Govt must show zero-tolerance towards recent attempt to intimidate Siti Kasim- Bersih

 

On Friday, Siti Kasim through a Facebook post said she was alerted of an object found planted on one of her car tyres after she had sent her car for service at a workshop near here. - Courtesy pic

KUALA LUMPUR: The government must show a zero-tolerance attitude to the recent attempt to intimidate controversial lawyer and activist Siti Zabedah Kasim, said the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih). 

The coalition said the attempt, using an improvised explosive device, constitutes an act of terrorism that may harm others.

 The group's steering committee in a statement today said if the recent incident becomes a trend, it will cause as much harm as the use of the 3Rs (race, religion, and royalty).  

 "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself must make a clear stand that he will nip this attempt in the bud before such violence becomes part of our political and societal culture," read the statement.  

 It said Siti Kasim was not the first victim of such violence targeting human rights defenders and professionals in Malaysia.  

 "Bill Kayong of Sarawak, another activist in indigenous rights like Siti Kasim, was assassinated in 2016 but only the hired killer was sentenced to death while three businessmen who were charged with abetting, including one who fled to Australia, walked free. 

 "The government must make sure that she does not become another Bill Kayong and should provide her bodyguards upon her request," it said, adding that Bersih former chairman Maria Chin Abdullah too had received threats with a bullet and blood.  

The group's steering committee also condemned in the strongest terms the attempt on Siti Kasim's life through the planting of the device on Friday.

 "We applaud the police for handling this seriously but such violence will only cease if the perpetrators and abettors are caught, charged and convicted." 

 It said although it was still unascertained whether the motivation was political, business or personal, the attempt on Siti Kasim should be classified as 'violence against human rights defenders and professionals', as happened commonly to politicians, lawyers, journalists and other professionals working on public interests in some authoritarian countries. 

 "Stopping violence targeting human rights defenders and professionals is the duty of all parties, politicians, civil society groups and opinion leaders.- Once this comes to be seen as a convenient way to silence dissent and critics, everyone stands a chance to be the next victim. 

 "As such, we urge the media, professional bodies and civil society groups to speak up and monitor the response of the prime minister, the Home Minister, party leaders, and politicians so that we may see the perpetrators and abettors of this attempt of terrorism be brought to justice soon. 

 "Journalists must remember that once Malaysia slips towards the direction of countries like Russia and the Philippines, journalists would be one of the most dangerous professions." 

 On Friday, Siti Kasim through a Facebook post said she was alerted of an object found planted on one of her car tyres after she had sent her car for service at a workshop near here. 

 She also said the object resembled a bomb and called the police soon after, adding that there were only two groups that could possibly do such a thing — the "Islamofacists" and those angry at her for her criticism of a political party.  - NST