The RM500 reward to slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok on video was described as "unsound" by Joseph Kurup, the minister in charge of national unity.
 
Kurup told reporters at a function today that the police should act against the persons who placed the reward because such an act was tantamount to inciting hatred.
 
"This is not our style to solve problem, let the police to investigate, this is just an act done by small group of people…reasonable people won’t do this,” he said after attending open house organised by the United Chinese Schools Committees' Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong).
 
However, Kurup stopped short of criticising Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who said yesterday that there was no need for the police to probe the slap threat.
 
Kurup said that it was likely that this was Zahid's way of diffusing the issue.
 
"He may have said that because he did not want the issue to be made bigger than it already is," said Kurup.
 
Zahid had said that the reward does not constitute an actual threat and said that only a murder threat would warrant a probe.
 
Minister's ignorance
 
In response to this, Kok, who was present at the same function, questioned if Kurup was capable of reading Zahid's mind.
 
She also criticised Zahid for being ignorant of the law, particularly the Penal Code, and urged the Attorney-General Chambers to educate him.
 
"Zahid’s statement shows that he is interfering police investigation, he had politically intervene police’s job, and the force is also seems to be biased on a party," she lamented.
 
Many legal experts have publicly stated that Zahid was wrong and that the reward was tantamount to criminal intimidation.
 
The RM500 bounty, which was later increased to RM1,200, was offered by Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) activist Mustafa Hamzah on Feb 6, during a protest by several Muslim NGOs.
 
The groups had protested against Kok's Chinese New Year video message that lampooned several key personalities in government, including the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor.
 
According to the groups, the video is an "insult" to Malay leadership, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Islam and Malay dignity.
 
Gangster politics
 
Another guest at the event, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, said that the reward offered by the NGOs did not represent the Muslim community and said they were advocating "gangster politics".
 
Anwar, had in his speech at Dong Zong’s function today, said that Muslims embraced peace and the protest was merely an attempt to instill hatred.
 
"We live in a multi-racial society, but we tend to fight more as we stay together even longer. (Former Bersih chairperson) Ambiga Sreenevasan said something and someone threatened to punch her, and now it’s Teresa’s turn," he said.
 
"This is gangster politics, Pakatan will fight against this, the reason why I come to Kajang (to contest) is to fight with this,” he said, drawing a loud applause from the crowd.