By LIM SUE GOAN
Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE
Sin Chew Daily

A series of over 100 films on Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung has been produced in Hong Kong. One of the films talked about some followers of White Lotus Society, an extreme nationalist cult, believed that they were blessed to the extent of bulletproof. They ended up in a tragedy and I was shocked to see that the film's plot was actually staged in real life.

A couple, believed to be from a deviant religious group, ran amok and smashed car windows with samurai swords outside Complex B of the Prime Minister's Department. If they were not suffering from mental illness, they should know that human flesh has no way to resist bullets.

According to the police, the couple went on the rampage due to their links to deviant teachings, without any political motives.

If it is the case, the authority should then start addressing the problem from curbing deviant religious groups, including eradicating deviant religious organisations to prevent them from disturbing people's thinking and touching the sensitive nerve of religion.

Deviant religion followers are also likely to become terrorists. For example, Some Islamic extremists in the Middle East started with anti-imperialism movements and gradually turned extreme into suicide bombers to kill the whites.

Excessive enthusiasm might be followed by craziness. They lay down their lives for their belief. They believe that they are enforcing justice on behalf of God and will have an eternal life after death.

In addition, the authorities must also examine why they are unable to eradicate deviant religious groups. The outlawed Al-Arqam once had many followers and some of them tried to revive by forming commercial companies and the Obedient Wives Club (OWC). And now, there is another one called Imam Mahdi.

Deviant religious groups are able to take advantage when some people are impetuous and confused, just like a drowning man trying to catch a driftwood. Only love and care can treat souls. However, when even politicians are trapped in a chaos and instilling hatred and wrong values, how are they going to calm the public?

From another perspective, the forced entry is related to the security issue of the Prime Minister's Department. The authorities have focused and spent resources on reducing crime, but neglected safety issue.

Crimes refer to stealing, cheating, kidnapping, murdering and so on. The increase of the number of crimes would lead to the deterioration of law and order. Whereas national security covers a broader scope, including arms smuggling and the secret entry of terrorists.

Millions of overstaying foreigners and illegal foreign workers have blurred the boundary between crime and safety, as there are too many things to be taken care of. The police is exhausted and unable to curb international crimes. For example, the police found raw materials used to produce nuclear weapons on a cargo ship in Port Klang last year and Customs officers also seized nimetazepam pills worth RM60 million.

Petty criminals would commit major crimes if no proper action is taken. They might even threaten national security. Criminal syndicates have also frequently attacked security weaknesses, weakening the country's safety net.

Therefore, the government should not have only a set of measures to reduce crime, but must also develop a national security policy to mobilise all law enforcement agencies, as well as establish a surveillance and intelligence gathering network, to leave no room for terrorists to start their malicious plans.

The forced entry into the Prime Minister's Department is a wake-up call and preventive measures must be taken to ensure national security.