Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim has called for police action against Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh for defying a police directive and allegedly disrupting public order in Kepala Batas, Penang.
Sim, who is also the human resources minister and deputy DAP secretary-general, said police had advised against any gatherings in the area.
He said DAP had complied with the instruction and only sent local representatives to distribute Jalur Gemilang flags in conjunction with National Day celebrations.
“The protest was clearly in defiance of the police order and in breach of the law. It was a provocation that threatened public peace,” he said in a statement.
Sim said Penang DAP would lodge a police report over the incident and urged the authorities to send a clear message that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
Earlier this evening, Malaysiakini reported that Akmal and his wing members had gathered in front of a hardware store in Kepala Batas, Penang, whose owner was seen in a now-viral video hanging the Jalur Gemilang upside down.
He had previously threatened to stage a “class” to teach the man how to correctly fly the Jalur Gemilang if the man was not charged in court for his mistake.
Police had advised against the protest, noting the shop owner had already apologised and explained the matter.
Separately, former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy said Akmal was holding the country “to ransom” over the incident.
The Urimai chairman said in a statement that this was not Akmal’s first act of “intimidation and bullying”, and that it would not be his last as long as law enforcement failed to act.
He also criticised DAP’s flag distribution efforts, calling it a misstep that gave Akmal an excuse to escalate tensions. The police also appeared to lack the will to contain the situation, he added.
Yesterday, former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh questioned Akmal’s apparent “immunity” despite several police reports being lodged over his remarks on the upside-down flag and called for a sedition probe.
He said Akmal had issued several “extreme and unacceptable” statements, which were divisive and contained racial undertones that could threaten public order.
