PM on Seafield riots: People must understand democracy's limits

PARLIAMENT | Democracy has its limits and the people need to understand its boundaries, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He urged all parties to cease issuing provocative statements that could cause unhappiness to other parties.

"It is not the intention of the government to penalise blindly but democracy has its limits and all of us need to understand these limits," Mahathir said when explaining the recent riots at a Hindu temple in Seafield, Subang Jaya, in the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

"Nobody can act as they like to break the law, cause uneasiness to others and create riots in the country," he said.

"The right to freedom of speech does not mean that we can provoke the sensitivities of others," he said.

"It is important for us to be aware that the safety and stability of the nation is our responsibility together.

"I urge members of the public to be careful when issuing their remarks or when sharing news on the incident because much false news has been spread," Mahathir said.

Politicians and NGOs should not take advantage of the situation (“menangguk di air keruh”), added the Pakatan Harapan chairperson.

[More to follow]  - Mkini