Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan In Kuala Lumpur On 13.12.2017.
If insulting BN leaders like the Prime Minister is an offence, what about making threats of bodily harm against the Penang Chief Minister or those insulting the Selangor Menteri Besar and a former Prime Minister? Not only have I been insulted but I have even been threatened and lodged police reports but no action have been taken.
Even my underaged son when he was still a minor 6 years ago, was insulted and humiliated with evil lies that he had sexually assaulted his classmate, but yet no prosecution was taken against the criminal offenders. The police had even encouraged me to lodge police reports so that criminal charges can be filed as lies were made against a child minor. But no charges were filed until today without any explanation.
I do not agree that the Prime Minister, Selangor Menteri Besar and Penang Chief Minister enjoy full immunity from insults because this would weaken the democratic process of elections. If these insults are untrue, then defamation suits should be filed to claim compensation.
The Prime Minister cannot be placed at the same level as the Rulers, that he cannot be insulted when he can make political capital out of insulting his opponents in preparation for the coming general elections. There should be level playing field in the electoral process as the Prime Minister is just another candidate subject to voters like other candidates.
For this reason, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Salleh Said Keruak should not abuse his powers by investigating The Malaysian Insight for allegedly insulting the Prime Minister. Why were then no investigation carried out against BN-controlled media such as New Straits Times, Berita Harian, The Star and Utusan Malaysia when they lost in defamation suits in courts, paid compensation, apologised and unreservedly withdrew their false reports against me?
Such double-standards must stop to preserve whatever little credibility left, or else online news media such as Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today and The Malaysian Insight would gain a wider readership at the expense of the plunging circulation of BN-controlled media.
LIM GUAN ENG
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民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼国会议员林冠英于2017年12月13日在吉隆坡发出的文告
如果侮辱国阵领袖如首相是一种罪行，那对槟州首长发出人身威胁以及侮辱雪州大臣或前首相又该当如何呢？
如果侮辱国阵领袖如首相是罪行，那向槟州首长发出人身威胁，或是侮辱雪州大臣甚至前首相呢？我不但被侮辱过，更因受到威胁而报警却不受理。
连当时还是未成年少年、我的儿子，也曾被污蔑及以恶毒的谎言羞辱，指他性骚扰同学，最终该造谣的始作俑者不曾被指控仍然逍遥法外。当初，警方甚至鼓励我报警，因为此恶毒谣言乃攻击未成年少儿，应以刑事罪提控。但时隔多年，检调单位至今并没有任何提控，也没有获得任何解释。
本人不同意首相、雪州大臣及槟州首长应该在获得免于被侮辱的特权，因为这会削弱民主选举制度。如果有关侮辱不属实，可以提出毁谤告诉寻索赔偿。
在面对侮辱时，首相并不等同于君主，因此他并不可以一边侮辱反对党政敌为备战来届大选捞取政治资本，另一边却不允许人侮辱他。在民主选举程序，即便是首相也仅是其中一位接受人民投选的候选人而已，其选举位阶与其他候选人无异。
为此，马来西亚通讯及多媒体部部长丹斯里沙烈沙溢不应该滥用权力，以侮辱首相的罪名调查我国网络媒体《透视大马》。既便如此，那为何当《新海峡时报》、《每日新闻》、《星报》及《马来西亚前锋报》在毁谤我的诉讼案中败诉，必须向我赔偿及公开道歉、并无条件收回对我的各种不实报道之际，不见得有关当局向这些由国阵政府控制的媒体进行调查？
这样的双重标准必须停止，以维护传统媒体或许还尚存的一丝公信力，否则网络新闻媒体如《当今大马》、《自由今日大马》及《透视大马》只会获得更多支持及阅读率，将导致国阵控制的媒体发行量江河日下。
林冠英