On February 23, Umno Youth alongside Barisan Nasional Youth and several youth NGOs sent a note of protest to the Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

We demanded that Malaysia, as a result of the behaviour and attitude of the officials of the North Korean Embassy towards the domestic investigation concerning a deceased individual at klia2, revisit its bilateral relationship with North Korea as well as revoke its visa-free agreement with Pyongyang.

Repeatedly, the North Korean Embassy, up to the day before we handed the note of protest, was issuing press releases dictating how the Malaysian police should conduct the investigation.

Moreover, they took the extra step of drawing conclusions about the investigation, seemingly bypassing Malaysian investigators. Specifically, they lashed out at Malaysia and claimed that the evidence gathered was inadequate for the eventual arrests of two females and one North Korean citizen, Ri Jong Choi.

The Embassy claimed that Malaysia was being influenced by foreign media and South Korea. The Embassy concluded that the victim could not have possibly been killed by poison because the female suspects who were caught daubing the poison on the victim’s face should have been killed as well.

A week after the handing of the note of protest to the Embassy, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Malaysia would cease allowing North Korean citizens visa-free travel into Malaysia effective March 6.

When a high-level delegation from North Korea led by former North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Ri Tong-il, arrived in Malaysia to discuss a number of issues with Malaysian government officials, they sought not to ease tensions but rather to continue demanding that Malaysian investigators admit that Kim Jong Nam was killed by a heart attack.

When the sovereignty of our country is undermined, Malaysia acts swiftly, precisely and fast. When the sovereignty of our country is underpinned, you don’t need someone who can wiggle his way around rhetoric into an argument as quick action sends the strongest message.

Malaysia, driven by the ruling coalition of BN, has always taken the position of protecting our national institutions. Earlier, I wrote about the values of our institutions in maintaining this country’s stability.

I warned of the so called “Save Malaysia” movement, spurred by the so called “Citizens’ Declaration”, started by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir, alongside existing opposition leaders, called for a press conference stating the opposition’s common purpose of taking down Prime Minister Najib Razak.

My arguments then — as it is today — against this “movement” were that it lay the basis for a harmful mentality amongst our youths, the belief that democracy was a process where you get everything you want through collective denial of the institutions that hold our country safe.

The election in Malaysia is an institution. The police in Malaysia are an institution. The very idea that you must concede victory to the winning coalition after an election is itself — albeit ignored by the opposition — an institution. These concepts and corridors maintain normality and processes that safeguard Malaysia from anarchy. And when something like the so called “Save Malaysia” movement or an Embassy calls to bypass these institutions and make conclusions of their own, then Malaysia’s future is rattled by uncertainty.

There should be no compromise on our rule of law. There should be no compromise on our sovereignty. Even if it causes severance of diplomatic relations with North Korea, our institutions should not be overlooked because of a foreign agenda.

The North Korean Embassy claiming that Jong Nam died of a heart attack or that Najib was the sole reason for all of Malaysia’s flaws, may comfort the emotions of some. In the short term, if we agree with these narratives, they make our most absurd reasonings, justified.

But for the future, these aggressive and illogical conclusions provide our society a rhetoric that will only lead to division among members of our communities. They make us unable to listen to one another, suspicious of those that don’t agree with us and emotional rather than logical.

And when we become too emotional, we tend to overlook the need for reasoning. This is evident in the absurd conclusions made by the North Korean Embassy.

But more frighteningly, the absurdity is shared among members of the opposition. So caught up are they in their hate of the prime minister, they have failed to ask themselves crucial questions.

Repeatedly, they have said that their sole reason for sticking together as an opposition coalition is to topple Najib. So what happens if they do succeed? What if they do achieve that goal? What next? Will the divas and egos that populate the opposition’s leadership still work together? Or will they fight amongst themselves for the top spot?

Supporters of the opposition need to ask their leaders these crucial questions because the leadership of our country should not be held by those with short term goals. Their eminent internal bickering, if the opposition is to succeed, puts the stability of our country at risk. It puts the values of our institutions at risk as well.

Khairul Azwan Harun is the deputy leader of the Umno Youth Wing.

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