GUA MUSANG: Gua Musang DAP lodged a police report concerning a statement that allegedly labelled the party as "kafir harbi" during a recent campaign speech in the Nenggiri state by-election.
Gua Musang DAP Youth chief Nor Amin Shafiq Ismail said the irresponsible and dangerous accusation, which has since gone viral on social media, could damage national unity and threaten the harmony that has been built on the foundations of tolerance and mutual respect.
"It uses religion as a political tool, something that is forbidden and unacceptable in our diverse society. This statement also has the potential to cause tension and division among Malaysians of different religions and ethnicities.
"We, Pemuda Harapan, request that the police investigate the statement under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which relates to the offence of causing disharmony, disunity or enmity on religious grounds,” he said.
The Nenggiri by-election on Aug 17 will be a straight fight between Mohd Azmawi Fikri, representing the unity government, and PAS candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, who is contesting for Perikatan Nasional.
Nor Amin Shafiq also called on the police to take firm action to ensure that hate-driven political culture does not spread further, while also urging young leaders from various parties to similarly condemn the remark and file police reports so that appropriate legal action can be taken.
Meanwhile, Gua Musang OCPD Supt Sik Choon Foo confirmed that the police had received a report on the matter and that further investigations would be carried out.
"We will investigate under Section 4A of the Election Offences Act 1954, Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for causing fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public, as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” he said.
The Federal Territories Mufti's Office, in a statement posted on its official website, stated that labelling a citizen with the term "kafir harbi" carries severe and grave implications, as it suggests they can be fought against, their safety will not be protected and their property not secured.
"This label cannot be applied to any non-Muslim citizen in a country that respects its Constitution and abides by its laws.
"Therefore, labelling a segment of a country’s citizens with such a term is extreme and excessive. However, if one wishes to understand the context of "kafir harbi" in modern times, the term could be referred to Zionist groups and Israel,” the statement read.- Bernama
