KKB BY-ELECTION | DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has condemned investigations into activists seeking justice over the death of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock, including his sister Teoh Lee Lan.
Lee Lan and Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) chairperson Ng Yap Hwa were under probe for allegedly breaching the Election Offences Act when raising their cause during the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election campaign trail.
They had done so by distributing flyers on their “Search for missing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim”, hoping to secure a meeting with the premier while on the campaign trail to discuss the Beng Hock case.
Ramkarpal said it is unreasonable to probe them for allegedly promoting ill will among the voters or a breach of peace simply by hosting a peaceful demonstration.
“All elections will inevitably involve canvassing, which is bound to be unfavourable to a party contesting and the authorities should understand that this is a part of the campaigning process.
“If the authorities were to clamp down on those who are critical of a candidate or the party that candidate represents during an election, there would be many who would be arrested for supposedly breaching the peace as the whole point of the campaign process is to be critical of the parties contesting in order to enable voters to make an informed choice!” he said in a statement.
He added that Lee Lan and Ng were exercising their freedom of speech and expression about the case which has dragged on for many years.
“I am unable to see how Ng and Lee Lan intended to breach the peace and the authorities ought to cease investigating them to avoid a perception of intolerance of genuine freedom of speech and expression,” he said.
Ramkarpal had represented the family in their bid for a judicial review against police over investigations into the young political aide’s mysterious death in 2009.
His brother and now digital minister, Gobind Singh, represented the family in the inquest into Beng Hock’s death and subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Beng Hock was the aide to DAP assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah and was interrogated by the MACC over an alleged discrepancy in the spending of RM2,400 for flags for National Day celebrations.
Going through cops to meet PM?
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, TBH-ADA said police action on the matter was reminiscent of the late-night interrogation endured by Beng Hock before he was found dead at the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam.
This is because Ng and Lee Lan were summoned for questioning by police at night and were only released at 12.30am this morning.
“It is regrettable that the self-proclaimed Malaysia Madani Anwar government treated Ng and Lee Lan as heinous criminals and conducted overnight interrogations.
“Furthermore, Prime Minister Anwar, as the head of government and a representative of the people, should understand that it is a normal practice in a democratic nation for people to seek the prime minister to address their concerns,” it said.
TBH-ADA stressed that the “Search for Missing Prime Minister” campaign neither involved any political party nor did it call on Kuala Kubu Baharu voters to support any candidate.
“If meeting Anwar requires us to go to the police station for questioning, then we will go to the police station.
“If going to court to be charged is necessary to meet Anwar, then we are also prepared to go to court,” Lee Lan added. - Mkini
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