KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — The Registrar of Societies (RoS) plans to question Lim Chee Wee on why he recently referred to rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) as a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Bar Council president said today, expressing bewilderment over the agency’s reason for involving him in its probe.
Lim said he was yet to decide whether to attend the meeting scheduled for tomorrow, saying he was still leaving his options open.
But he said that since the RoS’ intention was only to seek an explanation for his labelling of Suaram as an NGO, his lawyer Ragunath Kesavan had advised him to be present.
“My lawyer said that all things considered, there is no point challenging it,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
But Lim (above) maintained that he was not relevant to RoS’ investigation into Suaram’s funding sources, pointing out that he was neither a member of nor party in any way to the human rights group.
He said that he had merely offered his legal opinion when news portal Malaysiakini recently interviewed him on his views on Suaram’s receipt of foreign funds to run its operations.
“I am not in any position to contribute anything much to this investigation, because all that I know and have said about Suaram was just to offer my legal opinion. How can offering a legal opinion make me relevant to the investigation?” Lim said.
“But my lawyer informed me that the RoS just wants to know why I described Suaram as an NGO... that being the case, I have been advised to attend and express my reason why I said so,” he said.
Malaysiakini reported yesterday that the RoS had sent letters to Lim and Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah(right), both of whom are not members of Suaram, citing Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code to summon them to assist in its probe on the human rights group.
When contacted here, Maria Chin told The Malaysian Insider that she has agreed to meet with the RoS this Friday, but echoed the Bar Council president’s views that she should not be included in the investigation.
Last Wednesday, Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob told Parliament that the Attorney-General’s Chambers was waiting for investigation papers from the RoS before it considers any criminal charges against Suaram and the company linked to it, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd.
He said the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) had finished its investigation of Suara Inisiatif, but the A-G’s Chambers had decided not to press charges yet.
“But the Attorney-General said he wants to wait for ROS’ investigation, only then will he take joint action,” the domestic trade, co-operatives and consumerism minister said in his winding-up speech in Parliament today.
Ismail Sabri claimed that Suaram and Suara Inisiatif are separate entities, adding that the A-G wanted to establish a “link” between the two.
But opposition MPs have insisted that Suaram and Suara Inisiatif operate as one entity.
On October 11, Ismail Sabri told The Malaysian Insider that CCM had resubmitted its investigation paper on Suara Inisiatif, the company linked to Suaram, to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
He confirmed that the investigation paper was still for “misleading accounts”.
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