PAS to show proof of SB’s racial campaign

The Negeri Sembilan assembly is told that security briefings are used to vilify Pakatan Rakyat.

SEREMBAN: PAS is compiling evidence to prove that the police Special Branch has been campaigning for Barisan Nasional and using racial and religious issues to instil fear of Pakatan Rakyat’s victory in the coming election.

The party’s Negeri Sembilan chief, Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani, disclosed this at the state assembly session earlier this week.

Taufek, who is the state assemblyman for Paroi, alleged that Special Branch officers would raise the spectre of hudud when addressing non-Muslim audiences at so-called security briefings, saying Pakatan would implement it if it were to come to power.

When addressing Malay audiences, they would say Pakatan was determined to rob the Malays of their special privileges, he added.

He told the assembly that he would lodge a police report after enough evidence had been compiled “because playing with racial and religious sentiments is very dangerous.”

The state assembly sitting lasted only a day although it was scheduled for two.

Motions rejected

Pakatan assemblymen were outvoted when they tried to table two emergency motions for debate.

In the first motion, Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Lobak) sought to refer Sri Menanti state assemblymen Abdul Samad Ibrahim (BN) to the Special Privileges Committee for alleged misuse of a shotgun.

The second emergency motion, tabled by Chai Tong Chai (PKR-Chuah), sought to debate complaints by residents of Chuah, Lukut and Bukit Pelandok that they had, for the past two months, been getting dirty and foul-smelling water from their pipes.

The assembly’s standing orders stipulate that half of the assemblymen present must vote for an emergency motion before it can be put to debate. In both cases, 15 assemblymen voted aye and 19 voted nay.

At a press conference after the assembly session, Loke said the defeat of the motions showed that BN representatives did not care about issues of public concern.

“The BN state assemblymen are using the standing orders to protect their leaders,” he said.

During the session, Zainal Abidin Ahmad (BN-Sungai Lui) alleged that a Pahang-based NGO was misleading his Orang Asli constituents by alleging that the state had licensed a company to mine gold in Serting.

“There is no truth in the claim and I regret that a local opposition leader was present at a protest gathering with Orang Asli and members of the NGO,” he said.

“I want to clarify here there is no gold in Sungai Lui and I urge the NGO not to mislead the Orang Asli.”

Observers noted that Zainal Abidin kept his cool during his speech, showing a contrast to his normal aggressive self.

Ngeh’s gaffe

Indeed the only time the assembly became noisy yesterday was during a debate regarding Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham’s remark about Muslims wasting time protesting against an American made anti-Islam movie.

Mohd Kamil Abdul Aziz (BN-Gemencheh) questioned why PAS did not lodge a police report against Ngeh, and Loke shot up from his seat to say that the Perak DAP chief had already retracted his statement and apologised.

Following that, Cha Kee Chin (DAP-Bukit Kepayang) asked why Umno was not taking action against MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek for ridiculing hudud and Islam. He added that Negeri Sembilan MCA chief Yeow Chai Thiam had also often questioned Islamic laws without exciting Umno’s anger.

Mohd Taufek told Mohd Kamil to retract his mention of Ngeh’s name, pointing out that there was a standing order against commenting on any person not present in the assembly.

“I retract the name of Ngeh Koo Ham but maintain the words Perak DAP chairman,” Mohd Kamil said and continued with his speech.

The next state assembly sitting is scheduled for three days from Dec 14.