Call to Tun Dr. Ismail to intervene to ensure that Peter Mojuntin is not arrested and silenced by Sabah State authorities for exercising his basic right to speak out
The DAP calls on the Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Tun Dr. Ismail, to intervene immediately to ensure that Peter Mojuntin, Member of Parliament from Sabah, is not arrested by the Sabah State authorities for protesting against religious persecution in Sabah.
Peter Mojuntin has made a very serious allegation involving a violation of one of the fundamental liberties enshrined in Clause II of the Malaysian Constitution – namely, “Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and to propagate it.”
The Central Government’s handling of this serious allegation will go a long way to show whether the Malaysian government is genuinely committed to upholding the fundamental liberties enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution, or whether these fundamental liberties are empty professions of the government which are not meant to be seriously observed.
We propose that the Central Government appoint an independent Commission of Inquiry, with representatives from different parties, religious and walks of life, to make an impartial investigation into his allegation.
Peter Mojuntin, as a Member of Parliament from Sabah, is exercising his right and duty to speak out against injustices and any violation of the Malaysian Constitution. He should be given a full hearing, and his allegation thoroughly investigated.
There should be no possibility in a democratic country whereby a M.P. may be arrested for speaking out against violation of fundamental liberties enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution.
Yet, there is a possibility that the Sabah State government may arrest him to silence and punish him for daring to speak out. We therefore call on Tun Dr. Ismail, as Acting Prime Minster and Minister for Home Affairs, to intervene immediately to see to it that there is no such gross abuse of emergency powers.