Why different standards in investigating Catholic priest and Perak mufti, asks DAP

The nation's top cop must explain the double standards of the police in investigating Catholic priest Father Lawrence Andrew and Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang (pic) said today.

The Gelang Patah MP said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar was clearly practising double standards in both cases.

On January 3, Harussani had issued a fatwa (edict) declaring it halal (permissible) to spill the blood of the participants of an anti-price hike rally held on New Year's Eve.

The Perak mufti had issued the edict based on the "bughah" concept which refers to an armed revolt by Muslims against a just ruler or government in accordance with Islamic law.

On Friday, Khalid told reporters that police have interviewed Harussani and recorded his statement although he declined to say when.

"There is no doubt that if Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly Herald, had said anything about spilling blood, there would have been swift and drastic action taken against him," Lim said.

"But it appears that the same urgency is glaringly absent in Harussani's case," he added.

Police have wrapped up their investigations against Andrew and recommended that he be charged with sedition.

Andrew had issued a statement on December 27 saying churches in Selangor would continue to use the word Allah in their Bahasa Malaysia masses.

Despite the outrage and anger that followed from Umno and pro-Umno Muslim groups, Andrew stood firm saying freedom of religion was guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.

More than 100 reports were lodged against Andrew and police also called him to record his statement as part of sedition investigations.

"If the police can act so fast in Andrew's case, why have they not made similar recommendations for Harussani?" Lim asked.

Today, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said no decision has been made on the sedition investigations against Andrew.

Lim asked whether Abdul Gani would ask the police what was happening in their investigations against Harussani.

"The police, Attorney-General and the entire justice process must not only be fair and unbiased but must also be seen to be so," Lim said.

"Sadly, this has not been the case for many years now, especially since the years when the country was led by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"This is why public confidence in the government, related agencies and police has fallen to an all-time low," Lim added.