The Malaysian Insider – 54 minutes agoRELATED CONTENT
- Isma president to be charged with sedition for ‘trespasser’ remark
The head of a controversial Muslim rights group will be charged with sedition at the Kajang Sessions Court tomorrow in relation to remarks about the Malaysian Chinese being “trespassers” in the country.
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman said in a statement that police had issued him a warrant, and he will be present at the Kajang court tomorrow.
Abdullah said he will be represented by Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid from Lokman Reena & Co.
Zaik caused controversy when he said on May 6 that Chinese migrants brought in by the British to Tanah Melayu were “trespassers” and questioned the citizenship and wealth given to them.
"Who gave them (the Chinese) citizenship and wealth until the results of their trespassing are protected until this day?
"This was all the doing of the British, who were in cohorts with the Chinese to oppress and bully the Malays," he wrote on Isma’s website.
He also said it was all a mistake that needed to be rectified but had not said how.
Zaik's comments were met with criticism by non-Muslim groups, with a Chinese-language newspapers calling Isma an “extreme rightist group like Perkasa, based on racism and narrow-minded religious views”.
Subsequently, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said Zaik was being investigated under the Sedition Act for his statement after several police reports were lodged against the Isma president.
But, Zaik refused to apologise.
Despite the widespread protests and criticism against Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) for its "Chinese are trespassers" statement, the group said it was standing by its remarks and has refused to apologise.
Zaik said he felt that the "aggressive" reaction from non-Muslims was because they wanted to "silence the Muslims".
“They are worried that it will hamper their efforts to change the country's identity, do away with Malay rights and destroy the sovereignty of Malaysia and Islam," he said at a press conference at Isma's headquarters in Bangi on May 9.
He added that the statements were meant to be a "warning" and a "reminder" to non-Muslims to stay away from commenting on matters related to Islam.– June 18, 2014.
