Wee Orders Mca Youth To File Police Report Over Akmal Dap Thursday Meet

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MCA president Wee Ka Siong has instructed the party's youth wing to lodge a police report, fearing heightened tensions on Thursday should DAP and Umno members, including Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, meet in Penang outside the shop at the centre of the flag blunder saga.
In a statement today, Wee said that he is deeply concerned over DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke's recent announcement that the DAP will mobilise its members in Penang to defend the said business, labelling it as a "recipe for disaster".
Wee (above) lamented that while the aim is to show solidarity, the reality will be otherwise when large numbers of politically charged individuals turn up.
"This drastically increases the risk of a confrontation, especially if those with opposing views also turn up. Let us be clear, this is a far greater threat to public order than any statement made online. Once tempers flare on the ground, even a minor spark can escalate into something none of us wants to see.
"The role of the authorities is not to wait for the clash and then respond; it is to prevent the clash from happening at all. The simplest and most effective way to do that is to ensure that the trigger for such a confrontation is removed before it starts.
“In this case, that means the police must take firm and proactive steps to ensure that Akmal does not proceed with his threat of a planned visit to Penang under the current tense atmosphere," Wee said.
Correct approach
Wee also chided the DAP, saying that it failed to defuse tensions.
He said that instead of gathering outside the shop in Kepala Batas, the correct approach would be for DAP's 40 MPs to pressure Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ensure that police prevent the planned event from happening.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke"Since DAP has failed to do so, I have therefore instructed MCA Youth to lodge a police report immediately, urging the authorities to intervene and issue the necessary warnings to Umno's Akmal to prevent his presence from escalating the situation and for DAP to cease their on-the-ground posturing.
"We must remember that the safety of the rakyat and public harmony come first, above political mileage or theatrics.
"MCA will not stand by and watch as our streets are turned into potential battlegrounds for political posturing. We call on all parties to exercise restraint, and on the police to act decisively now, before we are forced to deal with the consequences later," he added.
Earlier, Loke said that the DAP will be mobilising its members in Penang to defend the hardware, from troublemakers.
Loke said DAP members will be armed with Malaysian flags, which they will hand out as a sign of unity.
“If there is anyone who tried to disturb the peace at the premises, Penang DAP members will greet them by handing out 831 Jalur Gemilang for free as a sign of unity in conjunction with (National Day) on Aug 31,” he said in a statement today.
While he named no names, Loke was responding to Akmal, who threatened to stage a protest outside the hardware store in Kepala Batas on Thursday if the shop owner was not charged for hoisting the Malaysian flag upside down in a viral 20-second video.
Another blunder
After demanding action against a Penang shopkeeper for hoisting the Malaysian flag upside down, Akmal found himself in an awkward position when his own Terengganu Umno Youth produced a poster with incorrect flag stripes.
The flag error in a poster seeking justice for 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was spotted by sharp-eyed netizens, many questioning whether Akmal would now reprimand Terengganu Umno Youth.
The original graphic was deleted at 12.55pm today and replaced with a new graphic containing the correct number of stripes on the Jalur Gemilang.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal SalehHowever, a short while ago, Akmal declared that he would continue his campaign against the desecration of the Jalur Gemilang, urging authorities to investigate and prosecute the youth wing member responsible for the poster.
In a Facebook video, Akmal also branded Loke a "hypocrite", accusing him of failing to apply his own standards to the flag blunder issue.
Akmal also used racial overtones in an “us against them” analogy, alleging that the DAP, MCA, and similar groups will stick together despite differing political beliefs.
‘We need each other’
In a separate statement, former Umno supreme council member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah urged a cessation of hostilities and called upon the warring factions within BN to “return to the negotiating table as one big BN family.”
He expressed confidence that senior party leadership could resolve what he termed a “sibling issue within BN at the negotiating table”.
“The people now want to see which party is truly stable to lead the country. This signal of stability is extremely important, and it must begin with our party first.
“There should be no troublemaker mentality that only seeks to divide the party merely to seek personal popularity by issuing statements that hurt the feelings of our friends in BN.
“We need each other - Umno, MCA, MIC, and United Sabah People’s Party (PBRS) - we are all friends through thick and thin.
“I hope all main party leaders ensure that grassroots members remain calm and patient. Do not attack one another; give confidence to the top leadership to find a point of reconciliation and unity,” he added. - Mkini

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