HUMAN Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has slammed the purportedly Molotov cocktails attack on Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham’s house in Ayer Tawar, Perak in the wee hours of this morning (Jan 10).
“These acts of violence and extremism must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all parties regardless of who the victims are and who the perpetrators are,” tweeted Sim who is also the Bukit Mertajam MP on X (formerly Twitter).
Then national organising secretary of DAP since March 2022 is presently the youngest Cabinet minister at 41. He previously held the deputy finance minister portfolio before being made a full-fledge minister following the Dec 12 cabinet reshuffle.
Ngeh who is also the Perak DAP chairman nevertheless said he forgives the people behind the fire that broke out at his home this morning, damaging three of the DAP man’s vehicles, namely a Mercedes E300, a Honda CRV and Toyota Hilux as well as the porch roof of his house.
Speaking at a media conference this afternoon (Jan 10), Ngeh said the perpetrators might have been misled by falsehoods and instigated by others into committing the act.
“The only reason I suspect this attack could occur is due to the media statement I issued on Dec 28 last year,” he revealed.
The former Perak State Legislative Assembly Speaker courted controversy with his proposal that non-Muslim constitutional experts be appointed to the committee reviewing the jurisdiction of shariah courts according to the Federal Constitution.
His proposal was criticised by various quarters with PAS and Bersatu leaders accusing him of interfering in Islamic affairs while UMNO leaders lambasted his proposal as “shallow” and “unfounded”.
The furore was somehow put to rest after Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who is also the National Islamic Council chairman reminded non-Muslims to respect and refrain from interfering in matters relating to Islam with Ngeh himself having withdrew his statement and issued an apology on the matter. – Jan 10, 2024
