GEORGETOWN: Muslim groups today send a memorandum to a Chinese daily to condemn a caricature published in the paper last Sunday.
The groups, Jaringan Muslimin Pulau Pinang (JMPP) and Gabungan Perwakilan Melayu Pulau Pinang (GPEM) met with Nanyang Siang Pau Penang Advertising Chief, Beh Sok Hooi to hand over the memorandum.
JMPP Chairman, Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin demanded for the Chinese daily to apologise to the Muslim community and wants the Home Ministry to take stern action against the publication.
“An apology is when someone does something accidentally and they are truly sorry for what they have done, but for Nanyang Siang Pau, they knew what they were doing and they did it with the intention to hurt people’s feelings,” he said.
Mohamed Hafiz also said that as a newspaper, the company should have been more professional and unbiased in its publications.
“They know that everything printed in the papers will influence their readers, they must be held responsible for the outcome of their publication,” he said.
Mohammed Hafiz claimed that after 60 years of independence, the non-Muslims in the country has become weird in the sense of they seem to intentionally want to pick fights with the Muslim community.
“They are doing this on purpose, they want to show the world that Muslims are extremists if we react to what they have done, but we Muslims will not fall for their traps,” he said, adding Muslims in Malaysia are peace loving and have been very patient.
“I am warning all those enticing hate and anger towards the Muslim community to stop. I am not threatening them but I am telling them that we live in a peaceful country where all religions and races can get along well, do not try to ruin things here,” he said.