I hope Kiki knows what she is doing

Siti Fairrah Ashykin Kamaruddin (Kiki), the road bully caught on video, has joined Perkasa. From what I gather, she was enticed to join the organisation known for its extreme views.

It was reported that Perkasa had set up a fund to help her pay the fine. But surely her reasons for becoming a member of Perkasa must be more than just for help to pay the fine.

I would have helped Kiki if she truly realised her mistake and repented, as we all have made mistakes, or said things harshly, that we don’t really mean.

But her proudly joining Perkasa, I think, only begets more questions.

Was she seeking the limelight or profit, from the unfortunate incident? Was she misled? Was she being used by politicians, or people with an agenda other than her welfare?

I really hope Kiki knows what she has done. Was she by nature a politically active person?

Was she active in NGOs or political parties prior to that fateful incident?

Did she understand her purpose for joining Perkasa? What is she trying to achieve through this organisation?

I feel she should really ask herself these soul-searching questions.

My questions for Perkasa are even more troubling.

Firstly, is Perkasa only looking for hot-headed people to join them?

Secondly, is Perkasa only interested in road bullies as members?

Most importantly, if Kiki’s victim were an elderly Malay man, would Perkasa have been so interested for her to join?

So what exactly is Perkasa looking for – someone aggressive, abusive, and violent? I believe it was more than that. They were looking for aggressors who have also shown hatred and intolerance toward other races.

I am not denying Perkasa’s right to recruit members, but I do question the organisation’s acceptability to exist in a country like Malaysia.

It is the disturbing message the organisation is conveying that troubles me most. That if you are rough, aggressive, and most of all ‘xenophobic’, then you are most welcome and Perkasa will do whatever it can to help you succeed.

I just hope that our young people will not be unduly influenced by this publicity, as this is not who we are as Malaysians.

Chua Tong Ka is an FMT reader