Pakatan Harapan was the alternative party that promised change and reforms, but after GE15, it seems that Anwar Ibrahim and PH may have 'changed'. Have promises of reforms been abandoned in favour of remaining Prime Minister and part of the Federal Government?
When PH failed to win the needed number of seats to form a government, it is natural that a coalition government be formed with other parties to form a government - and PH did this with Barisan Nasional(BN) - and with some other parties. Remember, PN rejected forming government with PH.
But now, it is disturbing to note that PH seems to be moving towards an electoral pact with BN to face the upcoming State elections - WHY?
Will PH supporters be expected to now support Zahid Hamidi and BN candidates in upcoming State elections?
Remember, the emergence of PH was as an Opposition to oust the BN rule at the Federal Governments, and the State governments...but now it seems that PH is 'part of BN' - and may even be in an electoral pact for the remaining State elections > or maybe par of a NEW political coalition...???
What has Anwar and the PH done about reformation? Anwar has been celebrating his premiership - but we are yet to see any concrete reforms...
SOSMA - Well, now the Minister(from PKR) seems to be saying that there may be no review of this draconian law. Will detention without trial laws like POCA and POTA be repealed - remember the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court in a fair trial?
SOSMA is not a detention without trial law - for all persons charged with any of the currently listed SOSMA offences will be charged and tried in court. What is most wrong in SOSMA - the removal of the role of the Magistrate to monitor police does not abuse 'detention for purposes of investigations only', and the statutory denial of bail until the end of trial. Whether bail is allowed is a matter for judges to determine.
SOSMA must be repealed now, if not seriously amended to remove mandatory denial of bail, and restoration of Magistrate’s role in detention for purpose of investigation...(MADPET)
Political Appointees - Well, Anwar seems to have removed all political appointees of the previous government BUT then what... Did he simply replace them with 'new' political appointees of this 'new' government? Were qualification and competence in the relevant business of the GLC or government agencies even considered before appointment? When a person is appointed as Directors or 'upper management', it has a serious impact on the well being and proper functioning of the said business and agencies? What about salaries and allowances - are they still too large, possibly even higher than Ministers? When these GLCs and agencies fail through abuse and negligence, will there 'political appointees' be protected?
Director's monthly income? How 'political appointees' may simply be form of corrupt practice, that must be ended in Malaysia?
Political Appointment continues under Anwar? Remove political appointees of previous government, and replace with new government party people - UMNO's Ahmad Jazlan(lost in GE15) reappointed as Felcra chairman?
Right to Peaceful Assembly - Even after Anwar and PH regained power, media still reports about actions against persons who exercised their rights to peaceful assembly? Will the law be amended or repealed?
After GE14, when PH formed government - there was a lot of disappointment when PH failed to bring in the promised reforms before they were ousted by the Sheraton move...Then, many blamed the then PM and the not having of sufficient time. Now, the 2nd chance is given - and Anwar and PH need to act fast to show us the REFORMS... if not, ....
PH working with BN at the Federal level, after GE15 resulted in PH not securing sufficient seats to form government 'may be acceptable' - but the formation of 'electoral pacts' or 'political coalitions' with BN for upcoming State elections may not be tolerated by the people. Go alone, and after the State election results are out forming coalitions with political opponents out of necessity may be OK.
Anwar and PH need to prioritize speedy REFORMS...if not risk rejection by the people.
Electoral cooperation talks between Pakatan Harapan and BN for the Negeri Sembilan state election are expected to go on smoothly as there are no “major issues” to solve, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said.
According to him, this includes seat negotiation matters.
“The electoral track record of Harapan and BN component parties are consistent, so there wouldn’t be issues of who would win ‘bigger’.
“I don’t foresee any issues with finalising and refining electoral cooperation in the state. Furthermore, there are not many seat overlaps in the state, and the strength of each party is clearer,” Utusan Malaysia quoted Rafizi, who is also PKR election chief, telling reporters after attending the party's 2023 Election Convention in Seremban, last night.
