The disruption of the Penang forum on “The Federal Constitution: Protection for All”, reminiscent of the break-up of 1996  APCET II conference, should raise alarm bells whether  instead of greater opening up there has been  retrogression in human rights and constitutional freedoms under the Abdullah premiership

by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Monday) : The disruption of the Penang forum on “The Federal Constitution: Protection for All” by a mob  yesterday stands as the most shameful episode in human rights and constitutional freedoms in the 31-month Abdullah premiership.

It is  reminiscent of the break-up of  the 1996  APCET II conference and should raise alarm bells whether  instead of greater opening up under the Abdullah premiership  there is   retrogression in human rights and constitutional freedoms to that of a decade ago.

When the “The Federal Constitution: Protection for All” forum, which had the required police permit, was ended prematurely after 20 minutes,  two hours before the scheduled time,  because of mob pressure by some 400 people operating without any police permit, it is a stark reminder of the diminishing respect for human rights and constitutional freedoms after 31 months of the Abdullah premiership.

Ten years ago, the second Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor in Kuala Lumpur was disrupted by a mob from youth members of UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and MIC, who  manhandled some of the conference participants and damaged hotel property.

A decade later, another mob had been allowed to  disrupt a lawful and peaceful public meeting to reaffirm the secular basis and  supremacy of the Federal Constitution in the context of a  relentless erosion of these constitutional rights by all three branches of government – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

A series of controversial cases, e.g. M Moorthy, S Shamala, Kamariah Ali, Nyonya Tahir and Lina Joy have illustrated the urgent need to reaffirm the secular basis and the supremacy  of the Federal Constitution against the backdrop  of the government declaration of  Malaysia as an Islamic State on Sept. 29, 2001 (“929 Declaration”), Islam Hadhari and its elevation as a state directive principle of the Ninth Malaysia Plan and National Mission 2006-2020 contrary to the secular principles of the Federal Constitution and the Rukunegara.

Why did the police fail to uphold the human rights and constitutional freedoms of Malaysians  in allowing a mob to disrupt the Penang forum yesterday?

Will the Police in future refuse to issue police permits for such forums to reaffirm the secular basis and supremacy of the Federal Constitution on the ground that it would attract mob responses – allowing mob rule to prevail over the rule of law in Malaysia?

Is Malaysia  coming to a stage when DAP MPs,  for instance, will be confronted with mob protests outside for our principled stand in Parliament that Malaysia was conceived by our forefathers as a democratic, multi-religious and secular  nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State -  in the face of stubborn insistence  by UMNO MPs that Malaysia is an Islamic State and the  thunderous silence of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and SUPP MPs on this issue?

The Police owe the organizers of the forum and  all Malaysians an apology for allowing mob rule to disrupt a lawful and peaceful public meeting, marking a major failure of the police to uphold and protect the Federal Constitution.

(15/05/2006)