MALACCA: The Malacca Immigration Department can take care of itself and does not need the likes of Mohd Ali Baharom – or Ali Tinju – to defend it or fight its battles.
State Immigration Department deputy director Abu Bakar Sidek Hassan has told the former soldier not to use an incident on Sept 30 as an excuse to hold his planned rally on Saturday.
Abu Bakar said his men had accepted the incident as a job hazard and brushed off any racial element in the incident which saw some 40 thugs assaulting his officers during a raid at a karaoke outlet in Taman Melaka Raya.
“We don’t want to see the incident manipulated as a political or racial issue. My officers and I were just carrying out our responsibilities in a professional manner to eliminate the existence of illegals in the area following a tip-off,” he said.
“We don’t need people like Ali Tinju to fight our battles for us.”
Abu Bakar said none of his men had voiced any grievance to Mohd Ali over the assault.
“My men have faced confrontations during raids and we have never complained about it. We take it as a risk factor,” he said.
“We even received death threats during previous incidents and we still carried on. Where was Ali Tinju then?”
Abu Bakar said the raid at the outlet was conducted following a tip-off that there were a number of foreign guest relation officers without valid documents.
“We had no ulterior motive in conducting a raid as the operation was part of our frequent checks at outlets within the entertainment enclave of Taman Melaka Raya.
“I don’t understand why the issue has suddenly been blown out of proportion. We never sought any help from Ali Tinju to defend us or utter racially tinged statements,” he said.
Abu Bakar also unveiled that his men adhered to all procedures when conducting the raid but unfortunately were intimidated by the unruly group.
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron was even more blunt. “Don’t even mention his (Ali’s) name. He is not a good person.”
“We don’t need him here. We want a harmonious state and we respect all races. I don’t need him to teach me how to administer my state.”
Mohd Ali, when contacted late last night, refused to comment.
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