PETALING JAYA: A more stringent law to prevent racism and hate speech is needed, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said yesterday.
There were “significant planned efforts to incite racial tensions in the country”, she said in support of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa’s call for the inclusion of a hate speech provision in the Sedition Act 1948.
“I fear that racial issues and religious sentiment, if left unchecked, will spread to a level that will lead to hatred and could potentially destroy the country,” she said.
“I will propose that the government enact a stronger and more stringent law against racial offenders and those who spread hate. It is time (to show) the government’s commitment and seriousness in addressing this dangerous situation.”
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang urged political leaders to heed the advice of royalty on the threat to national unity due to hate speech.
The Iskandar Puteri MP was responding to a call by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, to foster unity instead of issuing or fanning slanderous statements that could jeopardise peace and security.
“Opposition leaders must play their part to curb fake news and hate speech,“ said Lim, who also shared a Facebook post by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, on the need for Malaysians to practise tolerance and strive to understand each other.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed has warned that police will take action against parties which disrupt security and public order.
He said the Classified Criminal Investigations Department has initiated investigations into several cases involving threats to public harmony.
“Police have already recorded statements from Dong Zong chairman Tan Tai Kim and its secretary-general Ng Chai Heng,” he said.
“This follows police reports lodged over the group’s statement that the introduction of Jawi writing in vernacular schools was a form of Islamisation. We will refer the investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) soon.”
Police have also recorded statements from Umno Youth exco member and blogger Wan Azri Wan Deris, also known as Papagomo, over his remarks concerning the death of Syed Muhammad Danial Syed Syakir, who died following a road rage incident on the KL-Seremban highway last month.
“Police are waiting for the results of a digital analysis into several seized items, where the findings would be forwarded to the AGC for further instructions.”
On cases related to controversial preacher Zakir Naik, Huzir said police were still waiting for instructions from the AGC.
He added that a probe on Tan Sri Koon Yew Yin’s alleged negative remarks on the Armed Forces last month is ongoing.
In another development, Huzir said Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam will be questioned over a sex video allegedly involving a minister and former political aide Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz.
“Lokman would be called to Bukit Aman. Police have received from Lokman a video analysis report by Verden Forensic, based in United Kingdom, and have sent it to Cybersecurity Malaysia for further analysis.”
