Protestors fuming over racial slurs from gov’t staff (Malaysiakini)
Humayun Kabir
Two political parties have lodged separate police reports against a Cameron Highlands district office staff for uttering racial slurs against a group protestors who were unhappy with the performance of the district officer.
PSM Cameron Highlands branch spokesperson Suresh Kumar told Malaysiakini that the first report was lodged by DAP Pahang state deputy chief J Appalasamy @ Simmathiri at the Kampung Raja police station Tuesday morning immediately after the incident.
The second police report was filed by six PSM Cameron Highland branch members led by Suresh at Tanah Rata police station at 11am yesterday.
According to Suresh, PSM’s report stated that one employee of the district office had uttered ‘balik India (go back to India)’ at the protestors while they were attempting to hand a protest memorandum to the assistant district officer Shaffirul Amree Awang Kechik.
The memorandum list out the grouses faced by low-income workers who are facing problems with obtaining Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL), petty-trader licences and low-cost housing.
Suresh claimed that the Cameron Highland district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu, who witnessed the incident, was also a party in their police report.
Demands suspect lineup
Suresh said he had assured the police that despite not knowing the name of the offending district office staff, the group is confident they could identify him in a suspect lineup.
“Besides, the district police chief was at the scene and he can also identify the suspect,” added Suresh.
He described the employee’s insult as “seditious in nature” and called on the police to initiate criminal action.
Suresh lamented that there were still government employees who were racist despite Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak attempt to promote his 1Malaysia concept aimed at unifying all races.
The protest on Tuesday saw about 40 protesters consisting of Indian vegetable farmers, plantation workers, hawkers and PSM members marching to the Cameron Highland district office to present their grievances to the District Officer Mohammad Noor Abdul Rani.
Police officers and personnel, numbering around 100 people, tried to dissuade the protesters from marching.
However, the group insisted on walking to their destination to present the memorandum and the police relented.
While dispersing, the alleged racial slur was allegedly uttered. Suresh then turned to the district police chief who advised him to lodge a police report over the incident.
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