Attorney-General Tommy Thomas has lodged a police report against an allegation that he is anti-Islam.
It is learnt that his officers went to the Putrajaya district police office at 3.15pm on Wednesday (Feb 27) to lodge a report on his behalf.
Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, while campaigning at the Semenyih by-election last weekend, was alleged to have questioned the appointment of non-Malays as Attorney-General, Chief Justice and Finance Minister and said that Malay rights should be defended at all costs.
“There has been a vicious message circulating on social media claiming that I am anti-Islam.
“This is a total lie. It is for this reason, the police report was lodged for the matter to be investigated,” he was quoted as saying.
The report comes in the wake of allegations from various quarters, including Umno and PAS, that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has not been firm with those accused of insulting Islam.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun had also passed the buck to the AGC when responding to criticism over the release of a senior citizen who made a Facebook posting deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammad on police bail.
“We investigate, but we do not press charges, we rely on the deputy public prosecutors for further instructions and we will adhere to whatever instructions they give us,” he had said.
This morning, Wai Foo Sin, 68, claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to two counts of uploading an offensive caricature.
He is the second person to be charged with such an offence after A Taneson, 22, was produced in court in Shah Alam yesterday.
Meanwhile, the man accused of placing stolen idols in a Klang surau admitted to three charges related to the incident at a magistrate court in Klang today.
After Helmee Othman, 37, was charged with two counts of desecrating the Muslim prayer hall and one count of stealing the idols. He pleaded guilty to all the charges.
The desecration charges under Section 295 of the Penal Code are punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment while Section 379 of the same law pertaining to theft provides for a sentence of no more than seven years’ imprisonment.
Helmee’s lawyer, Nur Aida Md Zainuddin, earlier urged the court to send him for mental assessment before recording his guilty pleas.
“Someone who is in the right frame of mind would not have done what he did, which was a very sensitive act,” she was quoted as saying by The Star.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari said there did not appear reason to believe Helmee to be mentally unsound but said he would leave it to the magistrate to decide.
Magistrate Muhammad Azzam Zainal Abidin then directed that Helmee be assessed at the Hospital Bahagia in Ulu Kinta, Perak.
Sentencing was then fixed for March 27.
Police arrested Helmee at his Taman Pendamar Indah home on Sunday over the incident that outraged some in the Muslim community.
Over the weekend, Nazri Abdul Aziz had remarked that Malays should not be faulted for thinking that the authorities are not prosecuting anyone in connection with the death of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim since the A-G and the suspects are of the “same skin colour.”
According to the authorities, Adib, who died on Dec 17, was assaulted during last November’s riot outside the Seafield Hindu temple.
Following this, Thomas and the Pakatan Harapan government have come under fire for not charging anyone in relation to the incident.
An inquest is ongoing to determine the cause of Adib’s death.