DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock ( photo ) today lodged a police report against an Umno leader for "baseless allegations that [may] promote ill feelings or hostility among races".

He said the allegations made by Umno Pasir Mas division chief Ibrahim Ali which were published on the party's official website

were seditious and had infringed the Sedition Act 1948.

The recent interview was entitled: ' Cina DAP hasut Cina MCA jangan setuju guna Bahasa Inggeris ' (Chinese DAP incites Chinese MCA not to agree on English language switch).

In it, Ibrahim charged that, the reason why Chinese BN component parties were hesitant in supporting the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English was because they had been 'incited' by the DAP to do so.

Poor performance

He also said Chinese Malaysian students' examination papers were marked by Chinese Malaysian teachers who allowed them to pass their exams with flying colours even though they might not have made the grade.

The actual poor performance of Chinese Malaysian students would be revealed once the language switch is implemented, as teachers of other ethnic groups would be assessing them, he claimed.

"This is why the Chinese objected to using the English language [in teaching the two subjects]. They were incited by the DAP which played a main role on this issue," said Ibrahim who is also a former deputy minister.

After lodging the report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, Kerk said Ibrahim's allegation that DAP had incited the Chinese-based BN components "did not warrant any rebuttal as the statement will not be supported by the BN parties themselves".

PM, IGP urged to act

Kerk charged that certain parts of Ibrahim's statement were clear attempts to stir Malay supremacy feelings.

The DAP leader urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is also Umno president to look into the matter and take appropriate action against Ibrahim.

"As the prime minister has appealed for non-politicisation of the language issue and has even threatened the use of the Internal Security Act on the matter, I am shocked that this highly seditious statement can be published on the Umno website," he said.

Ibrahim had also said that the Malays must support the language switch and master English so that the Chinese would not able to condemn them in English or Mandarin.

"When the Chinese laugh, we also laugh with them, but we do not know whether they are laughing because they are insulting us. The same goes for English, we do not know if others are also insulting us in English," the Umno division chief said in the interview.

Kerk also urged Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai to attend to the report lodged and to initiate an investigation so that necessary action could be taken against Ibrahim under the Sedition Act.

Under Section 4(1) of the Act, those found guilty is liable to face a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.

"Irresponsible politicians must be prevented from playing with fire by manipulating the issue of teaching Science and Mathematics in English," he stressed, adding that the issue would be raised by DAP members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat currently in session now.

Kerk was accompanied to the police station today by his fellow party MPs Fong Kui Lun, Chong Eng, Tan Kok Wai and Chow Kon Yeow.