According to the eight-minute “Sembang Rakyat — Kedai 1 Malaysia” video clip, the move is part of a conspiracy by DAP to fish for voter support by blaming the increase in prices on the government.
“This is a very irresponsible use of the Internet and it should be thoroughly probed by the authorities. It was definitely politically motivated and it is especially easy to suspect who is behind it,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang told The Malaysian Insider today.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had also condemned the video yesterday and denied there was any truth behind what was insinuated in the video.
The clip, posted by user “kawasaki9722” on July 7, is part of a series of anti-opposition videos, all featuring the same five actors, that can be found of video-sharing site YouTube.com.
Guan Eng’s political secretary Zairil Khir Johari lodged a police report on the matter this afternoon and will subsequently file a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
In a media statement here, Zairil said the main factor behind the rise in prices of goods in Malaysia was the slashing of fuel, gas and sugar subsidies.
“These subsidies are controlled by the federal government, nothing to do with other parties,” he pointed out.
Other factors that have contributed to the soaring inflation rate, he said, are global economic issues as well as the government’s inefficient handling of the country’s economy.
“We believe that the video is part of a plan crafted by enemies of DAP and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) meant to divide the people through narrow racist sentiments. And from the looks of the video, it was not done by amateurs... it looked like it was recorded by professionals, using good equipment... definitely done by someone with deep pockets,” he said.
The eight-minute clip shows a group of five men of different racial backgrounds huddled together in a road side stall, discussing the increase in prices of daily essentials.
One Chinese man, named “Lim”, tells the group - an elderly Muslim man on a wheelchair referred to as “Mamat”, a stocky Malay man called “Dollah”, a Punjabi man with a turban called “Singh” and an Indian-Muslim shopkeeper whom they refer to as “Thamby” — that DAP has directed Chinese businessmen to raise the prices of goods.
Once the prices have been raised, claims Lim, DAP will then blame the hikes on the BN government in order to fish for votes in the coming polls.
His revelation appears to shock the four men sitting with him at the stall except for “Mamat”, who is clearly more supportive of the opposition. At the beginning of the clip, “Mamat” was seen reading Harakah, a PAS newspaper, and complaining about the prices of goods before “Thamby” tells him to read Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia instead.
“I have studied it already. If we want to succeed, we cannot change everything. What can the government do if they do not get two-thirds majority? We will lose out as well,” Lim tells his friends, appearing to be encouraging them to vote for BN in the polls.
When “Mamat” protests, “Thamby” steps in to defend Lim, saying, “Lim is telling this story because he wants to live peacefully in this country.”
“Yes, it is true. If we fight, how to make ends meet? Do you remember the Japanese occupation? Life was tough,” Lim says.
The group later disperses, leaving “Mamat” behind as they rush to check the prices of goods sold at the “Kedai 1 Malaysia”, which “Singh” earlier claimed were cheaper by between 30 per cent and 70 per cent.
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