DAP calls for the immediate release of all Bersih and opposition leaders as well as withdrawal of all charges when the Bersih 5 mass rally passed without incident.(e/c)

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 20.11.2016.

DAP condemns the new arrests by BN of more PKR and DAP leaders after the Bersih 5 rally yesterday, when the Bersih 5 ended peacefully without any violence nor bloodshed. Bersih 5 was a strong statement demanding clean elections, clean government and clean leaders free from corruption and RM4.2 billion donations in their personal bank accounts.

More importantly, Bersih 5 was a triumph for Malaysians from all races and backgrounds, that displayed their maturity and love for democracy by fully exercising their constitutional right to assemble to save Malaysia with courage, determination and peacefully.

The arrests ordered by BN are high-handed, unwarranted and arbitrary, when there was no violence, and the Bersih 5’s mass rally yesterday ended peacefully. This is clearly politically motivated against the opposition parties to distract attention and hide the failure of BN to prevent the Bersih 5 rally from gathering peacefully with threats of violence from UMNO’s red shirts.

DAP questions why Bersih and opposition leaders were arrested at all when we preached peaceful gatherings not violence. In fact why were fewer leaders of UMNO’s red shirts arrested when they had threatened violence and even bloodshed? DAP calls for the immediate release of all Bersih and opposition leaders as well as withdrawal of all charges when the Bersih 5 mass rally passed without incident.

LIM GUAN ENG

槟州首席部长林冠英于2016年11月20日在槟城发表声明:

净选盟5.0在没有暴力也没有流血的情况下和平地结束,民主行动党谴责国阵在净选盟5.0过后,对公正党及行动党领袖的新一轮逮捕行动。净选盟5.0是一个要求干净选举、廉正政府及廉洁领袖,要求领袖不贪不腐,也不会有42亿捐款汇入私人户口事件的强烈声明。

更重要的是,净选盟5.0是各族马来西亚人民的胜利,他们展现了人民的成熟及对民主的热爱,行使他们对宪赋集会自由的权利,勇敢地、坚定地及和平地进行集会。

国阵的逮捕令是高压的、无根据地及独断的,昨天净选盟5.0在没有暴力事件情况下和平地结束。很明显地,逮捕行动是用来对付反对党的政治举动,以转移视线,以掩盖国阵企图利用巫统红衫军的暴力威胁阻止净选盟5.0却不成功的事实。

行动党要问,为什么净选盟及反对党领袖虽然一直倡导和平、非暴力集会却一而再地被逮捕?事实上,巫统红衫军领袖曾经发出暴力及流血威胁,却只有几个人被捕?由于净选盟5.0已经和平地结束,行动党促请当局马上释放所有净选盟及反对党领袖,并撤销所有控状。

林冠英