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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Zahid slammed for condoning cow attack

Gerakan has hit out at Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for failing to appreciate the sensitivities of Hindus in saying the cow's head attack on Seri Delima rep this morning was deserved.

The party's legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh said that as home minister, Zahid should cultivate peace and harmony instead of encouraging violence.

He reminded Zahid that the victim, RSN Rayer is a practising Hindu like himself (Baljit) and such acts are not only insensitive but mischievous, especially when it is done a day before the Muslim's fasting month.

"The incident touches on religious sensitivities of Hindus. The home minister should be more responsible," Baljit told Malaysiakini.

"He should not be encouraging such animosity between people of different faiths, especially when it is only a day before the fasting month begins," Baljit added.

Baljit was referring to Zahid commenting the act of vandalism at Rayer's home was the "price" the DAP lawmaker had to pay for uttering the words "Umno celaka" at the Penang legislative assembly last month.

Quoted by The Rakyat Post, Zahid said Rayer should realise that his remarks had angered the public.

"As a politician, I sympathise with him. But that is the price he has to pay for being foul-mouthed," Ahmad had said during a press conference after launching the Certified Security Guards end of training programme at the police academy.

A 'celaka' act

Baljit urged the police chief to act on the culprit as there is video evidence of the incident which happened at 5.58am outside Rayer's house in Island Park, Penang.

"Instead of calling for so many press conferences, please get your men to do their job, arrest the culprit for doing this despicable act," Baljit said.

He described the individual who did this as indeed "celaka" (damned).

"This individual whom I just called 'celaka' can make a police report on me saying I am seditious," Baljit said, rather furiously.

"It is simply not nice to put such anxiety in Rayer's home and family," he added.

"We may have different political affiliations but there must be some limits that we should not cross," he said.

Meanwhile, MIC Youth condemned the incident and urged the police to launch a thorough investigation and take action against the culprit.

“I view this as a serious matter and authorities should give it priority because it involves racial sensitivities.

“If immediate action is not taken, I’m sure that such incidents will continue.

"Today they’ll throw cow heads and tomorrow, someone will throw pig’s heads until untoward incidents happen.

“No religion advocates for such actions,” said MIC youth secretary Arvind Krishnan in a separate statement today.

MIC deputy president S Subramaniam in a one-paragraph statement this evening also condemned the attack.

"Provoking religious sentiments by any quarters cannot be condoned for any reason whatsoever. The police should trace the culprits behind this act and take appropriate action against them," he said.

Rayer's "celaka" remark has landed him in trouble with pro-Umno groups who want him to apologise and retract his remark that they claim insult the Malays and Islam.

Their anger led to a group of 16 barging into the Penang legislative assembly on May 21, looking for Rayer.

Fifteen were charged in the Magistrate’s Court last week for trespassing, while Rayer who was supposed to be charged for sedition, had his case postponed indefinitely ordered by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Rayer denied insulting Malays and Islam, saying he merely directed the words at three Umno leaders who attended a rally in Seberang Jaya in January, where banners blaming DAP for the May 13 racial riots were displayed.

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