Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has slammed former prime
minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his blog posting which gave the impression
that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was arrested and charged because he had
criticised Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The Communications and Multimedia Minister described
Mahathir’s posting as similar to the Wall Street Journal’s report regarding
Lim’s arrest and indictment for alleged corruption.
“Mahathir is saying that people are being arrested or are
being sacked from the party for insulting other people or for calling other
people all sorts of nasty names.
“Surely Mahathir cannot be serious by suggesting that, for
example, if someone were to say that Muslims are following the religion of
Satan (like what they say in some countries) that is not a crime and no action
should be taken,” Salleh countered in a post on his blog, sskeruak.blogspot.my,
yesterday.
Mahathir in his latest post also hurled allegations against
the government and country’s leaders.
Salleh said Mahathir also did not seem to understand the
meaning of the word ‘criticise’.
“Calling someone a dog or pig cannot be classified as
criticising.
We also have libel and slander laws that make it a crime to
allege something against someone that is not true,” he stressed.
He said in a game of politics, a person must not lose track
of decency, the truth and the legality of what they are doing.
On June 30, Lim pleaded not guilty to two corruption charges
over the conversion of an agricultural zone to a housing zone as well as the
purchase of a plot of land and bungalow at below-market price.
The High Court had allowed Lim bail of RM1 million in one
surety on the two charges, besides allowing him to retain his passport.
-Bernama
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