Democracy under attack, decries PAS leader
Athi VeerangganPublished: May 7, 2009 8:46 AM | Updated: May 7, 2009 11:51 AM
Condemnations continue to pour in over the chaos in the Perak Legislative Assembly with a Penang PAS leader being the latest to join the bandwagon.
Condemnations continue to pour in over the chaos in the Perak Legislative Assembly with a Penang PAS leader being the latest to join the bandwagon.
Calling it a mockery of democracy and the doctrine of separation of powers, PAS Tanjung's Rashidi Salim blamed the crisis on the Perak palace and Barisan Nasional federal government.
"Our democratic system is under attack in Ipoh. Malaysia is now a laughing stock among the international community because the executive failed to respect, observe and adhere to the doctrine of separation of powers.
"The doctrine, the very essence of democracy, has been mocked," he said after leading a group of PAS members to handover a memorandum to the National Security Council (NSC) Penang division assistant secretary DSP Azlan Alang Mohd Daud.
The memorandum was to protest against the arrest of some 60 elected representatives and activists over the past two days in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh for holding protest and prayer gatherings in connection with the detention of poll reform group Bersih spokesperson Wong Chin Huat under the Sedition Act and the Perak constitution stand-off.
Among those arrested in the past two days were PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu or Mat Sabu, its Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub, parliamentarians Teo Nie Ching (Serdang), Dr D Jeyakumar (Sungai Siput), Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Parit Buntar) and Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang).
Assemblypersons - Ng Chin Tsai (Temiang, Negri Sembilan) Khoo Poay Tiong (Ayer Keroh, Malacca), Jenice Lee (Teratai, Selangor) and Teo Kok Seong (Bahau, Negeri Sembilan) were also detained.
Among the activists detained were Malaysiakini columnists Josh Hong and Helen Ang, Suara Keadilan Chinese edition editor Law Teck Hao and Suaram coordinator John Liu.
'Najib's bluff exposed'
Rashidi lamented that the federal government had abused its power by clamping down on a genuine public dissent organised to safeguard the universal concept of human rights, democracy, natural justice and rule of law.
Criticising the Putrajaya administration for misusing the police for its political purposes, he said the latest episode in Ipoh "exposed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's bluff that he wanted to build a one Malaysia for all."
"If it is true that the premier wanted to build a one Malaysia, he should end the Perak crisis by calling on the palace to dissolve the assembly to stage a fresh state election," he added.
He warned that the BN government cannot go on wielding its executive at will against political dissent and would meet its waterloo sooner than later.
"It's just matter of time before the Umno-led federal government falls from power. The writing is on the wall. The countdown to its inevitable demise has begun," he added.
Calling it a mockery of democracy and the doctrine of separation of powers, PAS Tanjung's Rashidi Salim blamed the crisis on the Perak palace and Barisan Nasional federal government.
"Our democratic system is under attack in Ipoh. Malaysia is now a laughing stock among the international community because the executive failed to respect, observe and adhere to the doctrine of separation of powers.
"The doctrine, the very essence of democracy, has been mocked," he said after leading a group of PAS members to handover a memorandum to the National Security Council (NSC) Penang division assistant secretary DSP Azlan Alang Mohd Daud.
The memorandum was to protest against the arrest of some 60 elected representatives and activists over the past two days in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh for holding protest and prayer gatherings in connection with the detention of poll reform group Bersih spokesperson Wong Chin Huat under the Sedition Act and the Perak constitution stand-off.Among those arrested in the past two days were PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu or Mat Sabu, its Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub, parliamentarians Teo Nie Ching (Serdang), Dr D Jeyakumar (Sungai Siput), Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Parit Buntar) and Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang).
Assemblypersons - Ng Chin Tsai (Temiang, Negri Sembilan) Khoo Poay Tiong (Ayer Keroh, Malacca), Jenice Lee (Teratai, Selangor) and Teo Kok Seong (Bahau, Negeri Sembilan) were also detained.
Among the activists detained were Malaysiakini columnists Josh Hong and Helen Ang, Suara Keadilan Chinese edition editor Law Teck Hao and Suaram coordinator John Liu.
'Najib's bluff exposed'
Rashidi lamented that the federal government had abused its power by clamping down on a genuine public dissent organised to safeguard the universal concept of human rights, democracy, natural justice and rule of law.
Criticising the Putrajaya administration for misusing the police for its political purposes, he said the latest episode in Ipoh "exposed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's bluff that he wanted to build a one Malaysia for all.""If it is true that the premier wanted to build a one Malaysia, he should end the Perak crisis by calling on the palace to dissolve the assembly to stage a fresh state election," he added.
He warned that the BN government cannot go on wielding its executive at will against political dissent and would meet its waterloo sooner than later.
"It's just matter of time before the Umno-led federal government falls from power. The writing is on the wall. The countdown to its inevitable demise has begun," he added.
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