DAP adviser and founding chairperson Dr Chen Man Hin was today questioned by police for 75 minutes, following a claim by former party vice-chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim that an email sent by Chan last year contained the words “Malaysian Spring”.
According to DAP's Bukit Kepayang assemblyperson Cha Kee Chin, who accompanied Chen (left) as his legal counsel, the investigation officer came all the way from Selangor to Seremban to take a witness statement from Chen under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“The police officer spent more than one hour, using different questions just to ask about the two words,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted today.
A report was made by the police themselves after Tunku Abdul Aziz accused the opposition of hatching a conspiracy to topple the government through violent street demonstrations.
He based his allegation on an email allegedly sent out by Chen on April 26, 2012, to all DAP central executive committee (CEC) members asking whether they would be attending the Bersih 3.0 sit-in protest in Dataran Merdeka on April 28.
Chen allegedly said in the email that he would be delighted to join the protest as it may be a beginning of a “Malaysian Spring”.
Tunku Abdul Aziz, who was still the party's vice-chairperson when the email was sent, claimed that Chen was referring to the revolutionary street demonstrations in Arab countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, dubbed the 'Arab Spring' that had toppled their governments.
No mention of 'toppling gov't'
However, DAP chairperson Karpal Singh questioned Tunku Abdul Aziz on why the latter only raised the matter only now and not immediately after receiving the email last year.
Cha, meanwhile, argued that the term had nothing to do with the 'Arab Spring', but simply meant that Malaysia would enter into a season of “spring” when the country could celebrate peace, justice and fairness.
“The email did not mention about protest, marching or toppling the government,” he told Malaysiakini.
Last Saturday, newly-promoted Inspector-general of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar said he viewed the allegation seriously and has ordered an investigation into the claim as it could pose a threat to national security.
However DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Khalid should be censured for playing politics to please his political masters instead of focusing on his first duty of fighting crime.
“This (questioning of Chen) is sheer nonsense and a pure waste of police resources, manpower and time when there are more important things for the police to do, as keeping Malaysians free from crime,” said Lim in a statement issued today.
He cited the two break-ins which occurred two days ago involving the homes of the deputy prime minister's sister and Khalid's sister.
“With such a rife crime situation, it is downright irresponsible for the police to waste time and resources on a wild goose chase because some errant and irresponsible politicians have made false and outrageous allegations, but who has no principles or courage of conviction to lodge official reports.
“Is the police prepared to charge these persons who have made baseless and irresponsible allegations causing the police to go on a wild goose's case, wasting scarce public resources and time?” the Gelang Patah MP asked
- Malaysiakini
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