KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The police do not practise preferential treatment for any race when dealing with security matters but instead act for the overall good, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He added that police approval was withheld for two recent beer festivals in the Klang Valley out of safety concerns due to terror threats.

“That is why the Inspector-General of Police had given an early warning that the festival be cancelled, and this is not our culture. I hope Yang Amat Berhormat understands that the police are colour blind. We are really colour blind, and what was done was for our collective welfare,” Ahmad Zahid who is also home minister replied to Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran during the Minister’s Question Time.

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The Opposition lawmaker had earlier asked if the government lacked the “political will” to resolve the problem of extremism, resulting in the forced cancellation of the two beer festivals in Kuala Lumpur and in Petaling Jaya, Selangor earlier this month.

He also asked if the terror suspects had been identified and what action would be taken against them.

Ahmad Zahid repeated Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun’s previous statement that three people have been arrested on suspicion of plotting terror attacks against those attending the beer festivals as the reason and had targeted non-Muslim places of worship too.

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The minister said the police are in the midst of collecting information on the suspects before deciding on the appropriate action.