Hindraf wants police to probe Abdul Hamid for sedition.
GEORGE TOWN: Civil rights movement, Hindraf wants the police to investigate former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad for allegedly inciting racial hatred in a seditious speech at a recent Islamic discourse in Kuala Lumpur.
Chiding Hamid as “racist”, Hindraf national chairman P Waythamoorthy called on the police to be impartial and apply the law equally and take action under the Sedition Act 1948.
He said if politicians, elected representatives, reform minded advocates and activists can be charged on flimsy grounds, there should be no reason not to charge Hamid as well.
In his speech, Hamid had alleged that the position of Islam as the official religion was under threat in DAP-led Penang.
He is alleged to have said that non-Muslims also wanted their respective religions to be given the same status.
Waythamoorthy said it was appalling that time and again extreme leaders and irresponsible individuals were inciting racial hatred when Malaysia should have moved on to be a united nation of peace and harmony.
He said Hamid’s utterances were nauseating and degrading to all Malaysians and is intended to instigate ill feelings amongst the Malay community.
“There cannot be a better term to describe the former chief justice other than being ignorant, who had forsaken all that he studied in law school.
“It’s a grave concern to know that a man with such a racist and extreme mindset has led the Apex court in Malaysia and delivered countless judgements,” he said.
The forum here in which Hamid spoke was organised by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) and attended by representatives from various Malay non-governmental organisations, including Perkasa and the Muslim Consumers Association.
Waythamoorthy also said Hamid was wrong to say that millions of migrants were bestowed citizenship at the stroke of midnight on August 31, 1957.
He said the ex-chief justice should look at historical documents, which clearly reveal that Malay rulers had encouraged the migration and settlement of Indians and Chinese in Malaya.
He said the rulers had agreed to provide land and places of worship to Indians and Chinese to encourage them to make Malaya their permanent home more than a hundred years ago.
He said Penang and Malacca, which were straits settlement like Singapore and Hong Kong, were given separate consideration during the independence talks as there were neither special privileges nor rulers in these states.
He said freedom of religion in these states was an absolute freedom as was practiced in accordance with international standards.
Hence, he said upon Tunku’s assurances of fundamental rights and equality to all races, Malacca (Melaka) and Penang became part of Malaya.
“It is a sin to deny Chinese and Indians their legitimate rights after contributing to this country for more than 200 years when recent migrants from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan enjoy the status of special privileges while some have even become Cabinet Ministers,” said the Hindraf chairman.
Chiding Hamid as “racist”, Hindraf national chairman P Waythamoorthy called on the police to be impartial and apply the law equally and take action under the Sedition Act 1948.
He said if politicians, elected representatives, reform minded advocates and activists can be charged on flimsy grounds, there should be no reason not to charge Hamid as well.
In his speech, Hamid had alleged that the position of Islam as the official religion was under threat in DAP-led Penang.
He is alleged to have said that non-Muslims also wanted their respective religions to be given the same status.
Waythamoorthy said it was appalling that time and again extreme leaders and irresponsible individuals were inciting racial hatred when Malaysia should have moved on to be a united nation of peace and harmony.
He said Hamid’s utterances were nauseating and degrading to all Malaysians and is intended to instigate ill feelings amongst the Malay community.
“There cannot be a better term to describe the former chief justice other than being ignorant, who had forsaken all that he studied in law school.
“It’s a grave concern to know that a man with such a racist and extreme mindset has led the Apex court in Malaysia and delivered countless judgements,” he said.
The forum here in which Hamid spoke was organised by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) and attended by representatives from various Malay non-governmental organisations, including Perkasa and the Muslim Consumers Association.
Waythamoorthy also said Hamid was wrong to say that millions of migrants were bestowed citizenship at the stroke of midnight on August 31, 1957.
He said the ex-chief justice should look at historical documents, which clearly reveal that Malay rulers had encouraged the migration and settlement of Indians and Chinese in Malaya.
He said the rulers had agreed to provide land and places of worship to Indians and Chinese to encourage them to make Malaya their permanent home more than a hundred years ago.
He said Penang and Malacca, which were straits settlement like Singapore and Hong Kong, were given separate consideration during the independence talks as there were neither special privileges nor rulers in these states.
He said freedom of religion in these states was an absolute freedom as was practiced in accordance with international standards.
Hence, he said upon Tunku’s assurances of fundamental rights and equality to all races, Malacca (Melaka) and Penang became part of Malaya.
“It is a sin to deny Chinese and Indians their legitimate rights after contributing to this country for more than 200 years when recent migrants from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan enjoy the status of special privileges while some have even become Cabinet Ministers,” said the Hindraf chairman.
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