KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said today the police will probe Lim Kit Siang for sedition over a criticism he made against Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, which the DAP member of parliament has since retracted.
Earlier Lim, MP for Iskandar Puteri, admitted that he had misconstrued Abdul Hadi’s Facebook posting to mean only an Islamic government is capable of tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, and had apologised for it.
The PAS president had said only Allah could quash the disease.
Hamzah had branded Lim’s statement divisive and a threat to peace, according to news portal Malaysiakini.
“I think there are many that try to incite and divide the people in the country. Of course we will take firm action,” he was quoted as saying.
“PDRM will investigate and take action not only against Lim but others who spread news that can divide the people,” the minister said at a press conference held in the city earlier.
“I ask everyone not to try to make this issue so inciting that it causes uneasiness in many places and which may cause anger throughout the country at the instigation of some parties.”
In a statement of apology, Lim said he had never intended to insult Islam or Muslims but merely responded to what Hadi was reported to have said. A news portal had quoted Hadi as saying that only Allah’s government can quash the coronavirus. The headline was later amended.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page yesterday, Hadi said he believed the pandemic was a test for humanity by God, and that only Allah could triumph in the battle against the disease.
The assertion was likely directed at critics of the Perikatan Nasional government, who have accused Putrajaya of failing to deal with the crisis.
The DAP leader has been heavily criticised for his statement.
