KUALA LUMPUR – The move to detain Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh will be detrimental to national harmony and prolong the unnecessary racial polemics in the country, said PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.
Fadhli added that Akmal is not a flight risk as he is a Merlimau assemblyman and a Melaka executive council member.
“Enough to just get his statement and prosecute him if there is a case. I hope this is not a politically motivated move to satisfy certain quarters.
“I’m sure Umno president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), who is also the deputy prime minister, will do something to ensure his man gets justice.”
Meanwhile, PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden is disappointed about the incident, implying Akmal had not committed any crime as he was merely defending the sanctity of the term “Allah”.
“Weirdly, why have other individuals from the government block, who previously insulted Islam, not been detained and investigated under the same act?
“Where is the voice of the Umno president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi)?” Afnan said in a statement today.
He also urged for similar and fair action against others who have threatened national harmony by touching on race, religion and royalty (3R) issues.
Earlier today, Akmal announced his detention on Facebook, saying he would not budge from his stance over convenience store chain KK Mart’s sale of “Allah”-printed socks.
He also said he was scheduled to have his statement recorded at the Dang Wangi police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.
In a video depicting his detention at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Akmal was captured saying, “no fear, no surrender,” while smiling at the camera from inside a police vehicle.
It is learnt that Akmal flew to Kota Kinabalu this morning to attend a Kembara Ramadan programme in the state with Sabah Umno Youth members.
Akmal, who was released from police custody after about two hours of questioning, later told reporters that he was confused over the investigation by Sabah police as he had not made any statements relating to the “Allah”-printed socks issue in the state.
The case is investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Multimedia Communication Act 1998. – April 5, 2024