JOHOR BARU: DAP should stop making baseless accusations against MCA during the campaigning period, says MCA spokesman Mike Chong.

       He also said Seputeh MP Teresa Kok must apologise for "threatening" the police during a recent ceramah.

       Chong said DAP confused the public after Kok and Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham both claimed that a Pakatan Harapan ceramah on Feb 26 was disrupted by a Barisan Nasional event next door, which was attended by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       Chong said the event was not organised by Barisan and instead, it was organised by a local NGO called "Kelab Sukan dan Rekreasi Saudagar Negeri Johor", adding that Dr Wee was invited as a guest of honour.

       "I hope DAP and its leaders will not attack that particular Chinese association to gain political points and stop blaming MCA.

       "As a DAP leader (Kok), she should have apologised sincerely and openly, because she had issued a statement that hinges on threats towards the police, who were carrying out their duties professionally," said Chong during an online press conference Thursday (March 3) afternoon.

       A video is currently circulating on social media, depicting a dissatisfied Kok who wasn't allowed to speak beyond the previous 10pm SOP limit for political ceramah by the Election Commission (EC).

       "It's only 10pm and they are asking us to leave. When we are the government next time, you (police) will know," she was heard speaking in Mandarin at the DAP's Yong Peng operation centre on Feb 26.

       In the video, Kok had appealed to the police to allow the Pakatan ceramah to be extended till 10.30pm.

       She claimed that DAP could only start speaking at 8.30pm instead of the scheduled 8pm, as noise from a lion dance performance next door was disrupting the ceramah.

       A statement by Kok on Wednesday (March 2) also claimed that MCA and Barisan were "bullying" Pakatan.

       "Kok and Ngeh's statement hinges on defamation and it is not true at all.

       "The lion dance was also organised by the NGO to welcome the arrival of the guest of honour Dr Wee and several other VIPs. I stress again that the event was not organised by MCA," said Chong.

       Batu Pahat district police chief Ismail Dollah said Kok is currently being investigated for her speech on Feb 26 as it contained "threats against the police".

       Previously, SOPs by the EC stated that ceramah cannot go beyond 10pm but on Wednesday (March 3), it was announced that ceramah can go until midnight.

       The Johor state election has a 14-day campaigning period and polling is on March 12.