DAP stalwarts file emergency motions
Rahmah Ghazali and Syed Jaymal ZahiidPublished: Nov 10, 2008 10:16 AM | Updated: Nov 10, 2008 10:20 AM
DAP stalwarts Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh filed separate emergency motions early this morning.
DAP stalwarts Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh filed separate emergency motions early this morning.
Lim’s motion called for the cabinet to overrule Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar's decision to appeal against the Shah Alam High Court's decision to free controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin.
At a press conference this morning, the veteran politician said he submitted the motion on the grounds that the home minister's decision is an "utter contempt for the fundamental concept of the rule of law".
"It is also the most rudimentary commitment to human rights in the country.
"Furthermore, Syed Hamid acted mala-fide in a very substantive manner in issuing a detention order under Section 8 of the Internal Security Act (ISA) because Raja Petra constituted a threat to national security," he said.
He added that the court’s decision last Friday was in fact a "positive reflection in the last five months of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s premiership and should be the occasion for the cabinet to undertake a full review of the draconian law."
Syed Hamid had expressed disappointment over the blogger's release and has decided to appeal against the decision.
Met today, the home minister refused to comment on the matter.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told a separate press conference that the appeal "is up to the ministry and the minister responsible."
Emergency motion on CJ
Meanwhile, Karpal (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) submitted his emergency motion to Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to discuss newly-appointed Chief Justice Zaki Azmi's revelation on corruption.
The opposition politician accused the chief justice of "committing a serious offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1981 which requires an in-depth investigation."
"The acts of Zaki, who is the head of the judiciary, brings the judiciary into disrepute, contempt and public odium and his continued occupation of the office of chief justice demands debate in this House.
"The House should, under the circumstances, discuss the matter as it is one of definite and urgent public importance," he said.
Previously, Zaki was reported as saying that he encountered first-hand experience of corruption problems in the court and was 'black-listed' in 1987 for complaining to the chief registrar of two missing files belonging to his clients.
"It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were being unattended to," he was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.
A day later, the English-daily issued a clarification by the chief justice in reference to the above statement.
"Your reporter must have interpreted what I said, which is that during that period there was corruption in order to get things done at the court registry, as I myself having done it.
"I have never in my life bribed or received any bribe," he told the newspaper.
However, Karpal was not convinced by the clarification and claimed that Zaki was 'unfit' to be chief justice as "he was morally obliged to lodge a report against the corrupt court officials".
The Speaker will normally decide on emergency motions within 24 hours if they were submitted before 10am.
Lim’s motion called for the cabinet to overrule Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar's decision to appeal against the Shah Alam High Court's decision to free controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin.
At a press conference this morning, the veteran politician said he submitted the motion on the grounds that the home minister's decision is an "utter contempt for the fundamental concept of the rule of law"."It is also the most rudimentary commitment to human rights in the country.
"Furthermore, Syed Hamid acted mala-fide in a very substantive manner in issuing a detention order under Section 8 of the Internal Security Act (ISA) because Raja Petra constituted a threat to national security," he said.
He added that the court’s decision last Friday was in fact a "positive reflection in the last five months of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s premiership and should be the occasion for the cabinet to undertake a full review of the draconian law."
Syed Hamid had expressed disappointment over the blogger's release and has decided to appeal against the decision.
Met today, the home minister refused to comment on the matter.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told a separate press conference that the appeal "is up to the ministry and the minister responsible."
Emergency motion on CJ
Meanwhile, Karpal (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) submitted his emergency motion to Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to discuss newly-appointed Chief Justice Zaki Azmi's revelation on corruption.
The opposition politician accused the chief justice of "committing a serious offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1981 which requires an in-depth investigation.""The acts of Zaki, who is the head of the judiciary, brings the judiciary into disrepute, contempt and public odium and his continued occupation of the office of chief justice demands debate in this House.
"The House should, under the circumstances, discuss the matter as it is one of definite and urgent public importance," he said.
Previously, Zaki was reported as saying that he encountered first-hand experience of corruption problems in the court and was 'black-listed' in 1987 for complaining to the chief registrar of two missing files belonging to his clients.
"It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were being unattended to," he was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.A day later, the English-daily issued a clarification by the chief justice in reference to the above statement.
"Your reporter must have interpreted what I said, which is that during that period there was corruption in order to get things done at the court registry, as I myself having done it.
"I have never in my life bribed or received any bribe," he told the newspaper.
However, Karpal was not convinced by the clarification and claimed that Zaki was 'unfit' to be chief justice as "he was morally obliged to lodge a report against the corrupt court officials".
The Speaker will normally decide on emergency motions within 24 hours if they were submitted before 10am.
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