Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Clarification on "ISA statement"

I received a call from MP for PJ Utara Sdr Tony Pua last night informing me that there are a lot of attacks on the DAP by many bloggers over the "statement" by DAP NS Deputy Chairman, Sdr P Gunasekaren which was reported by The Star online (reports attached below). The report quoted Sdr Guna as calling on the police to invoke ISA against the demonstrators.

I have immediately called up Sdr Guna to clarify the matter and he denied making the statement and said he was misquoted. Guna and I went to the The Star's office in Seremban this afternoon and spoke to the reporter who covered the event yesterday. The reporter admitted that he misinterpreted the statement and a correction over the confusion will be reported in The Star tomorrow. In actual fact, a group of DAP NS leaders went to lodge a police report yesterday over the threat by Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to use ISA against the forum organizers. The report also called on the police to act against the demonstrators who disrupted the forum.

I would like to reiterate that the DAP's position on ISA has always been consistent that we call for the total abolishment of the Act. We never agreed to use ISA against anyone, not even to our political opponents or extreme views that we disagreed with such as those who disrupted the Bar Council forum. We believe that there are adequate laws to deal with them. As such, the so-called "statement" by DAP NS Deputy Chairman to call for the use of ISA is inaccurate and was misquoted.

I hope this clarification will clear the confusion over the statement and I hope those who criticized the "statement" will publish my clarifications too.

Thank you.

Loke Siew Fook
DAP NS Chairman


Tuesday August 12, 2008 MYT 3:35:09 PM
Cops urged to act against forum-bashers

SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan DAP wants the police to charge the demonstrators who disrupted and threatened to storm the Bar Council forum on Saturday.

Its state deputy chief and Senawang asemblyman P. Gunasekaren said police should have arrested the demonstrators rather than allowed three of them to enter the Bar Council office, which was private property.

“It is sad that the police allowed them to dictate terms. The demonstrators should be arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act for stoking racial sentiments,” he said when met at the district police station in Seremban 2.

Earlier, Bukit Kepayang assemblyman Cha Kee Chin lodged a report at the police station against the demonstrators. Accompanying him were Seremban MP John Fernandez, Temiang assemblyman Ng Chin Tsai and Gunasekaren.

In his report Cha said he failed to understand why the police couldn’t control the crowd and ask them to disperse although they numbered only a few hundred.

“We have to reiterate here that the DAP respects Article 3 of the Federal Constitution which states that Islam is the official religion of this country.

“But Article 10 of the same Constitution also states that we have freedom of association and freedom of speech,” he said.

Cha said the DAP was also unhappy with statements by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which he described as “threatening.”

“The participants at the forum were multi-racial. They were only having discussions in the best interest of all Malaysians,” he said.
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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tindakan pantas YB Loke menjelaskan isu tersebut. Sebagai sebuah negara merdeka dan demokrasi kita sepatutnya membuka lebih banyak ruang untuk berbincang dan menjelaskan sesuatu isu.

Bagaimana pun ada sesetengah pihak yang sengaja membuat provokasi.

Saya percaya dengan kepimpinan YB Loke bagi pihak DAP dan kepimpinan Sdr Zul bagi pihak PAS di N.Sembilan ini yang lebih bersikap terbuka akan dapat merungkaikan banyak masalah.

Communication is always a problem. Kita perlu lebih banyak berkomunikasi bukan berdemonstrasi.

Teruskan usaha Pakatan Rakyat di untuk membawa pembaharuan di N.Sembilan ini.

All the best.

Whatmeworry said...

I am glad this ISA statement has been clarified. YB Guna should be more careful in future when speaking to reporters from the MSM. Being a 1st term rep he has much to learn in handling the MSM.

Since his election as rep, I haven't seen him visiting my area(at least on a Sunday) FYI, I am staying in the Sban Gdn/Sban Forest Hts area. FYI, there's an illegal dump just on the hilly road leading to up to Sban Gdn after the roundabout.

Liz Yap said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Liz Yap said...

I percaya kepada DAP, Especially u~ YB Loke. But sure want to careful next time. take care

Anonymous said...

