By Clara Chooi June 22, 201 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang offered today to deliver a copy of Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s speech on Sunday to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Home Minister to prove that the Perkasa president had threatened the Chinese community.
Describing him as “guilty as hell”, Lim said he had watched a recording of Ibrahim’s speech and confirmed that the fiery Malay rights leader had indeed warned the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food during the planned Bersih rally this July 9.
This, he said, was tantamount to a threat against the community.
“I have seen the video recording of the speech by the Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and there can be no doubt that he is as guilty as hell in his incendiary, inciteful and treasonous ‘Chinese should stock up food’ tirade,” he said in a statement today.
Lim added that Ibrahim should not be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for his statement but should be charged in court like a “lowly criminal” instead for raising the spectre of the bloody May 13 racial clashes.
“If Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the IGP Tan Sri Ismail Ismail Omar have not seen the video recording, I can send them a copy of the video,” he said.
Hishammuddin said today the police will call officials from Bersih 2.0, Umno Youth and Perkasa over their plans to hold rallies on July 9. He added the police will not issue any permit for the rallies.
Several media organisations reported Ibrahim as saying during his counter-protest launch on Sunday that the Chinese community should stay indoors during the Bersih protest and stock up on food as “anything could happen.”
His statement was interpreted by many as a threat to the Chinese community, forcing the outspoken Malay rights leader to the centre of much criticism.
But the Pasir Mas MP insisted to reporters yesterday that he had merely been advising the community to stay at home that day to safeguard their interests. He also lashed out at the media for misreporting his statements, accusing The Malaysian Insider of twisting his words out of context.
Lim questioned today why the government continued to refuse to penalise Ibrahim for his statement, saying the Pasir Mas MP was clearly showing an open contempt for the law and the authorities.
“Is this because the face of Ibrahim Ali is increasingly coming to represent the real power in Umno politics — replacing that of (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak?” he asked.
Lim added that if Hishammuddin or the IGP failed to act on the resounding calls for Ibrahim to be punished for his remarks, both men should resign from their posts.