Seven demands for justice, freedom, democracy and good governance in Malaysia

(Kuala Lumpur, Saturday): In the last 24 hours, Malaysia�s international reputation which has already sunk to an unpredented low in the nation�s history, received another two body blows when  two unfavourable international reports on democracy and human rights in the country  were issued.

The United States Department of State released its 1998 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Malaysia, which referred to the "worsening" human rights record of the Malaysian government which "stifled freedom of expression" and "led to a high degree of press self-censorship".

Even more serious, however, is the damning report by the  United Nations  Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Abid Hussain, which was released in Geneva  yesterday, which  said that freedom of opinion is systematically curtailed in Malaysia, the domestic press is muzzled, foreign journalists routinely persecuted and demonstrators arrested.
 
Abid Hussain, who paid a five-day visit to Malaysia last  October, said he was "deeply concerned" at the extent to which laws such as the Internal Security Act, the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act were used to supress or repress expression and curb peaceful assembly.

 Abid Hussein also referred to defamation laws in Malaysia which "appear to be having a very chilling effect" on freedom of expression and "need to be curbed".

One way to counter the "chilling effect" of defamation laws to freedom of expression is to institute defamation proceedings against Barisan Nasional leaders and their agents, to send out the clear message that they could also be at the receiving end of mega multi-million ringgit defamation suits.

This is why I have instituted three RM250 million defamation suits against the Utusan Malaysia, the New Straits Times and the New Sunday Times - and will institute my fourth RM250 million defamation suit against the Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, if he does not retract and apologise his defamatory statement against me about the prison condition of DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Guan Eng in Kajang Prison by March 8.

I thank Adil, PAS, PRM and NGO representatives for their attendance at the DAP Chinese New Year Tea-Party as we are bound together by our common goal to establish justice, freedom, democracy and good governance for the best interests of the people and nation.

There is in the country a growing list of victims of injustice of the system of governance practised by the Barisan Nasional, like Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim, Irene Fernandez, the 126 `reformasi� demonstrators being tried for illegal assembly or  the total of 923 �reformasi� demonstrators arrested for illegal assembly. The latest victim  of injustice in Malaysia is with us tonight - Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, whose  services as the Director of  the Centre of Civilisational Dialogue at the University of Malaya was summarily and arbitrarily terminated with four day�s notice!

In the name of justice, freedom, democracy and good governance, let Malaysians regardless of race, religion or party affiliation, stand united to make seven demands, namely:
 

• The immediate release of Lim Guan Eng from Kajang Prison or he should be allowed to attend the Parliamentary meeting starting from April 5.
• The immediate release of Anwar Ibrahim from Sungei Buloh Prison on bail so that  he could rejoin his family.
• The immediate dropping of the charges against Irene Fernandez who is being tried under the Printing Presses and Publications Act in connection with her expose of maltreatment of migrant workers.
• The immediate reinstatement of Dr. Chandra Muzaffar as Director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya.
• The dropping of all charges against the 923 "reformasi" demonstrators on grounds of illegal assembly.
• The rejection of the Barisan Nasional in the Sabah state general elections.
• The denial of the Barisan Nasional two-thirds parliamentary majority in the next general elections.