Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai hari ini berkata parti itu akan menolak rang undang-undang persendirian dibawa presiden PAS yang mahu meningkatkan tahap hukuman mahkamah syariah.
Kenyataan Liow itu dibuat ketika mesyuarat agung tahunan ke-63 MCA di Kuala Lumpur.
Lebih menarik ikrar itu dibuat di depan Presiden Umno Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang masih berteka-teki mengenai pendirian mereka terhadap rang undang-undang berkenaan.
Kata Liow cadangan dibawa Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang itu bercanggah dengan dasar penubuhan Malaya yang perlembagaannya disokong MCA.
“Kita mesti hormat dan mematuhi sistem sedia ada. Kita akan menentang keras, sebulat suara dan tanpa soal, sebab (hudud) bercanggah dengan perlembagaan persekutuan,” katanya.
Beliau yang juga menteri pengangkutan berkata komuniti Cina di negara ini sangat bimbang dengan cubaan PAS melaksanakan hukum hudud yang didakwanya akan menyebabkan sistem perundangan terbahagi kepada dua.
Bagaimanapun dalam ucapannya selepas itu Najib tidak menyentuh langsung tentang rang undang-undang Abdul Hadi untuk meminda Akta 355 atau bantahan MCA itu.
Rang undang-undang itu didakwa PAS untuk memperkasa mahkamah syariah, dan dibawa ke Dewan Rakyat selepas diluluskan sebulat suara oleh DUN Kelantan tahun lalu.
Ironinya langkah itu dibantu oleh sebuah jawatankuasa teknikal yang ditubuhkan dengan kerjasama Putrajaya dan kerajaan negeri.
Rang undang-undang itu – jika diluluskan – bakal membatalkan kekangan pusat untuk pelaksanaan hukum hudud di peringkat negeri.
Liow juga berkata PAS memperoleh kedudukan, kuasa dan pengaruh dengan bantuan daripada DAP.
Katanya PAS tidak pernah memenangi sebarang kerusi DUN di Selangor sepanjang tempoh 1978 hingga 2004.
“Bagaimanapun pada 2008 PAS tiba-tiba memenangi lapan kerusi dengan sokongan DAP. Lebih teruk pada 2013 PAS memenangi lebih banyak kerusi. Sekarang mereka ada 15 kerusi.
“Kita boleh lihat hari ini walaupun mereka tidak berada dalam satu pakatan, DAP masih bekerjasama dengan PAS dalam kerajaan Selangor,” katanya. - mk
Rafizi dipenjara 18 bulan kerana langgar OSA...
Rafizi sentence shows govt
has no moral compass...
The 18-month jail sentence for Rafizi Ramli is a setback for free speech in Malaysia and only points to a repressive, opaque and unaccountable government, says lawyer Eric Paulsen.
The Lawyers for Liberty executive director was commenting on the sentence passed today on PKR Secretary-General Rafizi Ramli by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for his breach of the Official Secrets Act 1972, in revealing excerpts from the Auditor-General’s Report on the misuse of funds from the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) in the 1MDB controversy.
“No moral government in this day and age should hide behind the pretext of ‘official secrets’,” Paulsen said in a statement today.
“The 18 months’ imprisonment sentence can only be described as harsh and excessive, all the more so as Rafizi was merely performing his role as an elected representative.”
Paulsen criticised the government’s handling of the notion of official secrets, given that the Pandan MP was merely revealing a matter of corruption or abuse of power.
“Whistleblowing is not a crime to be prosecuted and especially so in this case as whatever Rafizi had exposed is clearly a matter of public interest. Furthermore, no real harm or damage was caused by his revelation,” Paulsen said.
“(However) we accept that certain information should be protected as ‘official secrets’, for example, information relating to genuine issues of national defence or security.”
Paulsen also criticised how the Auditor-General’s (A-G) report on 1MDB was treated as an official secret given how there is a similar report tabled annually in Parliament and made available to the public.
He questioned how the right of the public to receive information, turned to an immediate blanket ban following the certification of the information in the A-G’s report on 1MDB as an “official secret”.
“While the world is moving towards more openness, transparency and accountability in the conduct of government affairs, it is quite deplorable how the authorities were so quick to punish whistleblowers like Rafizi while taking little or no action against the massive corruption and abuse of power exposed by the 1MDB scandal,” Paulsen said.
“We further call upon the authorities to stop misusing the OSA to cover up allegations of corruption and abuse of power and to limit its use only in genuine matters of national defence or security.”
“It is sad when a democrat is taken to court for speaking out and defending the rights and interests of citizens,” Wan Azizah said.
She urged Prime Minister Najib Razak to “show courage” and remove the Auditor-General’s report on 1MDB from the Official Secrets Act (OSA), adding that the refusal to do so would strengthen the perception of a “kleptocratic government” that wants to hide the truth.
“We can see clearly that in countries such as Singapore, United States and Switzerland, investigations and action have been taken against several individuals who have direct connection to 1MDB.
“Without the full report, Parliament cannot discuss the findings and identify just how large a sum has been misappropriated,” she said.
Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP, was found guilty of having Page 98 of the Auditor-General’s report on 1MDB in his possession and with making the report public, which was in breach of Section 8(1)(c)(iii) of the Official Secrets Act.
Sessions Court judge Zulqarnian Hassan sentenced Rafizi to 18 months’ prison for both offences and ordered the sentences to run concurrently. He also allowed a stay of execution pending his appeal.
In an immediate response, Rafizi, who risks losing his status as the Pandan MP, said he would file an appeal.
Article 48 of the Federal Constitution disqualifies a person from being a member of parliament for five years should he be convicted and sentenced to more than a one year jail term, or fined more than RM2,000.
Rafizi’s counsel, Gobind Singh Deo, told reporters that despite the jail sentence, Rafizi would not lose his parliamentary seat as the latter has not exhausted his right to appeal. - fmt
Wan Azizah gesa Najib dedah laporan audit mengenai 1MDB
Hujan nak tengok Supermoon...tup...tup timboi...
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