Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 4.8.2013
DAP demands immediate action by the police against Bernama and New Straits Times under the 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act Or Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 for printing false news that Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had blamed non-muslims for mocking Islam and that he referred to the dog trainer’s Hari Raya video clip. The Deputy Prime Minister clarified that he did not specifically mention that non-Muslims had belittled and mocked Islam of late, in his widely reported July 30 speech and was only making a general statement.
On July 31, news organisations such as Bernama and New Straits Times had quoted Muhyiddin mentioning “another disturbing video clip” which he claimed was insensitive to Muslim sensitivities and blamed non-Muslims for insulting the sanctity of Islam when Muslims do not make fun of other faiths. DAP believes that in Muhyddin and that both New Straits Times and Bernama lied to stoke racial tensions by creating enmity, hatred and fear between Malaysia’s Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
As a victim of repeated lies by these news organisations, I would believe that Muhyiddin is also a victim of such lies. Only by punishing these news organisations, will they stop spreading such lies that threaten the very fabric of Malaysian nation-building and unity.
Another newspaper that should be punished is Utusan Malaysia that published lies about Selangor acting police A Thaiveegan warning that the police would not hesitate to use the Sedition Act against those who spread photographs of the makeshift canteen in the shower room controversy because such images could result in provocation and racial conflict. According to A. Thaiveegan, he had not said anything to the effect of using the Sedition Act.
Under section 8A of the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984, the penalty for false news is a maximum fine of RM20,000 and imprisonment of 3 years or to both whereas under section 233(1) of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998, the maximum fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both.
DAP doubts that action will be taken against Bernama, New Straits Times Utusan Malaysia for spreading false news as the BN practices double-standards and selective prosecution in only punishing its opponents but not those who support BN. No action was taken against Utusan Malaysia for openly calling for the bloody May 13 racial riots that killed thousands of innocent Malaysians to be celebrated as a holy day.
Witness the failure to punish Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin for their calls respectively to burn the Bible and make insults against Hindus. Worse UMNO Ministers like Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman refused to condemn Ibrahim Ali’s call to burn the Bible or that Ibrahim Ali should apologise and be punished.
—–Mandarin Version—-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2013年8月4日在吉隆坡发表声明：
当局应马上行动，以1984年出版及印刷法令或1998年多媒体通讯法令对付马新社及《新海峡时报》，他们刊登虚假消息，指副首相丹斯里慕尤丁在针对驯犬师开斋短片怪罪非穆斯林嘲笑伊斯兰。
行动党要求警方马上行动，以1984年出版及印刷法令或1998年多媒体通讯法令对付马新社及《新海峡时报》，他们刊登虚假消息，指副首相丹斯里慕尤丁在针对驯犬师开斋短片怪罪非穆斯林嘲笑伊斯兰。副首相已经澄清说，他于7月30日被广泛报道的演讲，没有特别说明近年来非穆斯林贬低及嘲笑伊斯兰，而只是一般声明。
7月31日，新闻机构包括马新社及《新海峡时报》引述慕尤丁的谈话，指有另一个令人不愉快的短片对穆斯林不敏感，并责怪非穆斯林触犯伊斯兰的圣洁禁区，而穆斯林并没有拿其它宗教开玩笑。行动党相信慕尤丁，那就是《新海峡时报》及马新社都说谎，以在我国穆斯林及非穆斯林之间煽动种族紧张，制造仇恨、敌意及恐惧情绪。
做为这些新闻机构谎言的受害者，我相信慕尤丁也是谎言的受害者。唯有惩罚这些新闻机构，他们才会停止散布这些威胁我国国民建构及团结社会的谎言。
另一家应该被处罚的报章就是《马来西亚前锋报》，他们谎报雪州代总警长A泰维甘警告将以煽动法令对付上载更衣室变食堂照片的家长，因为有关照片导致挑衅及种族冲突。A泰维甘说，他从来没有说过要援引煽动法令。
根据1984年出版及印刷法令第8A条文，发布假新闻的最高罚款为2万令吉及监禁3年或两者兼施；在1998年多媒体及通讯法令下，最高罚款为不超过5万5000令吉或监禁不超过一年或两者兼施。
行动党怀疑当局是否会对付马新社、《新海峡时报》、《马来西亚前锋报》散布假新闻，因为国阵向来双重标准 及选择性检控，他们只惩罚政敌，却不惩罚国阵支持者。《前锋报》曾经公开呼吁庆祝513种族冲突为圣洁日，尽管513事件造成数千名无辜马来西亚人丧命。
我们也见识了当局并没有处罚土权组织领袖依布拉欣阿里及祖基菲里诺古，尽管他们呼吁焚烧《圣经》及侮辱兴都徒。更糟的是，巫统部长如：城区福利、房屋及地方部长拿督阿都拉曼也拒绝谴责依布拉欣阿里的呼吁，也不认为他应该道歉或被处罚。
林冠英