New poser over 'balik India' claim

Did Jelutong PKR Youth chief Khairil Anuar Kamaruddin hear Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik tell an Indian-Muslim restaurant owner to 'balik India'?

He has chosen not to comment yet on a posting on anti-DAP blog pisau.net which claims that he has admitted to having heard the remark being passed.

Asked for clarification today, Khairil Anuar would neither admit nor deny the claim. He said he would prefer to wait until Ng (left) and Syed Kassali Mohamed Aliyar resolved the issue.

“I will probably comment on this issue next week... I respect the channels in Pakatan Rakyat... we have principles...so I need more time,” he said.

Khairil Anuar said the involvement of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) had complicated matters and that he does not want racial issues to be played up in the media.

The blog posting headlined 'Exclusive: Racist Ng Wei Aik must resign! Go back to India!' stated that many witnesses had heard Khairil Anuar admit that Ng had made the remark.

The posting noted that Ng himself had been brave enough to face the media after asking Penang Pakatan Youth to help him deny that he ever said “balik India”.

The blogger then urged Khairil Anuar to come clean about “the lies by racist Ng Wei Aik”.

“Do not allow this racist to continue with double-standard practices and act selectively on the traders around George Town,” he wrote.

Khairil Anuar denied that any meeting had taken place between Ng and Pakatan Youth, or that the latter been asked to deny what happened during the raid on the restaurant last week.

Ng has flatly denied allegations that he had been racist to Syed Kassali, and has given Kimma a week to retract its claim and apologise.

He has also lodged a police report against Kimma and Syed Kassali, warning them of an impending defamation suit if they do not retract their allegation.

'Ng exceeded authority'

Parti Cinta Malaysia political secretary Melvin Chin, meanwhile, criticised Ng for having been 'aggressive' with the restaurant owner.

Chin said it was clear from the YouTube video that Ng's actions went “beyond the limit, physically as well as morally”.

“Ng is not an MPPP councillor... he has no right to seize the gas cyclinder or raid the premises,” Chin told a press conference after opening the party's service centre in Seri Delima today.

“He is only a state assemblyperson... the incident happened in Pengkalan Kota, a constituency under Lau Keng Ee... so why was Ng there?”

Chin noted that MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail has jurisdiction in the matter “but even she has not uttered a word of comment about the issue”.

Ng, he alleged, had shown double standard in acting against the restaurant for putting up illegal structures that were a hazard to public safety.

“Why hasn't he taken action against other shops, especially those around Komtar? Is there something more than what meets the eye?” asked Chin, adding that Ng was arrogant and had exceeded his power.