DAP comes to Dr M’s defence, files police report against Zahid

(FMT) – DAP today lodged a police report against Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi and National Registration Department (NRD) head Yazid Ramli for allegedly divulging the personal details of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

DAP Kedah legal bureau member Zulhazmi Shariff lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters today, adding that both leaders had breached the Personal Data Protection Act by sharing and displaying Mahathir’s details.

Zulhazmi was accompanied by DAP MPs Lim Lip Eng (Segambut), Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (Lanang) and Thomas Su (Ipoh Timur).

Speaking during the Kelana Jaya Umno division meeting yesterday, Zahid announced the details of Mahathir’s alleged identity card (IC), which bore the name “Mahathir a/l (son of) Iskandar Kutty”.

Zahid said that “the man who struggled for the Malay agenda” was actually “using the Malays”, adding that he had received the image of the former prime minister’s IC from Yazid.

Lim said the comments made by the home minister did not reflect the 60 years’ of independence that Malaysia was about to celebrate, but showed that Malaysia had gone backwards with such racist remarks.

He added that it was high time lawmakers and MPs from both sides of the political divide came up with an anti-racism act.

“Zahid’s statement was full of racism, so I think the backbenchers from BN should have no trouble supporting the suggestion of having the act after this episode,” Lim told reporters.

Selangor DAP committee member Ronnie Liu said if Zahid was not prepared to retract his statement and apologise, he should resign.

DAP Socialist Youth executive secretary Muhammad Shakir Ameer Mohideen said the multiracial Malaysian identity that shaped the country was tarnished by Zahid as it seemed like he was putting down the Indian community.

“There is nothing wrong with having multiracial ancestry. He himself is Javanese. The most important thing is that we are citizens of this country.

“It shows that he has no class and is very racist,” said Shakir, adding that despite DAP’s previous disagreements with Mahathir, they had never stooped so low.

He had also questioned what BN component party MIC had to say about Zahid’s apparent “distasteful” remarks towards the Indian community.

Former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan also lodged a police report at Dang Wangi last night on the same matter.

Khairuddin has also urged Mahathir to take legal action against Zahid and Yazid for abusing their powers and breaching the Personal Data Protection Act, by leaking Mahathir’s personal information.

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin, speaking to FMT, condemned Zahid for acting “without class” when he hit below the belt by questioning Mahathir’s ancestry, despite the former prime minister’s many contributions to the country.

Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim expressed the same views, saying such action was unbecoming of a leader of the country.