Email to Norian Mai for meeting on repeated police human rights violation in  criminalizing  legitimate constitutional political activities and police role in upholding 1957 Merdeka Constitution


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Petaling Jaya, Monday): I have emailed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai, asking for a meeting with DAP leaders on the repeated police harassment of DAP’s  “No to 929” campaign, police violations of human rights in  criminalizing peaceful and  legitimate constitutional political activities as well as the police role in defending and upholding the 1957 Merdeka Constitution.

Yesterday, the police launched its fourth arrests of DAP leaders and activists in connection with the DAP’s “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” People’s Awareness Campaign, when  the Klang police arrested DAP National Publicity Secretary, Ronnie Liu and five other DAP leaders and activists at the Pandamaram new village market, after police arrests in Ipoh on June 5, Port Dickson on 21st July and Bentong on 4th August.

All the four arrests of DAP leaders and activists were made  under the Sedition Act 1948 but to date no charge had been filed – which is a gross and intolerable abuse of police powers in “arresting first and finding out the offence later”, a  disturbing message of the total lack of discipline and disrespect for the rule of law on the part of the police.

It has been said that “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is enemy action” and Norian Mai should tell the DAP and Malaysians what the police meant by their fourth police arrests in connection with the “No to 911, No to 929, Yes to 1957” campaign. 

With the fourth time the police has arrested DAP leaders and activists in connection with the “No to 929”  campaign, the time has come for the Police to declare whether it is committed to upholding and defending the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that Malaysia is a democratic, secular and multi-religious Malaysia with Islam as the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic State – whether UMNO Islamic State or PAS Islamic State. 

Norian Mai should explain whether the police are aware that the principle enunciated in the  “No to 929” campaign are the very same principle proclaimed by  the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn and upheld by the highest court of the land on the fundamental nation-building cornerstone that Malaysia is a democratic, secular and multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state, whether UMNO Islamic State or PAS Islamic State. 

Norian Mai had said that the Police would not help the PAS Terengganu State Government to implement the Terengganu PAS Syariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Enactment as it violates the Federal Constitution. 

Can Norian Mai explain why the police is violating human rights and harassing the DAP in criminalizing peaceful and legitimate constitutional political activities in undertaking the “No to 929” campaign when its very objective is to defend and uphold the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that Islam is the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state, whether UMNO Islamic State or PAS Islamic State?

(19/8/2002)


*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman