Press statement by YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang on 5.11.2014
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Acted In A Mala Fide Manner Twice By Unlawfully Sanctioning The Arrest Of 157 PPS Members On 31/8/14 And Unlawfully Declaring The PPS An Unlawful Society On 4/11/14 Without Any Communication, Proper Investigation And Respect For Natural Justice
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The Penang State EXCO at its meeting today resolves: –
1. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi acted in a mala fide manner twice by unlawfully sanctioning the arrest of 157 PPS members on 31/8/14 and unlawfully declaring the PPS an unlawful society on 4/11/14 without any communication, proper investigation and respect for natural justice.
2.The Penang state government categorically condemns the declaration by the Home Minister dated 4.11.2014 that the Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit (Pasukan Peronda Sukarela/ PPS) is unlawful under section 5(1) of the Societies Act 1966. Clearly this is a politically motivated attack against PPS and the Penang PR state government.
3. The unilateral declaration by the Minister is in flagrant disregard of the tenets of natural justice namely that a person cannot be condemned unheard. There was absolutely no communication on the part of the Ministry with the Penang state government as regards the said unit so as to enable us to defend ourselves against the baseless charges meted out against the PPS, and as such is a gross abuse of power by the Minister.
4. In fact, the declaration under section 5(1) of the said Act, namely that the PPS is unlawful due to the fact that it is allegedly being used for purposes prejudicial to or incompatible with the interest of the security of Malaysia or any part thereof, public order, is a malicious allegation bereft of any truth whatsoever and which is vehemently denied by the Penang state government.
5. The Home Minister must be reminded that the Penang state government has established the PPS to assist the Penang police in community policing and emergency rescue services. Penang Police had no problems working with PPS over the last four years – why now?
6. BN had been making increasingly harsh attack against the PPS following its increasing popularity with all sections of society. There are 9002 members comprising 33% Malays, 57% Chinese & 10% Indians with the numbers of Malays expected to increase to 45% by end 2015.
7. For the record, it should be noted that the PPS has stood down all of its activities on 1/9/14, but we nevertheless continue to assert that it is validly formed under the hand of the Penang state government. As such since 1/9/14 PPS ceased its operations and PPS did not conduct any activities nor its core duties of emergency response nor did it assist the police in community policing.
8. With the unilateral declaration of the Minister, the validity of which we challenge and which cannot be retrospective in nature, it is clear that there is no case against the PPS members who were arrested on 31.8.2014 and no further extensions should be made on the police bail against them. The fact that there were still no charges filed in court shows that there is no case against them and that they were unlawfully arrested whilst participating in the Merdeka parade in Padang Kota Lama Penang.
9. We will consult with our legal team to initiate legal proceedings seeking a judicial review against the declaration made by the Home Minister.
LIM GUAN ENG
— CN Version —
槟城州首席部长林冠英于2014年11月5日在槟城发表的文告
阿末扎希恶意及非法对付槟州自愿治安队（PPS），第一次是在2014年8月31日非法逮捕157名自愿治安队成员，第二次是在2014年11月4日在没有沟通、调查及尊重自然正义之下，非法宣布槟州自愿治安队为非法组织。
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槟城州行政议会今日会议议决：
阿末扎希恶意及非法对付槟州自愿治安队（PPS），第一次是在2014年8月31日非法逮捕157名自愿治安队成员，第二次是在2014年11月4日在没有沟通、调查及尊重自然正义之下，非法宣布槟州自愿治安队为非法组织。
2.槟城州政府明确谴责内政部长于2014年11月4日以1966年社团法令第5条文第1节宣布槟州自愿治安队（Pasukan Peronda Sukarela/ PPS）为非法组织。
内政部长单方面地宣布根本就明目张胆漠视自然正义原则。内政部完全没有事前与槟城州政府沟通，以示尊重，并让州政府能有权力对槟城自愿治安队所遭到的无理指控进行自我辩护，因此，内政部长犯下极大的滥权行为。
4.其实，以社团法令第5条文第1节宣布自愿治安队非法的原因是自愿治安队偏离及不容于马来西亚的安全利益与公共秩序。槟城州政府强烈否认这一项绝非真相的恶毒指控。
5. 内政部长需谨记，槟州政府成立志愿巡逻队，旨在协助槟州警方展开社区巡逻，以及协助紧急情况的救援工作。在过去的4年内，槟州警方与志愿巡逻队的合作完全没有问题，为什么现在突然有问题呢？
6. 随着志愿巡逻队日渐受社会各阶层的欢迎，国阵也加剧了其对志愿巡逻队的恶劣攻击。志愿巡逻队PPS目前共有9002名成员，囊括各种族人民，即33%马来人、57%华人及10%印度人，并预料马来人人数在2015年将达至 45%。
7. 根据记载，值得注意的是在2014年9月1日，槟城志愿巡逻队已经暂停一切活动，虽然如此，但我们依然坚持：志愿巡逻队是州政府成立的合法团体。因此，自从2014年9月1日起暂停动作以来，志愿巡逻队并没有举行任何活动或执行其核心责备，即紧急救援及社区巡逻。
8. 我们挑战部长单方声明的有效性，以及这是不能追算的性质，很明显的，当局是没有任何理由可以加罪于在2014年8月31日被逮捕的志愿巡逻队队员。因此警方不应该延长他们的保释期。目前的事实是，截至目前为止，尚 未有任何是项案件被带上法庭，由此证明当局是没有任何理由加罪于志愿巡逻队，他们是在旧关仔角参与国庆日游行时，遭到非法逮捕。
9. 我们将会征询我们的法律顾问团，以提出诉讼，寻求对内长所作的声明，作出司法审查。
林冠英