(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday): The secretary of the Suqiu Committee, Ser Choon Ing, lodged a police report at the Damansara Utama police station last night that he was threatened by a group of four or five men outside his house in Petaling Jaya, when one of them shouted at him in an intimidating manner: "Eh, Suqiu! Kurang ajar. Jangan awak ganggu orang Melayu."
All Malaysians must denounce such a threat, which is pure political gangsterism and blackmail, as totally unacceptable behaviour, whether political or otherwise, in the country.
The police authorities should take firm action to ensure the personal safety of Ser and his family as well as to nip in the bud such irresponsible action, identifying the culprits concerned as well as finding out who put them up to such a despicable action.
Malaysians, regardless of political beliefs, race or religion, can have strong and even vehement differences in their views and opinions, but there can be no room for any form gangsterism to rear its ugly head in the public discourse whether in the guise of political threats or blackmail.
It is most deplorable that in the past few months, certain political groups and leaders had set the bad and dangerous example of political gangsterism and blackmail, as in the UMNO Youth demonstration outside the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last August over the Suqiu election appeals threatening to burn down the building as well as other unwarranted and provocative threats such as by GPMS to try to escalate ethnic tensions.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his capacity as Home Minister, should explain why the police authorities had allowed these gangsterish and blackmail activities to intrude into the national discourse with total impunity, seeking to try to escalate ethnic tensions in a multi-racial society - when strong and firm action should have been taken to arrest and prosecute anyone trying to hold the multi-racial harmony and economic wellbeing of the country to ransom with their political threats and blackmails.
(16/1/2001)