Another opposition MP probed over election issue

Newly-elected Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming of the DAP has been questioned by the police for mistaking a voter as foreigner who tried to vote illegally on polling day.

A police officer from Bukit Aman spent one hour recording Ong's statement at his office in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, on Tuesday.

"He told me the investigation was based on a media report published a day before (on Monday) in The Star. I'm being investigated under Section 505 of the Penal Code," Ong said when contacted today.

It was the police who opened the investigation against him, Ong replied when asked whether the voter lodged a police against him.

"This is a case of intimidation. The police are acting on a news report and not as a matter of great public security," he added.

Section 505 deals with the offence of uttering statements tantamount to public mischief.

The report published in The Star on Monday quoted Election Commission deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar urging the voter to lodge a police report against Ong, as this would serve as a lesson to others.

On polling day, DAP supporters and Ong accused a 30-year-old construction worker, Chua Lai Fatt, of being a foreigner and trying to vote in GE13. Chua has a dark skin and features that belie his Chinese name.

Ong later issued a public apology and asked to meet with Chua and his family personally to extend his apology.

Chua, who is of Chinese-Indian parentage, told Nanyang Siang Pauyesterday that he does not blame the DAP, nor does he intend to take action against Ong.

He is also a DAP member and said he admires DAP's Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Teng Chang Khim.

Since the 13th general election concluded on May 5, the police led by the new Inspector-general of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, have been hauling up opposition leaders and activists for various offences.

They include Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, Batu MP Tian Chua, human rights lawyer Haris Ibrahim, PAS member Tamrin Ghaffar and DAP founding chairperson Dr Chen Man Hin.