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To the defence of Bar forum |
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 09:15am |
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©The
Star (Used by permission)
PETALING JAYA: Criticisms levelled against the Bar Council for its Social
Contract Forum show a lack of mutual tolerance and is not helpful to achieving
racial harmony, said the MCA Youth.
MCA Youth legal bureau chief Gan Ping Sieu said the wing was disappointed with
parties who cited political sensitivity as a reason to disallow such forums or
discourses.
In a
statement yesterday, Gan said the wing was particularly disappointed with
statements made by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar as reported in an
English daily.
The minister was quoted as saying that action could be taken against the Bar
Council for holding the forum last Saturday and that the police could begin
investigations if a report was lodged against the council for sedition.
“Discussing the process in the drafting of the (Federal) Constitution, including
its historical background and reasons, must not be interpreted as questioning
the special position of the Malays,” Gan said.
He emphasised a subsection of Article 153 of the Constitution – the Article that
touches on the special position of the Malays – which, among others, states that
nothing in the Article should deprive any person of any right.
He said forums conducted by organisations sincere in discussing the Constitution
objectively and rationally without distorting the facts should be accepted by
all.
“All Malaysians are knowledgeable and mature enough to discuss any matter
related to the Constitution openly.
“Anyone who wants to prevent or object to such forums has actually gone against
the freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
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