KUCHING: Dr. Kelvin Yii has condemned in the strongest possible terms the recent act of violence involving a Molotov cocktail at a KK Mart in Jalan Satok, here.
Responding to the latest incident arising from the socks controversy, the Bandar Kuching MP said he did not expect the violent incident would happen in Kuching which is supposedly known as the City of Unity — a place where the people have lived harmoniously regardless of race, colour or religion.
“This is outrageous and getting out of hand. I call for calm and tolerance. As Sarawakians we must stand up against such hatred and not let this be a normal thing in our land and country,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Yii was saddened by the hurling of the Molotov at the convenience store in the city, noting that the unity and harmony which the people has treasured all this while is “fragile and must be protected”.
“We must resolve this before it spreads any further and any quarters that insist on continuing to instigate and spread hate must also face the full force of the law.
“We must not take this lightly and all parties must make a genuine attempt to de-escalate the situation and spread understanding and respect.
“Let us all move towards unity, not division. This is our opportunity to gain better understanding of one another, regardless of race, religion or background and ensure nothing like this is repeated,” he said.
Earlier, according to reports quoting Kuching district police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah, police received a report on Apr 1 from a 25-year-old KK Super Mart employee here about a Molotov cocktail causing cartons of beverages placed in front of the store to catch fire.
The police chief said the case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code, and the offender, if convicted, can be jailed up to seven years or fined, or both.