Govt will not tolerate racial provocation, says Hamzah

The government will take stern action against any party engaging in racial provocation, including through the exploitation of language, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said this was because such actions clearly violated the national Constitution.

“Do not do anything following your feelings to elevate any group. This country is still a sovereign nation; we took it from the colonisers for the common good, not for the benefit of any race,” he told reporters after launching the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia assembly for the Larut division at Bukit Merah Lake Town Resort yesterday.

Hamzah, who is also the Larut MP, was commenting on the action of certain parties who pasted stickers bearing Chinese writings on three road signs in Kuching.

These went viral on social media recently.

Hamzah, who is Bersatu secretary-general, also said that the simultaneous elections in all divisions of the party to elect the Bersatu supreme leadership council (MPT) went smoothly as of yesterday.

The election was to choose the chairman, deputy chairman, three vice-presidents and 20 MPT members.

Apart from that, he said, the Bersatu general assembly scheduled for Sept 26 was expected to be postponed due to the date coinciding with the Sabah state election.

“I will write a letter to the Registrar of Societies on Monday to ask for the postponement, so that delegates from Sabah can participate,” he added.

Hamzah also asked all Bersatu members to give 100% support to Barisan Nasional candidate Mohd Zaidi Aziz in the Slim by-election on Aug 29.

The Slim polls will see a three-cornered fight with Mohd Zaidi and two independent candidates, lawyer Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi and former teacher S. Santharasekaran.