KUALA LUMPUR - The recent spate of grisly murder cases, which cross the boundaries of humanity, has shocked the nation, sparking debates on social media due to the tragic deaths of the victims.
Where have human values gone when perpetrators can be so cruel as to decapitate and dismember their victims, then discard their bodies by the roadside as if the remains had never been human in life?
Ironically, according to the police, most of such murder cases involve individuals who know each other.
Director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department, Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain was quoted as saying recently, most murder cases involve individuals with family or friendship connections.
According to him, police investigations reveal that the main motives for these murders include deteriorating relationships, revenge, business disputes involving both the victim and the suspect, and the use of illegal substances like drugs.
ACTING BEYOND BOUNDS
Psychologist Dr Farhana Sabri, sharing insights into the reasons behind why someone might commit murder, explained that an imbalance in the brain’s executive functioning is one of the triggers for uncontrolled actions, including murder.
"Executive functioning (the front part of the brain) can be likened to the ‘head of the brain.’ There are three executive functions in the brain: working memory (how individuals store and use information), cognitive flexibility (the ability to think), and self-control (the ability to control impulsive actions).
"Humans need all three of these skills to control stimuli, and if one skill is out of balance, it can lead to actions (reactions) driven by emotions that are out of control,” the senior lecturer at the Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) told Bernama.
In a nutshell, she explained that executive functioning helps individuals determine how to solve problems and decide which actions are necessary or unnecessary for addressing those issues.
According to her, executive functioning can be impaired or damaged due to the use of illicit substances like drugs or certain critical illnesses.
Additionally, feelings such as ‘no way out’ and ‘feeling trapped’ are among the early signs that someone may have issues with emotional regulation, which is also related to executive functioning in the brain.
"A person who fails to control his or her emotions often has issues with emotional regulation, or in psychology, emotional dysregulation, which involves difficulties in managing emotions and determining appropriate actions to handle them.
"Individuals with this problem tend to act excessively or extremely in response to emotions. Excessive emotional reactions often violate societal norms or, in worse cases, involve criminal behaviour,” she said.
IRRATIONAL
Meanwhile, according to counselling psychologist Dr Abdul Rashid Abdul Aziz, irrational and uncontrollable actions stem from the eruption of negative emotions.
"Most cases involving irrational actions originate from negative emotions such as anger. Anger can be understood as a reaction born from a conflict and can trigger antagonistic traits in a person.
"Additionally, anger can drive aggressive behaviour and cause someone to act uncontrollably when the anger reaches a peak, potentially leading to fatal incidents,” explained the USIM lecturer.
Elaborating on the matter, Abdul Rashid said that long-held grudges have the potential to ‘drive’ individuals to take drastic measures to release their dissatisfaction and hatred.
"Stored grudges and anger are like a volcano waiting to erupt, due to the long-standing ‘repression.’
"If these ‘unfinished issues,’ personal conflicts, and emotional problems are not resolved, they will indirectly lead to more negative traits dominating the individual,” he said.
In this regard, he emphasised the importance for individuals to develop skills to eliminate negative emotions so they can make rational decisions.
Without rational consideration, people tend to make decisions based on negative emotions, which can lead to destructive consequences, he asserted.
LOSS OF HUMANITY
Abdul Rashid does not dismiss concerns that horrific murder cases signify a lack of human values and must be addressed promptly.
He said that, in the context of Islam, murder and crime are contrary to religious teachings.
In fact, he said, one of the principles of maqasid al-shariah is to protect human life and dignity.
Therefore, he argued, the damage to the human soul and instincts evidenced by recent criminal cases requires serious attention, as this issue is not just an individual problem but a societal one.
Efforts to restore human values should involve education, religious understanding, psychological support, and the rebuilding of healthy social networks to foster a prosperous and humane generation.
"Additionally, nurturing a sense of compassion in every member of society is essential, as it will help prevent individuals from committing immoral acts and indirectly maintain harmony in relationships.
"... as emphasised by Prophet Muhammad SAW, none of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself,” he added. - BERNAMA