30,000 images and videos.

The Malaysian Government stepped in, with the relevant ministry in charge of Mara, to appeal for his earlier release following his sentencing.

And what an outcry when a Malaysian couple was imprisoned for physically abusing their kids in a Scandinavian country… how dare they chuck two of OURS in prison… for something that is “normal practice” in Malaysia?

There doesn’t seem to be any sense of perspective or proportion.

Attempted rape, child porn, physical abuse… OK, takpe, boleh jalan.

Flag underwear… high-pitched shrieks and pitchforks.

Double standards reveal a shallow and superficial mindset.

Lyra Deanna is an FMT reader.

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