KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — Minister Gobind Singh Deo confirmed today that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has passed the necessary details on the threats against Dong Zong to the police for investigation.
Describing the threats as “serious”, the communications and multimedia minister said the power for further action lies with Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and he hopes that both the police and the AG will act on the matter.
“I have today checked with MCMC and can confirm that they have forwarded the necessary details required in this case to the police for their further action and that MCMC is ready to assist the police further in any way if required.
“The power to prosecute lies with the AG and it is for him to now decide what to do after the police complete their investigations,” he said in a statement.
“I am of the view that action should be taken in this case. I therefore hope the police and AG will act in this matter as soon as possible,” he added.
The Puchong MP stressed that the Federal Constitution protects a Malaysian’s right to assemble and express themselves peacefully.
“If there are groups which threaten others from exercising their right to assemble and express themselves peacefully, action should be taken against them. In the case of Dong Zong, serious threats were made against them,” he said.
Yesterday, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang warned Chinese educationists that they are living in a “Malay World”, asserting that the other ethnic groups should be grateful to the Malays who he claimed were the first occupiers of the land.
Student group Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis) also said last week that the bloody May 13 racial riots could happen again as long as Dong Zong remains in existence.
Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong had planned for an indoor consultative meeting in Kajang on Saturday to urge the government to cancel the teaching of the jawi script in the Bahasa Melayu subject in vernacular schools.
A day before the Chinese Organisations Joint Conference, Malay-Muslim groups announced they would hold a rally outside New Era University College where the event would be held to block it and hold a separate rally at the Kajang stadium just over 1km away.
The police obtained a court order on the same day to bar Dong Zong from proceeding with the conference, citing a danger to public order.
In response, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia said the police’s failure to act on violent threats against the aborted Dong Zong congress could be seen as encouraging such behaviour.
The commission noted that the failure to act was also compounded by the police’s decision to seek a restriction order preventing the Chinese education group’s meeting over the introduction of jawi lessons in vernacular schools.
