Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh speaks during a press conference at at the CCID headquarters in Kuala Lumpur September 28, 2018. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Senior police officer Commissioner Datuk Seri Amar Singh today expressed surprise at blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s racist retorts involving references to the Sikh community’s practice of wearing turbans.

The Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Investigations Department (CCID) director Commissioner had yesterday challenged Raja Petra to produce evidence for the latter’s accusations the police had stolen over RM40 million while probing Datuk Seri Najib Razak, but was taken aback today by Raja Petra’s response.

“Even more surprising is when RPK snaps back with a demeaning and derogatory statement to ridicule a person due to race... whatever respect left is lost because ‘racist and discriminatory remarks are the weapons used by the weak the maximum of hatred for the minimum of reason’,” Amar wrote in a brief Facebook post today.

“The Sikhs hold the turban to very high regard, don’t ridicule and try to undermine us... we have a much stronger grit and courage in us,” he added.

Amar was referring to Raja Petra’s latest post on the latter’s blog Malaysia Today, where the latter had made remarks referencing the turban donned by Amar.

Amar also pointed out that Raja Petra had in his blog post now admitted to be a “mercenary writer” and not an investigative reporter as previously claimed.

“But even if one is such a writer the least he can do is have the morals and integrity to write about the truth don’t be a ‘lap dog’ to anyone,” Amar said in his Facebook post.

Amar is from the Sikh community, which is a minority in Malaysia. He is heading the police investigation of Najib in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal.

Yesterday, Amar had challenged Raja Petra to lodge a police report in Malaysia on his claim of the police’s alleged theft of over RM40 million if he had the evidence to back up his accusation.

Amar had said the blogger should be prepared to face the consequences if his report was found to be untrue.

Raja Petra, who is believed to be abroad, had wrote a post alleging that police had seized RM160 million during raids on properties linked to Najib, but declared that they only confiscated RM116.7 million in cash.

But Amar yesterday pointed out that the alleged theft was impossible, noting that the alleged sum of RM43.3 million would have required transfer of at least 10 to 15 bags under 100 closed-circuit televisions and that would not have escaped the attention of media personnel.

Amar yesterday said Najib himself had lodged a report to claim the RM43.3 million that supposedly belongs to Umno, but failed to substantiate his case when asked by investigators.

Umno had last week filed a lawsuit against the police and the government to claim a total of RM160 million that it alleges was stored by Najib as Umno president in a condominium unit.

It said no Umno officials or members — except for the party president — has “access or full knowledge” of the party’s election funds.

Umno asserted that Najib as the Umno president held RM160 million in trust for the party as the remainder of its funds for the 14th general election, claiming that it owns both the RM116.7 million that was announced as seized by the police and the differential sum of RM43.3 million.

It is unclear if Umno has evidence to back its claimed ownership of the alleged RM160 million sum.