POLICE should just arrest Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh and all those like him, who are inciting people along race and religious lines, said Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Akmal, the Merlimau state assemblyman, has been urging Malays and Muslims to boycott the KK Mart convenience stores over the “Allah” socks controversy.
Karim said the police should just “go and grab” him without having to consider his position and political affiliation.
“Whether (he is) from Umno (or) whether (he is) from any other party, don't bother. Just nab him," he said.
Karim, the first cabinet minister from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) – the lynchpin of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) – to comment of the socks controversy which had triggered off three firebomb attacks on KK Mart stores in Bidor, Perak, Kuantan, Pahang and here in Kuching, said the police should instead look at the “the country as a whole”.
“The Umno Youth chief cannot be inciting (and no action taken). Anything to do with race, religion should always be avoided especially in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country (like Malaysia).”
Karim said since the Internal Security Act (ISA) has been repealed, police should use whatever available laws “to stop this kind of nonsense”, adding that if this was not done, it will lead to much bigger problems.
The police and the Home Ministry should have acted decisively and not let Akmal's actions escalate the situation.
“It's not going to help (the country). Those who seem to be advocating boycotts are creating much more stress to our nation.”
Karim said he is also puzzled by the slow pace of investigations into the three attacks.
He said it was puzzling that no one had been arrested a week after the first attack on the KK Super Mart branch in Bidor on March 26, and five days after the Kuching attack.
Karim admitted he had not expected the attack at the store in Satok, Kuching.
“It's the last thing we had expected. Everybody knows that Sarawak is such a peaceful state with a level of tolerance unmatched in any other states.”
He said the Molotov cocktail attack in the wee hours of Sunday, which set off a small fire, has shown Sarawakians not to underestimate the propensity of some people to resort to violence.
“Things like this are bound to happen because there are some people crazier than others.” – The Vibes, April 4, 2024
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