The police have been urged not to practise double standards by investigating only those who stomped on the pictures of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang at the Bersih 4 rally in Kuala Lumpur.
Why were the police doing so, asked DAP Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer asked, when they had failed to act against those in Umno who had breached the law in even worse ways.
Rayer said police had also detained and questioned performance artist Bilqis Hijjaz for releasing seven yellow balloons with the words ‘democracy’, ‘justice’ and ‘free media’ at an event in Kuala Lumpur attended by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Monday.
So, why have they failed to act against those in Umno who had breached the law in worse ways?
Rayer ( photo ) urged the police and Home Ministry to act against anyone who flouted the law, even if they were from BN.
“I likewise urge that action be taken on those who have committed more deplorable and despicable acts, such as urinating, setting fire and splashing animal blood on the pictures of opposition leaders,” Rayer told Malaysiakini.
“If you want photographs of these incidents, call me and I will gladly furnish them so that investigations can be initiated immediately against the perpetrators,” he added.
Rayer was referring to various acts done on the photographs of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.
This morning, PAS lodged a police report against Bersih, which held a 34-hour rally at Dataran Merdeka last Saturday and Sunday, where a photograph of a participant stomping on images depicting Najib and Hadi went viral.
Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah expressed outrage at the act by an unknown participant but has refused to apologise as it was not part of the rally’s programme.
Rayer reminded the police that despite police reports lodged, there had been no action against certain individuals, for example, the brother of inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar.
Khalid’s elder brother, Abdullah Abu Bakar ( photo ), is an Umno leader. In April, Abdullah led a protest by 50 people against a church in Selangor for displaying a cross on its building.
Rayer also noted that police had also failed to act against Baling Wanita Umno chief Mashitah Ibrahim for uttering “inflammatory statements” at the party’s general assembly last year that a Chinese burned the Quran in Kedah.
“No action was taken against Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz as well for his insolent remarks against the Crown Prince of Johor, asking the royalty to stay out of politics,” Rayer said.
“This gives the impression that those in Umno are above the law and are virtually untouchable, unlike the ordinary rakyat who are always subject to the full force of the law,” he said.
Rayer challenged Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali to act against all those he named.
“Article 8 of the Federal Constitution states that all citizens are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law,” he emphasised.
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