BERUAS MP Ngeh Koo Ham believes that the suspected arson at his house in Ayer Tawar this morning could be due to a media statement he issued on December 28. 

Ngeh said the media statement was in response to the suggestion by the federal government to form a committee headed by former Chief Justice Zaki Azmi to study the conflicts between syariah laws and the Federal Constitution, in which the 11 members of the committee are all Muslims. 

Ngeh said he suggested that non-Muslim constitutional experts be appointed to the committee so that non-Muslim views about the provisions in the Federal Constitution could be taken into account before any change to the law was made.  

“I specifically stated that the views of non-Muslims with regard to the provisions in the Federal Constitution be taken into account. Never at any point of time did I say that they interfere in Islamic Laws or Islamic matters. 

“I also suggested that a representative from the Malaysian Bar be appointed as it is a statutory body formed with an interest in any matter related to our country’s laws,” he said, adding that he was not involved in any quarrel prior to the suspected arson today. 

Ngeh said in response to his statement, some political leaders accused him of interfering with Islamic matters by distorting his media statement and defaming him while misleading people, especially the Muslim community. 

He said they accused him of proposing to appoint non-Muslim constitutional experts to the Special Committee to study issues related to competencies of the state legislative assembly in enacting Islamic laws as well as “intervention in matters of harmonising the Syariah Court by non-Muslim legal experts”. 

“When I saw that my suggestion had been manipulated to stir intolerance and hatred by such people, I apologised and withdrew my suggestion. We must not allow such groups to manipulate the emotions of the public. 

“We must encourage mature discussion in all matters. I have never been anti-Islam; it has been proven in court,” he said. 

On December 30, the media reported that Ngeh, who sparked controversy over his suggestions to strengthen the Syariah Court system for Muslims, had apologised and retracted his earlier statement calling for non-Muslims to be included in a special committee formed by the federal government to study Syariah law.  

As a member of parliament, Ngeh said he tried to solve all problems brought to him and wanted to help the voiceless and downtrodden while some social problems involved the issue of religion. 

Ngeh said he forgave those who wanted to burn his cars and house and even harm his family if they had been misled by falsehood and instigated by others to hate and commit violence. 

“As a lawyer for 38 years and have been in public service for 33 years, I know it is never a happy life to live if we are involved in crime and live in fear. I am inviting them to turn over a new leaf, be a good citizen and don’t cause worries to your families.  

“Your family members love you and when you are involved in a crime, it causes them much pain, sleepless nights and endless worries,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Ngeh said he did not receive any threat in the form of phone calls or messages before today’s incident and left it entirely to the police to investigate the case. 

Earlier today, Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said police were hunting for the individual suspected of hurling a Molotov cocktail into the house of Ngeh in Ayer Tawar, which damaged a car this morning. – Bernama, January 10, 2024.