ISA vigil at Dataran Merdeka postponed

Dec 22, 07 1:13pm

The Abolish the ISA Movement (GMI) has put off a planned vigil to protest detention without trial under the Internal Security Act at the historic Dataran Merdeka tonight. In a faxed statement last night, GMI president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said a police permit was pending for a new date - Jan 5 next year. “In keeping with the constitutional right to assemble peacefully, GMI is firm in its intention to hold this programme,” he said. Syed Ibrahim stressed that the event, like previous GMI events, would be entirely peaceful and pose no threat to public order and national security. “It has rather been the actions and deliberate provocation by the police which have caused (peaceful) gatherings to end in chaos,” he added. The vigil was to be attended by ISA detainee’s family members and civil society groups. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which was also suppose to participate in the vigil, has advised its supporters not to gather at Dataran Merdeka tonight via Short-Message Service (SMS). Meanwhile, the Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow said that the police will decide later on the application made to hold the assembly in January. "The police will decide (on their application for a permit) after considering various factors to avoid any untoward incidents," he was quoted as saying by Bernama. Dataran closed to public Hindraf was the latest casualty of ISA detention when five of the movements’s leaders were arrested under the act on Dec 13. Yesterday, Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman issued a stern warning to GMI and the public to stay away from Dataran Merdeka because no permit was issued for the event. In recent months the police have carried a no-nonsense attitude in dispersing crowd who had participated in these illegal assemblies by resorting to use water cannons and tear gas. Scores have also been arrested and charged in court for taking part in these rallies.

Be ready for more ISA arrests

Khairil Zhafri | Dec 22, 07 2:17pm

Be ready for a fresh round of government crackdown akin to the 1987 Operasi Lalang, warned an opposition party DAP leader at a forum last night. Ipoh Barat Member of Parliament and the party’s vice chairperson M Kulasegaran said that more political leaders and social activists will be arrested under the dreaded Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial. The infamous Operasi Lalang, executed by the government on Oct 27, 1987, saw the detention of 119 opposition leaders and social activists, including several high profile DAP leaders including its senior leader Lim Kit Siang and party secretary general Lim Guan Eng. Kulasegaran said that he had reliable information that the government would use the ISA as a follow up to the arrest of five Hindu Rights Action Force leaders. When asked who were in the 'second list', Kulasegaran said he believed that the list included himself and another DAP leader A Sivaresan. Both Kulasegaran and Sivanesan have also played a prominent role in Hindraf. The movement has organised a series of demonstrations to highlight the poor state of the Indian community in Malaysia. The last demonstration held by Hindraf on Nov 25 saw some 30,000 people descending to the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Five Hindraf leaders were then arrested and sent to a two-year detention at the Kamunting Detention Centre for being a threat to the national security. Kulasegaran was speaking at a forum organised by DAP at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night. More than 600 people attended the forum which started at 8.00pm. The forum was titled “ISA arrests of Hindraf 5 – Ops Lalang2 coming?”. Making it an election issue Kulasegaran said that ISA served two purposes for the ruling party - one was to instil fear in the people, another was to threat opposition leaders and activists from speaking up. He said the next general election was a good opportunity to bring about changes in the country. He also stressed the importance of women empowerment. He ended his speech saying: “women are the real force in the country”, followed by a big applause from the audience. The only non-politician panellist at the forum, lawyer and activist Haris Ibrahim also touched on the ISA in his talk. He stressed that ISA was a legitimate law. However he added that it was a “bad law” because it was crafted in a way that opened for abuse. “There is no fair check and balance,” he added. Citing a Malaysiakini report on reasons for detention of the five Hindraf leaders, Haris said that the government have abused the ISA although they claimed they have been investigating the movement (Hindraf) since July and have enough evidence to charge them under Sedition Act. “Why aren't they (government) charging them under Sedition Act if they have evidence? If you have evidence, bring them to court, let the public assess the evidence.” he added. Pondering on de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Aziz's statement that the people supported ISA based on their continued support for the BN, Haris urged the civil society to take on Nazri's challenge and make ISA an election issue. “We are law-abiding people ... only one way we can (abolish ISA) – change the parliament,” he said. Everyone is disappointed Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi have disappointed the people over the last three years by not keeping to his promises in the last general election in 2004. “What [have been] done by Dr Mahathir have been done by Pak Lah (Abdullah). Dr Mahathir curbed press freedom, Pak Lah did the same,” she said. “Pak Lah has shown no sympathy at all ... (and) has failed to see the (underlying) cause of the demonstration. Everyone is disappointed,” she added. Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw meanwhile called for the immediate release of Hindraf leaders as detention without trial was unacceptable. He also said that he believed Hindraf leaders do not have any connection with Sri Lankan Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as claimed by the police. Other panellists included DAP leaders Fong Kui Lun, Loke Siew Fook and Lim Guan Eng. The forum was chaired by Tony Pua. Special fund launched Sivaresan and Lim Kit Siang, whose arrival were greeted with applause and standing ovation by the enthusiastic audience, also spoke at the forum. Kit Siang said that the Malaysian Indian community must continue to exert legitimate political pressure on all leaders in the MIC and other Barisan Nasional component parties to end their denial syndrome and own up to the injustices suffered by the community. “As Malaysian citizens, Malaysian Indians have the unquestioned democratic and constitutional right to unite and mobilize support for change and justice to end their long-standing marginalisation,” he said. His speech was similar to the one he made in Ipoh on Wednesday night where he said that the Indian voters can play a big role in determining their elected representatives in the next general election. At the forum, DAP launched a special fund to support the five Hindraf leaders detained under ISA and other 31 Hindraf supporters who face court sentencing next week for participating in the Nov 25 rally. “The donations will help to support the families of these people while they are being detained and after they are released as they hardly could find a job,” said Kulasegaran.

