A stage set up by DAP for an major event on March 4 beside the DAP Merlimau operations room was torched this morning.

According to Merlimau DAP chairperson Shelley Fook, the landlord of the vacant land where the stage stood noticed smoke at about 6am this morning.

merlimau dap stage arson 280211 "He went to check and found that there was an arson attack. He also found an empty bottle with traces of petrol," she told Malaysiakini .

However, only the carpet on the stage was destroyed as the stage is made of steel.

Fook said the party will not be lodging a police report as they believe that the police will not take any action against the perpetrator.

The stage was meant for a major dinner-cum-ceramah event to mark the tail-end of the DAP campaign. Among others, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was scheduled to speak at the event.

Dirty campaigning

Fook refused to speculate on a motive behind the arson, as she is worried that this might be used by DAP’s rivals.

"DAP rented this vacant land from PAS supporters to organise a campaign dinner. The grand dinner would be on March 4, two days before polling."

Fook said this incident would not stop DAP members from campaigning and organising the dinner, but party members will be more alert.

Meanwhile, DAP Bandar Hilir state assemblyman Tey Kok Kiew believed, this was an effort to threaten to voters and them from showing up at the ballot box.

Along with the several questionable leaflets being distributed - one which called the Chinese traitors and another featuring doctored photographs of Pakatan Rakyat leaders in the buff - this incident, he said shows that the opposition coalition’s rivals were indulging in dirty campaigning.

"There was another incident happen a few days ago, where someone threw firecrackers at a DAP ceramah," he added.