“I hope there will be ‘give and take’ in the negotiations, and the talks will go on smoothly.”
Also present at the convention was Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.
According to Rafizi further, the presence of Aminuddin and BN deputy chairperson Mohamad Hasan would make the process easier as both are leaders renowned for their loyalty to their respective parties.
Yesterday, Aminuddin said the Negeri Sembilan state legislative assembly is expected to be dissolved in May to pave way for state polls.
The six states that will be holding their state polls this year are Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
Harapan won 20 out of the 36 state seats in the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018. The remaining 16 seats were won by BN. -Malaysiakini, 16/1/2023
Summoning activists over peaceful gathering is waste of time, says Suaram
KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights group, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) said summoning activists over a recent event that was held peacefully was a waste of time.
Its executive director Sevan Doraisamy said the memorandum handover to members of parliament in regards to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) recently was peaceful and the decision by the police to question the activists was unnecessary.
"It (the handing over of the memorandum to the MPs) was also allowed under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. This questioning is unnecessary as we had so many police personnel on that day.
"They recorded what was happening and there is enough evidence for them. Yet, they still need to summon us, intimidating and wasting our time and public funds by investigating this.
"This trend has been ongoing for many years," he told reporters when met in front of Dang Wangi police headquarters today.
The investigation is being held under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
Sevan was among six activists who were summoned by the police over the recent memorandum handover in regards to Sosma to the MPs outside the parliament on Dec 20.
The others were Suaram coordinators Wong Yan Ke and Nik Azura Nik Nasron; Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) Deputy Chairperson S. Arutchelvan, and a family representative Ranjith Kumar.
On the day, several MPs received a memorandum calling for the release of several detainees under Sosma outside parliament by the families of the detainees. The group was accompanied by representatives from Suaram.
Sevan said they handed over the memorandum as they wanted the Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to relook and hold proper discussion with the stakeholders into provisions under Sosma.
"After the change of government, no change to Sosma. Hence, we submitted the memorandum," he said.
At the same press conference, Sevan also urged the government to be committed to constitutional reform and other reforms, including re-looking at and amending the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
"There are many areas that need to be empowered and amended. For example, the present designated place to hold peaceful assembly is not practical such as the one is the park near Taman Tugu which is secluded."
He added another place that needs to be re-looked at is the parliament, as the people have the right to meet their policymakers and MPs.
"Parliament must have a space for the public to come and hand over their memorandum. Do not push us to the streets, then we don't have the space to express ourselves.
"(And) the MPs who want to meet people who voted them (have to do it) in the middle of the street. This has to go," he said, adding that another place is Dataran Merdeka.
Sevan also called for a better public assembly law.
"Malaysia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). Therefore, we need to be exemplary, especially in terms of public assembly.
"We have police personnel who can facilitate the assembly. Therefore,
why don't use that resource to have peaceful assembly in an organised
way rather than pushing us here and there and then summoning us after
the peaceful event." - NST, 29/12/2022
Walk for Judicial Independence participants were not falsely imprisoned by human chain, says police
By NURBAITI HAMDAN
Nation
Wednesday, 11 Jan 2023 7:18 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR: The human barricade formed by the police during the Walk for Judicial Independence in June last year was to restrict the participants from marching to the Parliament and not to falsely imprison them, says the police.
Even so, the police said it had allowed up to 30 people to continue with the march after several rounds of negotiations.
This was the authorities' contention in a statement of defence they filed on Dec 22, last year, against the Malaysian Bar's lawsuit.
The defendants claimed that the barricade was not to restrict their movement to other places, with exception to the august house.
"The plaintiffs were never prevented from leaving the assembly area.
"They were not besieged and they were free to enter and leave the Padang Merbok parking area.
"They were only restricted from marching to the Parliament," the statement said.
The defendants claimed that the Bar's allegation of "false imprisonment" was a "misstatement under the law".
