KUCHING: Sarawak leaders from across the political divide condemned the firebombing of a KK Mart outlet in Satok here on Sunday.
The attack comes as the chain of convenience stores is grappling with the fallout from the discovery of several socks that are embroidered with the word "Allah" at one of its branches.
Sarawak Pas said it did not support any violence, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said he "strongly condemned" the outrageous attacks that were getting out of hand.
The Satok branch is the third KK Mart outlet to be attacked after incidents in Bidor, Perak and Kuantan, Pahang.
Sarawak Pas assistant secretary Syamsul Bahrie Mohamad said such an attack should not have happened, especially among Sarawakians who held strong "ethical values".
"Our society in Sarawak is known for its tolerance and high spirit of unity. This should not (have) happened."
He appealed for Sarawakians to remain calm and leave it to the authorities to take appropriate action.
Dr Yii also called for calm and tolerance.
"Sarawakians must stand up against such acts of hate and not let this be normalised in our land and our country," he said in a Facebook post.
He said he did not expect such an attack to happen in Kuching, "which is supposedly known as the City of Unity, a place where for years we have learnt to live harmoniously regardless of our race, religion or background".
He said the attack showed "how the unity and harmony we treasure is so fragile and must be protected."
"We must stem this before it spread any further and any quarters that continues 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 deliberate attempt to deescalate 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 our race, religion or background and ensure nothing like this happen again."
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president, Voon Lee Shan, called the attack a "cowardly act of violence" and questioned questioned the police's seriousness in investigating the attack.
Voon, a senior lawyer and former police offices, said the attack was terrorism and the case should be investigated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015.
He was commenting on Kuching district police chief Assistant Commissioner Ahsmon Bajah saying that the case was being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage.
Voon also said the Sedition Act should also be used against people who "spread or propagate any material that have seditious tendency to cause disharmony against various races and religions in the country."
"To just investigate the case under section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause to cause damage could be construed as the police are not serious in pursuing the criminals."
