Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 7.7.2013
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s refusal to support the abolition of the 1948 Sedition Act is not only open defiance of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s promise but also a betrayal of BN’s general election slogan of “A Promise Fulfilled”. In July last year, Najib had announced that the Sedition Act would be replaced with a National Harmony Act, after repealing the Internal Security Act and the Emergency Ordinance.
Such defiance by Ahmad Zahid is unacceptable. Datuk Seri Najib must provide certainty and clarity that he is committed to abolishing the Sedition Act by demanding that Zahid toe the line, reverse his stand and support the abolition. Or else Zahid should resign from Cabinet. Failing which, Najib should explain to the people why he is breaking BN’s promise and betrayed the voters by not fulfilling his pledge to abolish the Sedition Act.
Zahid claimed that the abolishment of the Sedition Act would mean that there was no law to regulate offenses such as seditious content, slander, accusation or condemnation. This is not only wrong but also ridiculous as there are criminal provisions in the Penal Code and civil defamation action to deal with such offenses.
The Sedition Act has a sorry record of been abused and misused against opposition politicians. As a past victim imprisoned by such laws, it is clear that Zahid is intent on retaining such oppressive laws so that it can be used against opposition PR leaders.
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is also wrong to equate the present rise in the crime rate, especially street crimes, to the abolition of the Emergency Ordinance. The rise in crime is caused by failure of enforcement and insufficient police personnel patrolling the streets to fight crime.
This is shown by the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) comprisimng barely 9% of the police force. Even the Special Branch of the police has nearly the same number of personnel as the CID.
41% of uniformed police perform management functions, while 31% are tasked with internal security and public order. In fact most of the police personnel is diverted to other non-core police duties not related to fighting crime, including being used as a political weapon by BN to deal with PR leaders.
To date the BN Federal government has failed to implement the 2005 Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) Report’s recommendations that 20,000 uniformed personnel or 22% of the force could be reassigned to go back to active core policing work in fighting crime. The most important recommendation of establishing the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission(IPCMC) has not been carried out when it would not only prevent police abuses of power and custodial deaths, but ensure that police is effective in preventing and solving crime.
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2013年7月7日（星期日）在吉隆坡所发表的文告：
拿督斯里阿末扎希不支持废除1948年煽动法令，相等于公开违背首相的承诺，也违背国阵“一诺千金”的大选口号！
内政部长拿督斯里阿末扎希不支持废除1948年煽动法令，相等于公然违抗首相拿督斯里纳吉的承诺，也违背国阵“一诺千金”的大选口号。去年7月，纳吉宣布在废除内安法令和紧急法令后，将以国民和谐法令取代煽动法令。
阿末扎希这类公然违抗的行为是不能被接受的。纳吉必须明确地展示其要废除煽动法令的决心，谕令阿末扎希转换立场并支持废除煽动法令。不然，阿末扎希就必须辞去内阁部长的职位。如果纳吉不能这样做的话，他就必须向人民解释为何他违背国阵的承诺、背叛选民，没有落实其本身提出要废除煽动法令的承诺。
阿末扎希指废除煽动法令，将使到国家没有法律管制煽动性、诽谤性、无根据指责、恶意中伤他人等罪行。这不但是错误的说法，更是荒谬的言论。毕竟，现有的刑事法典及民事诽谤诉讼就足以应对这类的罪行。
煽动法令具有被人滥用的前科，专门用来对付在野党政治人物。作为煽动法令其一受害者，我敢相信阿末扎希显然要保住这项恶法，进而用来对付民联领袖。
阿末扎希将现今上扬的罪案率，特别是街道罪案，归咎于废除紧急法令所产生的恶果，更是错误的言论。罪案上扬乃是因为执法不力，以及街上没有足够警员巡逻打击罪案而导致的。
这可以从警方刑事罪案调查组只占总警员人数9%获得证明。即使警方政治部，亦拥有跟刑事罪案调查组相近的警力。
41%制服警员负责警队管理工作，31%则负责维持内部安全和公共秩序。事实上，大部分警力皆被安排到与打击罪案无关的非核心警务，包括作为被国阵用以对付民联领袖的政治武器。
国阵联邦政府迄今还没有落实2005年皇家委员会报告的建议，即确保至少有2万名制服警员或相等于总警力的22%人手，重新被指派处理打击罪案的核心警务。与此同时，这份报告提出最重要的建议，即独立警队投诉和行为不检委员会迄今未能成立。这个委员会不仅能够制止警队滥权和扣留所暴毙案一再发生，亦可确保警方能够有效地遏止和打击罪案。
林冠英