(Ipoh, Friday): The actions
of a few “black sheep” in the Ipoh police force in the past few days
resulting in blatant police abuses of power, whether
in my wrongful arrest,
the wrongful raid of the DAP
Perak premises and violation of human rights of Malaysians, have further
discredited the image and professionalism of the police force, marred the
momentous meeting of the Malaysian Prime Minister with the Pope in the Vatican City and
spoiled Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s overseas tour with the adverse
international publicity raising disturbing questions about human rights in
Malaysia and the Malaysian police force.
If the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to
1957” People’s Awareness
Campaign leaflet is seditious and a crime under the Sedition Act 1948, then the
Police should have arrested me today when together with other DAP leaders,
including the Acting DAP Secretary-General Chong Eng (MP for Bukit Mertajam),
National Organising Secretary Tan Kok Wai (MP for Cheras), National Treasurer
Fong Kui Lun (MP for Bukit Bintang), Deputy Secretary-General M. Kulasegaran,
Perak DAP State Chairman Ngeh Koo Ham, MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan, Perak
State Assemblymen Keong Meng Sing and Hu Chan You, I went around the market to
distribute the leaflet.
In not arresting me when police officers were
aware both before and during my visit to the Menglembu market for distributing
the “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” leaflet, the police are in fact
admitting that the leaflet is not seditious and not an
offence under the Sedition Act. It
also meant that the police’s hour-long raid of the Perak DAP premises
yesterday, seizing some 18,000 copies of the leaflet was groundless and
a gross abuse of police power. It
further meant that my arrest on Wednesday, initially for distributing a pamphlet
without a permit under the Sedition Act and later for distributing a seditious
pamphlet, were also completely baseless and further examples of gross abuses of
police powers.
In the circumstances, the police should
apologise for the gross abuse of police powers and immediately return the 18,000
copies of the leaflet seized during the police raid.
The police must not allow the irresponsible
actions of a few “black sheep” in the Ipoh police, who were prepared to be
tools of Barisan Nasional politicians in Ipoh, to blot and mar the good name and
international reputation of the Royal Malaysian Police Force.
Can the police explain the reason for the
“lightning speed” with which the Ipoh police acted on the police report
lodged by Ipoh Timur UMNO
yesterday, resulting in the hour-long raid of the DAP Perak premises and the
seizure of 18,000 “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” leaflets?
Three days ago, I had lodged a police report
asking for police investigations as to whether the MCA President and Transport
Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik had committed an offence under the
Anti-Corruption Act 1997 in obstructing and
misleading Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations about his
business connections with his former protégé Soh Chee Wen, an offence which
carries the maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine or both.
No action has yet been taken by the police.
Five years ago, in June 1997, I had lodged a
report asking for full
investigations as to how Liong
Sik’s son, Ling Hee Leong, could
at the age of 27 embark on corporate acquisitions exceeding RM1.2 billion in a
matter of months and whether there had been improper use and influence of his
father’s political and Ministerial position – but ACA investigations have
just gone nowhere after five long years.
What is the reason for the “lightning speed”
on the part of the Ipoh police to launch a raid of the DAP Perak premises
immediately after the Ipoh Timur UMNO police report, alleging that the “No to
911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” leaflet could cause religious and racial strife?
As the Ipoh Timur UMNO police report is false
and malicious, will the Ipoh Police act with similar “lightning speed” in
raiding the Ipoh Timur UMNO premises if the DAP Perak lodges a police report
against Ipoh Timur UMNO for its false and malicious report?
Furthermore, if the “No to 911, No to 929, Yes
to 1957” leaflet to defend the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and “social
contract” reached by our forefathers from the major communities before
Independence and reaffirmed by the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak on the formation
of Malaysia in 1963 is seditious, then Mahathir’s “929 Declaration” which
went against the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and “social contract” must be
even more seditious.
If the DAP lodges a police report against
Mahathir for committing the offence of sedition in making the “929
Declaration”, is the police going to have the same “lightning speed”
action in raiding the UMNO Headquarters and the Prime Minister’s Office, or
will the police practise double standards – making the issue a subject-matter
of complaint not only to Suhakam but also to the United Nations Human Rights
Commission?
The hour-long police raid
of the DAP Perak premises by a 20-strong police contingent must be condemned in
the strongest possible terms, for it violates the unwritten rule about the
sanctity of political party premises, particularly of Opposition parties, to
underscore the professional and non-partisan role of the police and guarantee
that there would be no police interference with the legitimate political
activities – except in cases of grave and heinous crimes, which do not apply
at all in this case.
I had said yesterday that
the thought had never occurred to me that Mahathir should be arrested and
charged for offences under the Sedition Act 1948 for his “929 declaration”
in challenging the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and “social contract”, but if
the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” pamphlet to defend the 1957
Merdeka Constitution and “social contract” could be construed as an offence
under the Sedition Act, then Mahathir would be even more guilty of sedition for
his “929 declaration” which challenges the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and the
“social contract”.
I said yesterday that I am giving the
Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai and the Attorney-General Datuk
Abdul Gani Patail one week to
satisfactorily rectify the gross police abuse of power, false arrest and
violation of my human rights, or the the
DAP will seriously consider the option of lodging a police report against
Mahathir for committing the offence of sedition under the
Sedition Act for his “929 declaration”.
It would appear that the
few “black sheep” in Ipoh Police want to force the DAP to lodge a police
report against Mahathir under the Sedition Act for his “929 declaration” by
further blatant police abuses of power like the wrongful raid of the DAP Perak
premises – and the few “black sheep” in the Ipoh Police must accept full
responsibility if the DAP decides to go ahead and lodge a police report against
Mahathir for committing sedition for his “929 Declaration”.
In this connection, the MCA MP for Ipoh Timur,
Thong Fah Chong should explain his role for the police abuses of power at Pasir
Pinji market on Wednesday and the Ipoh Timur UMNO police report yesterday.
Instead of working with DAP in the “No to 911,
No to 929, Yes to 1957” campaign to defend the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and
“social contract”, it is most deplorable that Thong is trying to sabotage
this campaign.
(7/6/2002)