Perak DAP adviser Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has denied ever owning any shares in the popular cafe chain Old Town White Coffee. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 2, 2015.The DAP's Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham will sue Cabinet minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for saying that he owns shares in the Old Town White Coffee café franchise and that he is anti-Islam unless the Barisan Nasional politician retracts the claims.
The Perak DAP adviser is giving the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries minister 48 hours to take back his remarks which were posted on his Facebook account, urging Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businesses.
"There is not an iota of truth that I have shares in Old Town White Coffee or that I am anti-Islam.
"I never have, neither have I now nor in any part of my life, had shares in Old Town White Coffee," he told The Malaysian Insider today, noting that this was an old allegation that he had repeatedly denied in the past.
Ngeh also said he was not anti-Islam, citing his social work among the Muslim community in Perak, where is the Beruas MP.
Ngeh said he would lodge a police report against Ismail Sabri in Ipoh tomorrow and urged the minister to apologise quickly.
The DAP politician also said he was shocked that the minister, who was his senior at the law faculty of Universiti Malaya, would make such a racist claim.
"I know him personally, he should have called me to verify the claims," he said.
In his Facebook post, Ismail Sabri said Malay consumers had a role in helping the government fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.
"Forgive me for sharing my views, but besides the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, which uses the Price Control Act and the Anti-Profiteering Act to act against traders who raise their prices indiscriminately, the greatest power lies with consumers.
"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he posted on the social networking site.
Ismail Sabri, who was the former domestic trade and consumerism minister, confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the statement was made by him on his Facebook account.
The post has been shared numerous times by other Facebook users and several also congratulated him for being "bold" in his statement.
Ismail Sabri had also singled out the Old Town White Coffee café chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying Ngeh owned shares in the company.
"Malays are still refusing to boycott (Old Town White Coffee) what more when its owner is said to be the DAP Ngeh family of Perak who are known to be anti-Islam.
"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail Sabri.
Ngeh today said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should reprimand the agriculture minister for his remarks.
"Najib has always been proud of his 1Malaysia slogan. He should ask himself whether this minister is fit to lead the country.
"I am shocked that a minister can be so racist. How can he make a statement based on total lies?" he asked.
Ismail Sabri told The Malaysian Insider that his statement was directed at Chinese businesses whom he said were "reluctant" to lower their prices.
"I am referring to Chinese traders who are reluctant to reduce the prices of goods even though the price of petrol has come down.
"What I want to emphasise is for people not to depend solely on the government to ensure the price of goods comes down because as consumers, they can use their power to pressure businesses," he said.
- TMI
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