Ramasamy questions police impartiality in religious cases

 

Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy questioned if police were reluctant to investigate Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin and others.

PETALING JAYA: Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has questioned the police about the impartiality of the force in religious conversion cases.

Ramasamy contrasted the action taken by police against himself and a Seberang Perai councillor, and the apparent lack of action on reports against Perak mufti and an Islamic preacher.

He said Seberang Perai councillor P David Marshel had been summoned to Bukit Aman tomorrow to give a statement about a video he posted concerning the conversion of Loh Siew Hong’s children without her consent.

Ramasamy said he had been summoned to Bukit Aman on March 3 for the same issue. “Now, David has been called as several individuals have lodged police reports against him and investigation papers have been opened.

“But what has happened to the police report made against Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin and the 600 police reports against Islamic preacher Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu?,” said Ramasamy.

“Have the police called them for further investigation with regard to the reports against them?” he said.

He also questioned why the police were not investigating Muslim organisations such as Gerakan Pembela Ummah (Ummah), Berjasa, Putra, and Perkasa who deliberately fanned racial tensions over Loh’s case.

“I am not sure whether the police still lack enough evidence to open an investigation paper or if they are hesitant to investigate Asri, Zamri and these organisations,” he said. “I have not seen any developments about the police reports I have made against these individuals and organisations,” he said.

Ramasamy said he was confused as to why David, who helped Loh to unite with her children based on a court order, was being investigated but those who had openly violated the law and constitution had yet to be called.

He said the law and enforcement must be fair to all and the police should not be partial in carrying out their role.

“Asri and Zamri should be further investigated for turning Loh’s case into a racist issue which has sparked racial tensions in the country,” he said.

On Feb 21, the High Court granted Loh’s habeas corpus application to regain custody of her three children.

Ramasamy had been a vocal critic of the children’s conversion, saying that it was a clear contravention of a landmark Federal Court decision in 2018 that conversion of minors requires the consent of both parents. - FMT