Defiant UMNO Youth chief to Teresa Kok: “Bring it on, I’m not afraid, no fear, no surrender; see you in court”

AS DAP stands in solidarity with its vice-chairman Teresa Kok who had on yesterday (Sept 10) subjected herself to almost a 90-minute police probe over a rather ‘non-existent’ 3R (race, religion, royalty) incitement allegation, probably the time is ripe for UMNO to turn the tables on its rightist Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

A dressing down of the defiant Merlimau state assemblyman is warranted as he has yet again arrogantly displayed a confrontational attitude by sticking to his guns as if there is nothing defamatory or insulting by labelling/accusing Kok “Nyonya Tua” (literally Old Lady), “don’t you dare to touch our religion” and “bringing shame to the country”.

This came about as Kok who is also the six-term Seputeh MP is contemplating taking legal action against Akmal ‘s retort on her with his misplaced emotional outburst.

After all, the Russia-trained medical doctor’s notoriety is already too well-known as this has already earned him the “King of Boycott” reputation at the height of the KK Super Mart sock-gate saga in March this year.

With DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng having brushed aside Kok’s constructive criticism of the proposal by Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Na’im Mokhtar to make halal certification mandatory for all pork/alcohol-free food operators as “not a 3R case”, it is only right for UMNO to reciprocate by publicly reprimanding Akmal as a goodwill gesture in the spirit of the Madani government.

Teresa Kok making a media statement outside the Bukit Aman police headquarters yesterday (Sept 10)

This time around, DAP which has been ticked off for only “meekly supporting Kok – or literally “throwing her under the bus” – meant business.

“I want to emphasise as DAP National chairman that DAP stands with YB Teresa Kok because she is innocent,” penned Guan Eng on his Facebook page.

“She should be given the space and support to carry out her duties and responsibilities as a MP so as to be the voice of both the Muslims and non-Muslims alike.”

Incredibly, a number of rational Malay Muslim politicians, personalities and even those who are business-savvy have rallied around Kok for indirectly protecting the interest of small Muslim food traders.

Vocal and blunt Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim is the latest to come to Kok’s backing by questioning whether there are elements of double standards involved in the police 3R probe which was likely triggered by PAS Youth call for nationwide lodging of police reports.

Like former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the PKR lawmaker pointed out that Na’im Mokhtar was first to court “controversy” by announcing the matter without cabinet approval with Kok merely responded to it.

“The first question we should ask is whether Na’im’s remark about JAKIM mulling a proposal to make halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork or alcohol was discussed in the cabinet,” Hassan who is also a trained lawyer penned in a Facebook post aptly entitled “Let’s Be Honest”.

“Secondly, can the minister announce publicly a law-related policy that has yet to be greenlit by the cabinet? This brings us to the third question – to be fair and honest – who sparked this controversy? Was it Kok or the Islamic affairs minister?” – Focus Malaysia