KUALA LUMPUR - The federal Cabinet will call China ambassador Dr Huang Huikang for an official explanation on his Petaling Street comments not to penalise the man but to put an end to the controversy, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The deputy prime minister said the matter will be dropped once Huang explains his words.
“The objective is to end the issue,” Zahid told reporters here.
“No, this is officially dropped,” he added, when asked for the next course of action.
This morning, Zahid revealed that Cabinet had in a meeting yesterday unanimously agreed that although Huang had already explained himself to Wisma Putra about the incident, the latter should still issue an official statement to end the debate over his words.
During his visit to Petaling Street last week, Huang had reportedly said that Beijing would not hesitate to speak out against any threat that may affect the country’s ties with Malaysia, in commenting on the communal tension here.
The area known as Chinatown was the site of a confrontation between police and protesters from a pro-Malay rally on September 16, after the latter group tried to force their way past a security cordon in order to march down the tourist area.
Protesters also displayed racially-tinged banners at the rally aimed at the ethnic Chinese community, calling for the abolition of Chinese vernacular schools and carrying the phrase “Cina babi”, among others.
The rally, said to be in support of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leadership, was to counter last month’s mammoth two-day Bersih 4 gathering calling for the prime minister’s resignation.
After the rally, #Merah169 leader Datuk Jamal Md Yunos revealed plans for another rally there, and warned of a possible riot it authorities do not take action against the Chinese traders in Petaling Street.
The rally was eventually cancelled after Jamal was arrested over the warning on Friday and released later.
Huang met with Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin — currently standing in for Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman — last month to explain his remarks. - Malay mail
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