PETALING JAYA: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Najib Razak cannot be placed on the same level as royalty, with the law being used to protect him against any alleged insult.
Calling the investigations into a news portal for allegedly insulting Najib an “abuse of power”, Lim asked if leaders from the opposition would be accorded the same treatment.
“If insulting Barisan Nasional leaders like the prime minister is an offence, what about making threats of bodily harm against the Penang chief minister or those insulting the Selangor menteri besar and a former prime minister?
“I simply disagree with it, however, because the PM, Selangor MB and Penang CM should not enjoy any immunity from insults as it would weaken the democratic process of elections.
“If these insults are untrue, then defamation suits should be filed to claim compensation,” Lim said.
The DAP secretary-general was referring to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak’s statement that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was investigating The Malaysian Insight for allegedly insulting the prime minister.
“Why were no investigations carried out against BN-controlled media such as the New Straits Times, Berita Harian, The Star and Utusan Malaysia when they lost in defamation suits in courts, paid compensation, apologised and unreservedly withdrew their false reports against me?
“Such double-standards must stop to preserve whatever little credibility is left, or else online news media such as Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today and The Malaysian Insight will gain a wider readership at the expense of the plunging circulation of BN-controlled media.”
Lim, who is also Bagan MP, said that as Najib was a politician, it would be wrong to say he could not be insulted while making political capital out of insulting his opponents in preparation for the general election.
“There should be a level playing field in the electoral process as the prime minister is just another candidate subject to voters, like other candidates,” he said.
Lim gave an example of a case where he had been threatened and insulted but no action was taken against the perpetrators.
“Even my then underage son was insulted six years ago and humiliated with evil lies that he had sexually assaulted his classmate, but yet no prosecution was initiated against the criminal offenders.
“The police had even encouraged me to lodge police reports so that criminal charges could be filed as lies were made against a minor. But no charges have been filed until today, without any explanation.”
At least five people were charged – with one pleading guilty – in court this year for the offence of insulting Najib. -FMT
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