MANJUNG, Jan 10 – Beruas MP, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham believed that the suspected arson at his house in Ayer Tawar this morning could be due to the media statement he issued on Dec 28, last year.
Ngeh said the media statement was in response to the suggestion by the federal government to form a committee headed by former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi to study the conflicts betweeen Syariah Laws and the Federal Constitution, in which the 11 members of the committee are all Muslims.
According to Ngeh, he suggested that non-Muslim Constitutional experts be appointed into the committee so that non-Muslim views with regard to the provisions in the Federal Constitution will also be taken into account before proposal for any change to the law is made.
“I also suggested that a representative from the Malaysian Bar be appointed as it is a statutory body formed with an interest in any matter related to our country’s laws,” he said in a press conference today, adding that he is not involved in any quarrel or dispute with anyone, prior to the suspected arson today.
Ngeh said in response to his statement, some political leaders have accused him of interfering with Islamic matters by distorting his media statement and defaming him, while misleading the people especially the Muslim community.
“When I saw that my suggestion has been manipulated to stir intolerance and hatred by such people, I apologised and withdraw my suggestion. We must not allow such groups to manipulate the emotions of the public.
“We must encourage matured discussion in all matters. I have never been anti-Islam, it has been proven in court,” he said.
On Dec 30, the media reported that Ngeh, who has sparked controversy over his suggestions to strengthen the Syariah Court system for Muslims, has apologised and retracted his earlier statement calling for non-Muslims to be included in a special committee formed by the Federal Government to study the Syariah law. Ngeh said he did not receive any threats in the form of phone calls or messages before today’s incident, and leave it entirely to the police to investigate the case.
Earlier today, Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said police are hunting for the individual suspected of hurling a molotov cocktail into the house of Ngeh in Ayer Tawar which damaged a car this morning.
