PETALING JAYA, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The Government does not practise double
standard when taking action on law breakers even if they are lawyers, Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Sunday.
"Even today I've been informed that police have arrested eight people (including
four lawyers). Even though they are lawyers, if they break the law, definitely
action will be taken against them.
"There is no favouritism whatsoever on this matter," he told reporters after
giving away prizes to golfers participating in the MasterCard-ntv7 Platinum Golf
Masters 2007 Charity Grand Finals at Saujana Golf Club in Subang, near here.
Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, was responding to reporters'
questions on the arrests of four lawyers and four activists at Jalan Tun Perak
in Kuala Lumpur this morning for participating in an illegal march.
A group of 50 people, including lawyers, activists, bloggers and members of
non-governmental organisations, wearing surgical masks, staged a "Peace Walk" to
mark World Human Rights Day tomorrow.
They had earlier gathered in front of the Sogo Shopping Complex before walking
through the busy Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to the Bar Council building at Jalan
Raja, about 2km away.
The group has not only violated the law for not having a police permit to hold
an illegal assembly, they have also snubbed the Bar Council's decision to cancel
the assembly very much earlier.
Abdullah said the police took appropriate action in tackling today's illegal
assembly as the participants had defied the law,
"They did not obey the law, they still want to protest and they acted in
defiance of the law. Definitely, the police have to take action in accordance
with the law," he said.
The Prime Minister said anti-government actions and defiance of the law must
stop as they were of no benefit to the country and the people.
"They are not our culture. These are not the ways we should emulate," he said.
Asked on the Indian government's move to steer clear from the Hindu Rights
Action Force (Hindraf), Abdullah said he appreciated very much the Indian
government's stand.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia enjoyed cordial relations with India based on
mutual respect between two friendly and sovereign nations.
"Furthermore, it is based on the understanding that a country's domestic problem
is the sovereign right of that country to take action in accordance with the
rule of law and constitutional provisions.
"Therefore, I appreciate very much the Indian government's stand," he added.
Earlier, Abdullah received donations totalling RM500,000 from the charity golf
tournament for the Taman Bakti Children's Home in Kepala Batas and the Mentally
Retarded Children's Welfare Association in Seberang Prai Tengah.
Abdullah is the Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas.
Illegal gathering or illegal marcching? written by Zulkepli Bin Omar ,
Sunday, December 09 2007 09:31 pm
I am of the view that the government is very cautious on gatherings not to mention marching in public. Reasons given that no permit is given by the police for such gathering. I wonder would the police ever give permits to hold such gathering or marching? Definitely a no no. The OCPD may get transferred out and no chance of promotion in the near future.
So it would become an illegal gathering although the Constitution allows such gathering, but the police will never allow it and they give security reasons. We have learnt from Bersih gathering that it was peaceful, the only setback eager OCPD gave order to disperse at Masjid Jamek but the participants did not retaliate or throw any stones although many were in tears due to the chemical laced water.
Why don't the police allow a peaceful gathering and control the route of the participants peaceful rather than curb it?
The answer is in the hands of the powers that be.
Zulkepli Omar
No double standard.... haha written by Damian Yeo Shen Li,
Monday, December 10 2007 01:25 am
Maybe I should remind our dear PM that his son in law breaches a number of laws and I am wandering whether would he be charged and prosecuted?
Damian Yeo Shen Li
Government does not practise double standards? written by Kelvin Ng Sin Huat,
Monday, December 10 2007 07:24 am
"The Government does not practise double standard when taking action on law breakers even if they are lawyers, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Sunday.
"Even today I've been informed that police have arrested eight people (including four lawyers). Even though they are lawyers, if they break the law, definitely action will be taken against them."
Comment: What a hypocritical statement! Was action taken against your son in law when he demonstrated against Rice?
"They did not obey the law, they still want to protest and they acted in defiance of the law. Definitely, the police have to take action in accordance with the law," he said."
