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Media Conference        
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Monday): I have this morning given notice to the Parliament Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move an emergency motion in Parliament tomorrow on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Black Sunday for human rights on International Human Rights Day yesterday – with mass arrests of peaceful Human Rights Day marchers, lawyers and BERSIH leaders.

My urgent motion reads:

“That the House gives leave to Ketua Pembangkang YB Lim Kit Siang to adjourn the House under S.O. 18 (1) to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance – the police mass arrests on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on 9th December 2007.

“International Human Rights Day on Sunday 9th December 2007 turned out to be a Black Sunday for Malaysia with mass police arrests including lawyers and peaceful marchers to mark human rights day, Bar Council Human Rights Committee chairman Edmund Bon and two leading lights of BERSIH, Pas vice president Mohamad Sabu and Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua showing utter contempt and disregard of human rights by the police and the government.

“The arrest of the eight persons on Sunday morning, including five lawyers, N Surendran, Latheefa Koya, R Sivarasa, Eric Paulsen and Amer Hamzah, and human rights activists Anthony Andu and Norazah Othman in totally unprovoked circumstances is a blot on human rights in Malaysia, as the some 100 people who had gathered for the march in Kuala Lumpur clearly posed no threat to anyone, let alone national security, public order or peace.

“The arrest and manhandling of Edmond Bon at the Bar Council premises in connection with Human Rights Day banners were clear abuses of police powers, excessive use of force and public display of police contempt for human rights.

“The arrest of Mohamad Sabu and Tian Chua and others, with numbers and identities not fully disclosed by the police, rounded up the Black Sunday in the four-year premiership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, which had started on Oct. 30, 2003 with promise of greater respect for human rights.

“Has the Abdullah premiership finally taken off its velvet glove to show the iron fist within to crush human rights in the country?”

(10/12/2007)