Penang CM accuses Putrajaya of selective prosecution

By Lisa J. Ariffin

September 03, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 ― Lim Guan Eng today accused Putrajaya of racism and selective prosecution for failing to act against Perkasa members who stepped on pictures of him and performed funeral rites outside his house in May.

The Penang chief minister made the remarks today after Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday that his ministry will act against those allegedly advocating replacing the national flag as well as individuals who had stepped on the prime minister’s picture and cursed at national leaders at a gathering in Kuala Lumpur recently.

“Will the same action be taken against [Barisan Nasional] supporters who commit such acts on pictures of PR leaders?” Lim asked.

“To date, no court action is taken against these BN political desperados who showed disrespect on portraits of PR leaders,” the DAP secretary-general said today in a press statement.

“Clearly BN practises selective prosecution, double standards and even outright racism by not expressing the same indignation and demands for stern action against extremist Perkasa members who burnt or stepped on my portrait outside my office in Komtar and performed funeral rites on my portrait outside my house,” he added.

Lim said it was “sad” that non-Malay BN component ministers were “behaving so cowardly by demanding action when the prime minister’s picture is stepped on but not when a Chinese chief minister’s picture is abused”.

“Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that stepping on the prime minister’s pictures showed how disrespectful the opposition is towards the country,” he said.

“First of all, it is irresponsible to blame the opposition for an act that was clearly not our doing,” he explained.

“Secondly, Koh’s condemnation of the prime minister’s picture-stomping incident while keeping mum when my own picture was burnt and funeral rites performed with my image only exposes Koh’s double standards and subservience to Umno,” he added.

Lim said this revealed the attitude of BN leaders and served as a warning to Malaysians that the government is “prepared to use exploit extremist racial and divisive politics to win the next general election”.

On September 1, Hishammuddin had said the police would investigate the purported actions of a number of participants of the “Janji Bersih” assembly on the eve of National Day.

They were photographed stepping on the pictures of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, at the gathering.

In May, a group of 30 members from Malay rights pressure group Perkasa held a “funeral rite” in front of Lim’s house in Pinhorn Road to show their dissatisfaction at the latter’s rule in Penang since 2008.

The group led by state Perkasa Youth chief Risuan Asuddin threw posters of Lim at his front gate and placed a framed photo of him with a garland of flowers to signify his “death” to the Malay community.

The group stayed around Lim’s house for about 15 minutes before convoying to Komtar, the state’s administrative centre, where Lim’s office is situated.

Along their journey on their motorcycles, the group threw posters of Lim onto the road, before continuing their demonstration for another 15 minutes around Komtar.