MANJUNG: Beruas member of parliament Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham believed that the suspected arson at his house in Ayer Tawar this morning could be due to the media statement he issued on Dec 28 last year.
The media statement, said Ngeh, was in response to the suggestion by the federal government to form a committee headed by former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi to study the conflicts betweeen Syariah Laws and the Federal Constitution, in which the 11 members of the committee are all Muslims.
According to Ngeh, he suggested that non-Muslim Constitutional experts be appointed into the committee so that non-Muslim views with regard to the provisions in the Federal Constitution will also be taken into account before proposal for any change to the law is made.
"I specifically stated that the views of non-Muslim with regard to the provisions in the Federal Constitution be taken into account.
"Never at any point of time did I say that they interfere in Islamic Laws or Islamic matters.
"I also suggested that a representative from the Malaysian Bar be appointed as it is a statutory body formed with an interest in any matter related to our country's laws," he told reporters here today, adding that he is not involved in any quarrel or dispute with anyone, prior to the suspected arson today.
Earlier today, Ngeh in a social media posting on his Facebook account, confirmed that his house and three caught fire. There was however no casualties during the incident.
State police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said his men are hunting for the suspected individual responsible for the incident.
The case, said Mohd Yusri, is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code (mischief by fire) and there will be a thorough investigation from all angles.