Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has urged the police to arrest Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh for inciting racial and religious tensions over the “Allah” socks controversy.
According to The Vibes, Karim (above) acknowledged the responsibility of Home Minister Saifudin Nasution Ismail in an attempt to cool down the temperature but questioned the police’s inaction.
“I know that, at the national level, the Home Ministry is trying to resolve this problem and not to let the issue escalate.
“However, I am quite puzzled by the slow pace of the matter being investigated as well as the action being taken,” he was quoted as saying by The Vibes.
As a state minister from Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s lynchpin party Parti Pribumi Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Karim reportedly stressed that racial and religious provocations must be avoided in multi-ethnic Malaysia.
“Those who seem to be advocating, trying to create boycotts and things like that… you are only creating more stress to our nation. Whether you are from Umno or any party, don’t bother. Look at the nation as a whole.
“You can be the (Umno) Youth chief but you cannot incite this way, asking people to boycott this and boycott that. It is not very good to play up on racial sentiments,” he reportedly said.
Karim also expressed puzzlement over the slow probe into the attacks despite it being over a week since the first incident in Bidor, Perak.
He admitted that he did not expect the firebombing of KK Mart stores to spread to the typically peaceful Sarawak, showing the propensity of some to resort to violence.
“But even so, we cannot underestimate that things like this would not happen because outside, there just might be somebody who is slightly crazier than others.
“They just want to prove something like this probably to gain some kind of publicity,” he added.
Akmal has refused to back down from his boycott campaign against the convenience chain over the socks row.
His response to Malaysiakini came after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had decreed his “final warning” for all quarters to stand down and refrain from playing up the issue.
The Umno Supreme Council had also reportedly advised the Youth chief to stop amplifying the issue. - Mkini
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