by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 18th December 1994:
DAP condemns the high-handed police action in arresting four DAP Negri Sembilan state leaders who were excercising their legal, political and democratic right to distribute party pamphlets on Full Liberalisation
DAP condemns the high-handed Seremban police action in arresting four DAP Negri Sembilan state leaders who were excercising their legal, political and democratic right to distribute party pamphlets on Full Liberalisation to the public.
The police arrested DAP Negri Sembilan state deputy chairman Khoo Seng Hock, the state vice chairman Malek bin Ahmad, the state organising secretary Lim Seng Chuan and the state deputy organising secretary P. Gunasegaran at the Seremban Central Market at about 11 am this morning when they were distributing the DAP’s pre-election pamphlets calling for Full Liberalisation and the DAP’s programme for Ten Democratisation.
This is the most high-handed police action in recent times which violates the democratic right of opposition parties to spread their message through the distribution of pamphlets.
This does not augur well for democracy and human rights in Malaysia and I must ask whether Malaysia is heading towards an even more undemocratic direction and a police state as a result of the rethinking on human rights by top government leaders recently.
I understand that over ten truck loads of the Federal Reserve Units and other police personnel totalling some 200 persons were mobilised at the Seremban Central Market since 6 am this morning, blocking off roads as if the police were faced with a major threat gravely undermining the security of the nation.
If opposition leader excercising their legal, politic al and democratic right to distribute party pamphlets to the people is now regarded as a major threat to the security of the nation, then the next general elections is going to be the dirtiest and most undemocratic in Malaysian history.
The DAP protests in the strongest manner possible against such high-handed police action which has brought shame to Malaysia’s reputation nationally and internationally and calls for an explanation from the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Nor.
I will move an urgent motion in Parliament tomorrow to condemn such high-handed police action which has created a blot on Malaysia’s record on democracy and human rights as well as raise grave doubts as to whether the next general elections will be ‘free, fair, clean and democratic’.