Gobind Singh Deo says that as an MP Liew Chin Tong, who was blocked at the market in Kluang, had a right to meet his constituents without restraint.
PETALING JAYA: DAP legal bureau chief Gobind Singh Deo has called on the police to take action under the Penal Code against individuals who aggressively obstructed Pakatan Harapan (PH) members from visiting a Ramadan bazaar in Kluang yesterday.
The Puchong MP said the group led by DAP’s Liew Chin Tong had a right to be at the open-air market where they were distributing dates.
“Liew is the member of parliament for Kluang. He has a right to meet his constituents and that is what he was doing. He was in a public place carrying out his duties as MP,” Gobind said.
“It is high time the police did something to stop this kind of behaviour. It happened once and now it has happened again. What do we need to wait for before action is taken?” he said in a statement today.
Gobind said the Penal Code made specific provisions to protect elected representatives.
He said section 124 makes it an offence for anyone to wrongfully restrain or attempt to wrongfully restrain such representatives from carrying out their duties.
“Anyone found guilty of an offence against that section shall be punished with up to seven years imprisonment and a fine,” he said.
“So clearly Parliament takes a serious view of incidents like these,” he added.
“But these laws must be enforced by the police and the public prosecutor if they are to have any effect and if they are to meet their purpose.”
He also called on all elected representatives, whether from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) or PH, or any other party, to make it clear that they oppose such conduct.
“We must press for action to be taken. We must unite and call upon the authorities to act,” he said.
In the incident yesterday, a group of young men were caught on video apparently threatening and trying to prevent Pakatan Harapan members from distributing dates to the people at a Ramadan bazaar.
Liew, Johor DAP assistant publicity secretary Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali and Kluang PPBM head Radzali Mohd Noor later lodged separate police reports on the matter at the Kluang police station.
Meanwhile, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin said he was disappointed and saddened at the incident.
The former deputy prime minister said although Liew was not a Muslim, he should not have been prevented from entering that section of the market and have coarse insults hurled at him.
“Furthermore he is an MP which makes it his responsibility to get close to the community in his constituency no matter what their race or religion,” Muhyiddin said in a statement today.
“In a country with different races and religions, it is important for us to cultivate a spirit of unity and mutual respect among people despite differences of race, religion and political affiliation,” he added
“Respect for human beings is the main demand of Islam, and Muslims are obligated to uphold the true teachings of Islam.” -FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.