THE man who claimed to be an imam during the harassment and assault of Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong at a Ramadan bazaar has been arrested.
The 35-year-old cleaner was arrested at 1.40pm at the Kluang police headquarters when he went there to have his statement recorded.
Also detained was a 49-year-old caterer who was at the scene yesterday.
Kluang police chief Asst Comm Mohamad Laham confirmed the arrests.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing injury without weapon and under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.
The duo and four others had blocked Liew and his team along with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia members from entering the dry section at the bazaar in Kluang town yesterday.
They blocked the entrance with three tables and formed a human blockade to prevent Liew from distributing dates to the traders and bazaar-goers.
One of the men allegedly punched a member of Liew’s staff after failing to grab a camera from him. Liew was hit on the forehead in the scuffle.
A video recording of the commotion went viral on social media and garnered criticism not only from netizens but also leaders of the ruling parties and the opposition.
Many netizens were angry that the group had “tarnished Islam” with their behavior.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the group’s action against the Kluang MP was uncalled for and it was made even worse as it was done during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Muhyiddin Yassin branded those who harassed Liew as un-Islamic, adding that they should have allowed him to perform his duties as an MP.
This was not the first time the same person had barred Liew from entering a Ramadan bazaar.
In 2014, he had asked Liew for an approval letter to prove he was allowed to distribute dates at the bazaar. – June 11, 2017.
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Comments
When a malaysian of one faith has to interact with a person of another faith in a matter that concerns the other person's faith, it is customary for us to interact with a lot of restrain and open heartedness. We show restrain in the sense that we do not act or say thing that can be considered drastic in matters regarding another person's faith, and we show open heartendness in that if per chance someone who is not of our faith commits an error in his interaction with our faith, to the degree possible, we tend let the matter slide, or at least, not make a big deal of it.
While it can be said that as per our customs, the people who harassed the MP could have shown a little more open heartedness in dealing with MP, it can also be said that the MP should perhaps have shown a little more restrain.
When you do things like visit mosques and distribute dates on the fasting month, when rumours that the next election will be called really soon, and when you yourself are not of a muslim faith, and you happen to be a politician too, you can't fully blame people if they don't think that your actions is not politically motivated, and that you are doing what you do motivated purely by a spirit of good will and togetherness.
If the MP's intention was distribute dates to those who are fasting to spread some good cheer during the fasting month and foster better interfaith relationship, perhaps he could have thought of some better way to do so.
As an representative of malaysians, he should have understood better how malaysian are like , how we percieve politicians, the mood of the present times, and understand what impressions his gesture would have generated.
Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply