KUALA LUMPUR – At least seven people have given their statements to the police pertaining to the arson at the residence of DAP’s Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham in Perak.
Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said no arrests have been made yet.
“We have been monitoring and patrolling the area surrounding his house (in Taman Semarak Jaya, Ayer Tawar),” he said in a statement.
Ngeh had contended that the opposition played a role in exacerbating the situation by distorting his statement, fuelling hatred towards him – particularly within the Muslim community.
“In response to my media statement, PAS and Bersatu leaders accused me of meddling in Islamic matters by distorting my statement.
“I only made suggestions on the federal constitution, but they (the opposition) claimed I suggested electing non-Muslim law experts to amend Islamic law.
“It was said (by the opposition) that I was intervening on the harmonisation of the shariah court institution with non-Muslim specialists…this is a big lie.”
Ngeh confirmed that at approximately 2.15am yesterday, his Mercedes-Benz E300 was engulfed in flames, prompting him to alert police and the Fire and Rescue Department. Authorities then discovered a Molotov cocktail near the house around 3am.
On December 28, Ngeh’s statement proposing the inclusion of a non-Muslim constitutional law expert and a representative from the Malaysian Bar in the special committee on shariah laws drew criticism from Malay leaders on both sides of the political divide. – January 11, 2024