Thaqib Shaker, who is a Titiwangsa Bersatu Youth member, said the police should take action against Najwan despite the latter’s apology yesterday.
“Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said, with regards to Sanusi Nor’s case, that an apology is not a legal defence and the police are free to investigate the Kedah menteri besar.
“So similarly in Najwan’s case, his apology doesn’t absolve him of his racist remarks,” he told reporters outside the Shah Alam district police headquarters (IPD).
Thaqib stated in his police report that racial and religious sensitivities should not be made a laughing matter.
“Such remarks can trigger conflict among the races and disrupt public order,” he said, adding that his report was lodged in solidarity with PSM and to express his “hatred towards racism”.
Yesterday, Sanusi said he had apologised to the sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for remarks he made regarding the appointment of the state’s menteri besar.
The PAS election director also said he had written to the Selangor ruler explaining the true meaning of his remarks which he claimed had been distorted by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
In turn, Azalina reminded Sanusi that his apology to the sultan of Selangor was insufficient to absolve him of his remarks. An apology is not a legal defence in criminal law, she said.
In Najwan’s apology yesterday, he said he took full responsibility for his action.
He had been called out after PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam posted a screenshot of his remark “Indian estate party” in a chat group comment on a news report about Sivaranjani being fielded.
He said he should not have had such a “shallow perception” of PSM, which he described as a “forward-looking political party” which champions the issues of the Indian community, especially those living and working in estates.
He said he had reached out to Sivarajan to apologise to the party’s leadership and its members, adding that he does not harbour any racial prejudices or biases against any ethnic groups, including the Indian community.