Klip video Lingam: BPR temui Dr Mahathir semalam

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Dec 22, 07 2:26pm

Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) telah menemui bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berhubung dengan siasatan kes klip video Lingam. Dr Mahathir berkata beliau ditemubual oleh tiga pegawai BPR selama sejam di pejabatnya di Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana di Putrajaya (YKP) semalam. “Badan Pencegah Rasuah menemubual saya dan bertanya soalan kepada saya. dan saya menjawabnya," kata beliau selepas melancarkan buku mengenai perundangan antarabangsa oleh pakar undang-udang, Tunku Dr Sofiah Jewa. Klip video tersebut, yang didedahkan oleh Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, menunjukkan peguam Datuk VK Lingam berbual melalui telefon, didakwa dengan Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim mengenai pelantikan hakim-hakim. Ahmad Fairuz yang bersara baru-baru ini, telah menafikan dakwaan tersebut. Dalam video tersebut, Lingam didakwa turut mengaitkan jutawan Tan Sri Vincent Tan, kroni rapat Dr Mahathir, dan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Datuk Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, untuk bercakap dengan Dr Mahathir mengenai pelantikan hakim-hakim. Integriti badan kehakiman Lingam enggan mengulas mengenai klip video itu tetapi menyatakan kesediaannya untuk bekerjasama dengan suruhanjaya diraja. Tengku Adnan juga sebelum ini, telah menafikan terbabit dalam isu-isu yang dibangkitkan dalam klip video tersebut. Pendedahan video tersebut telah mencetuskan kemarahan pelbagai pihak yang menggesa kerajaan supaya mengambil langkah segera untuk memulihkan integriti badan kehakiman. Berikutan itu, kerajaan telah menubuhkan sebuah suruhanjaya diraja yang diketuai oleh bekas Hakim Besar Malaya, Haidar Mohamed Noor untuk menyiasat kesahihan serta perkara perkara-perkara yang ditimbulkan dalam klip video tersebut. Suruhanjaya itu telah menyatakan bahawa pihaknya mungkin memanggil Dr Mahathir untuk memberi keterangan dalam siasatannya. Mengulas mengenainya hari ini, Dr Mahathir berkata, beliau akan patuh dengan arahan untuk memberi keterangan kepada suruhanjaya tersebut. Jadi saksi “Jika saya dikehendaki memberi keterangan, jika undang-undang memerlukan saya memberi keterangan, saya tidak boleh kata tidak," katanya. Beliau bagaimanapun enggan mengulas lanjut mengenai kontroversi atau tuduhan mengenai pengaturan pelantikan hakim-hakim. “Terpulanglah kepada suruhanjaya diraja itu untuk melihat sama ada wujud kebenaran atau tidak mengenai tuduhan tersebut atau di dalam klip video itu," katanya. Ditanya sama ada Lingam atau Tan ada menemuinya mengenai isu pelantikan hakim-hakim seperti yang didakwa dalam klip video tersebut, Dr Mahathir berkata adalah mengarut untuk bertanya kepadanya mengenai perkara itu. “Saya tidak tahu sama ada Lingam menyebutnya ataupun tidak. Saya belum tengok klip video itu. Apa yang saya tengok ialah di TV, TV3. Itu saja. Saya tidak tahu. saya tidak dengar dia menyebut nama Tengku Adnan ataupun nama saya," katanya. Ada pihak yang telah menyalahkan Dr Mahathir berhubung masalah yang timbul dalam badan kehakiman selepas pemecatan Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Salleh Abbas pada tahun 1998.