Isnin, 29 Julai 2013

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Opposition will resist any government attempt to control internet

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 02:59 AM PDT

TMI

The opposition will resist any attempt by Putrajaya to restrict use of the internet, calling it a selfish attempt to undermine freedom of information so as to perpetuate Barisan Nasional’s (BN) hold on power.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the desperate attempt by BN to maintain its status quo would not succeed as the people had already spoken in the 13th general election by giving Pakatan Rakyat the popular vote.

He labelled the attempt as a violation of BN’s very own Multimedia Supercorridor Bill of Guarantees against internet censorship.

 Lim questioned if this new "draconian" move was yet another failure of the ruling coalition’s policy following the abandonment of national reconciliation and 1Malaysia.

“The double standards and selective prosecution of punishing only those who attack Muslim sensitivities but not when non-Muslims are attacked is now followed by attacking internet use,” he said in a statement today.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said the move was no different from “autocratic dictators desperately trying to cling on to power".

“How can internet bans help to prevent confusion that may arise as a result of internet defamation as mentioned by Ahmad Shabery, especially when there are double standards in punishing only opponents of BN but not when PR leaders are clearly defamed,” he said, referring to Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek's statement.

Ahmad Shabery said at a Ramadan gathering yesterday that internet defamation and similar ill-intentioned actions must be curbed before the situation deteriorated.

He added that his ministry would not hesitate to revise the internet facilities and access accorded to users in Malaysia, iterating that such move was to prevent confusion that might arise as a result of imprudent use of the internet.

"I see the misuse of the liberty given to users as reaching a critical level. It is about time we act firmly and sternly to restrain it," Ahmad Shabery said

Lim said that BN has failed to comprehend the yearning of the people for truth and freedom and quest for knowledge which was unfiltered by propaganda, racism and extremist ideologies.

He added that BN viewed the internet as a threat because the freedom and truth on the internet allowed lies, hate and fear to be quickly exposed.

“For example, BN's lies that my underaged son had sexually molested his female classmate were quickly exposed as a malicious lie when the internet identified the alleged victim's photo as a Hong Kong chess grandmaster who had never been to Penang and never met me or my son. Is this what BN is fearful of, that their lies, hatred and corruption will be exposed with internet freedom?” he said.

Anwar slams Home Minister’s quick dismissal of alleged police link to Sanjeevan shooting

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 12:51 AM PDT

TMI

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to task for quickly dismissing police involvement in the shooting of anti-crime watchdog chief R. Sri Sanjeevan last Saturday.

“He should not be too quick in dismissing anything. He should allow police to carry out a thorough investigation first," said Anwar.

“This is the problem with Umno politicians. This is an assassination attempt and there is evidence of previous threats on the victim. I regret that this came from Zahid.”

 Sanjeevan was shot while he was in his car in Bahau town with a friend. He is currently in stable but critical condition at the Seremban Hospital. He is scheduled to undergo surgery soon for a gunshot wound to his chest.

Anwar said police need to beef up security at the hospital where Sanjeevan is warded, adding that it was grossly inadequate.

He also urged Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to ensure that the taskforce set up to investigate the shooting did not include policemen remotely related to the complaints made by Sanjeevan.

The police must also investigate Sanjeevan’s complaints of certain rogue elements in the force,” said Anwar at a Press conference held at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, who was present, said Sanjeevan had told him that he was in possession of an internal memo with the “sulit” stamped on it, but he had not seen the list himself.

“Sanjeevan insisted there were a number of people on the list and that the offences were serious. These policemen were being probed for their alleged links to drug syndicates,” Rafizi said.

He said it was important not to preclude anything for now, and the probe by police must not just stop at this link, as the links with the underworld could also involve other parts of the home ministry.

“If Sanjeevan was to disclose the internal memo, it could provide a different perspective altogether on this issue of crime, particularly the relationship between underworld, police and possibly the home ministry,” said Rafizi.

Another PKR politician, R. Sivarasa, meanwhile said that looking at the manner of the shooting, it was clear that it was carried out by hired killers.

Sivarasa said Zahid and the IGP must appreciate the fact that former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan had come out clearly to say there is a connection between Sanjeevan’s shooting and his expose of policemen being linked to the underworld.

