'Coffin incident related to Chua's Lahad Datu remark'

A mock coffin with a portrait of PKR vice-president Tian Chua has been spotted in front of the Malacca party headquarters this morning.

PKR state information chief Hairiz Nordin said that a party worker had discovered the black clothed and polystyrene-made mock coffin - complete with a flower wreath around Chua’s portrait - at the entrance to the party headquarters.

“I suspect that the incident is related to Tian Chua’s remark on Lahad Datu,” said Hairiz.    

However, Malaysiakini has been unable to contact Tian Chua for his comment on the matter.

Yesterday, Chua had been charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 for saying, at 11am on March 1, that the gunfight in Lahad Datu was a conspiracy of the Umno government.

Since then, Chua had pleaded not guilty and was set on a bail of RM5,000 with one surety by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Approached later, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (right) said that he views the mock coffin incident as a death threat.

“I strongly condemn this uncivilised act,” he stressed.

He revealed that Chua will be explaining his remark on Lahad Datu at the Malacca PKR headquarters’ ceramah (talk) next Tuesday, and that Umno members are welcome to attend the event.

Asked on whether the party will beef up the security as a Malacca PKR ceramah had been disrupted last Friday, Shamsul replied that they will do so by informing the police and deploying more party members on the stage.

Thugs, alleged to be Umno members, had attacked PKR’s ‘Jelajah Merdeka’ campaign bus using rocks and other projectiles.

Several Pakatan Rakyat supporters and two police officers were injured at the chaotic scene.