KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25: A cardboard box, red needles and splashes of red paint was found outside Malaysiakini headquarters in Bangsar Utama earlier today. In the box that had the picture of Seputeh MP Teresa Kok taped to it, was a real live duck. The act is speculated to be yet another reaction to Teresa Kok’s Onederful Malaysia Chinese New Year 2014 video.
“This is the work of agent provocateurs,” said Malaysiakini CEO Premesh Chandran.
According to a shop operator from the same area, the smearing red paint had been noticed as early as 4.30am. The outside walls and the Malaysiakini signboard were some of the parts clearly vandalised by the perpetrators. A report was then lodged at the Travers police station at 10.40am.
Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan hopes that the closed circuit television camera (cctv) at the intersection overlooking the office might provide some assistance in nailing the culprits.
“I hope it (cctv) is working,” he said.
Teresa Kok urged the police to carry out rigorous investigations to identify the culprits but refrained from making another police report. The Seputeh MP had, on 20 February, added a malay subtitled version of the Onederful Malaysia video to oppose unfounded allegations of racism, anti-muslim and insult to royalty that she was accused of propagating through the video.
The video sparked a demonstration on February 6 2014 by a coalition of Muslim NGOs announcing a RM1200 reward for anyone who slaps the Seputeh MP. This was also accompanied by the slaughter and spilling of chicken blood over an anti DAP banner featuring the party’s leaders. Soon after, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi brushed of the NGO’s actions stating that a slap is not a threat.
Lim Guan Eng criticised the attack on Malaysiakini saying,
“This passive stance by the authorities has emboldened the merchants of hate and violence, and we can be assured that their campaign of intimidation will not cease until and unless action is taken to stem it immediately. Malaysians demand that Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi condemns and act against those responsible instead of condoning their campaign of violence and hate or else the people’s wrath at such injustice shall be expressed peacefully and democratically in general elections and by-elections”.
