Rome Statute forum gets heated when Umno man chides panellist

The atmosphere at the forum discussing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court at Universiti Malaya became heated when Umno man Mohd Razlan Rafii stood up to chide one of the panellists.

Razlan was livid with the panellists whom he labelled unprofessional after one of them, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, claimed that four academics who advised the Conference of Rulers to reject the Rome Statute were stupid.

Razlan, who is Federal Territory Umno Youth chief, voiced out his disapproval during the question-and-answer session and was met by choruses of boos, with the audience asking him to leave the Tun Mohamed Suffian Auditorium.

"We are all educated but just now you call other people stupid and label the four professors as stupid.

"It is their right to speak and your right to speak too, but you shouldn't call other people stupid, kangkung professors (low class). It's unfair."

"You present your facts and they present theirs," he said.

The audience appeared to be unhappy with Razlan, asking him to shut up or leave but he ignored their jeers. 

He went on to chide Attorney-General Tommy Thomas for failing to convince the Conference of Rulers on the ratification of the Rome Statute.

"After failing to convince the Conference of Rulers, you should have advised the prime minister to retract (from the ratification). You, as the attorney-general, failed to convince the Conference of Rulers as opposed to the four academics," he said.

Thomas had yesterday dismissed the accusation by certain quarters that he failed to convince the Conference of Rulers on the Rome Statute.

Ellie Suriati, an actress-turned-avid supporter of the former premier Najib Abdul Razak, was also present and was about to pose a question but she was stopped by the moderator due to the time constraint.

Infuriated, she was seen mumbling but it was unclear what she was saying due to the distance between her and the media.

The panellists include Thomas, G25 member Noor Farida Ariffin, constitutional expert Shad Saleem Faruqi and lawyer Lim Wei Jiet.

Asheeq Ali, who was also the forum organiser, had earlier invited the four academics to join the forum.

However, they did not take him up on the invitation.  - Mkini