Corruption

Is Zahid aware that he may have committed at least three criminal offences in his MIC Assembly speech last Monday?

By Kit

October 17, 2022

(Versi BM)

Is the UMNO President, Zahid Hamidi, aware that he may have committed at least three criminal offences in his MIC Assembly speech last Monday?

Zahid has had seven days to clarifv but he has been unable to substantiate the UMNO and Barisan Nasional’s “declaration of war” for the 15th General Election in his MIC Assembly speech.

He said:

“Candidates from MIC, Umno, MCA and PBRS have to win in a dominant fashion. It’s now or never. This election is the mother of all general elections. If we fail, our fate will be worse than the last election.

“Right now, only I will be charged, Tok Mat (Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan), you are on the waiting list, Vicky (MIC president SA Vigneswaran) don’t laugh, you are also included. What more (MIC deputy president M) Saravanan?

“(MCA president Wee) Ka Siong? They won’t forget you. You will be charged as well. (Defence minister) Hisham (Hishammuddin Hussein), don’t smile.

“To avoid this, we have to win in a dominant manner, my brothers and sisters.”

It was UMNO and BN’s declaration of war against the rule of law and an independent judiciary – against any reset or return to the original nation-building principles and policies as entrenched in the Constitution and the Rukun Negara where there is good governance and the minimum of corruption.

Although Zahid complained that his MIC Assembly speech had been “spun” by his opponents, he had not been able to explain how his MIC Assembly speech was being “spun” by his ”opponents” to the extent that the Perlis Mufti, Mohd Asri Zain was “stunned” by Zahid’s speech.

Nor was Zahid able to explain on whose “waiting list” UMNO Deputy President, Mohamad Hassan, UMNO Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, MCA President, Wee Ka Siong, MIC President SA Vigneswaran and MIC Deputy President M Saravanan are to be charged in court and what are these charges – whether the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Police or the Attorney-General’s Chambers?

Was Zahid telling a pack of lies in the UMNO and Barisan Nasional’s “declaration of war” for the 15th General Election?

Zahid should be aware that he could be charged for least three offences, firstly under Section 1241 of the Penal Code which states:

“124I. Any person who, by word of mouth or in writing or in any newspaper, periodical, book, circular, or other printed publication or by any other means including electronic means spreads false reports or makes false statements likely to cause public alarm, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years.”

Secondly, under Section 203 of the Penal Code which reads:

“203. Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, gives any information respecting that offence which he knows or believes to be false, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.”

And thirdly, for publishing “false news” under Section 8A of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, which states:

“8A. (1) Where in any publication there is maliciously published any false news, the printer, publisher, editor and the writer thereof shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand ringgit or to both.

“(2) For the purposes of this section, malice shall be presumed in default of evidence showing that, prior to publication, the accused took reasonable measures to verify the truth of the news.

“(3) No prosecution for an offence under this section shall be initiated without the consent in writing of the Public Prosecutor.”

Before it is too late, Zahid should clarify whether he was telling a pack of lies and whether he was to be believed in what he said at the MIC Assembly last Monday.

(Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 17th October 2022)

Adakah Zahid sedar yang dia mungkin telah melakukan tiga kesalahan jenayah dalam ucapannya di Perhimpunan MIC pada hari Isnin lepas?

Adakah Presiden UMNO, Zahid Hamidi, sedar yang dia mungkin telah melakukan sekurang-kurangnya tiga kesalahan jenayah dalam ucapannya di Perhimpunan MIC pada hari Isnin lepas?

Zahid telah mempunyai tujuh hari untuk menjelaskannya namun dia gagal untuk memberikan bukti mengenai “perisytiharan perang” UMNO dan Barisan Nasional untuk Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 semasa ucapannya di perhimpunan MIC.

Dia mengatakan:

“Calon dari MIC, UMNO, MCA, dan PBRS perlu menang dengan dominan. Pilihan Raya ini adalah ibu kepada semua pilihan raya. Kalau kita kecundang, nasib kita lebih buruk daripada pilihan raya yang lepas.

