Kok to face sedition charge over video

 

Teresa Kok will be charged with sedition tomorrow over her Chinese New Year video parody titled "Onederful Malaysia".

Her lawyer Sankara Nair (right) confirmed that the Seputeh MP will be charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

"Yes. Was informed to produce her at court tomorrow morning. Have contacted her," he told Malaysiakini.

Kok could not be contacted for an immediate response as she is currently flying back to Kuala Lumpur from Sabah after attending to party matters there.

In the 11-minute clip, Kok plays a talk show host who interviews a panel of experts on what to expect in the Year of the Horse.

Peppered with anecdotes familiar to Malaysians, the experts offer advice on several issues including security, wealth, education and the economy.

Among others, references were made to diamond rings, branded handbags and real estate in New York as well as several other news items pertaining to tourism and vernacular education.

Viewers may associate this with the prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor's reported penchant for luxury goods and her son, Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz's 2012 purchase of a RM100 million apartment in New York.

Ostensibly, one of the experts advised viewers to place a "lo-si-ma" (a horse made of nails and screws) to attract good fortune.

The DAP vice chairperson had received much flak over her video and was accused of insulting the Malays, Islam, the monarchy, the security forces and national leaders.

The leader, however, denied the accusations.

On Feb 6, a group calling itself the 'Coalition of Islamic NGOs' held a protest in Kuala Lumpur and offered a RM2,000 reward to anybody who dared to slap Kok.

They also slaughtered two chickens and smeared the blood on a poster bearing Kok's photo.

Two weeks later, Kok's service centre was splashed with red paint and a chicken carcass was left at the doorstep.

At the height of the controversy, Kok even re-posted the video with Malay subtitles on YouTube to prove that she did not mean to insult any particular race, religion or personality.

The Home Ministry had initially claimed that video ridiculed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, but later retracted this.

Kok had also come under fire from BN MPs such Shamsul Anuar Nasrah (Lenggong) and Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan), who claimed that the video destroyed racial unity.