MIC threatens action against Zul Noordin

The party wants the Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General to investigate and charge the MP over his vicious remarks.

PETALING Jaya: Perkasa vice-president Zukifili Noordin must apologise to Malaysian Hindus for belittling their religion or face action from MIC, the party warned today.

MIC secretary general S Murugesan said in a statement that the independent Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP’s remarks were unbecoming of a MP and an insult not only to Hindus, but to all who profess freedom of religion.

“We view such transgressions seriously and would like to remind all leaders to respect each other’s religion and way of life in a multi racial, multi religious country.

“We do not want such reckless statements to wreck the harmony that has been built by our forefathers,” he added.

His statement comes in the wake of national outrage over a video of Zulkifli questioning the Hindu concept of God and mocking the Ganges River, which is considered sacred by Hindus.

“I have been to Sungai Ganga before. How can you say it’s pure? There are chicken carcasses and small sticks floating,” Zulkifli said.

He also recalled his conversation with a trader selling Hindu figurines and statues in the Masjid India area in Kuala Lumpur whose business was affected by a flood.

He described how the trader laughed when he questioned why the deities were not there to protect his business.

Zulkifli added that he then suggested to the trader that his god was unable to protect his business perhaps, because his god too was hit by the flood.

Commenting on this, Murugesan said: “Zulkifli questions the concept of the Hindu God and the purity of Hindus in what appears to be a recording at a religious lecture.”

“He had used his conversation with a street peddler as the basis of questioning the Hindu faith. It shows his shallowness and total disrespect of another’s faith.

“On what authority is Zulkifli speaking on the Hindu religion? Not only are his remarks wrong vis a vis the Hindu religion, but also betrays his prejudice,” he added.

Charge Zulkifli

MIC also joined the growing call for the authorities to take action against Zulkifli.

“Malaysia is a role model country on integrating multiculturalism and even First World Countries like Japan has high regard on this about Malaysia,” said Murugesan.

“We urge the Inspector General of Police and Attorney General to investigate and charge Zulkifli under Section 298A of the Penal Code. Enough is enough,” he said.

Section 298A is related to causing “disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudice, etc., the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion. Anyone found guilty under the section may be imprisoned from two to five years.

Yesterday, about 30 NGOs and several PKR members lodged 20 police reports against Zulkifli at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters.