(Penang, Sunday): Now that the application for the registration of the newly-formed Social Justice Movement or Adil has been submitted yesterday to the Registrar of Societies by its protem chairman, Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP calls for the swift registration of Adil which should not take more than a month.
As political parties had been registered in a very short period, even as fast as within 24 hours, when they serve the interests of the powers-that-be, the time has come for the government to show that the Societies Act is not an obstacle to the freedom of assembly and association by giving expeditious approval for the establishment of Adil.
I also support the call by Wan Azizah that former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, should be released on bail for the Moslem fasting month of Ramadan to allow him to be with his family.
Today is the full third month of the first detention of Anwar Ibrahim, the day he said he was physically assaulted by the police when in custody in Bukit Aman until he lost consciousness and he still had a "black eye" and other bruises on his body when he was produced in court ten days later.
It is another national and international scandal that three months after the "black eye" assault, the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah is still sitting on the report of the independent police investigation team into the outrageous incident although the report had been submitted to his Chambers for a month, showing no sense of urgency or seriousness in the case.
Will the Attorney-General now blame the new delay on the consultant in forensic medicine he had appointed to assist him in assessing medical reports in connection with Anwar’s conditions?
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had said that
the government would not allow a "cover-up" into the "black eye"
assault of Anwar, and if this is the case, he should direct the immediate
publication of the police findings on the three-month-old Anwar’s black
eye - and demand a public explanation from the Attorney-General
the inordinate delay in taking action on the case .
(20/12/98)