Explain 'Malays neglected in Penang' remark to police, Ramkarpal tells Ku Nan

A DAP lawmaker has called on Federal Territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to explain his "Malays neglected in Penang" remark to the police.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said this today after lodging a report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters against Tengku Adnan, as the statement had "undermined the Penang state government".

"I don't see him (Tengku Adnan) going on a U-turn (on his statement). 48 hours is a long time for him to retract (his statement).

"The point is this: It is up to him to explain to the police. We've done our part to lodge a report," said Ramkarpal, who was accompanied by Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.

Ramkarpal, who described Tengku Adnan's statement reckless and mischievious, as such, urged the police to look at angles, including whether such remarks are potentially seditious and could incite unrest among races.

"You are undermining the state government. You are saying the state government is a racist government," he stressed.

In response to uproar over his Federal Territories expansion plan, Bernama on Saturday quoted Tengku Adnan as saying that his idea which included Penang was to ensure equal development and help purportedly neglected Malays in the northern state.

He had first made the suggestion to "expand the Federal Territories" beyond Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan during a an interview on Feb 1 with BFM 89.9.

Lim, meanwhile, also pointed out that Tengku Adnan had also repeated his remarks against the Penang government yesterday, also as carried by Bernama.

"I want the prime minister (Najib Abdul Razak) to answer was it Ku Nan's personal proposal or was it the federal government's proposed to make Penang as part of the Federal Territories," he said.

According to the national news agency, Tengku Adnan had defended his proposal and said that turning Penang into a federal territory could help to make home ownership affordable.

The Putrajaya MP also claimed the Penang government had allowed house prices to skyrocket and unlike BN, had not made any efforts to address the issue.

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