Home Ministry says 42 police reports lodged against Isma over racial remarks
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- The Home Ministry said that as of May 29, 42 police reports were made against Isma …
KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — A total of 42 police reports have been lodged against Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) over racially provocative remarks made by the group last month, the Home Ministry said today.
In a written reply in Parliament to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, the ministry said that as of May 29, 42 police reports were made against Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman's remarks on the influx of Chinese immigrants.
“The government takes seriously any actions made by any individuals, groups or organisations that come out with extreme statements with the intention of causing tension among races without taking into the account the sensitivities of the people in this country,” said the parliamentary reply.
The reports were made after a remark by Isma president Abdullah Zaik that the influx of Chinese migrants into Tanah Melayu had been “a mistake” which must be rectified.
He said that the ethnic group were considered intruders into Malay land, and had been brought by British colonialists to oppress Malays.
Infuriated by the remarks, lawmakers from both DAP and MCA filed police reports against the group.
In it written reply in parliament, the home ministry also denied allegations of double standards in investigations, saying that the Sedition Act 1948 can be used against anyone.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that the police are still consulting with the Attorney-General (AG) on the possibility of using the Sedition Act to charge Isma.
Khalid said the probe on the group is ongoing, adding that the AG can unilaterally decide to charge Isma.
A month ago IGP Khalid said Isma was being investigated for making racially provocative statements.
The Islamist activist group has been raising its public profile over the past one year with its provocative remarks against Malaysia’s racial and religious minorities.
In February, Isma vice-president Muhammad Fauzi Asmuni had also been investigated for sedition after he was reported calling on Muslims nationwide to be aggressive when defending Islam.
Nothing came out of the investigation.
The group had previously claimed that Indians and Chinese were brought into Malaysia to weaken the Malay identity and undermine the community’s birthright to Peninsular Malaysia on the pretext of multiculturalism.
