Blogger Papagomo arrested for anti-Chinese post, Utusan slammed for #ApaCinaMahu
Infamous blogger Papagomo has been arrested for an anti-Chinese post published on his blog today.
His posting, titled ‘Mesej Sebaran Cina Yang Dahagakan Kuasa’, warned the Chinese that Malays would not hesitate to act upon any attempt to overthrow the BN Government on May 8 – when Pakatan Rakyat’s mammoth gathering is scheduled to take place in Petaling Jaya.
Calling the Chinese community 'racist', the blogger also boldly challenged the authorities to capture him, saying “Aku tak peduli lah kena tangkap ke tidak tapi yang pasti kaum Cina begitu racist sekali.” ("I don’t care if I’m arrested or not. What's certain is that the Chinese are just too racist").
According to Malaysiakini, the police accepted Papagomo's challenge, and arrested the blogger.
They also caught pro-Pakatan blogger King Jason to ‘facilitate police investigations’. Jason had earlier put up a Facebook post accusing Barisan Nasional of buying votes in the recently concluded elections.
Papagomo's incendiary posting drew flak from other quarters.
Lawyer and former PKR Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff slammed him, saying the blogger's comments aren't helping Najib's call for national reconciliation.
He added that the issue wasn't one of race, but a reflection of the MCA leadership's failure within BN and said it is an opportunity for Malay leaders to show they are able to serve other races as well.
“A failure of Chinese leadership can’t be equated to any racial connotation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia's front page article, written by editor Zulkiflee Bakar, which chides the Chinese for being 'ungrateful' to BN, has been hammered by many Malaysians of all races.
The newspaper's headline 'Apa Lagi Cina Mahu', has become so infamous that it's been turned into a trending Tweet by Malaysians who've slammed it, mocked it and derided it in cyberspace.
Strangely, it has been defended by the BN leaders, including Najib.
Constitutional law expert Professor Shad Saleem Faruqi called the article and the accusation that the Chinese are out to take over the country 'totally unfair'.
"It’s like saying, when the tigers are gone, the antlers will take over the jungle.
“There’s a place under the sun for all of us,” he said.
Lembah Pantai member of parliament, Nurul Izzah Anwar called the front page article 'appalling'.
"I stand with all right thinking Malaysians against racial provocation!” she said in a Facebook posting.
Malaysia artistes have also expressed their disgust. Actress Ida Nerina, on her Twitter account, said, “We are all part of the same eco-system. How about some respect for one another?”
