An example of the draconian powers that remain in the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 despite the present batch of amendments and which are open to grave abuses are the “offences” provisions in the parent Act, like Section 8A on “false news” under which the Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng was once a victim, being jailed for 18 months and deprived of his parliamentary status as well as his civil liberties.
How many cases of “false news” prosecutions have been instituted under the PPPA in the past 18 years?
All these years, the “false news” provisions have been used to victimise and oppress the critics of Barisan Nasional government, while Barisan Nasional leaders and publications enjoy immunity and impunity for all the lies and fasehoods they had perpetrated regardless of the adverse consequences to nation-building or national unity.
A good example is the UMNO organ, Utusan Malaysia which is the worst offender in concocting “false news”, for example in its lies about DAP wanting a Christian Prime Minister and a Christian Malaysia and the falsehoods that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers.
An example of such “false news” is the Utusan Malaysia report today “Kit Siang tertekan digelar rasis”, which among other things, reported:
Menurut Abdul Rahman (BN Kota Belud), sifat Kit Siang terbukti apabila pada kira-kira pukul 4.30 petang, 16 Julai 2009 telah menyeru semua menteri berbangsa Cina dari MCA dan Gerakan mendesak Perdana Menteri menubuhkan suruhanjaya diraja bagi menyiasat kematian Beng Hock. “Apa kena mengena menteri-menteri Kabinet yang dikaitkan oleh Ipoh Timur? “Kalau Ipoh Timur rasa perlu ada suruhanjaya siasatan diraja pada waktu itu sudah tentu kena minta dengan Menteri Dalam Negeri dan Ahli Parlimen Padang Rengas yang menjaga hal ehwal Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuan Malaysia (SPRM),” katanya ketika membahaskan Rang Undang-Undang Keterangan (Pindaan) yang di-bacakan buat kali kedua.
I have here the draft Hansard of what the Barisan Nasional Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan said in Parliament yesterday, viz:
Saya masih ingat lagi, saya mengikut Twitter Yang Berhomat Ipoh Timur. Pada awalnya, Yang Berhormat IpohTimur pada waktu itu membuat tweet yang dia begitu marah, kenapa mendiang Teoh Beng Hock itu terbunuh. Saya membaca dalam timeline saya, bertubi-tubi Twitter beliau, dan saya tidak membuat komen kerana saya pun faham bagaimana perasaan seseorang apabila pegawai partinya itu terbunuh atau meninggal dunia, saya faham. Daripada pagi dia marah dan bermacam-macam tuduhan dibuat, saya diam. Akan tetapi hampir lebih kurang pukul 4 petang pada hari kejadian tersebut, setelah the dust has settle a little bit, Twitternya muncul. Apa di kata dalam Twitter, “Saya mencabar Koh Tsu Koon dan Menteri-menteri daripada MCA untuk berdiri, meminta, demand the Prime Minister to do RCI”. Apa kena mengena Menteri-menteri Cina di dalam Kabinet yang dikaitkan oleh Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur? Kalau pun Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur merasakan perlu ada RCI pada waktu itu, sudah tentunya ianya mesti minta daripada Menteri Dalam Negeri, Yang Berhormat Sembrong dan juga Yang Berhormat Padang Rengas yang menjaga SPRM untuk meminta dalam Kabinet. Kenapa perlu kata, MCA dan Gerakan,kerana apa? He wants to take political score… If this is not racism, I don’t know what it is.
What Abdul Rahman alleged in Parliament yesterday is utterly irresponsible for it is totally untrue and a figment of his imagination.
In fact, it showed that the MP for Kota Belud is the worst racist and biggest liar in Parliament.
I have here the tweets which I penned on that sad day of July 16, 2009 when Teoh Beng Hock was murdered at the SPRM, which proved that Abdul Rahman is the worst racist and biggest liar in Parliament.
He said that he had “understood” my feelings when I had tweeted in anger about Beng Hock’s death in the morning of that fateful day, but by 4 pm I had begun to be a racist when I challenged Koh Tsu Koon and the MCA Ministers to demand that a Royal Commission of Inquiry be formed.
In the first place, I was not aware in the morning of of July 16, 2009 that Beng Hock had been killed. (May be, Abdul Rahman had special information about Beng Hock’s death that morning, which he should have revealed in a full investigation). Secondly, even by 4 pm that day, I was still unaware of Beng Hock’s death.
My first tweet on Beng Hock’s death was at 5.03 pm that day – which exposes that Abdul Rahman had brazenly lied when spoke in Parliament yesterday.
