NIBONG TEBAL, May 27 — Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Penang Umno Youth today lodged police reports against Seri Delima State Assemblyman RSN Rayer for making statements which carried seditious elements in the by-election campaign for the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat recently.

Among those who lodged the police reports were the Nibong Tebal, Bukit Mertajam, Tasek Gelugor, and Balik Pulau Umno Youth divisions, the Federation of Islamic NGOs Penang, the Balik Pulau and Nibong Tebal 4B Youth movements, South-west Youth Council, Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) south-west branch, and Pekida Barat Daya.

Nibong Tebal Umno Youth head Norheisham Ismail said the police should use the Sedition Act 1948 to investigate Rayer in his ceramah during the campaign for DAP candidate Ramkarpal Singh Deo where he had repeatedly used derogatory words against Umno.

He said such acts by the Seri Delima Assemblyman clearly raised extreme provocation and he had in fact made similar statements at the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting last Tuesday.

“The rude statement made by Rayer had angered three million Umno members nationwide. He had not only issued the statement at the State Assembly but also at his ceramah during the by-election campaign,” he told reporters after lodging the police report at the Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) District Police Headquarters, here today.

Meanwhile in Balik Pulau, the Umno Youth division head, Hisham Abdul Hamid said Rayer’s statements had created fear that they could cause tension between the people.

He urged the police to take stern action against the State Assemblyman because his provocative statements could jeopardise national peace and security.

“We demand that Rayer retracts his statement and tender his apology,” he said. — Bernama