Comment: You and the Police did not obey and observe the rule of law! There is no defiance of the law if the police has granted permit for a peaceful assembly isn't? In any event, there is no such requirment since it is peaceful in the first place! Edmund Bon was exercising his constitutional rights when he tried to prevent the DBKL officers from entering the Bar Premises without a warrant. He was acting in accordance with the law and the DBKL was acting ultra vires their powers. The police, when arresting Edmund, stepped out of line. They should have arrested the DBKL officers for entering into the premises without a warrant! What a double standard!
The walk was in line with the celebration of huma rights. How come PM thinks it is ani government? Please PM for once..get your facts right!!!!!
And I wonder whether all these marches is adverse to the country or to the government!!!!
Kelvin Ng Sin Huat
A Celebration of Minds written by Tan Peek Guat,
Monday, December 10 2007 08:51 am
By 'no double standard', he means that all those arrested were arrested, along with the others, even though they may be lawyers.
However, by 'double standard', those who are aware of the happening, mean that just because the Deputy UMNO leader is his son-in-law, he was spared, and not arrested, even though he participated in the street march.
Mind clinics have to be opened for mind cleansing purposes so that a common consensus is reached at all times.
Tan Peek Guat
Pak Lah, Kerja Bersama Kami Bukan Kerja Untuk Kami written by Lim Yeeu Ren,
Monday, December 10 2007 04:38 pm
YAB, tolonglah. Kami hanya minta pihak-pihak berkuasa untuk kerja bersama kami sebagai rakyat jelata. Jangan lah sampai polis semua pi tangkap orang-orang yang cuma menghadiri sambutan hak asasi manusia. Yang sampai peguam Edmund Bon kena tangkap sebab cuba mengahalang pihak DBKL daripada masuk ke dalam premis Majlis peguam untuk menanggalkan poster-poster tu tak boleh la. Depa tak boleh lah masuk tanpa permit. Itu perlanggaran undang-undang oleh DBKL. Habis bila DBKL pi langgar undang-undang macam tu macam mana? Apa nak jadi pulak? Itu dah jadi pencerobohan bersifat jenayah. Takkan la depa semua yang pi ceroboh premis Majlis Peguam tu tak ditangkap pulak?
Semestinya ini tidak dimaksudkan sebagai Malaysia Boleh?
Tolong lah, "kerja bersama kami, bukan kerja untuk kami".
Sekian.
Lim Yeeu Ren
Write comment
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Talk on Intellectual Property Law (10 Feb 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, the talk on “Intellectual Property Law” will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 10 Feb 2012 (Friday). The talk will feature Bahari Yeow Tien Hong. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings (21 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, the seminar on “The Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings”, featuring Sanjeev Kumar Rasiah, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 21 Feb 2012 (Tuesday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Conveyancing (24 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar featuring Jeremiah R Gurusamy will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 24 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Mediation Skills Training Course (29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012) Organised by Bar Council, the Mediation Skills Training Course will take place at 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday). Deadline for registration and payment is 17 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on “Land Fraud: An Australian Perspective” (13 Mar 2012) Organised by IGIL, GSGSG and UUM COLGIS, this free talk featuring Quintin George Rozario of Delta Law, Brisbane, Australia, will take place at 9:00 am, at Dewan Seminar A, Pusat Konvensyen, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, on 13 Mar 2012 (Tuesday). To RSVP, contact Mr Abutt (04-928 4397; abutt@uum.edu.my).
I am of the view that the government is very cautious on gatherings not to mention marching in public. Reasons given that no permit is given by the police for such gathering. I wonder would the police ever give permits to hold such gathering or marching? Definitely a no no. The OCPD may get transferred out and no chance of promotion in the near future.
So it would become an illegal gathering although the Constitution allows such gathering, but the police will never allow it and they give security reasons. We have learnt from Bersih gathering that it was peaceful, the only setback eager OCPD gave order to disperse at Masjid Jamek but the participants did not retaliate or throw any stones although many were in tears due to the chemical laced water.
Why don't the police allow a peaceful gathering and control the route of the participants peaceful rather than curb it?
The answer is in the hands of the powers that be.
Zulkepli Omar