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©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Maria J.Dass, Himanshu Bhatt, Diana Chin

PETALING JAYA (MAY 09, 2008): The Bar Council strongly opposes the use of the Sedition Act against lawyer Karpal Singh or anyone else exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech, its president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said in a statement today.

She also said the council is alarmed over the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s instructions for a police report to be lodged against DAP chairman Karpal for expressing his legal opinion on the transfer of Perak Religious Department director Datuk Jamry Sury.

It was reported today that three police reports had been lodged against Karpal for allegedly questioning the special rights and authority of the Sultan of Perak.

The reports were lodged by Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Backbenchers Club president Datuk Tiong King Sing and non-governmental organisation Barisan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu chairman Osman Abu Bakar,

"This move, following the recent charges of sedition against Raja Petra Kamarudin and Syed Akhbar Ali signals a disturbing trend towards the use of archaic and oppressive legislation such as the Sedition Act as a means of stifling debate and exchange of opinions," Ambiga said.

Many issues of public and constitutional law, including state law and convention that have hitherto not arisen, have understandably surfaced since the March 8 general election, she said.

Citing an example, Ambiga said one recent controversy was over the appointment of the Trengganu Menteri Besar, when many members of the Government and public took strong positions in relation to the actions of the state’s Regent and its Regency Advisory Council, including the position that the appointment of the Chief Minister was unconstitutional.

Strong views were similarly expressed in respect of the appointment of the Perlis Menteri Besar, she said.

"Likewise the views expressed by Karpal Singh are his opinion on the legal issues relating to Jamry’s transfer," Ambiga said. She said using the Sedition Act against him is a stifling of healthy debate that has in fact already been taking place over the last few months in other instances.

In GEORGE TOWN, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Umno's criticism against Karpal Singh for saying that the Perak government has the prerogative to appoint the state Islamic Religious Department director is intended to deflect attention from economic crisis being faced by Malaysians.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said Umno president and prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should focus on more urgent issues, such as the economy and the national food shortage.

Abdullah had said the actions of Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, insulted and enraged the Malays as he meant that the state had greater say than the Sultan of Perak in matters of Islamic affairs. Abdullah stressed that Karpal had been seditious and insulting towards the monarchy.

Lim remarked that no action had been taken by Abdullah against Umno members who had publicly protested the decisions of the Sultan of Terengganu, who is also the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and the Sultan of Perlis when they opposed Abdullah’s choice of menteri besar in the respective states.

"Karpal did not hold a demonstration like Umno did during the crisis in Perlis and Terengganu," he said. "We find the BN taking a selective approach in criticising Karpal in this regard."

State executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim added that a large section of the Malays is progressive in thought and not easily taken by Abdullah’s political assertion that the community is angry at Karpal.

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