The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that the Attorney-General’s Chambers has returned the police investigation papers on DAP National Vice Chairman and Member of Parliament for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” video to the police to refine their investigation.
What is surprising is why despite nation-wide and international criticism, the IGP still allows the police to practise double standards as no police action and investigations have yet been made against the group of self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” who committed a slew of offences when they staged a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur the previous Thursday on 6th February including criminal intimidation, sedition incitement of violence against a woman, incitement of violence against a Member of Parliament, incitement of another May 13 riots, when they offered RM1,200 to anyone who slaps Teresa Kok and slaughtered four chicken and smeared blood on images of DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
How can the IGP and the police be so indifferent to the slew of crimes committed by the “Council of Islamic NGOs” if they are the true upholders of law and order and protector of public peace in Malaysia?
IGP Khalid must heed the call of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) for swift action against those inciting racial and religious animosities and hatred to destroy Malaysia’s inter-racial and inter-religious harmony like the “Council of Islamic NGOs” and Utusan Malaysia.
In its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia carried a most vile, vitriolic, incendiary, inflammatory and seditious article ““Melayu, Islam dihina di Tanah Melayu” by its deputy editor Azman Anuar, which incites racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflicts and tensions.
Why has the police not investigated this seditious article in Mingguan Malaysia and the pile of other seditious writings published by Utusan Malaysia in the past few years inciting racial and religious animosities, hatred and conflicts, including resorting to lies and falsehoods?
The IGP and the top police leadership should study the public statement issued by the NUCC yesterday, calling on the authorities, particularly the police, to act quickly to stem provocations which incited inter-racial and inter-religious animosities, hatred, conflicts and tension.
When the NUCC urged the government to uphold the rule of law and to actively promote national unity by taking prompt action against incendiary statements and actions which are provocative and can lead to conflict and tension with serious consequences affecting peace, harmony and national unity, it is in fact an indictment on the IGP and the police for failing to carry out their primary duties in the past nine months.
One of the greatest failures of Khalid in the past nine months since his appointment as IGP on May 17, 2013 in his inability or failure to act firmly against the hate mongers and merchants, who seemed to have got the message that they would enjoy “immunity and impunity” for their despicable and treacherous deed if they hide behind some pro-UMNO NGOs and provided the target of their attacks are the Pakatan Rakyat parties, especially in the two states of Penang and Selangor.
The recent escalation of incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension – like the molotov cocktail attack on a church, the hanging of provocative banners outside five churches without the knowledge of the church authorities, the hurling of a slab of meat believed to be pork at a mosque (all happening in Penang) – are all the result of this police “permissiveness” for hate campaigns under IGP Khalid.
I fully agree with the statement by Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (Mipas) secretary-general S Barathidasan blaming the police’s double standards as a major cause of the escalating tension as a result of the heightening of incitement of racial and religious hatred in recent months.
Barathidasan said Mipas, WargaAman and numerous other NGOS have filed a slew of police reports against Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin as well as academician Riduan Tee Abdullah.
A report was also filed against Wanita Umno chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil over her speech that raised the spectre of the May 13, 1969 racial riots.
More recently, Barathidasan said, reports were also lodged against the NGOs that slaughtered chickens in public and smeared the blood on the images of DAP leaders.
Barathidasan rightly asked: “But why, until today, has no action been taken against the Umno/BN leaders and pro-government NGOs for provoking and stirring racial and religious tension?”
Can Khalid clear himself of the serious NUCC charge that the police had not acted promptly and swiftly to stop the campaign of hatred and incitement of racial and religious animosities, conflict and tensions in the past few months?
Can Khalid explain why in the past nine months, the police had failed to uphold the law to protect the peace and harmony of the country, and closed its eyes to the escalation of hate campaign over race and religion by the hate merchants particularly by Utusan Malaysia?
(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 18th February 2014)