These are my tweets on 16th July 2009, together with the time lines:
Is there now the first case of death in custody, not police but MACC? If so, heads must roll! Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:03 Am in Penang or I would have rushed over to MACC Selangor hqrs in Shah Alam. Awaiting full report of tragedy. What has this country come to? Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:05 For 90 minutes, not a single MACC officer in Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs 14th floor would confirm or deny whether there is death in custody Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:23 At Shah Alam MACC now are Sel. Exco Auyong, Ronnie Liu, Speaker Teng Assemblyman Swee Lin. Is MACC acting outside the law? Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:24 How did Sel Exco/Serdang SA Ean Yong Hian Wah’s political secretary Teo Beng Hock in custody at 14th fl Sel MACC Hqrs died from fall? Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:37 What was MACC investigating 2 take a life? RM12.5b PKFZ scandal? No. Alleged state assembly rep constituency allocations! Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:04 Will take 1st flight from Penang tmr n be at Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs 10 am to find out more about Teo BengHock’s death in MACC custody Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:10 Anwar n other Pakatan Rakyat leaders will also be at Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs at 10 am. MACC must prove it has not become another monster Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:12 Imagine MACC investigating “corruption” over cars n cows n a death in MACC custody takes place! Is this acceptable? Let there be no cover up! Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:15 Spoke 2BengHock elder brother BengKee 33 who rushed over from his workplace in ShahAlam. BengHock from Alor Gajah is 2register 4wedding tmr Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:43 Kerk Kim Hock, exDAP SG n MP is related to BengHock. Phoned n expressed his disbelief n shock. Nationwide outrage. How come MACC! Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:52 Ronnie Liu still at Selangor MACC hqrs. 4 3 hrs Selangor DAP Excos MPs Speaker SAs n BengHock’s brother not allowed 2have sight of body. Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:55 Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo phoned from MACC Shah Alam. Police have brought in second forensic team. We r asking 4independent forensic exam 07/16/2009 07:49 PM Kerk in Alor Gajah w BengHock’s parents. BengHock’s mother crying non-stop since told of his death at 5 pm. Family n relatives in shock 07/16/2009 08:10 PM BengHock family/relatives demand justice which is the demand of all justice-loving Malaysians regardless of race/religion. MACC in the dock 07/16/2009 08:17 PM As 1st MACC n unusual death, acid test 4 MACC, Police n PM Najib. Will Najib order public inquiry inline with “People 1st. Performance Now”? 07/16/2009 08:20 PM Spoke 2 aggrieved father, TeohLeongHwee taxidriver in shock He wants to know what actually happened – like all Malaysians. Blackday 4Malaysia 07/16/2009 08:32 PM Arrogant MACC officer on TV said innocent will be freed n wrongdoers charged. Why not 1 BN Minister Dy Min, MB, CM, Exco treated this way? 07/16/2009 08:38 PM Will MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said visit TeohLengHwee family 2explain how BengHock died in MACC? Can MACC disclaim responsibility? 07/16/2009 08:49 PM Nazri said don’t blame MACC for TeoBengHock’s death at MACC. Should blame b directed at Nazri as Minister in charge or PM Najib himself? 07/16/2009 09:20 PM An instant peaceful multiracial demonstrations by hundreds against unusual death of TeoBengHock at MACC going on now at Shah Alam MACC hqrs 07/16/2009 09:24 PM MB Khalid, Excos Teresa, Auyong, Ronnie, MPs Gobind Tony Nie Ching SAs Jenice Nik Nazmi at the demo. Police light strike force just arrived 07/16/2009 09:37 PM Crowd getting bigger. Klang MP Charles Santiago spoke. State Assemblyman Weng San speaking. Asked MACC on Khir Toyo. 07/16/2009 09:51 PM Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud: MP Kota Raja speaking 07/16/2009 09:53 PM Flowers candles and pictures of TeoBengHock. Assemblywoman for Subang Jaya Hannah Yeoh weeping 07/16/2009 09:56 PM MACC now says TeohBengHock merely a witness, why was he treated like criminal n interrogated from 7pm till 4am? What happened 2criminals? 07/16/2009 10:07 PM
These are my tweets on the day of Beng Hock’s murder on July 16, 2009 – from 5.03 pm to 10.07 p.m. – incontrovertible proof that Abdul Rahman had brazenly lied when he concocted allegations about my tweets that day.
Right from the first day of the Teoh Beng Hock murder scandal, I had focussed on the MACC, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and even the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz on their responsibility to ensure that there should be no “cover up” on who killed Beng Hock and to ensure that justice is done in the case.
As is very clear from my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death, I made no mention whatsoever about MCA and Gerakan Ministers – which have completely nailed Abdul Rahman’s lies.
I did criticise the role of MCA and Gerakan Ministers on the fourth day of Beng Hock’s death, i.e. July 19, after a MCA Minister had come out with a “wishy-washy” position on whether the Cabinet should call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Beng Hock’s death.
In fact, this was contained in my media statement of 19th July 2009, where I said:
But what is most disappointing are the public positions taken by two Cabinet Ministers, one by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the other by the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. After keeping a thunderous silence on Thursday and Friday, Ong has come out with a wishy-washy position that the Cabinet will ‘explore’ whether there should be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death. “What is there to ‘explore’? What the public want is that Ong and the three other MCA Ministers, as well as Gerakan President, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon should take a firm stand in Cabinet that a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death should be set up – and that there is no two ways about it. If on Teoh’s death, Ong and his team of four MCA Ministers and Koh cannot convince the Cabinet to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry, what is the use of their remaining in the Cabinet?
Abdul Rahman is the worst racist in Parliament if he could see racism in my espousing the call for justice for Teoh Beng Hock’s murder at MACC and the biggest liar when he could concoct total falsehoods on my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death.
Is Abdul Rahman prepared to admit that what he had said in Parliament on Wednesday about my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death is a pack of lies and to tender a fulsome apology?
[Speech (2) by on the Printing Presses and Publications Act (Amendment) Bill in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday 19th April 2012]