THE RESIDENCE and three cars belonging to DAP’s Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham in Manjung district, Perak were hit by fire very early this morning.
The former Perak Assembly speaker said that that the fire was contained and there were no injuries in the incident.
Berita Harian reported that the premise along Lorong Semarak Jaya in Ayer Tawar town was attacked using explosives, specifically Molotov cocktails.
Ngeh informed that he would hold a press conference at the Ayer Tawar Service Centre regarding the incident at 12.30 this afternoon.
Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad, assistant director of the Perak Fire and Rescue Department’s operations division, said that the Ayer Tawar Fire and Rescue Station rushed its personnel and vehicles to the scene of the incident as soon as they received an emergency call at 3.05am this morning.
"On arrival at the location, the department found a fire involving three cars in the parking area of the house. They were a Mercedes E300, a Honda CRV and a Toyota Hilux.
"The fire also affected the ceiling and roof of the vehicles' garage.
"No one was injured, and the operation ended at 4.44am after the fire was extinguished," he said.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said that the firemen were able to put out the flames and prevent them from spreading to the rest of residential building.
He said that a police report has been made and he is confident that decisive and quick action will be taken to investigate and arrest the parties responsible for the apparent crime.
"On behalf of the entire DAP leadership, I express sympathy and solidarity with his family following this violent incident," he said in a statement today.
“DAP strongly condemns this violent attack which threatens the safety of his family. We insist that any form of violence is unacceptable in dealing with differences in our society."
He added that the DAP called on the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police to take serious note of the incident and ensure that public safety and order are always maintained.
Incidentally, some controversy had ignited around Ngeh in late December after he suggested that a constitutional expert from among non-Muslims should be appointed to the special committee formed to study proposals to strengthen the Syariah Court’s role and Syariah law.
He later apologised and withdrew his proposal after being criticised by various parties.
He said that it was not his intention to interfere in the management of Islamic affairs and that he had initially thought that the government was seeking proposals to amend the Federal Constitution.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook then asserted that Ngeh’s proposal was a mistake and misunderstanding about the committee’s source of power, adding that the DAP is committed to upholding the principle of mutual respect and harmony among religions and ethnicities.
Cops track party behind attack
Meanwhile, Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri confirmed the discovery of the remains of a bottle suspected to have been used as a Molotov cocktail.
He said that the Manjung district police headquarters received a call from Ngeh regarding the incident at 2.55am this morning.
“The police investigation at the scene found that the fire resulted in the destruction of a Mercedes Benz car.
“Two more cars were affected by the heat, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota Hilux.
“Also found at the scene of the fire was a bottle suspected to contain a Molotov cocktail,” he said in a statement today.
In connection with that, Yusri said the case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code.
The clause deals with “mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of fifty ringgit.”
He assured that the case will be investigated in detail from various angles and efforts to trace the individuals involved are being actively carried out. – The Vibes, January 10, 2024
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