Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 24 March 2018.
PDRM Penang has written to me to record my statement for dancing along to a song mocking the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at an event on 17 March 2018 attended by the children in a low-cost flat in Mutiara Idaman 2, Jelutong. (See letter attached) The police is investigating me under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act which carries a fine not exceeding RM 50,000, a prison term not exceeding one year, or both.(see the section attached)
For BN to make a song and dance over this anti-GST song by launching a criminal investigation on a Penang Chief Minister, that can put me to jail for one year is clearly a gross abuse of power. Is singing a song now a crime in Malaysia? That this police action is politically motivated is not in doubt, there is no mention in the song of any BN leader, nor any political party nor the BN government.
And yet the police considers this as just cause to conduct a full-scale criminal investigation on a Penang Chief Minister. Is such “special attention” due to the fact that I am a Pakatan Chief Minister? Can the police reveal how many times police statements were recorded from BN Deputy Ministers, Menteri Besars, Ministers, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister for police reports lodged against them?
Clearly the police would not do so and this is a clear case of double-standards to harass and distract me from my government duites, my party work and election preparations to face the coming 14th General Elections. Perhaps the police can reveal what action has been taken for the threats of violence made by Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohamad Hassan against opposition supporters.
Such double-standards by the police is reinforced by the failure to take any action against Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, for entering a school in SK Putrajaya Presint 14 (1) on Tuescday 3 October, and getting the students to sing UMNO songs, shout UMNO slogans and wave UMNO flags. In contrast, I was opening a free tuition centre for kids funded and organised by the Penang state government at the low-cost flat. Is dancing along and mocking GST in an event attended by children a criminal act that requires the police to waste precious resources away from fighting crime?
Such action by BN is at best excessive, and at worst an abuse of power against a political opponent, in the run-up to the general elections. I have asked my staff to contact the police next week. Even though I am unhappy at such double-standards by the police, I will give full co-operation and observe the law when they come to take my statement.
LIM GUAN ENG
Section 233: Improper use of network facilities or network service, etc.
(1) A person who —
(a) by means of any network facilities or network service or applications service knowingly —
(i) makes, creates or solicits; and
(ii) initiates the transmission of,
any comment, request, suggestion or other communication which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person; or
(b) initiates a communication using any applications service, whether continuously, repeatedly or otherwise, during which communication may or may not ensue, with or without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person at any number or electronic address,
commits an offence.
(2) A person who knowingly —
(a) be means of a network service or applications service provides any obscene communication for commercial purposes to any person; or
(b) permits a network service or applications service under the person’s control to be used for an activity described in paragraph (a),commits an offence.
(3) A person who commits an offence under this section shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and shall also be liable to a further fine of one thousand ringgit for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.
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槟州首席部长林冠英于2018年3月24日在槟城乔治市光大发表文告：
载歌载舞高唱不要消费税：警方能不能告诉我们，来自国阵的部长、副部长、州务大臣、副首相及首相，曾在被投报后，被警方请来录口供的次数？
槟州警察写信给我，就我在2018年3月17日出席于日落洞依达曼珍珠2廉价组屋出席一项孩童活动时，高唱不要消费税的改编儿歌并且载歌载舞一事，要求我给予解说（参考附件）。警方现在以《通讯及多媒体法令》第233条文来调查我，最高可罚款不超过5万令吉，或监禁不超过1年或两者兼施（参考附件）。
国阵因一首嘲讽消费税的改编儿歌及随歌起舞，就对一个槟州首席部长刑事调查，甚至可以将我关进牢房里一年，显然是一种滥用权力的行为。难道现在在马来西亚连唱歌也有罪？毫无无疑问的，警方的此番行动是出于政治动机，在整首改编儿歌内，完全没有提到任何国阵领袖，更甭说提到任何政党或国阵政府。
尽管如此，警方却以此为由，对槟州首席部长展开全方位的调查。难道这“特别待遇”是基于我是槟州首席部长？警方能不能告诉我们，来自国阵的部长、副部长、州务大臣、副首相及首相，曾在被投报后，被警方请来录口供的次数？
很明显的，警方并不会这么做，而这就是另一个典型的双重标准，以干扰及分散我执行政府公职、党务及第14届全国大选的筹备工作。 或许，警方可以向我们披露，他们对森美兰州州务大臣拿督莫哈末哈山对反对党支持者所发表的暴力对付的威胁，采取了什么行动？
国阵的双重标准，可从警方迄今依然没有采取行动对付于去年10月3日（星期二），到访布城第十四区学校、让一众学生们集体高唱巫统党歌、高喊巫统口号与及挥着巫统党旗的联邦直辖区部长东姑安南一事，更为显著。相比之下，我只是在一栋廉价组屋内，为州政府所赞助、专为孩童们提供的免费补习中心主持开幕。难道在出席一项有孩童出席的活动中并随之起舞，足以构成刑事罪，更需劳烦警方浪费原本应用以打击罪案的宝贵资源来展开调查吗？
国阵的这种行为充其量是过度的，最坏的情况就是趁大选前夕滥用权力以对付他们的政治对手。我已经吩咐我的职员下周给警方联系–尽管我对警方如斯的双重标准感到不满，但是我依然会全面的合作，并在他们来向我录口供时，遵守相关的法律。
林冠英