YB Loke, itu taman ular Ulu Bendul kenapa kerajaan negeri tak buat kajian sebelum buat. Kenapa ular banyak mati baru nak panggil pakar. Sekarang taman ular tutup 2 bulan untuk dibaiki. Pakai duit siapa kalau bukan duit rakyat. Baru buka 8 bulan belanja berjuta ringgit sudah mau baiki. Lagi satu persoalan kenapa Jabatan Hutan yang jaga ular. Jabatan Hutan jaga pokok. Yang jaga ular Jabatan Perhilitan, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Haiwan, Zoo. Kasi hentam sama dia dalam sidang DUN nantui YB.



2008/08/13

Virus, water and unsuitable diet killed Negri's pythons, says State Secretary
BERNAMA

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SEREMBAN, WED:

Viral infection, water in the cage and unsuitable diet have been identified as the causes of death of 30 pythons in the Negeri Sembilan Python Park in Ulu Bendul, state secretary Datuk Norzam Mohd Nor said today.

This was the find of experts from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM),” he told reporters when asked to comment on a media report yesterday that almost all of the 70 snakes at the government-run park had died in the past few months.

“The number in the report is incorrect. The park’s management only bought 58 snakes of the anaconda species and 30 of them died due to various reasons.

Five of the remaining 28 in the park had been quarantined at UPM, he said.

Norzam said the park, which was opened to the public in March, might be closed for two months for cage restoration as well as to identify the species suited to the local weather, he said.

A special committee comprising representatives of the Wildlife and National Parts Department, Forestry Department and other relevant agencies and UPM experts would be set up to ensure that the incident did not recur and to enhance the park’s potential as a major tourism destination in the state, he added.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/NewsBreak/20080813181854/Article/index_html

Anonymous said...

Taman Ular Ulu Bendul di Kuala Pilah , Negeri Sembilan telah menimbulkan pelbagai kontroversi. Sebelum ini laporan akhbar menyatakan kebanyakkan ular yang diimpot dari luar negara dengan harga mencecah setengah juta ringgit telah mati. Entah berapa kos keseluruhan membina Taman Ular tersebut. Adakah mungkin mencecah kos jutaan ringgit ?

Walaupun matlamatnya bagus untuk mempromosi Negeri Sembilan tetapi pelaksanaannya seolah-olah menunjukkan kelemahan yang amat ketara pihak yang bertanggungjawab.

Tidak sampai setahun pembukaan Taman Ular ini , terbaru Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Datuk Norzam Mohd Nor mengatakan kemungkinan ianya akan ditutup selama dua bulan untuk dibaiki sangkarnya disamping untuk mengenal pasti spesis ular yang sesuai dipelihara di sini.

Setelah banyak ular mati barulah dipanggil pakar dari Universiti Putra Malaysia untuk menjalankan kajian dan siasatan terhadap kematian ular-ular di sini. Menurut kajian pakar antara punca kematian ular tersebut ialah akibat jangkitan kuman , air dalam sangkar dan pemakanan yang tidak sesuai.

Kenapa tidak dibuat kajian yang mendalam dengan nasihat pakar bidang yang berkaitan sebelum pembinaan Taman Ular ini ? Satu projek mega yang dipromosi seluruh negara barangkalai seluruh dunia , kenapa hanya dikendalikan oleh Jabatan Hutan ? Apakah Jabatan Hutan di Negeri Sembilan ini pakar dalam penjagaan haiwan liar ? Ke mana perginya Jabatan Perhilitan , Jabatan Perkhidmatan Haiwan dan Veterinar serta lain-lain agensi yang berkaitan.

Seolah-olah sesuatu yang tidak kena dalam projek Taman Ular Ulu Bendul ini. Justeru itu diharapkan 15 ADUN Pakatan Rakyat di Negeri Sembilan dapat mendesak kerajaan negeri agar mengeluarkan kertas siasatan yang lengkap kepada umum bukan sahaja setakat kematian ular-ular tersebut, tetapi siasatan atas projek Taman Ular Ulu Bendul ini secara keseluruhannya kerana ianya memberikan imej yang amat buruk terhadap kerajaan Negeri Sembilan.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for clarifying this matter YB.

ISA is a draconian and outdated law.. it should remain as history forever.

P130 voter