KUALA LUMPUR - Perikatan Nasional (PN) Youth has urged DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng to make a public apology and defend himself by lodging a police report over a racial issue which recently surfaced on social media.
PN deputy Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said the statement made by the former Penang chief minister on the destruction of a temple was racist, extreme and prejudice against the PN leadership especially in Kedah.
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said as a former chief minister, Lim should have known the duties of civil servants including the local authorities and it did not involve political interference or an order related to politics.
The Machang MP said Lim should understand the jurisdiction of respective states.
"What Lim said in his speech delivered in Mandarin is very dangerous to the good relation between races and religions in the country.
"I do not understand why he (Lim) was willing to poison the minds of the Chinese voters and scare them with the green wave.
"We demand Lim to publicly apologise to PN and all Muslims over the statement," he said in a press conference, today.
He said this when met after the Selangor PN Youth lodged a police report against Lim at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters (IPD), here.
Also present were Selangor PN Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar who is also Selangor Pas Youth chief and Gerakan Youth and Human Rights Bureau head Cooper Khoo Kuan Yiaw.
Commenting further, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said a total of 50 police reports were lodged by PN across the country against Lim related to the issue.
He said the police could take action following the reports that have been lodged throughout the country.
Apart from that, he said PN Youth has also asked Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil to keep his promise that any party or individual who touched on issues pertaining to race, religion and the royalty institution (3R) would be visited by the cops.
"PN Youth would like to see Lim present at the police station to give evidence and explanation regarding the matter," he said.
Asked whether he thought that Lim’s statement had been misinterpreted by some media, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said the Bagan MP could lodge a police report and defend himself.
He said if Lim felt that he was innocent and the reports in the media were untrue, the latter could initiate a legal action against the media involved.
"For justice, Lim needs to lodge a police report and explain everything, thus defending himself.
"PN Youth could ‘close the book' if he publicly apologises for the sake of racial harmony and unity in this country," he said.
Lim previously brushed off claims that he deliberately raised the 3R issue when he allegedly made a remark on the destruction of an Indian temple during a programme in Jelutong, Penang.
Meanwhile, through a statement on his Facebook, Lim insisted that his speech had been twisted, as if there were those who wanted to destroy the Buddhist or Chinese temples.
He was referring to the case of a Hindu temple being demolished in July 2020 in Kedah and also attached a newspaper clipping to support his statement.