Akmal’s actions will see BN viewed with contempt, says MCA senator

 

Ti Lian Ker said Dr Akmal Saleh would react emotionally to issues and ‘disregard the law’.

PETALING JAYA: An MCA senator said Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s tendency to play “judge, jury and executioner” will irk the public who will subsequently view Barisan Nasional with contempt.

Ti Lian Ker said Akmal would react emotionally to issues and disregard the law and, at times, take the law into his own hands.

“Such arrogance will only see the people get fed up with Umno and BN,” he said during the debate on the king’s address in the Dewan Negara today.

Ti, a former MCA vice-president, also claimed that Akmal had inspired a group of “vigilantes” to take matters into their own hands.

When contacted, Ti said the vigilantes he was referring to was a silat group who confronted a Facebook user who had allegedly made an insensitive remark when commenting on the controversy surrounding the sale of socks with the word “Allah”.

“This may be tantamount to criminal intimidation or an assault although there’s no battery. We don’t want this trend to continue that may result in violence and injury”, he said, echoing a sentiment by former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Latheefa Koya.

Latheefa had described the actions of the silat group as “bullying and distasteful” on X two days ago, adding that if one felt an offence had been committed, they should just lodge a police report instead of resorting to “roadside justice”.

In September last year, Ti had taken Akmal to task after he “raided” rice mills in Melaka, where he also allegedly threatened to revoke a rice miller’s licence and seize the goods as well as seal off the factory.

Ti had slammed Akmal’s action, saying it was beyond his jurisdiction and could amount to bullying and intimidation.

Recently, Akmal had been pushing for a boycott of KK Mart over the socks issue and vowed to continue doing so despite comments from some leaders that the matter should not be prolonged.

He also said KK Mart’s apology was insufficient, and that no party should get away with “a single apology” for insulting religion, and demanded for apology banners to be displayed at all of the store’s 881 outlets. - FMT