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A group of Indian Muslims that has been consistently attacking the Penang government, has joined the bandwagon accusing the state of insulting the Malays by publishing the controversial booklet My Balik Pulau.

Abdul Ghani Mohammed Jiman of Suara Anak-Anak Mamak Pulau Pinang lodged a report at the police headquarters on Lebuh Dickens yesterday against the state government over the booklet.

The NGO was recently registered with the Registrar of Societies and is opening its membership to all, regardless of race or religion.

NONE It has staged several demonstrations against the Pakatan Rakyat state government, including taking the latter to task for allegedly driving away Malay traders from Komtar during Ramadan.

It has also disrupted an anti-ISA forum organised by local civil societies, and recently demanded an apology from Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik for purportedly asking an Indian Muslim restaurant owner to 'balik India' (go back to India), despite Ng apologising and his apology being accepted.

Abdul Ghani, who is also Komtar Merchants Association vice-president, said he had proof to show that the state, under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, was responsible for the publication of My Balik Pulau, which has been criticised for ‘inaccuracies'.

"We have very clear proof that the state was involved in the publication of the booklet... we have enough evidence to implicate the Penang government," he told reporters outside the police station.

"We have read it, we investigated and found the proof... so we are handing it (the evidence) over to the police to take the necessary action," he added.

"It is up to the police which law they want to use to handle this case".

"Lim a traitor to the nation"

However, Abdul Ghani declined to reveal the ‘evidence' he had, saying it would all be exposed at Komtar at 1pm tomorrow.

The booklet, published by an NGO, Arts-Ed, created waves in Penang when Umno's Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad highlighted several ' inaccuracies ' he claimed it contained.

pulau betong adun muhammad farid saad pc on my balik pulau newsletter 060211 01 Muhammad Farid ( right ), who is currently facing legal action from the state for his alleged racist comments, said the booklet was an insult to the Malays for trying to eliminate the community's early existence in Penang.

Lim has denied that the state is responsible for the booklet, saying instead the project to publish it had been approved before 2008 by the federal government, through the Ministry of Tourism.

Abdul Ghani has also challenged officials from the state government to dialogue with him on the booklet.

"If the chief minister is not brave enough (to meet with me), let the others do it... he said the state is not involved in this booklet, but we have evidence that it is," he claimed.

"The evidence will prove that Lim is a traitor to the nation... he does not know history, which is why this booklet, which does not benefit the people and has caused divisions among the community, was published," Abdul Ghani added.

"Lim is not a hero but a traitor to this nation".


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