THE police investigation into PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang must genuine, not just a public relations exercise to cool down ethnic tensions, Penang Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy said today.

The DAP lawmaker said the police must instead charge the PAS president with causing public mischief and abuse of social media under the relevant provisions of the penal code and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988.

“The remark that non-Malays are corrupt, not Malays, has come from the mouth of a sitting MP and a party leader.

“If Hadi can get away with this racist remark, then it will merely embolden others to engage in extreme forms of ethnic and religious aspersions.

“There is nothing to stop them from doing so,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, the police issued a statement saying they have opened an investigation into Hadi over his remarks claiming non-Malays and non-Bumiputeras were believed to be responsible for the lion’s share of corruption nationwide.

The Marang MP is expected to be summoned to Bukit Aman and investigated under section 505 (C) of the penal code for issuing statements likely to incite the community and section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 for improper use of network facilities or network services.

The police announcement came as more police reports were lodged yesterday Hadi over his remarks, including from the Global Human Rights Federation and several groups in Sarawak.

DAP also lodged a police report against Hadi.

Ramasamy said: “Hadi and other racist politicians think and act as though they are above the law.”

He added that Hadi had previously also advocated the government to exclude the non-Malays from the most senior civil service appointments.

“If the police investigation against Hadi is merely going to be a whitewash, then public confidence in the police to act without fear or favour will be shaken up.

“The police must be seen to be doing the right thing. Nobody is above the law.” – August 29, 2022.