By S Pathmawathy | Nov 3, 10 1:45pm
Malaysiakini
DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has denied a news report that he had dubbed bitter rivals Umno as kafir (infidels) during a ceramah (political talk) in Gua Musang, pointing out that he was not even present at the event.
“It is a slanderous report… I have never been there. This is very irresponsible and they are doing it to propagate hatred,” Lim told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
Malay-language daily Berita Harian had claimed that Lim made the remark during a ceramah on Monday in Kampung Baru Hulu, Sungai Terap while campaigning for the Galas by-election in Kelantan.
PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim were said to have been at the event as well.
Yesterday, the daily quoted Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam (left) as saying that Lim had been coached by PAS leaders to speak in that manner.
Mohd Ali further claimed that what made matters worse was that the crowd had chanted ‘God is great’ after the remark was made.
Retraction, apology demanded
On a police report against him by Putrajaya Umno’s Youth wing, Lim said the movement had acted on information in a report which was “clearly fictitious”.
He said DAP will lodge a police report in Gua Musang today over the report and that his lawyers have also been instructed to take legal action against Ali Rustam.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who was at the press conference, demanded that Berita Harian withdraws the report and issues an apology.
“No DAP leader has ever said Umno is kafir. We are not Muslims, so how we say someone is kafir?” he noted.
Police reports against Ali Rustam
In another development, at least three police reports have been lodged by DAP representatives against Mohd Ali over the Berita Harian report.
The reports were lodged by Thomas Su, DAP’s election director for the Galas by-election, DAP Youth secretary Teo Kok Seong and DAP women’s wing deputy secretary Leong Mee Meng.
In the report the three said that Mohd Ali’s statement contained elements of slander and was done in bad faith to incite hatred among different ethnic and religious groups.