NO WONDER PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IS PLUNGING: Zahid insists threat to slap Teresa NOT a crime

The action of a group of Muslim NGOs which had offered a RM1,200 reward to anyone who would slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in February over her Chinese New Year video, was deemed not a criminal offence, the home minister said today.

In a brief one-paragraph written reply to Kok, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, according to the law, a criminal offence could only exist if there were two elements, namely actus reus (element of criminal act) and mens rea (bad intent).

"As such, in referring to the question raised by the Yang Berhormat, it cannot be summarised that there is any criminal offence because it did not fulfil the legal principles stated," he said.

Kok, who was charged last month with sedition over the video, had asked whether the government would charge the NGOs which had threatened to slap her.

She also asked whether similar charges would be filed against former Sabah chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who had offered to slap Ahmad Zahid.

Kok's video, which featured her in a satirical feng shui forum with three other actors who poked fun at Malaysian leaders and current affairs, raised the anger of a group of Muslim NGOs calling itself "Council of Islamic NGOs", which claimed the video was an insult to Malays, Muslims and Malay rulers.

They held a protest on February 7 at Jalan Tun Perak during which members of the group slaughtered two chickens to show their unhappiness over the video titled "Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014”.

The groups also offered RM 1,200 to anyone who dared to slap Kok and provide photographic evidence of the act.

They then smeared the blood of the slaughtered chickens on a banner featuring photographs of Kok, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Machang Bubuk PKR assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.

Group leader Zulkifli Sharif had said that the chicken slaughter and blood smearing ritual was refence to the "bloody" May 13, 1969 racial riots.

"It is symbolic of the bloody incident. This means we are sending a serious warning to Teresa Kok not to provoke and create something that threatens the peace and feelings of the Malays," he had said.

Faced with the threats, Kok lodged a police report voicing her concerns and safety.

However, Ahmad Zahid had brushed off her concerns, saying that there was nothing to investigate as the offer of a reward to slap the DAP lawmaker was not a threat.  - TMI