PETALING JAYA: Stern action should be taken against the individual who allegedly insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a Facebook posting, says Umno’s Ahmad Maslan.
Ahmad, who is the Johor Umno deputy chairman, said legal action was necessary to deter people from touching on issues related to race, religion, and royalty (3R), Berita Harian reported.
“It has been reiterated previously that insults targeting race, religion, and royalty are extremely sensitive matters. Hence, immediate action should be taken, especially after police reports were lodged by 26 divisions of Johor Umno Youth.
“If this matter is prolonged, it might escalate,” he was quoted as saying.
The Pontian MP’s comments come after PAS’s Hezry Yasin, in a now-deleted Facebook post, described his actions when it came to prayers in mosques for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the sultans.
In the post, Hezry purportedly said he had lowered his hands at Friday prayers in Johor when prayers were said for the king, sultans and their families.
This prompted Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh to call for Johor Umno Youth leaders to lodge a police report against Hezry for allegedly insulting the king as the leader of Islam in Malaysia by accusing him of neglecting Islam.
Hezry issued an apology earlier today, saying that his post merely reflected his personal opinion and that he had not intended to disrespect the royal institution.
Ahmad also said he endorsed Akmal’s call for lodging police reports against Hezry, adding that it was a “justifiable response” to the alleged insult against the king, who serves as the head of religion and the Johor government.
