Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has described the act of red-shirted protestors burning the effigies of him and his father Lim Kit Siang as not only racist but a racial provocation.

Lim said it was a 'dangerous, religious provocation' as the protesters, who carried out the deed in Kota Baru, Kelantan on Sunday, also mocked a Taoist religious rite.

“What I am not satisfied about and regret is the using of religion to criticise me. Don’t use and insult other people’s religion,” Lim said at a press conference in Georgetown today.

“How can they, who profess to be Muslims, do this? The Muslims I know do not do such acts,” he said after showing reporters a video-clip of the fiery episode.

Lim said he was not confident that action would be taken against the protestors in Kota Baru even though inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said that police were probing the incident.

He pointed out police may not act as the protestors were linked to the Kota Baru Umno division whose head is a staff of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He said this was not the first time his photo had been torched by his opponents, adding action had never been taken against anyone who did such acts.

“If it makes them happy to burn my effigy, just do it but do not burn the whole country,” said the DAP secretary-general.

'Clear case of racist provocation'

Lim urged all his supporters remain calm and that those who cherished racial and religious harmony to stand united against ‘racists and extremists’.

He said BN and all its component parties must take responsibility for what happens tomorrow because they have never criticised the police or Najib for allowing the 'red shirts rally' to take place.

“The rally was illegal but now the police says it is legal. Let’s see what kind of provocation they will be up to tomorrow,” Lim (photo) added.

At the same press conference, Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon said he was saddened that the red-shirt protesters had used Islam to insult the Lims.

“As Muslim, I view using the takbir in such situations as very sad. It is a clear case of racist provocation, and we who live in this multi-racial country must not allow this to happen,” said the PKR Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson.