Penang DCM says meeting Bukit Aman next week over probe into Facebook post on unilateral conversion case of minors

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 23 — Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy will be heading to Bukit Aman to assist police investigations into his February 13 social media posting that allegedly linked Perlis religious authorities with unilateral conversion, kidnap, manipulation, coercion and threats.

The Penang lawmaker said he is ready to be investigated by the cops over the allegations made in police reports lodged against him.

“At the same time, I want the police to investigate those who have made provocative and racist statements against me and my colleagues,” he said.

He said his office has lodged two police reports against “those extremists” and expected the police to investigate them too.

On the probe against him, Ramasamy confirmed that Bukit Aman had called his office to ask him to have his statement recorded.

“I might have to go to Bukit Aman next week,” he said.

Earlier today, Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department (CID) director, Abdul Jalil Hassan said a total of six police reports have been lodged against Ramasamy.

He confirmed that the police are investigating Ramasamy’s post titled “Penukaran agama secure unilateral di Perlis? Perasaan situation yang berulang lagi” which was posted on his Facebook account on February 13.

Abdul Jalil said the post is said to be provocative and could result in dissatisfaction among several parties as it had allegedly linked Perlis religious authorities with unilateral conversion, kidnap, manipulation, coercion and threats in Loh Siew Hong’s case.

Meanwhile, Ramasamy’s office has also lodged police reports, one on February 17 and another today, against Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and against an unknown individual over alleged slanderous statements that they are said to have made against Ramasamy.

In the first police report filed against Asri by Ramasamy’s aide, M Nakulan, he claimed that the Perlis mufti had issued statements that could cause disharmony and led to criminal threats being made against Ramasamy regarding issues related to Loh’s children.

He claimed Asri had accused him and other DAP leaders of being religious extremists with a tendency to violence for their alleged involvement with gangsters.

“These were clearly baseless accusations with the intention of turning this issue into a religiously provocative issue,” he said in the police report.

He also called on the police to take appropriate action against Asri for turning the issue into a religious one and also to have the video of Asri making these accusations removed from Facebook.

“We hope the police will also take action against those who issued death threats against Ramasamy due to the video posted by Asri,” he said.

The second police report, lodged by another aide, L Yoganathan, was against a video being spread on social media and through WhatsApp that contained elements of slander, incitement, provocation and threats against Ramasamy.

He said the video was of a small demonstration outside the courthouse organised by various non-governmental organisations (NGO) such as Gerakan Pembela Ummah, Berjasa, Putra and Perkasa where an unknown individual had issued slanderous and racist statements against Ramasamy.

He claimed the individual had issued threats against Ramasamy while spreading lies, provocation and incitement against Ramasamy which could lead to him being attacked by others due to the lies spread in the video.

He called on the police to investigate the individual in the video and take appropriate action against him.