Ramkarpal Singh, the chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) legal bureau, has urged the attorney general to take quick action against the Malaysian Islamic Party president Abdul Hadi Awang by filing charges against him under either Sections 298A or 504 of the Penal Code, or both.
Hadi Awang asserted on August 20 that non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras are primarily responsible for corruption as they chase illicit gains — to the detriment of the country’s economy and politics. In a lengthy post on Facebook, Hadi said corruption had roots, akin to stagnant water that allowed mosquitoes to breed.
Ramkarpal, a Bukit Gelugor member of parliament, said that such statements from leaders cannot be made without consequence because they have broad ramifications and pose a threat to harmony and peace among the nation’s many communities.
“Hadi’s remarks were not based on any evidence or empirical studies and were basically made to play to the gallery and instill in the minds of some the myth that non-Muslims seem to be the root cause of one of the most heinous of social ills, corruption.”
“Hadi should rethink his statement now that the Federal Court has confirmed that there was overwhelming evidence of abuse of power and criminal breach of trust by national embarrassment and former Prime Minister Najib Razak when he was in office, which nearly crippled the country’s economy,” said Ramkarpal in a statement today, adding that, to date, Hadi has not denied or retracted his remarks.
He also claimed that there can be no doubt that Hadi has caused feelings of disharmony and enmity with such a racist and reckless statement and as such, may have very likely committed an offence under section 298A of the Penal Code.
Section 298A handles causing “disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.”
Under Section 298A(1), those who are guilty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and not more than five years.
Ramkarpal further stated that Hadi might potentially have violated Penal Code Section 504 by intentionally insulting someone with the purpose of causing a disturbance.
Under Section 504 it states that whoever intentionally insults, and thereby gives provocation to any person, intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause him to break the public peace, or to commit any other offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.
