Lim Kit Siang sends cable to Australian Prime Minster Bob Hawke, urging him to intervene in Chin Jee Shoong’s case to rescind the deportation order to allow him to complete his university studies.

by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General, MP for Tanjong and Assemblyman for Kampong Kolam, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, August 29, 1986:

Lim Kit Siang sends cable to Australian Prime Minster Bob Hawke, urging him to intervene in Chin Jee Shoong’s case to rescind the deportation order to allow him to complete his university studies.

Yesterday, I sent a cable to Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, urging him to intervene to rescind the deportation order issued against Malaysian student from Kuala Lumpur, Chin Jee Shoong, so that he could complete his university studies.

This is Chin’s fourth year in Australia, and Chin is a second year arts student, majoring in economics, at the Australian National University in Canberra.

He was unable to pay his student visa fee of A$ 2,000, and was given verbal extension till 19th June. When Chin still could not produce the full A$ 2,784, his student status was terminated. On 1st August, he was informed by the Australian immigration authorities to produce his air return ticket within 14 days, on the grown that he was no mare a student visitor, but an illegal immigrant.

Chin went to the Overseas Student Office on August 19 to inform them that money was being urgently sent over to him, but he was immediately detained and a deportation order issued against him. The immigration authorities refused to relent and allow him to continue his studies in Australia although Chin had the full sum of student visa fees by August 20.

In the last two days, I had maintained telephone contact with Malaysian students in Melbourne on the Chin Jee Shoong case, as it would be most unfair if Chin and others in his place are not allowed to continue their studies because of difficulties in raising funds for student visa fees. Chin would waste his four years of studies in Australia, and it would be a tragedy for Chin’s family to see their hopes on their son dashed.

In the latest development in Melbourne, a Federal Court judge, Mr. Justice Smithers, had ordered Chin to be freed from a detention order where he was awaiting deportation. The Federal Court judge also said the Australian Immigration Minister, should consider Australia’s relations with Malaysia before deporting the student.

Despite the Federal Court’s order to the immigration authorities to release Chin from detention, Chin’s deportation order is still valid, although it should now be reviewed by the Immigration authorities.

I would urge the Australian Prime Minister to intervene in Chi’s matter, restore his the student status to continue his ANU studies, so that the good relationship between the people of Malaysia and Australia would not come under greater strain.

The education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, should also contact his counterpart in Australia to urge the Education Minister of Australia to reinstate the student status to Chin.

DAP calls for an the establishment of a Police ‘Ombudsman’ to inquire and act on all complaints about police crimes and negligence

The Elmi Tahir case, the 17 years old student was shot and killed by the police while out with his girl friend, Suzlina Nordin, during his birthday on August 22, and the conflicting stories about the incident, as well as discrepancies in the official police version, has raised a new the need for an independent inquiry into all complaints about negligence, killing and crimes.

The police had said that Elmi was shot during a car chase, when, as his father Tahir Salam has now clarified Elmi was shot at point blank range after he had stopped his car. Gunpowder traces on his head showed that he was shot at close range. Elmi was shot the above the right eyebrow, the bullet coming out at the back of his head.

The police as a whole had conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, and in this connection, I wish publicly to commend the Police for its excellent work in ensuring smooth holding of the l986 general elections. I congratulate the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Haniff Omar, for the police role in the general elections despite attempts by many people, including top government Ministers, to create fear and scare among the voters.

There are however ‘black sheep’ in the police forces who do not realise their role as the protector and friend of the public, but who take the law into their own hands to commit crimes against the public whom they are supposed to protect. These ‘black sheep’ commit assaults, torture and sometimes killing under the guise of legal discharge of their duties.

If the police are to be regarded as friends of the people, rather than their enemies or bullies, then the Police must be able to immediately regain public confidence in every such case of police brutality, negligence or criminality.

For this reason, I suggest that there should be a Police ‘Ombudsman’ with sufficient staffing to inquire and act on all complaints against police brutality, negligence and killings, so that the public will feel that an entirely independent and separate body is entrusted with the task of investigating into all public complaints against the police.

This Police Ombudsman should be answerable to Parliament, and should have all the powers of investigation and prosecution. The DAP will expect a full and satisfactory explanation of the Elmi case in the October Parliament. Urge Barisan Nasional leaders to heed the advice of Tunku on the Labuan issue

The Federal Government and Barisan Nasional leaders should not be afraid to allow the people of Sabah and Labuan to express their views in a referendum about the future of Labuan, whether to revert back to Sabah or to remain Federal Territory.

The Federal and Sabah State Constitutions were amended to excise Labuan from Sabah to become Federal Territory, and they could again be amended to restore Labuan to Sabah.

One fact which the Federal government leaders must admit is that despite the appearance of constitutionality and legality of the establishment of Labuan as Federal Territory, there is no doubt that its legitimacy in the sense that it was done in a democratic manner taking full cognisance of the wishes of the people is highly suspect.

The Barisan Nasional leaders should heed the wise advice of Bapa Malaysia and first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who said on Tuesday that if the people of Labuan wanted their island to revert being part of Sabah instead of the Federal Territory, they should be allowed to do so. Tunku rightly pointed out that all the states belong to one nation, and there was no ‘big national value’ for Labuan to be made a Federal Territory.

For the interest of greater national integration, especially between Sabah and the Federal Government, the Labuan issue must be dealt with sensitivity to the feelings of the people of Sabah and Labuan. After all, nobody is suggesting that Labuan be taken out of Malaysia!