Bar Council: Putrajaya encouraging tensions

The Bar Council calls upon those in leadership positions to show rational and fair leadership to ease increasing tensions.

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya’s inaction over the cash reward for anyone who could slap MP Teresa Kok is seen as encouraging incitement and a threat to public order.

“The Bar Council is of the view that the demonstration by the group of NGOs that day is an incitement and a threat to public order,” chairman Christopher Leong told a press conference here today.

“The fact that the authorities are dragging feet over this incident contributes to the unease that is currently prevailing in society and may even be seen to be encouraging such incitement,” he added.

Leong slammed the government as being “wholly irresponsible” for not taking immediate and firm action against the group of Muslim NGOs who have accused the Seputeh MP’s controversial ‘Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014′ video of fanning racial hatred.

“I believe that there were many images and videos of participants of this incident, and it should be easy for authorities to identify the participants and to take legal action (against them),” he said.

Leong also expressed disappointment in Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement that the reward for slapping an Kok is not a threat.

“We are very disappointed and surprised by the response of the Home Minister. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that slapping somebody is at the very least an assault, which is criminal offence,” he said.

“Then threatening or inciting other people to commit a criminal offence is in itself a criminal offence,” he noted.

Leong then called upon “people in leadership positions to show leadership”.

“It is only with rational and fair even-handed leadership that there is a hope that we are able to resolve tensions that prevail,” he said.

“Leaders should not instead, by their actions, contribute to such tensions.”

‘Enough is enough’

On Sunday, Deputy minister for Natural Resources and Environment Joseph Kurup said Zahid’s statement was made to cease the prolonging of the unpleasant issue.

“Perhaps he (Zahid) said it because he does not want to aggravate and prolong the issue further. Enough is enough,” the Pensiangan MP said.

“The threat was made by a small group who are very emotional. I can only advise them not to go ahead with it (the reward for slapping Kok),” he added.

Kurup further described the group of Muslim NGOs who made the threat as “unreasonable and unthinking”, and called for the public to disregard the cash reward.

“Any reasonable and thinking person will not do it. Even if you ask them to do it, they (thinking adults) will not do it,” he said.

“Therefore, we hope they (the Muslim group) will not go ahead with it.”

Last week, Zahid said the cash reward for anyone who could slap Kok was not a threat, but stressed that the NGOs were being investigated for their accusation against the MP.

Zahid added that an investigation had been initiated against Kok for her controversial Chinese New Year video, with over 300 police reports being lodged against her.