KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Mohd Ali Baharom, popularly known as Ali Tinju, and a group of about 20 others stormed DAP’s headquarters today demanding the party take responsibility for a Chinese man’s allegedly disparaging remarks about Islam.
According to Selangor DAP committee member Edry Faizal Yusof, Ali Tinju and his supporters told DAP to reprimand the man for his comments on Facebook, saying although the party had no affiliation with the individual, it should be held responsible as he is ethnic Chinese.
Edry said he insisted to the group that the man in question had no links whatsoever to the DAP but Ali Tinju persisted.
“They came to give a memorandum and he wanted DAP to respect Islam because argument is that there’s a Chinese person mocking Islam but he held DAP responsible for it.
“I don’t know who this random guy is but the way they said it is as if, if you’re Chinese and you’re mocking Islam or try to provoke it, then they’ll hold DAP accountable,” Edry said in a phone interview with Malay Mail Online.
He said when he tried to accept the memorandum on behalf of the DAP, Ali Tinju refused to surrender it, insisting that a Chinese party member accept it instead.
“I came down to accept on behalf party but they wouldn’t let me because I’m Malay.
“So we got the DAP office manager, who is Chinese, to accept it,” Edry said.
(Vid) Kecoh. "Jangan kasi asap ini bangunan" provokasi kump 'Baju Merah' kepada wakil DAP sdr Edry Faizal dll. pic.twitter.com/L2DKujzcbI
— Roketkini (@roketkini) 31 March 2016
Apart from holding DAP responsible for the Facebook user’s criticism of Islam, the memorandum also sought to have Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng go on leave as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigates the purchase of his home.
Edry said during the ambush, Ali Tinju, also famously known for his role in the pro-Malay red shirt movement, and his group chanted “Hidup Melayu” (Long live the Malays) while holding placards with images of DAP leaders Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang on them.
He also said that 20 police officers were on the scene during the incident to keep the peace and that situation was peacefully resolved within an hour.
The DAP member also tried giving Ali Tinju the Save Malaysia memorandum, intended to call for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s resignation, but the latter refused to accept it, and instead threw it to the ground and stomped on it.
“At least we tried,” he said.
