KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has called for a new law to address the issue of racism, whether manifested in physical or verbal abuse.
This was in response to a scuffle last Friday between Universiti Malaya students and supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
He also wondered if the authorities were having trouble arresting those involved in the scuffle.
Ramkarpal alleged that it was the Umno men who had incited the fight between the two sides.
“We cannot hide the fact that this is not the first time that Umno has done something like this,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
His comments triggered an angry response from Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) who asked Ramkarpal how he knew this to be true.
But Ramkarpal stood by his statement and also alleged that a journalist was involved in the ruckus as well. “If you don’t like what the journalist reports do you attack him?” he asked.
“I feel that this Dewan must support laws against racism. Let us throw our support behind such a legislation,” he added.
This led to calls of support for the proposal from Bung Moktar, Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) and Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau), all of whom are Umno MPs.
At the incident last Friday, six students of the varsity were seen outside a restaurant near the campus, holding up a cardboard with a caricature of a clown that resembled Najib as well as placards with messages demanding to know where money from 1MDB fund had gone.
Video clips that have gone viral show that Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam and Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division chief Mutalib Abdul Rahim were involved in the scuffle.
