Ti: Red Shirts should not be allowed to run wild

MCA spokesman says people have the right to protest, but it has to be done within the confines of the law.

PETALING JAYA: Ti Lian Ker is urging authorities to take “swift and immediate” action against the Malay group which had protested outside the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The MCA spokesman said in a statement today that the Red Shirts group, which was led by Umno’s Mohd Ali Baharom (better known as Ali Tinju), are a threat to public order, peace and harmony.

“We cannot allow mob rule or a handful of people to take the law into their own hands causing public disorder. There should be zero tolerance,” Ti, who is also MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman, said.

He was commenting on the protest by the Red Shirts against a Facebook post allegedly made by DAP’s Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming.

The controversial post, which Nga had denied uploading and claimed it to be the work of cybertroopers, equated “duit Raya” to “dedak”. “Duit Raya” is typically a monetary gift given by elders in a Malay family to children on the occasion of Aidilfitri.

Yesterday’s protest also saw several racial slurs aimed at the Chinese community.

Ti said while Umno or other groups had every right to protest Nga’s alleged post, it had to be done within the confines of the law.

“The Red Shirts should not be allowed to run wild and disregard law and order.

There’s no justification to react on any individual statements or actions by disrupting public order or attempting to create unrest,” he added.

Those who took part in yesterday’s protest, Ti said, should also bear in mind that their actions could in the long run paint a negative image of the ruling coalition.

He went on to praise the police for maintaining order and ensuring that no untoward incident occurred by deploying personnel to the site.