Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on 7.9.2012.
The Home Minister Must Apologise For the Police Harsh And Heavy-handed Treatment Of 19-Year old Kids With Handcuffs Merely For Stamping On The Pictures Of The Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak When Even BN Leaders Charged For Corruption Were Not Handcuffed.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should show he has got a big heart by not just forgiving the teenagers who have apologised for stamping on his picture but also stop the high-handed and severe punishment of them as if they had committed some heinous crime of murder, armed robbery and rape. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein Onn must apologise for the police’s harsh and heavy-handed treatment including a 19-year old girl with handcuffs merely for stamping on the pictures of the Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when even BN leaders charged for corruption were not handcuffed.
Malaysians are outraged by the handcuffs placed on the kids which included 19 year-old girl who voluntarily surrendered. Handcuffs are not usually required unless the accused is violent, or has committed a crime of violence, or may attempt to escape. In this case, handcuffing a young girl who had voluntarily surrendered is nothing but an abuse of power and an act of humiliation.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh has defended his men for handcuffing a 19-year-old girl who surrendered herself yesterday saying that the matter was very “light” and mild as she was handcuffed in front and not behind her back as proper procedures required. Such statements not only show that the police is insensitive, irresponsible and not making any sense as why BN leaders were given special treatment and not handcuffed in the back when they were charged for corruption or cheating the public?
Hishammuddinhad said stern action against those involved had to be taken as the incident is extreme and aimed at sowing hatred for the country leaders. This is a clear abuse of power when the teenagers are investigated not for any serious criminal offences like murder or rape or armed robbery but under sections 290 and 504 of the Penal Code for being public nuisances and intentionally causing insult with an intent to provoke break the public peace, respectively. Those convicted under Section 290 may be fined up to RM400 while those found guilty under Section 504 are liable to be jailed up to two years or fined, or both.
By allowing such stern action, Hishamuddin practices double standards as no action was taken against those who behaved in a similar manner against Bersih co-Chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan when her picture was burnt and her dignity assaulted by a “butt-dance” performance as well as a “burger protest” in which beef burgers were grilled outside her private residence despite the fact that she is known to be a Hindu and a vegetarian.
Neither was any action taken when my own picture was stepped on, burnt and funeral rites performed with my image by Perkasa. Why is it Perkasa members are not charged for such offensive action against non-Malay leaders from the opposition PR? Why is it no action was taken against those who beat up reporters during a violent demonstration on Penang Bridge?
Is Hishamuddin and the police trying to tell Malaysians that stepping on a picture is a more serious crime compared to corruption? By victimising young, powerless and defenceless kids, they are merely revealing themselves to be bullies and cowards. The treatment suffered by the young girl and teenagers shows the abuse of power, double-standards, bullying and cowardly tactics of Hishamuddin that question his fitness as Home Minister.
—Mandarin Version —-
民主行动党兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英那个于2012年9月7日在吉隆坡发表声明：
内政部长必须为警方用手铐对付一个19岁青少年的刻薄和严厉做法作出道歉，只因为她仅踩踏首相拿督斯里纳吉的肖像，然而即使被控告贪污的国阵领袖都没被拷上手铐。
首相纳吉应该展示他的宽容，不只是接受踩踏他肖像青少年的道歉，也必须停止他高高上在，以权威来惩罚他们，他们不是犯了令人发指的罪行，如谋杀、武装抢劫和强奸。内政部长拿督斯里希山慕丁必须为警方的苛刻和严厉手法道歉，包括以手铐铐住一名19岁女生，只因为她踩踏了首相的肖像，然而即使贪污的国阵领袖都没被拷上手铐。
国人对用手铐对付一个自首而且年仅19岁的女孩感到愤怒，手铐多只是用来对付暴力、涉及暴力罪案行，或可能企图逃跑的人，对一个自首年轻女孩扣上手铐，只不过是滥用权力和羞辱的行为。
吉隆坡总警长末玛沙列辩称为少女上手铐“温柔符合程序”，因为她的手被拷在前面而不是背后，这样的说法不仅证明警方不敏感、不负责任，也没有意义。为什么国阵领袖获得特殊的待遇，他们被控告贪污和欺骗公众时，双手没被拷在背后？
希山慕丁说，必须严厉对付那些参与极端和传播憎恨国家领袖的分子，这是明显的滥权，一个没有涉及任何严重刑事罪行，如谋杀、强奸或武装抢劫的青少年，在刑事法典第290条文（公共骚扰之处罚））和第504条文下（蓄意侮辱）下被调查。在第290条文下被定罪者可能被罚款高达400令吉，而第504条被判有罪，可能监禁长达两年或罚款，或两者兼施。
希山慕丁允许警方严厉的行为，证明他双重标准，因为那些以类似方式对净选盟联合主席拿督安美嘉的人，如在其家门前摆汉堡摊及跳臀舞羞辱她的人士，却没有被采取任何行动。安美嘉的照片也被焚烧，她也以素食及兴都徒自居，这些人公然在其私邸烧烤汉堡。
同样的，当我的肖像被土权踩踏、焚烧，甚至进行葬礼仪式时，也不见当局展开了任何行动。为什么土权以此方式攻击民联反对党的非马来人领袖时，却没有遭到提控？那些在去年由巫统及土权在槟城大桥展开的暴力示威行动中，殴打打记者的人士，怎么又没有被对付？
难道希山慕丁及警方要试图告诉国人：踩踏一张照片的罪行比贪污更严重？让年轻及手无寸铁的孩子受害，他们只是在揭示自己是恶霸和懦夫。让年轻的女孩子及青少年面对这等的对待，证明了希山慕丁滥用权力、双重标准、善于欺负人的懦弱战术，也考验他是否适合出任内政部长这个职位。
林冠英