Guan Eng’s anti-GST song: An apology is enough, says law lecturer

Shamsher Singh Thind says there is no need to bring a criminal charge against the Penang CM.

Law lecturer and criminologist Shamsher Singh Thind says there is no need to take the matter to court.

GEORGE TOWN: A public rebuke and an apology instead of criminal action will suffice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for his sing-along with children on the GST song during a tuition class, says law lecturer Shamsher Singh Thind.

He said while Lim’s act was unacceptable, unnecessary criminal action against Lim would show that the federal government is using the police and law to get rid of political dissent.

Shamsher said Lim ought to be criticised for his action but parallels cannot be drawn with Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor who brought politics into a school, while Lim was merely singing a song at a private event.

“It was childish for Guan Eng to sing the anti-GST song but he did it at a private event. The children were accompanied by their parents.

“Tengku Adnan, on the other hand, brought politics into a school. He encouraged students to sing along to the Umno party song.

“I feel both political leaders should apologise for their action as it was inappropriate.

“Ku Nan should also be investigated by the educational authorities whether or not he had violated any law,” Shamsher told FMT.

Last October, Tengku Adnan was ushered by students of a Putrajaya primary school, who waved the Umno flag, shouted slogans and sang the party song.

He was at the school to officiate a sketch drama and classroom-decoration competition, themed “Merdeka and Umno”, participated by several schools in Putrajaya.

The decorations made by the primary schoolchildren included Umno cakes and other Umno-themed memorabilia.

On the other hand, on March 17, Lim sang and danced to the song which poked fun at the goods and services tax, after officiating the Penang government’s free tuition class programme at a void deck of Mutiara Idaman 2 flats in Jelutong.

It was attended by parents and children living in the flats. The free tuition class comes under the state’s youth empowerment programme, Penggerak Komuniti Muda Pulau Pinang (Peka).

Some 1,000 students across Penang are benefiting from the Peka programme, which offers free tuition to UPSR and SPM students.

On March 18, a political party and two NGOs alleged Lim brought a compact disc to the tuition class and taught the children to sing the ABC-GST song.

Penang Front Party chairman Patrick Ooi, Penang Surplus Welfare Association president Sophian Mohd Zain and 1Malaysia People’s Welfare Association president Mohd Ibrahim A Siahoo lodged police reports on the matter.

On Monday, police said Lim was being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

The law deals with the improper use of network facilities or network services and carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000, a prison term not exceeding one year, or both.

Gerakan national legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh wants the matter probed for possible child exploitation.

Gerakan’s national legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh, weighing in on the issue, was more unforgiving, saying Lim should be probed for alleged child exploitation.

Baljit said the Communications and Multimedia Act might not be the right law as the concern was not about misuse of the internet, but the singing of the song before children.

Baljit, a lawyer, said while there was nothing wrong with Lim singing or dancing to the song, it was morally wrong for the CM to do so.

“Yes, you can sing whatever song as it is your right. The song is not the problem. The problem here is you were singing a song deemed political before children,” Baljit told FMT.

Baljit said there are provisions under existing laws on offences against children. -FMT