KUALA LUMPUR – Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid has lodged a police report against Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad of PAS after the latter’s failure to retract alleged slanderous statements against DAP leaders.
Syerleena said the report is against the “malicious” claims Siti Mastura had issued during a PAS event in Kemaman, Terengganu on November 4, during which the PAS lawmaker asserted that DAP stalwart Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has family ties with ex-Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng and the late former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
“The police report is an initiative to right the wrongs presented by (Siti Mastura) in her speech which was filled with false allegations recycled from old slander. She has displayed a shocking attitude for a lawmaker and someone who apparently holds a PhD.
“All you (Mastura) had to do was go on Google to check the truth of what you’re saying,” Syerleena told a press conference after lodging the report at the Brickfields district police headquarters, here, today.
Also present at the press conference was DAP Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii, who is also Bandar Kuching MP, Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi and Subang Jaya representative Michelle Ng Mei Sze.
According to a copy of the report provided to the press, Syerleena is urging police to investigate Mastura based on laws under the Penal Code, namely Section 504 for intentionally disrupting public peace, Section 505(c) on statements that could incite a community and Section 499 on defamation.
Syerleena also claimed that Siti Mastura’s speech is an offence under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which relates to the improper use of network facilities or network services.
Meanwhile, Yii said DAP Youth will be mobilising its forces to lodge a number of additional police reports against Siti Mastura, who he said has embarrassed youth politicians by her use of “disgusting politics”.
“Even though she was given some time to retract her claims, she didn’t. As a young politician, you should not be using outdated politics. We should be upholding mature politics while consistently checking our facts and making sure that what we’re saying is based on the truth.
“This is an important issue. It’s not just about slander, but also attempts to disrupt racial harmony and public peace.”
Besides that, Wong said the incident has highlighted how there is a pressing need to impress on the public the importance of combating fake news through improved media literacy.
“A lawmaker herself cannot differentiate between the truth and lies. What is even more serious is that after she issued slanderous claims, she has refused to apologise. This shows that her intentions are truly malicious,” said Wong.
“As such, I agree with Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching’s (suggestion) to hold a media literacy course in Parliament for MPs so lawmakers have basic knowledge on fake news as well as how to differentiate between facts and opinions.”
Previously, Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said despite being an ustazah (religious teacher), Mastura is unfit to be a leader as she would lead the people astray since she has supposedly shown no remorse over her slander.
On Tuesday, DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng, who is also Kit Siang’s son, told Siti Mastura that she has until today to furnish evidence to prove her claims before further necessary action is taken against her.
In a video of her speech, Mastura also claimed that several members of DAP’s top leadership were related to one another, claiming that Guan Eng’s wife is cousins with Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, while also naming Ngeh, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Previously, in 2017, Kit Siang had to deny being a cousin of Chin Peng and Lee, a claim spread by Umno members or supporters in a chart shared via WhatsApp. – November 9, 2023