Report: Police dismiss Che’gu Bard’s cover-up claims over ‘Jom Ziarah Gereja’ probe
KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — The police have denied claims of a cover-up over the ‘Jom Ziarah Gereja’ programme, as alleged by pro-Perikatan Nasional (PN) activist and politician Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Che’gu Bard.
The police act fairly and without prejudice, Sentul police chief ACP Beh Eng Lai told online news portal Malaysiakini today.
“The claim is wrong. It was only a coincidence. And police conduct investigations in a fair manner, and the race of the officer or complainant has no influence in our probe,” he was quoted as saying.
He was reportedly referring to Che’gu Bard’s description of the ethnicity of the police officers assigned to record the reports that Che’gu Bard and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had lodged against each other.
“We also have senior investigating officers, district Criminal Investigation Department chiefs and district police chiefs, the majority of them are Malays, to monitor the process of investigations,” Beh was quoted as saying.
Yesterday, Che’gu Bard reportedly said that he believed there was a conspiracy to cover up Yeoh’s alleged misconduct.
He added that he had reached this conclusion based on the race of the police officers who took their respective reports against each other.
“It is unlikely that it is a coincidence that both officers are non-Muslims.
“But I am confident that this was not a decision of the police force, but instead pressure from above,” he was quoted as saying before he entered the Sentul District Police Station for questioning.
Che’gu Bard had also linked Yeoh to Christian proselytisation and accused her ministry of channelling funds to a non-governmental organisation allegedly for enticing non-Christian youths to visit churches.
Last Tuesday, Yeoh denied allegations of the proselytisation of Muslim youths through the ‘Jom Ziarah Geraja’ programme, which involved visits to houses of worship.
She said data showed no Muslim youths were registered with the programme called Projek Article 11 organised by Impact Malaysia, which had so far visited the Federal Territory Mosque and Gurdwara Sahib Shah Alam this month.
Che’gu Bard, who is also Negeri Sembilan Muafakat Nasional chairman, had labelled the event as “Christian evangelism begins its work”.
The organiser of the programme, Impact Malaysia, describes itself as a social impact initiative of Impact Integrated, an agency under the Youth and Sport Ministry.
Article 11 refers to the provision in the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion.
