Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on 19.9.2012.
Double Standards And Selective Prosecution By BN Again As Many Companies That Have Committed More Serious Financial Irregularities Are Not Given The Same Attention As That Given To Suaram And Clearly An Act Of Political Revenge To Distract Attention From The Alleged Scorpene and National Feedlot Corporation or Cows And Condos Scandals.
The recent onslaught against Suaram continued when Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said that human rights advocacy group Suaram would soon face prosecution for its “confusing” and “misleading financial accounts”. According to press reports, the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) is supposed to have made a recommendation yesterday to the Attorney-General’s office to press charges against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a company linked to Suaram, for unexplained financial irregularities.
This is a clear case of double standards and selective prosecution by BN again as many companies that have committed more serious financial irregularities are not given the same attention as that given to suaram and clearly an act of political revenge to distract attention from the alleged Scorpene and National Feedlot Corporation or Cows and Condos scandals.
Why is a privately-funded human rights NGO being selectively victimised over supposed financial irregularities, when there are a multitude of high-profile and scandalous cases of alleged corruption and mismanagement of public funds such as the RM500 million “commission” for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines and the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal? No Minister ever talked of investigating the accounts of the companies involved in the two alleged scandals.
Besides the double-standards and obvious duplicity, this selective persecution against Suaram once again reveals the BN government’s penchant for punishing the whistle-blower. Just as how PKR Election Strategy Director Rafizi Ramli was arrested for revealing bank account details that led to the charges against NFC Chairman Dato’ Seri Mohamed Salleh Ismail, Suaram appears to have been victimised for its role in publicly highlighting and assisting in the Scorpene corruption trial in France.
After all,Suaram’s accounts have been audited and submitted routinely every year. Even Suaram leaders have publicly declared that they have nothing to hide. As Suaram was formed in 1989, why take action only now but not for the previous 23 years? Is it an act of vengeance over Suaram recent highlighting of the acquisition Scorpene submarine scandal that goes all the way to the top leadership of BN?
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin Version—
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年9月19日在吉隆坡发表声明：
国阵实行双重标准及选择性检举，他们如此“关注”大马人民之声的财务违规问题，却没有对付其它犯下更严重财务违规的公司，这很明显是一项政治报复行动，也是为了转移全国对Scorpene潜水艇及公寓养牛丑闻的视线焦点。
当局对大马人民之声的检举行动将会持续，当国内贸易、合作社及消费事务部长拿督斯里依斯迈尔说，大马人民之声将因其“混乱”及“误导性的账目”而被提控。
根据媒体报道，大马公司注册局昨天本来应该向总检察署建议，将向Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd（与大马人民之声有关的公司）提出检举诉讼，因为该公司出现财务违规问题。
很明显地，这是双重标准及国阵的选择性检举，他们如此“关注”大马人民之声的财务违规问题，却没有对付其它犯下更严重财务违规的公司，这很明显是一项政治报复行动，也是为了转移全国对Scorpene潜水艇及公寓养牛丑闻的视线焦点。
为什么私人资金资助的人权非政府组织，会因为财务违规而面对选择性迫害？而那些涉及公款遭贪污、滥用的丑闻却不了了之，如：购买两艘Scorpene潜水艇的5亿令吉佣金、2亿5000令吉的公寓养牛丑闻？甚至没有任何部长提及要调查这些公司的账目。
除了双重标准及明显的不诚实，当局对于大马人民之声的选择性迫害再一次揭露国阵政府倾向惩罚吹哨人。正如公正党选举策略主任拉菲兹在揭露国家养牛中心的银行账目后被逮捕，这宗丑闻最终导致该中心主席拿督斯里莫哈末沙列被提控。这一次大马人民之声被迫害，看来是因为他们高调协助法国的潜水艇贪污案审讯。
再说，大马人民之声的账户每年都被稽查及呈交。就连该组织领导已经公开宣示他们没有隐瞒任何事情。大马人民之声成立自1989年，为什么过了23年，现在才对付他们？这难道不是为了报复大马人民之声高调揭发Scorpene潜水艇采购丑闻，已经直逼国阵的高层领导？
林冠英