KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 ― Lawyer Sankara Nair warned Malaysians today against accepting the RM1,200 challenge to slap DAP MP Teresa Kok, saying the act is a crime punishable by law.

In a brief statement here, the lawyer said the crime is categorised as voluntarily causing hurt under section 323 of the Penal Code and carries a RM2,000 fine or one-year jail time, or both, upon conviction.

“If you think u can collect RM1,200 and walk away with impunity, you are wrong,” said Sankara, who is also Kok’s legal counsel.

“So those with any bright ideas out there, in wanting to take the offer of the irrational NGO, you will end up being a net loser.

“So think again and don’t be misled by the NGO which did not tell you the full consequences ― which includes imprisonment,” he added.

Kok has come under fire for producing an 11-minute satirical Chinese New Year view that lampoons current affair issues in Malaysia.

The Seputeh MP is currently under police investigation for the video, which Muslim groups have claimed is anti-Islam and anti-Malay.

In the video, the MP plays the role of a feng shui talk show host interviewing three panellists on their predictions for the lunar new year.

Among others, the panellists in the clip joked about a variety of hot button topics such as education, the kidnap of a Taiwanese tourist in Sabah last year and others.

Last Thursday, a group calling itself the “Council of Islamic NGOs” slaughtered live chickens in their protest against a satirical Chinese New Year video by Kok, after which they proceeded to smear the blood on a banner with images of DAP and PKR lawmakers.

The banner also warned of “nightmares” of May 13, 1969, in reference to the bloody racial riots of that year.

The group also reportedly incited physical violence against Kok, offering members of the public RM1,200 to slap the parliamentarian and record the act.

The six Muslim groups alleged to have been involved in the protest are Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah (Pekida), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Insan Bakti Malaysia (Perkib), Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM).