DAP will continue criticising Sosma, says Ramkarpal Singh

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh says Pakatan Harapan was against Sosma even before the 14th general election last year.

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh has leapt to the defence of his party leaders after a lawyer suggested that their criticism of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, 2012 (Sosma) implied that the country was not upholding the rule of law.

The Bukit Gelugor MP said Haniff Khatri Abdulla should instead kick up a fuss about the ruling coalition’s failure in fulfilling its promise to repeal certain provisions in Sosma.

Ramkarpal, a lawyer who is also representing two DAP assemblymen nabbed under Sosma over alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), said the law is draconian.

He said Sosma allowed for the continued remand of an accused until the end of his appeal to the Federal Court.

As a lawyer, Ramkarpal said, Hanif “knows this”.

“DAP leaders such as Lim Kit Siang, P Ramasamy and I will continue criticising Sosma.

“If Pakatan Harapan was so against Sosma even before the 14th general election, I can’t see why it’s not now,” he said in a statement.

Earlier today, Haniff said DAP’s comments on Sosma gave the impression that the rule of law is being compromised and that DAP was meddling in police affairs.

Haniff said the reason he had raised the alarm was that it appeared that the government was bending the rule of law for the benefit of its own members.

“That is why I made noise. I will not agree to that. There is no compromise to bending of the law, no matter how high a post the leader holds,” he said in a video interview.

Ramkarpal, however, said Haniff’s statement is a “reflection of his ignorance” of the promises made by PH before it came into power. - FMT