'If one Karpal is put down, 100 Karpals will rise'
Hafiz YatimPublished: Mar 11, 2014 1:41 PM | Updated: Mar 11, 2014 6:22 PM
DAP chairperson Karpal Singh has warned the government that if they put down one Karpal, 100 Karpals will rise.
DAP chairperson Karpal Singh has warned the government that if they put down one Karpal, 100 Karpals will rise.
Commenting on his conviction for sedition today, Karpal said BN must also be prepared to face a contest in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat.
He will also be appealing against the RM4,000 fine imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
"What I did was merely state my opinion as a lawyer on the Perak constitutional crisis," he said.
“Singh is always King, and if they knock one Karpal down, 100 Karpals will rise. The BN government will also have to be prepared to overturn the 41,000-plus majority that I have gained in 2013 (should he lose his appeal),” he said.
Asked to explain his remark that 'Singh is King', Karpal replied when the king dies, another will be appointed and this is followed by chants of “long live the king” and the king has not been dethroned.
“The king never dies and there will be continuity. Some other leaders in DAP can take my place there. It is not a problem,” he said.
Karpal said the fine will also impact on his position as DAP chairperson as an office-bearer cannot be a convicted person.
“We leave it to the courts and take it from there,” he said, adding that the action of the DPP in this trial and mitigation is as if seeking ‘a pint of blood and a pound of flesh’.
Gobind Singh Deo (left), who is also Puchong MP, added that the party will meet soon to discuss this matter.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who has abstained himself from commenting for two days beginning yesterday following the disappearance of flight MH 370, said it was “shocking”.
Despite the fine, Karpal said this was the risk of being an opposition politician in speaking out for the people.
“I was merely doing my duty to speak up, and I am committed to what I said and that is the risk that I have had to face since 1974, being an MP and state assemblyperson. It is a risk we take, but like I said, the fight will go on.”
Anwar: Prosecution like Umno branch
Anwar, who came to court after nomination for the Kajang by-election, expressed disappointment at the fine imposed and described the prosecution as speaking like another branch of Umno.
“The DPP was asking for a custodial sentence and I think it was asking too much, owing to Karpal’s condition. It was also good to see that the judge also expunged certain parts of her submission as such calls in describing Karpal were unwarranted,” Anwar said.
However, he said Karpal was now faced with the fine that could result in him losing the Bukit Gelugor seat.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (left) did not want to comment on the fine but said the prosecution was acting like the Biro Tatanegara in its submission.
“She is following the script as stipulated in the BTN programmes by making all those comments about loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and on Karpal. It is truly unfortunate,” he said.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng felt a sense of deja vu when his Publications and Printing Presses Act conviction case was continuously cited by the prosecution.
“It is as if they are using my case of speaking up against the injustice on a Malay lady (in the case involving former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik) is being used against other Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers.
“It is truly unfortunate that my case is used against others. However, now as chief minister, I sometimes sit side-by-side with attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, who prosecuted in my case, and I asked him how does it feel to be seated next to a former convict,” he said.
Bar: It won't disqualify Karpal from practising
Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong (right), who held a watching brief for the Bar, said the Bar supports Gobind’s submission.
“We hoped to have been heard on the question of mitigation as it concerns a lawyer, a member of the Malaysian Bar and what is essentially the expression of Karpal's point of view on the law and the constitution,” Leong said.
Despite the conviction, Leong said it would not stop Karpal from practising as the Bar has always felt that the Sedition Act curbs freedom of expression.
“We only strike out members from the (lawyers') roll as a result of very serious cases of dishonesty and fraud. This conviction does not count,” he said.
Commenting on his conviction for sedition today, Karpal said BN must also be prepared to face a contest in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat.
He will also be appealing against the RM4,000 fine imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
"What I did was merely state my opinion as a lawyer on the Perak constitutional crisis," he said.
“Singh is always King, and if they knock one Karpal down, 100 Karpals will rise. The BN government will also have to be prepared to overturn the 41,000-plus majority that I have gained in 2013 (should he lose his appeal),” he said.
Asked to explain his remark that 'Singh is King', Karpal replied when the king dies, another will be appointed and this is followed by chants of “long live the king” and the king has not been dethroned.
“The king never dies and there will be continuity. Some other leaders in DAP can take my place there. It is not a problem,” he said.
Karpal said the fine will also impact on his position as DAP chairperson as an office-bearer cannot be a convicted person.
“We leave it to the courts and take it from there,” he said, adding that the action of the DPP in this trial and mitigation is as if seeking ‘a pint of blood and a pound of flesh’.
Gobind Singh Deo (left), who is also Puchong MP, added that the party will meet soon to discuss this matter.DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who has abstained himself from commenting for two days beginning yesterday following the disappearance of flight MH 370, said it was “shocking”.
Despite the fine, Karpal said this was the risk of being an opposition politician in speaking out for the people.
“I was merely doing my duty to speak up, and I am committed to what I said and that is the risk that I have had to face since 1974, being an MP and state assemblyperson. It is a risk we take, but like I said, the fight will go on.”
Anwar: Prosecution like Umno branch
Anwar, who came to court after nomination for the Kajang by-election, expressed disappointment at the fine imposed and described the prosecution as speaking like another branch of Umno.
“The DPP was asking for a custodial sentence and I think it was asking too much, owing to Karpal’s condition. It was also good to see that the judge also expunged certain parts of her submission as such calls in describing Karpal were unwarranted,” Anwar said.
However, he said Karpal was now faced with the fine that could result in him losing the Bukit Gelugor seat.PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (left) did not want to comment on the fine but said the prosecution was acting like the Biro Tatanegara in its submission.
“She is following the script as stipulated in the BTN programmes by making all those comments about loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and on Karpal. It is truly unfortunate,” he said.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng felt a sense of deja vu when his Publications and Printing Presses Act conviction case was continuously cited by the prosecution.
“It is as if they are using my case of speaking up against the injustice on a Malay lady (in the case involving former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik) is being used against other Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers.
“It is truly unfortunate that my case is used against others. However, now as chief minister, I sometimes sit side-by-side with attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, who prosecuted in my case, and I asked him how does it feel to be seated next to a former convict,” he said.
Bar: It won't disqualify Karpal from practising
Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong (right), who held a watching brief for the Bar, said the Bar supports Gobind’s submission.“We hoped to have been heard on the question of mitigation as it concerns a lawyer, a member of the Malaysian Bar and what is essentially the expression of Karpal's point of view on the law and the constitution,” Leong said.
Despite the conviction, Leong said it would not stop Karpal from practising as the Bar has always felt that the Sedition Act curbs freedom of expression.
“We only strike out members from the (lawyers') roll as a result of very serious cases of dishonesty and fraud. This conviction does not count,” he said.
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