The defendants further claimed that the police had succeeded in stopping the march after it was told that no procession was allowed.
The plaintiffs, however, had negotiated with the defendants to carry on with their programme and the defendants compromised by allowing 10 of the participants to continue the march.
"However, the plaintiffs continued to push the police to allow a procession for all the participants.
"The police subsequently allowed for 20 people and later, for 30 people, after another round of negotiations," the statement said.
The defendants also stated that no arrests were carried out by the police during the assembly and all its actions were lawful.
They also contended that they received feedback from nearby SK Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, Aswara and Bank Negara, which objected to the assembly, prior to the event taking place.
On Oct 20, 2022, the Malaysian Bar and its office bearers sued the police and the government for alleged wrongful detention when they were barred from proceeding with their "Walk For Judicial Independence" to Parliament on June 17, 2022.
The walk was organised as a peaceful protest against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigations into Court of Appeal judge Justice Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
The four office bearers were Bar president Karen Cheah, vice-president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab, secretary Anand Raj R. Balasupramaniam and treasurer Murshidah Mustafa.
They named Noor Dellhan Yahaya (in his capacity as the officer in charge of the Dang Wangi police district), Nuzulan Mohd Din (in his capacity as the head of criminal investigation at the Dang Wangi district headquarters), the police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Home Minister and the government of Malaysia as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth defendants respectively.
According to the statement of claim, the plaintiffs said about 500 members of the Malaysian Bar assembled peacefully at Padang Merbok for the march between 7.45am and 10am on June 17, where they planned to march to Parliament to submit a memorandum to the then deputy minister (Parliament and Law) in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
The plaintiffs said the police had placed plastic barriers around Padang Merbok to prevent the participants from entering or passing through.
The plaintiffs claimed that the participants were falsely restrained and imprisoned between 10.35am and 11.15am by the defendants, when they were forcibly confined at the Padang Merbok car park within the barricades constructed by police under the direction of the first defendant.
As a result, the plaintiffs claimed to have suffered loss of freedom for 40 minutes, and their constitutional rights under Articles 5, 8, 9 and 10 of the Federal Constitution were violated.
They further claimed that the defendants breached their statutory duties under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and committed misfeasance in public office.
The plaintiffs are claiming special damages of RM19,449, and unspecified general, aggravated and exemplary damages as well as other reliefs deemed fit by the court.
Case management has been fixed for Thursday (Jan 12). - Star, 11/1/2023
MPs arrive for questioning over Dataran Merdeka gathering
Mohamad Fadli
- August 4, 2021 10:27 AM
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng speaking to the media at the Dang Wangi district police station.
KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs have started arriving to give their statements at the Dang Wangi district police station over Monday’s Dataran Merdeka gathering.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng was first to arrive at 10am and is expected to be followed by former education minister Maszlee Malik and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.
Meanwhile, Damansara MP Tony Pua is scheduled to give his statement at 11am, and Segambut’s Hannah Yeoh and former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman are expected to arrive at 2.30pm.
Other MPs who are expected to give their statements today are Kasthuri Patto (Batu Kawan) and Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan).
The gathering at Dataran Merdeka was followed by an attempted march to Parliament to call for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Cabinet to resign.
Last night, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said 206 police reports had been lodged nationwide over the gathering.
He said police were investigating the gathering under Section 269 of the Penal Code for a negligent act that may likely spread an infection of any disease dangerous to life, and the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
When met by reporters outside the station, Lim claimed that the opposition MPs were simply making their way to Parliament before being stopped by the police.
Pointing to the gathering of several government leaders at Muhyiddin’s house yesterday, he said they were the ones who were actually holding gatherings.
“The one who’s really holding gatherings is the prime minister … last night at his house. This investigation is wasting our time,” he said before heading in to give his statement.
They are also being probed for a breach of Regulations 9 and 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations (National Recovery Plan) 2021. FMT, 4/8/2021
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