IGP says police will call Guan Eng soon; investigation launched over ‘3R’ remarks

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The police will be calling DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng soon over his speech cautioning against letting the “green wave” into Penang due to the alleged risk to religious freedom there, following police reports over his remarks.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Suresh Kumar G. Suppiah, deputy director of Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), confirmed that the police have received several police reports over Lim and is now carrying out an investigation on him regarding remarks that were believed to have touched on “3R” (race, religion, royalty) issues “by claiming that the green wave will destroy temples and deny religious rights in Penang”.

“That statement was believed to have been made by him while speaking in the ‘Tian Fu Gong Bai Long Wang Singapore-Malaysia Tour 2023” at Tokong Batu, Jelutong, Penang on July 7,” he said in a statement today, adding that news portal MalaysiaNow had published an article on Lim’s remarks on July 8.

He said the Classified Crimes Investigation Unit under the D5 division in Bukit Aman’s CID is investigating the case under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“Investigations are still being carried out and the public is advised not to make any speculation that could affect the investigation process. Stern action will be taken against anyone acting to threaten public peace and national security,” Suresh Kumar said in the statement.

Section 4(1) includes the offence of uttering seditious words and Section 233 covers the offence of improper use of network facilities or network service, while the Section 505(b) offence falls under the broad category of making statements conducing to public mischief.

Separately, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain was quoted telling local daily Utusan Malaysia: “We are investigating and he will be called in the nearest future.”

The “green wave” — named after PAS’s party colour — was coined to describe the rise in Malay-Muslim conservatism espoused by the Islamist party and its Perikatan Nasional (PN) partner Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

In his latest public statement today, Lim said the local Chinese daily China Press had said its report on his remarks was mistranslated by the news portal MalaysiaNow.

“Today, China Press published a special report that MalaysiaNow was mistaken in the translation of its report because I never mentioned Chinese temples or Buddhist temples in my speech.

“This confirms my statement yesterday that my speech in Mandarin had been twisted to be ‘PN intends to destroy Buddhist or Chinese temples’. What I was referring to was Hindu temple, where there was a case of a Hindu temple demolished in 2020 in Kedah,” he said.

PN Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari was today reported to have directed PN youths to lodge police reports against Lim over his remarks, describing the latter’s remarks as racially provocative.

Yesterday, Lim regretted that his speech in Mandarin had allegedly been intentionally twisted and portrayed as if he was fanning racial and religious sentiments.

He said it had never crossed his mind to use “3R” (race, religion, royalty) issues to garner votes as he believes those issues would jeopardise the harmony of Malaysia’s multiracial and multireligious community.