Tuan Yang di Pertua,
Dewan Rakyat,
Parlimen.
YB Tan Sri,
Usul di bawah Peraturan Majlis Mesyuarat 18(1) untuk perkara tertentu berkenaan kepentingan orang ramai yang berkehendak disegerakan ke atas the most high-handed police action in recent times when it mobilised over 10 FRU truckloads and 200 police personnel at the Seremban Central Market since about 6 am yesterday and the illegal arrest and detention of four DAP Negri Sembilan State leaders for exercising their legal, political and democratic rights to distribute PAP pree1ection pamphlet calling for Full Liberalisation and Ten-Democratisation in Malaysia
Di bawah Peraturan Masjid Mesyuarat ke 18(2), dengan ini diberi notis bahawa saya ingin mengusulkan bahawa Mauls Dewan ditangguhkan untuk usul tertentu berkenaan kepentingan orang ramai yang dikehendaki disegerakan
“That this House gives leave to the Parliamentary Opposition Leader and MP for Tanjong, YB Lim Kit Siang, to adjourn the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely the most high-handed police action in recent times when it mobilised over 10 FRU truckloads and 200 police personnel at the Seremban Central Market since about 6 a.m. yesterday and the illegal arrest and detention of four DAP Negri Sembilan State leaders for exercising their legal, political and democratic. rights to the DAP pre-election pamphlet to the public calling for Full Liberalisation and Ten-Democratisation Programme in Malaysia because of the following reasons:
(i) The Seremban 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 organisin secretary P. Gunasegaran at the Seremban Central Market at about 11 am yesterday morning when they were distributing the DAP’s pre-election pamphlet calling for Full Liberalisation and the DAP’s programme for Ten Democratisation.
Over ten truck loads of the Federal Reserve Units and other police personnel totalling some 200 persons were mobilised at the Serernban 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.
This was the most high—handed police action in recent times which violated the democratic right of opposition parties to spread their message through the distribution of pamphlets.
If opposition parties excercising their legal, political 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.
This does not augur well for democracy and human rights in Malaysia and Parliament 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.
(ii) The high-handed police action has brought shame to Malaysia’s reputation nationally and internationally and reinforced international image of Malaysia as a country which does not respect human rights and democracy, raising as well the question whether the next general elections would he free, fair, clean and democratic.
(iii) For these reasons, Parliament must take immediate cognisance of such an undemocratic action and demand a full explanation from the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Nor.
(iv) Furthermore, Parliament must exercise firm control over the Police to ensure that it does not abuse its power and undermine the democratic system.
After the detention of the four DAP Negri Sembilan leaders. I went down to Seremban at about 3.15 pm and telephoned the Negri Sembilan Chief Police Officer about the arrest. I was informed in my fourth telephone conversation with the Negri Sembilan Chief Police Officer that the four DAP Negri Sembilan leaders were arrested for committing an offence under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 in distributing pamphlets without a permit.
The detention of the four Negri Sembilan DAP leader were illegal, and a gross abuse of Police power for they had violated no offence under, the Printing Presses and Publication Act in exercising their legal, political and democratic rights to distribute the DAP pamphlets on Full Liberalisation to the public.
This incident highlighted Police double standards as over the years the Police has never taken any action against UMNO, MCA, Gerakan. MIC and other Barisan Nasional parties for distributing party pamphlets to the public.
Parliament must register it condemnation of the illegal Police detention of the four Negri Sembilan DAP leaders in Seremban yesterday as a gross abuse of power which is completely impermissible in a democratic country which subscribes to the rule of law.
(v) When Parliament passed the Printing Presses and Publication Act, had no intention whatsoever to inhibit political parties from spreading their party message through the distribution of pamphlets and Parliament must express its instant disapproval and condemnation of any Police attempt to misuse the Printing Presses and Publication Act to impose censorship and prevent, opposition parties from disseminating their message to the people, and to demand for the sacking of the Seremban OCPD, Nordin Zakania, who had allowed himself to be a tool of political party power play in Seremban.
Sekian, terima kasih.
Yang ikhlas,
____________
Lim Kit Siang
Parliamentary Opposition Leader,
Malaysia.