Thursday 28 Mar 2024
By
main news image

(July 14): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has warned that the Sedition Act will be used against those who disrupt the harmony between races and religions in the country, The Star reported.

His statement, written in Mandarin on his Facebook page, comes following the weekend brawl at the Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur over a mobile phone, which saw several people, including media personnel, sustaining injuries.

"The public should not create racial hatred through the Internet or messaging apps on their phones," he was quoted as saying by the English Daily.

“I have ordered the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to monitor them thoroughly and at the same time I will use the relevant acts, especially the Sedition Act, against those who destroy racial harmony.”

Najib said that he was disappointed that many had shared false information about the incident on social media and turned it into a racial issue, which led to the brawl.

"I have ordered the police to take action in order to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

"People should verify statements before sharing them on social media instead of using rumours and baseless information," he added.

The drama began on Saturday when a suspect was apprehended for an alleged mobile phone theft at one of the kiosks.

The incident was caught on closed circuit television cameras and the evidence was handed to the police to facilitate investigation.

Several hours later, a group of youths turned up and went on “amok”, damaging a kiosk because its staff assisted in apprehending the suspect while he attempted to flee the building.

Saturday's incident was followed by fistfights and brawls outside the shopping centre on Sunday night, when a group of some 200 people gathered outside Low Yat, purportedly to seek revenge against the handphone dealers for allegedly selling fake items.

Police have denied that the incident was racially motivated. Police have also stated that the incident did not stem from alleged cheating by a snartphone seller but over theft.

The differing versions of what transpired stirred up anger on social media, leading to Sunday night's riots outside Low Yat Plaza.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the suspected handphone thief will be charged with theft at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court later today. – The Malaysian Insider

      Print
      Text Size
      Share