To date, only Sanjeevan’s friend who was with him during the shooting has been detained. That too, police had said, was related to a drug offence and not to the attack on Sanjeevan.

[PRESS STATEMENT] On Assassination Attempt, Dismissals of Election Petitions, Selective Prosecution #Black505 and Egypt’s Bloodbath

Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:37 PM PDT

PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 JULY 2013

1) ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF MYWATCH CHAIRMAN
We condemn in the strongest terms the cold-blooded assassination attempt at R Sri Sanjeevan who has been on a mission to do what other crime watchers have failed to do. Sanjeevan has taken the bull by the horns and has risked his life because of his dedication and commitment to expose the nefarious dealings between the criminal underworld and certain rogue elements in the police force. This is a matter of national importance.

We believe the shooting in broad daylight is not an isolated event done by some stray criminals as stated by former IGP Tan Seri Musa Hassan may be part of a much larger, more insidious criminal network with the motive of silencing him.Three months back, Malaysians were distressed with the assassination of DatukShaharuddin Ibrahim the Deputy General of Customs in Putrajaya.

KEADILAN note that IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has pledged a thorough investigation and we cannot over emphasize the importance that it be conducted in the most professional and impartial way. There should not be anyone in the investigation team even remotely related to the complaints made by Sanjeevan.

Meanwhile, we call on the IGP to beef up the security arrangements at the hospital where Sanjeevan is being treated. Without going too much into the details, we know that the current security detail is grossly inadequate. We are certain that the threat still remains and the police must therefore step up the security for his safety immediately.

2) SUMMARY DISMISSALS OF ELECTION PETITIONS
We are greatly concerned with the spate of summary dismissals of the election petitions filed by Pakatan Rakyat candidates with regard to electoral fraud in the 13th general election.

To summarily dismiss these petitions purely on so-called technical grounds and ignoring the fact that the issues raised in the petitions are matters of public interest which have a direct bearing on the conduct of free and fair elections.

Some of the technicalities raised can be considered frivolous. For example; the petitions for Machang and Selising were struck off on the basis purportedly that the petition was not served personally by the petitioner himself on the respondents. This is quite ridiculous when everyone understands that parties in court act through lawyers and do not go around trying to serve court documents themselves!

Judges are also saying that the facts stated in the petitions are not sufficient. However I am advised that provisions also exist in the election law for any party to apply for particulars and for the court to direct provision of such details. Surely this would be a better way to handle disputes when such important issues of election abuses are raised regardless by whom whether BN or PR.

The second trend is awarding high costs on the petitioners when their petitions are struck off. Petitioners have been ordered to pay as much as RM120,000 in the case of BalikPulau.

I am informed by lawyers that such costs are not in line at all with the trend of costs awarded for similar civil litigation. For example similar preliminary objections in the High Court will probably be awarded RM5,000 to RM10,000. Full appeals in the Court of Appeal are awarded RM15,000 to RM 20,000.

Such high costs are oppressive bearing in mind the public interest nature of the litigation and invites the inference that there is a decided policy to inflict punitive costs to discourage petitions. Judge Hadhariah Syed Ismail handling BalikPulau was heard to say that the RM30,000 costs that were awarded for the DUN TelokBahang petition against the KEADILAN petitioner were not high enough and proceeded to award RM 120,000.

The rakyat must perceive the judiciary as an independent institution. If they find, as in the case of these recent election petitions, that the courts are making decisions to simply maintain the electoral status quo, and appear to be acting under direction of a particular party, they will lose all faith in the judiciary.

The pattern of punitive costs suggests that a discussion has taken place amongst the judiciary with a consensus to award such costs. Whether or not that is true, I call upon the Chief Justice TunAriffinZakaria to intervene to ensure that a more appropriate approach is taken towards awards of costs. Cost orders should reflect the fact that election petitions are public interest litigation. In any event, costs should be in line with similar civil litigation.

We are raising this issue because collectively the outcome of the petitions bears directly on the people's electoral rights and ultimately on the legitimacy to govern. At the very least, the dictates of justice warrant a full and proper trial.

