Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 27.1.2014.
Penang State Government Will Neither Bow Down Nor Provoke Retaliatory Acts Against Religious Extremists And Racial Bigots Now Laying Siege To Penang But Unite All To Defeat Their Violence And Hatred With The Weapons Of Social Justice And Sustainable Development.
In this critical hour with shadowy extremist and racist forces conducting sustained aggression to destabilise the Penang state government, 1.6 million Penangites must reaffirm commitment for the past 200 years to protect, preseve and promote respect for cultural diversity, racial and religious harmony by rejecting both violence and hatred.
Over the last 1 week, Malaysians witnessed ugly scenes of racial hatred and violence manifested in these incidents attended by top UMNO leaders, elected representatives, members and supporters in Penang.
A rally in Seberang Jaya on January 18th protesting against the ‘I Love Kangkung’ flash mob organised by PKR Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon. Despite this being organized by PKR, DAP was blamed with Lim Kit Siang and myself targeted and threats of May 13 riots issued. Lies and a seditious banner was displayed ‘Because of DAP leaders’ mouths, May 13 happened…want some more?’;
A second rally in Taman Alma, Bukit Mertajam on January 19 where the picture of myself, Lim Kit Siang and Khai Loon’s effigy was burnt whilst a motorist was assaulted, beaten up and his motorcycle stolen;
For the first time in Malaysian history a senior Malay government officer Senior Assistant District Officer Abu Hassan Osman was openly assaulted on January 21 in front of 35 policemen supposed to be protecting him in Teluk Bahang. Even though Abu Hassan’s shirt was torn after the attack, the assailants were not immediately arrested but only after I had contacted the Penang Chief Police Officer. Abu Hassan was leading an enforcement team to demolish 14 empty, abandoned or new structures(NOT illegal stalls already operating for years) after receiving complaints from local Malay residents;
A memorandum submitted by a Muslim NGO and supported by UMNO Youth Tanjung Division Vice-Chairman demanding a ban on open selling of pork in areas like Lebuh Chulia, Jalan Kuantan and Jalan C.Y. Choy. Such open selling of pork and hanging the meat in stalls have been practiced ever since British colonial days and even when BN was in power. Why should this be an issue now and when these areas are 95% non-Muslim residential areas?
All these incidents are clearly directed to distract attention from the price hikes in sugar, petrol, TNB power tariffs and highway road tolls. The Penang state government will maintain no price increase in state government services such as quit rent, assessment, water tarrifs and business licenses and continue with our successful poverty eradication programme.
For Umno liaison committee chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman to state that UMNO did not ask for the ban of open selling of pork because the Tanjung UMNO Youth leader was attending in his personal capacity is an act that deceives no one except himself. Zain even claimed that these rallies released the feelings and grievances of those who carried the banner as all these years they have felt oppressed, insulted, not defended or treated well by the elected PR government.
Claims that only Malay illegal stalls were targeted are false and dangerous lies intended to create hatred by racialising a common issue that occurs throughout Malaysia. If these feelings are genuine and widespread how come the Penang UMNO State Chairman lost by a bigger majority to PR in the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat during the 2013 general elections? In this constituency where Malays form the biggest bloc with 45% of the voters, Zainal had lost by 3,087 votes during the 2008 general elections, but lost by a bigger margin of 8,598 votes in the 2013 general elections.
Finally, the attack on the Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar early this morning by 2 unknown men, when 2 Molotov cocktails were hurled where one exploded whilst the other fell on the grass. This follows the hanging of 3 inflammatory banners with the word “Allah” outside churches in Penang, including the Church of Assumption which was attacked, to stoke religious animosity and hatred between Muslims and Christians.
These inflammatory banners were not put up by the churches and the churches have lodged police reports. The Penang Chief Police Officer Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi have also confirmed that these banners have nothing to do with the churches and are intended to heighten Muslim anger. He described the actions by unknown groups as extreme and police are investigating under the Sedition Act.
