PAS: PM breaking promise with Mat Sabu charge

The move to charge PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu with criminal defamation for challenging official accounts of the Bukit Kepong incident shows that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has gone against his promise to implement democratic reforms, says PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

“Among the promises made by the prime minister when announcing the abolition of the Internal Security Act recently was that no political arrest will be made, (but) before the dust even settles, a political charge has been brought against Mohamad Sabu,” he said.

The premier has last week said that the government was committed in ensuring that no individual will be detained for their political ideology during a televised address to the nation announcing a slew of reforms on civil liberties.

“Is Mohamad Sabu’s speech a threat to national security?... What is the motive for charging him if it is not political?” said Tuan Ibrahim (left).

Mohamad Sabu, or more popularly known as Mat Sabu, had in a speech on Aug 21 praised Mohammed Indera who had led the attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 as a freedom fighter.

The speech was picked up by Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, which has since been sued by Mat Sabu for allegedly claiming that he was supportive of communists.

The Islamic party also questioned why no action was taken against Zainal Kling, a professor of the National Professors’ Council (MPN), for similarly questioning the official version of history by suggesting that the country was never colonised.

“If Mohamad Sabu must be charged (over this) what about MPN and Zainal Kling?” asked Tuan Ibrahim.

Echoing PAS was PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who said that the “malicious persecution” shows that Najib is not serious about the reforms.

“It goes against what Najib says... instead of sitting down and discussing the (differing views the authorities) chose to act harshly (rakus) by taking action and charging (Mat Sabu),” he said after the Pakatan  Rakyat leadership council meeting in Kuala Lumpur today.

Mat Sabu was today charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code with defaming the deceased police personnel and aggrieved parties whose relatives had held out against the Bukit Kepong onslaught during the attack.

Additional reporting by Aidila Razak


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