Siti Kasim, Zaid join Ramkarpal to give 3-0 verdict DAP state rep not ‘derhaka’ to Selangor ruler

 

SERI Kembangan state assemblywoman Wong Siew Ki who has come under heavy fire by the rightist fraternity has not been disloyal a.k.a. derhaka to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah by championing a modern and innovative pig rearing industry in Selangor.

Such is the stance of human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim and former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who contended that the DAP state representative was only raising a matter of public interest coupled with the fact that “a decree is not the law” as Malaysia practices constitutional monarchy.

The duo who are likely to face backlash from their rightist brethren effectively join fellow legal eagle and DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh who, too, fell that the call for Wong to leave the state or be suspended from the state assembly for up to 12 months “will create a dangerous precedent in silencing elected representatives”.

“No doubt, the Sultan of Selangor did call for an end to pig farming in the state, citing its environmental impact and Selangor’s demographic make-up which is respected,” argued the former deputy minister of law and institutional reform and Bukit Gelugor MP in a media statement.

“Wong’s proposal, however, doesn’t, in any way, disrespect this but instead, offers constructive alternative solutions to the issue which should not be dismissed outright for the reasons stated above.”

Editor’s Note: Selangor PAS Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar who wanted Wong to be suspended from the Selangor state assembly for being ‘derhaka’ has yesterday (April 24) submitted a memorandum of objection against the latter in front of the Seri Kembangan Community Service Centre.

Respect has limit

Concurring with Ramkarpal, Siti Kasim chastised the rightist fraternity for “immediately spinning the issue into one of derhaka to the Sultan” when an elected representative spoke about the management of an industry that does exist.

“This is not about pigs. This is about silencing voices they don’t like. This is not a matter of principle. This is political manipulation,” fumed the Orang Asli advocate in a Facebook post.

“Pig farming exists as an industry. It involves economics, public health and management. Issues like this need clear policies – not emotions. But some parties are more comfortable playing with religious and emotional sentiments than discussing real solutions.”

Delving further, Siti Kasim drew a line to how respect should be accorded to Sultan Sharafuddin’s decree in February for Selangor to resort to pork import to meet local demand, hence rejecting outright the proposed large-scale centralised pig farming project in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor.

Siti Kasim

Respect the Sultan – yes. But respect does not mean that all discussions must be closed. If even speaking in the House (Selangor State Assembly) is considered wrong, what is the point of having a wakil rakyat?

Discuss policies. Not sentiments. If everything is labelled derhaka, in the end there is nothing to discuss.

Today we’ve this issue. Tomorrow could be whatever they (rightists) disagree with. The country cannot move forward with the  politics of fear. Enough of this drama.

Elsewhere, Zaid asserted that “a decree is not the law but merely the language of the Istana (palace) when they give their advice”.

“We aren’t a country governed by Kings of yesteryear. We are a constitutional monarchy,” reminded the opposition-slant UMNO member.

“Any assemblymember can raise any issue of public interest and they must not be stopped from performing their duties. As pig farming involves a livelihood, you can’t just close it down without exploring all options.” – Focus Malaysia