DAP's Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming said he forgives the Umno Youth and Gerakan Merah protesters for their "rude behaviour" at a demonstration against him at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The protesters accused Nga of disrespecting Islam in two Facebook postings on Hari Raya Aidilfitri, but the parliamentarian has denied making such postings.
"As it is Syawal month, I will forgive them in the spirit of Hari Raya Aidilfitri for their rude behaviour. But the people must remember Umno is no more relevant to lead this nation.
"They are outdated and morally bankrupt. Malaysia deserves a better future," Nga told Malaysiakini.
The two postings are a Hari Raya greeting using an American flag and a Christian prayer, and another, a cartoon depicting children asking not for 'duit raya' but for 'donation' or 'dedak'.
The Hari Raya greeting with the American flag was posted on a Nga Kor Ming Facebook fan page the MP said is unauthorised, while the cartoon is reportedly posted on the same page.
However, the latter cannot be established as the page has since been deactivated.
Dedak, the Malay word for animal feed, is commonly used in political circles to refer to handouts given to win over supporters and allies.
The protesters yesterday had also thrown hell notes in front of the DAP headquarters, calling for DAP's "death".
In Chinese custom, hell notes are burned for the dead.
Nga said the use of hell notes and "violence against the police", who formed a cordon to stop the protesters from entering the DAP headquarters, reflected poorly on Umno Youth.
"I trust the public will judge and condemn their unreasonable conduct," he said.
'Demonstration was illegal'
Nga said the demonstration was "illegal" because the police were not notified 10 days prior to it, in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act.
"It only goes to prove Umno's double standards," he said, reiterating the "smear campaign" against him.
He said the "illegal assembly" was to divert attention from mounting public pressure amid the 1MDB issue and the leak of the auditor-general's report on the state-owned investment firm.
Separately, lawyer Syahredzan Johan also questioned the legality of the gathering and noted that others, including his client Selangor state executive council member Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, have been charged for not giving due notice.
The controversial posting was on July 8, Syahredzan said, so there would be insufficient time to give 10 days' notice, as per Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act.
"Don't misunderstand. I stand by my belief that this section is unconstitutional. It restricts the people's freedom to assemble peacefully. I also do not want anyone charged in court under this undemocratic law.
"But this is a litmus test on whether the law is enforced in a just manner in this country.
"It also shows weaknesses in the law that citizens need to wait 10 days to demonstrate on a heated issue," Syahredzan said in a Facebook posting.
