Guan Eng tells IGP to drop his mask of impartiality
Published: Jan 15, 2015 12:00 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2015 12:50 PM
The DAP has once against hit out at the Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, urging him not to wear the “mask of impartiality” in two cases involving Umno and BN leaders.
Guan Eng urges top cop to practice fair play when it comes to BN leaders.
The DAP has once against hit out at the Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, urging him not to wear the “mask of impartiality” in two cases involving Umno and BN leaders.
The first case involves the Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi writing a letter of support for alleged ‘gambling kingpin’ Paul Phua.
The party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged Khalid to explain why Zahid vouched – unsolicited – for the integrity and character of Phua to try to secure his release from the FBI.
“Both BN and the IGP’s masks have fallen. (This can be seen by how he) practices selective prosecution and investigations involving those who support BN and those against BN,” Lim said in a statement today.
Lim said the same “mask of impartiality and fairplay" was not used, following Khalid’s failure to arrest former Umno deputy minister Mashitah Ibrahim (left) under the Sedition Act.
He repeated his demand to the IGP, urging him to give full public accountability on why the police failed to arrest Mashitah for her alleged “inflammatory lies” during the Umno general assembly that the Chinese community in Kedah had burned the Quran in a prayer ritual.
“If the IGP is sincere and serious in his commitment towards maintaining multi-racial harmony, then he should deal with all sedition cases equally,” Lim reiterated.
“If he can arrest human rights activist Eric Paulsen, why then not arrest Dr Mashitah?“ Lim queried.
Paulsen's case 'different' from Mashitah's
Khalid had responded to Lim’s earlier statement on Mashitah, saying her case was different compared to Paulsen’s, as she was investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code but cannot be arrested as it a “non-arrestable case”.
However Paulsen was detained by 20 policemen on Monday and investigated under the Sedition Act for allegedly insulting Islam, when he tweeted that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) was promoting extremism.
Lim asked Khalid (right) to explain why Mashitah is being investigated under a lesser offence in Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
The offence, he added, merely attracts a sentence of only two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both; as compared to the Sedition Act which attracts a sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a RM5,000 fine, or both.
“Why such double-standards between Paulsen and Mashitah? Has what Mashitah said less serious than that said by Paulsen?” Lim asked.
“What is more disturbing is Kedah Menteri Besar Muhkriz Mahathir had denied Mashitah’s allegations, which was raised in an inflammatory and provocative manner by falsely blaming the Chinese community,” Lim added.
Muhkriz had corrected Mashitah’s statement that the Quran was not burnt but torn by a Malay Muslim who was mentally unsound and sent to hospital for treatment.
The first case involves the Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi writing a letter of support for alleged ‘gambling kingpin’ Paul Phua.
The party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged Khalid to explain why Zahid vouched – unsolicited – for the integrity and character of Phua to try to secure his release from the FBI.
“Both BN and the IGP’s masks have fallen. (This can be seen by how he) practices selective prosecution and investigations involving those who support BN and those against BN,” Lim said in a statement today.
Lim said the same “mask of impartiality and fairplay" was not used, following Khalid’s failure to arrest former Umno deputy minister Mashitah Ibrahim (left) under the Sedition Act.He repeated his demand to the IGP, urging him to give full public accountability on why the police failed to arrest Mashitah for her alleged “inflammatory lies” during the Umno general assembly that the Chinese community in Kedah had burned the Quran in a prayer ritual.
“If the IGP is sincere and serious in his commitment towards maintaining multi-racial harmony, then he should deal with all sedition cases equally,” Lim reiterated.
“If he can arrest human rights activist Eric Paulsen, why then not arrest Dr Mashitah?“ Lim queried.
Paulsen's case 'different' from Mashitah's
Khalid had responded to Lim’s earlier statement on Mashitah, saying her case was different compared to Paulsen’s, as she was investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code but cannot be arrested as it a “non-arrestable case”.
However Paulsen was detained by 20 policemen on Monday and investigated under the Sedition Act for allegedly insulting Islam, when he tweeted that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) was promoting extremism.Lim asked Khalid (right) to explain why Mashitah is being investigated under a lesser offence in Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
The offence, he added, merely attracts a sentence of only two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both; as compared to the Sedition Act which attracts a sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a RM5,000 fine, or both.
“Why such double-standards between Paulsen and Mashitah? Has what Mashitah said less serious than that said by Paulsen?” Lim asked.
“What is more disturbing is Kedah Menteri Besar Muhkriz Mahathir had denied Mashitah’s allegations, which was raised in an inflammatory and provocative manner by falsely blaming the Chinese community,” Lim added.
Muhkriz had corrected Mashitah’s statement that the Quran was not burnt but torn by a Malay Muslim who was mentally unsound and sent to hospital for treatment.
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