Monday, February 10, 2014

Teresa will withdraw video and apologise if…

PETALING JAYA: DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang today said he would ask Teresa Kok to apologise and withdraw her ‘Onderful Malaysia’ video if anyone can show that the video contains anti-Malay or anti-Islam material.

“I have seen Teresa’s video a few times because of the allegations that it is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and although I have gone through the video with great care and attention, I cannot find any part of the video which could be regarded as anti-Malay or anti-Islam,” said the Gelang Patah MP.
On the contrary, he said, the video was a stinging critique on the failures of the Najib government to resolve the many pressing problems in the country.

“I will ask Teresa to withdraw and apologise for the ‘Onederful Malaysia’ video if anyone can can show there is any part which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam,” he said.
Seputeh MP and DAP vice-chairman Kok had come under severe criticism following her Mandarin political satire video which was released during the Chinese New Year, with many Umno leaders and pro-Umno Muslim NGOs calling it an insult to Islam and the Malays.
The attack against her reached a feverish pitch last Thursday when a group of Muslim NGOs held a protest against Kok and other opposition leaders, and offered a reward of RM1,200 to anyone who can slap her.
Lim today said the furore over Kok’s video only highlighted the political desperation of some quarters and the rank political opportunism of others.
“We can agree or disagree as to whether Teresa’s video was good, bad or even atrocious; most appropriate in giving vent to the people’s heart-felt grievances about the price hikes, low educational standards, worries about security because of rising crime and rampant corruption in the country or whether it is in poor taste and not befitting the work of a MP; but what is completely unacceptable is resort to lies and falsehoods to accuse Teresa’s video as anti-Malay and anti-Islam,” he said.
He repeated his outrage against Home Minister Ahamd Zahid Hamidi who yesterday had played down the slap-threat against Kok.
He added that he was also disappointed with Minister for Housing and Urban Wellbeing Abdul Rahman Dahlan who had similarly blamed Kok for the fiasco.
“In a series of tweets, Abdul Rahman said Teresa should not play victim when threatened by Muslim groups.
“He made the preposterous allegation that DAP had “relentlessly attacked the position of Malays and Muslims”.
“Abdul Rahman was telling a pack of lies when he alleged that the DAP had “since 2008…relentlessly attacked the position of Malays and Islam” and had even “insulted” the Yang di Pertuan Agong and Islam, for these allegations and lies are completely untrue,” added Lim.
Fabricating lies

In another statement, Kok also similarly said that she was shocked by Abdul Rahman’s claims against DAP.

“Abdul Rahman has created the most dangerous and the biggest lies against the DAP. Is he trying to incite the Malays, Muslims and the royalty against DAP?” she asked.
She suggested that Abdul Rahman was blaming her and her party to divert attention from the price hikes issues or the internal Umno power struggle.
She also hit out at Mingguan Malaysia for similarly fabricating lies against the DAP
She was referring to Awang Selamat’s column in the Malay daily today in which he had urged the authorities to take swift action against Kok.
“Awang Selamat’s remarks share a similarity with those who have accused me of insulting the country, race, religion or royalty or our security forces, that is, they make allegations without providing any evidence,” said Kok.
“I am not surprised that no evidence is provided because the fact is that there is no such insult in my video.
“My satirical video did not touch on race, religion, royalty, security forces or Lahad Datu intrusion tragedy,” she said.
She called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to immediately ask Umno leaders and Utusan Malaysia to stop playing with fire and to stop fabricating lies against the DAP.

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