We are not making frivolous claims. The people have a legitimate expectation that the fraud be exposed. The best forum for this is a court of laws. Is that asking too much?

3) SELECTIVE PROSECUTION OF PAKATAN RAKYAT'S LEADERS AND BLACK505 PARTICIPANTS
Today's charging of the 33 protesters for participating in the Black 505 DataranMerbok rally on June 22 is yet another classic instance of selective prosecution and thus constitutes an abuse of discretionary power by the Attorney General.

Likewise, this unconstitutional practice of selective prosecution has led to Members of Parliament Rafizi Ramli and Anthony Loke as well as other activists being charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) and the Sedition Act.
While scores of other cases involving corruption and criminal violence which truly warrant action by the AG are either swept aside or put on hold, this swift and overzealous effort to prosecute citizens and law makers alike exercising their constitutional right of assembly is deplorable and exposes a more insidious conspiracy by the government to silence the voices of freedom and justice. Prime Minister Dato Seri NajibRazak must be held accountable for these series of vindictive actions.

4) MASSACRE OF INNOCENT PROTESTERS AND NAJIB'S UTTER SILENCE
We wish to reiterate our call on all parties and nations to condemn Saturday's massacre of more than 100 pro-Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim brotherhood in Cairo. They must do everything in their power to put a stop to this carnage.

In this regard, the government's utter silence on the matter is shameful and totally inconsistent with a declared stand on transforming the nation on the path of reform and democracy. Malaysia's initial failure to condemn the military coup of a legitimately elected government was bad enough. Now, this lack of concern over the slaughter of innocent lives raises serious questions as to why this government has been so reticent in the matter.

Once again, we categorically condemn this bloodbath by the military and hold to account Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the leaders of the present illegitimate interim government of Egypt.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

[PRESS STATEMENT] Desak Polis Jalankan Siasatan Terperinci Dakwaan Penglibatan Anggota PDRM Terlibat Aktiviti Jenayah

Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:25 PM PDT

KENYATAAN MEDIA

UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA
29 JULAI 2013

KEADILAN memandang serius insiden keganasan dan jenayah dalam negara, dan mutakhir ini adalah cubaan bunuh ke atas pengerusi badan pemantau jenayah MyWatch, R. Sri Sanjeevan dua hari lalu.

Kekerapan kes-kes bunuh secara tembakan ala mafia kebelakangan ini yang antara lain menjadikan penjawat awam sebagai mangsa; sebelum ini turut mengorbankan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Kastam Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, yang mati ditembak ketika dalam perjalanan ke pejabatnya di Putrajaya tiga bulan lalu.

Merujuk kepada kes Sanjeevan, kami difahamkan bahawa beliau sebelum ini turut menerima ancaman pada 11 April 2013 apabila diserang oleh empat lelaki bersenjatakan parang di basemen aras bawah di sebuah hotel di Kuala Lumpur, dan beberapa minggu lalu diekori oleh beberapa lelaki yang mencurigakan di Terminal LCC, Sepang. Insiden tembakan yang melibatkan beliau dua hari lalu turut berlaku beberapa jam selepas beliau memuatnaik tulisan di akaun Twitter miliknya bahawa beliau menerima ugutan tembak dipercayai dari anggota polis.

KEADILAN tidak menolak bahawa insiden yang menimpa Sanjeevan seperti yang telah dinyatakan oleh mantan Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Musa Hassan mungkin memiliki kaitan langsung dengan hasrat beliau untuk mendedahkan penglibatan anggota/pegawai PDRM dengan sindiket jenayah dan kegiatan haram.

Sehubungan dengan itu, KEADILAN menyambut baik tindakan pantas Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yang berjanji untuk menjalankan siasatan terperinci terhadap kes ini. KEADILAN juga menuntut supaya pendedahan Sanjeevan berkaitan penglibatan anggota/pegawai PDRM dengan sindiket jenayah dan kegiatan haram turut disiasat serta membawa mereka yang terlibat ke muka pengadilan. Sementara itu, KEADILAN juga memohon supaya kawalan keselamatan ke atas Sanjeevan di hospital juga ditingkatkan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

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