MP: What, no reward offer to catch Zaid cutout burners?

An opposition MP has asked why there have been no offers of a reward to catch the culprits behind the burning of a former minister's cutout.

Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said this starkly contrasts with the incident during Bersih 4 in 2015 when two participants stepped on images of Prime Minister Najib Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Recalling how there was an offer of a reward to apprehend the two youths, Lim noted the duo were detained and grilled even though they had surrendered themselves to the police.

“Now, I would like to know, what is the size of the reward that will be offered by the police, and how many days would (Sungai Besar Umno chief) Jamal Md Yunos and his boys would be detained in lockup for burning a cutout of Zaid Ibrahim?” asked Lim in a statement.

He asked what the difference was between the two acts, and if one was permissible while the other was not.

“(The act) ought to be condemned by all of BN’s top leaders, unless they agree that burning a cutout like that is the current new politics brought by BN, that reflects their attitude,” he said.

On Wednesday Jamal torched cardboard cutouts of Zaid outside the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur where Umno was holding its annual general meeting.

This was in response to the former Umno law minister’s comments about the Selangor sultan.

Lim said acts such as Jamal's are unacceptable anywhere that has mature politics.

“If none of the BN leaders condemns Jamal’s act, and there is no action from the police on the intimidation against Zaid, who is (now) an opposition politician, does this signal more effigies of opposition politicians will be burned [...] up until the conclusion of the 14th general election?” he asked.

Thus far, no top BN leader has condemned Jamal’s stunt.

Instead, he received encouragement from his Permatang Pauh counterpart, who called on him to continue his “crazy crusade” in order to wrest Selangor back from Pakatan Harapan.

Gerakan man says follow law

Meanwhile, a Gerakan Youth coordinator said he too supports Jamal’s “crazy crusade” to retake Selangor, but it should be done within the law.

“Jamal can continue with all his crazy crusades if such antics can help to wrest back Selangor, which I’m supportive of, as long his antics don’t cause any public nuisance and criminal vandalism,” said Gerakan Youth legal bureau cum Bukit Gasing state constituency coordinator Chai Ko Thing in a statement.

He cited Jamal’s smashing of beer bottles outside the Selangor government office as a “clear violation of laws for unlawful assembly” and reiterated his call for the police to act.

Without mentioning the latest incident at the Umno AGM, Chai said Jamal’s “unusual and offensive demonstration antics certainly does not reflect well BN’s efforts to promote unity in diversity and winning public support in the next GE”.

“So, being part of the BN component, while we are supportive of Jamal’s ‘crazy crusade’ actions if is meant to help BN to win back Selangor, it must be stressed it must not be practised at the expense of public order and society's harmony,” said Chai.

-Mkini