By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, March 19: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Datuk Idris Buang says the party has formed a Special Legal Team comprising trained personnel to monitor libellous statements and baseless accusations against its president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on social media.
He said this following the online publication of a video by DayakDaily where Abang Johari who is also the chief minister was seen to have gone through a temperature scan while his entourage were allegedly spared from doing so.
“This petty issue has been egregiously hyped and viralled by certain quarters who are trying to create a negative perception against our Chief Minister and the government.
“This Special Legal Team will voluntarily assist the authorities including the police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to track down those irresponsible people concerned with a view that legal action be taken against them under Section 211 and 233 of the MCMC Act.
“Those making and hyping baseless allegations or to create a perception that the Chief Minister is spreading Covid-19 just because his entourage was not seen to be going through temperature scan process, have clearly committed a breach of the relevant law,” Idris told DayakDaily.
Idris, who has some years of experience in police investigation and criminal law practice, stressed that the whole incident has been manipulated by certain quarters especially by some people connected with the Democratic Action Party.
“It is understood that the entourage had constantly had their temperature checked on a daily basis to and fro at check-points.
“They had theirs taken earlier and would have another check later when they reached the 22nd floor.
“It is such a petty matter. Yet some opposition politicians are making a mountain out of a molehill. This shows that they are miserably bankrupt of ideas. It is pure ad hominem.
“They were given the chance before to prove their mettle and worth as part of the federal government but in many aspects including the tackling of this pandemic, they had failed miserably.
“When Covid-19 first broke out in Wuhan, the Pakatan Harapan government then refused to take any proactive steps such as to answer the call by netizens to disallow the entrance of Chinese tourists or visitors into the country. But the federal government did not heed. It is guilty of naivety and hardheadedness.
“In comparison, our Chief Minister, from the onset, has been alert and made the decisive move to ban the entry of those from highly infected nations. Those politicians who are attacking the Chief Minister are also enjoying the effective precautionary actions Sarawak is taking.
“Not only that, there was no word of gratitude but they twisted a totally simple video and made abuse of it to defame him and the government .
“At least they should show respect to all especially when now and at this stage, we are mourning the deaths of some of our beloved citizens who had succumbed to this mean and deadly virus.
“Now is the time to put our ‘political arms’ down and show togetherness as responsible citizens to help the government protect and defend the safety and lives of our people. Every single soul is of utmost importance to us — this is what our Chief Minister and his team of government leaders had stressed.
“The chief minister is now fighting hard to help the people so that Sarawak may be free from the virus. Please don’t try to create an issue out of it with such bad and ugly intentions. It only goes to show how low one’s moral and upbringing is.
“Now after losing the government, they are going back to their old tricks of misleading the people. We will ensure that suitable legal action will be pursued against anyone who tries to twist facts and who tries to tarnish the image of our chief minister and our leaders,” Idris told DayakDaily.
Idris called on every Sarawakian to coorperate with the federal and state government in every way possible to minimise the harm caused by this current pandemic.
“Everyone must be very serious about the implementation of Restricted Movement Order. They must also be responsible and play their part in accordance to the order.
“Stay home for the lockdown or be ‘locked up’ by the disease forever,” said Idris.
Idris was responding to a recent DayakDaily video taken on March 17 (Tuesday) which shows Abang Johari undergoing a body temperature scan before heading straight to a lift to attend a State Security Council meeting while his entourage was allegedly spared from the scanning.
Following the live streaming of the video, a local politician questioned why was it that only Abang Johari was scanned and not the rest of his entourage.
Idris advised this particular politician to apologise to the chief minister and all who had been ‘lured’ into believing in this negative perception, and be responsible as a law-obedient citizen. — DayakDaily
