KOTA KINABALU: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Md Salleh in a letter through his counsel on Wednesday demanded a public apology from political activist Dr Chong Eng Leong for alleged criminal defamation that appeared in a print media on July 17.
In a statement, Harris said Dr Chong had accused him of committing treason against Malaysia.
"He also claimed that I was responsible for giving and issuing Malaysian identity cards to about 70,000 people who are mostly Malays and Muslims from Indonesia and the Philippines," he said.
Dr Chong also further claimed that none of these people qualified to become citizens of Malaysia, he said.
By alleging that Harris had given and issued identity cards to these unqualifted people under the Malaysian law, Dr Chong claimed that he had committed treason.
Harris said treason is a very serious offence and if convicted, the penalty is normally death.
In this regard, he said if Dr Chong failed to issue a public apology within 14 days, he would instruct his lawyers to file a Criminal Defamation suit and at the same time seek damages against Dr Chong. He said it was not his intention to continue making statement after statement on the issue of identity cards.
"However, it is my duty as a citizen to tell the truth to the People of Malaysia and correct any misleading facts and truth," he said.
The statements made by various parties. he claimed, were targeting and referring only to the Malay and Muslim stocks.
Therefore, he said, accusing unqualified Malays and Muslims getting false identity cards is a sensitive racial and religious issue.
Harris said the truth about the identity card issue coulrl only be traced in the records of the National Registration Department (NRD).
Daily Express
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