The Penang state government will continue to work with all parties and the police to main public order and security. All Penangites are urged to remain calm and stand united against these racist and extremist groups so as to maintain peace and harmony. The Penang state government will neither bow down nor provoke retaliatory acts against religious extremists and racial bigots now laying siege to Penang but unite all to defeat their violence and hatred with the weapons of social justice and sustainable development.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin Version —-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2014年1月27日在乔治市光大发表声明：
槟州政府不会向目前困扰槟城的宗教极端或种族狂热分子妥协、我们也不会挑起报复行动，而是团结全民，以社会正义和可持续发展为“武器”，去打击他们的暴力及仇恨。
这是个紧要关头，有人企图利用极端及种族恶势力的侵犯手段动摇槟州政府，全体160万名槟城人必须意志坚定，保护、维护及推广过去200年对文化多元、种族及宗教和谐的尊重，拒绝暴力及仇恨。
过去一个星期，马来西亚人见证了种族仇恨及暴力的丑陋面，从槟州的巫统高层领袖、民选议员、党员及支持者涉及下列事件可以看出：
• 1月18日，威省公正党马章武莫州议员李凯伦发起一场“我爱蕹菜”快闪集会。尽管这是公正党主办的活动，巫统却责怪林吉祥和我，513事件再次被提起。谎言及煽动性布条写着《因为行动党的嘴，513发生了，你们还要吗？》
• 1月19日，第二场集会位于大山脚阿尔玛花园，我、林吉祥和李凯伦的肖像被焚烧，一名电单车骑士被攻击、殴打，其电单车也被偷走。
• 1月21日，我国历史上第一次一名马来高级县属官员阿布哈山，在直落巴巷执法时，被人在35名警员面前袭击。阿布哈山的衣服被扯破，袭击者在我联络的槟州警长后才被捕。阿布哈山当时率队执法，拆除14个空置、被遗弃或新建的构造（并非经营了很多年的非法档口），这是他们接获当地马来居民的投诉后采取行动。
• 一个穆斯林非政府组织提呈了备忘录、由巫统青年团丹绒区部副主席支持，要求禁止在牛干冬、关丹路、过港仔路公开贩卖猪肉。如此公开贩卖猪肉及在档口摆挂猪肉的做法在英殖民时代已经开始，甚至是国阵时代也如此。为什么现在会成为课题？而上述地区95%的居民为非穆斯林。
• 这些事件很明显示地是要转移公众对百物上涨的视线，国阵政府让白糖、汽油、电费及过路费涨价。而槟州政府的政府收费将维持不变，如租金、门牌税、水费、执照费，我们也将继续扶贫。
针对巫统联委会主席再纳阿比丁指出，巫统没有要求禁止公开摆卖猪肉，而丹绒巫统青年团团长是以个人名义发表谈话，这是自欺欺人的做法。再纳甚至说，上述集会让高举布条人士发泄他们的愤怒，这些年他们感觉被压迫、被侮辱，民选的民联政府并没有捍卫他们也没有善待他们。
他们宣称只有非法马来档口被对付，这是虚假及危险的谎言，是为了通过将全马的普通问题种族化，然后制造仇恨。如果示威者的感觉是真的，为什么槟州巫统州主席在2013年竞选高渊国会选区时输给民联议员、流失更多选票？在高渊国会选区，马来选民占了45%，再纳于2008年以3087张票败北，在2013年再次以8598张选票败北。
最后，今天早上两名男子向槟城华盖街圣母大教堂抛掷两颗燃烧弹，一颗爆炸、另一颗落在草地上。事前，有人在槟城基督教堂张挂有关“Allah”字眼的煽动性教党，包括圣母大教堂，他们企图煽动宗教敌意，在穆斯林及基督教徒之间制造仇恨。
上述煽动性布条不是教堂张挂的，而有关教堂也已经报警。槟州总警长拿督阿都拉欣也已经确认上述布条与教堂无关，他们刻意刺激穆斯林。他形容这群不明人士的行为极端，而警方正以煽动法令调查。
槟州政府将会继续与各界人士、警方合作，而维持公共秩序和安全。我们促请全体槟州人民保持冷静、团结起来对付种族及极端分子以维持和平及和谐。槟州政府不会向目前困扰槟城的宗教极端或种族狂热分子妥协、我们也不会挑起报复行动，而是团结全民，以社会正义和可持续发展为“武器”，去打击他们的暴力及仇恨。
林冠英