GEORGE TOWN – Ayer Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng Soon Siang made an open apology to all Muslims today for placing a songkok atop the cow statue at the Jalan Ayer Itam roundabout.
Ng said he did not intend to offend any party and wanted to maintain the existing harmony between the various races in Penang.
“Generally, every festive season, I will place decorations according to the festive theme at the location.
“However, I was careless and did not have any bad intentions with the decoration in conjunction with the Syawal celebration and had touched the sensitivities of Muslim friends here,” he said in a statement here.
Following that, Ng said his team had immediately taken down the decoration yesterday and he took full responsibility over the incident.
It is understood that the decoration on the statue – a songkok and ketupat – at the Jalan Ayer Itam roundabout was placed a few days ago, before it was taken down yesterday.
It angered some Muslims on social networking sites, who said that the animal does not represent the characteristics of Islam and the Malay community.
Meanwhile, lawyer activist Shamsher Singh Thind disputed the connection between a cow and Ayer Itam, as the area’s economy is not renowned for cattle breeding.
“What do cows have to do with Ayer Itam? If it’s an eagle statue such as on Langkawi island or a cat statue in Kuching, that’s perfectly okay. What’s wrong with the picture here?
“Ayer Itam belongs to all nationals. The Jalan Ayer Itam roundabout does not belong to any particular race or religion. And the cow is not Ayer Itam’s mascot,” he said on Facebook. – The Vibes, May 11, 2021