“Bukan saya saja kena charge, Tok Mat (Timbalan Presiden Umno Mohamad Hasan), you are in the waiting list. Tan Sri Vicky (Presiden MIC SA Vigneswaran) don’t laugh… you are also included. What more Datuk Seri Saravanan (timbalan presiden MIC dan menteri sumber manusia).

“(Presiden MCA dan menteri pengangkutan Wee) Ka Siong? They won’t forget you. You’ll be charged as well. (Menteri pertahanan) Hisham you don’t smile…

“Bagi mengelakkan ini, kita wajib menang dengan dominan di dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 ini saudara dan saudari,”

Perkara ini merupakan perisytiharan perang UMNO dan BN terhadap kedaulatan undang-undang dan badan kehakiman yang bebas – bertentangan dengan usaha untuk menetapkan semula dan mengembalikan negara kepada prinsip dan dasar pembinaan negara yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan dan Rukun Negara di mana sepatutnya ada tadbir urus yang baik dan rasuah yang minima.

Walaupun Zahid telah mengadu mengatakan yang ucapannya di Perhimpunan MIC ini telah “diputar belit” oleh pihak lawannya, dia gagal untuk menjelaskan bagaimana ucapan ini telah “diputar belit” oleh “pihak lawannya” sehinggakan Mufti Perlis, Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, juga telah “terkesima” dengan ucapannya ini.

Zahid juga gagal untuk menjelaskan, Timbalan Presiden UMNO, Mohamad Hassan, Menteri UMNO Hishammuddin Hussein, Presiden MCA, Wee Ka Siong, Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden MIC, SA Vigneswaran dan M Saravanan semua ini berada di dalam “senarai menunggu” siapa dan apakah tuduhan yang akan dibawa terhadap mereka – sama ada mereka berada dalam senarai Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia, Polis, atau Pejabat Peguam Negara?

Adakah Zahid hanya mencerita pembohongan semata-mata dalam “perisytiharan perang” UMNO dan Barisan Nasional untuk Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 ini?

Zahid patut sedar yang dia boleh didakwa atas sekurang-kurangnya tiga kesalahan, pertamanya Seksyen 1241 Kanun Keseksaan, yang menyatakan:

“124I. Mana-mana orang yang, melalui mulut ke mulut atau bertulis atau dalam mana-mana akhbar, berkala, buku, pekeliling, atau penerbitan bercetak lain atau melalui apa-apa cara lain termasuk cara elektronik menyebarkan laporan palsu atau membuat kenyataan palsu yang berkemungkinan menyebabkan kebimbangan awam, hendaklah dihukum dengan penjara selama tempoh yang boleh dilanjutkan sehingga lima tahun.”

Kedua, di bawah Seksyen 203 Kanun Keseksaan yang berbunyi:

“203. Sesiapa, mengetahui atau mempunyai sebab untuk mempercayai bahawa sesuatu kesalahan telah dilakukan, memberikan apa-apa maklumat berkenaan dengan kesalahan itu yang dia tahu atau percaya sebagai palsu, hendaklah dihukum dengan pemenjaraan selama tempoh yang boleh dilanjutkan sehingga dua tahun atau dengan denda atau kedua-duanya.”

Dan ketiga, kerana menerbitkan “berita palsu” di bawah Seksyen 8A Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984, yang menyatakan:

“8A. (1) Jika dalam mana-mana penerbitan terdapat dengan niat jahat menerbitkan apa-apa berita palsu, pencetak, penerbit, editor dan penulisnya adalah melakukan suatu kesalahan dan hendaklah, apabila disabitkan, boleh dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi tiga tahun atau denda tidak melebihi dua puluh ribu ringgit atau kedua-duanya.

“(2) Bagi maksud seksyen ini, niat jahat hendaklah dianggap sebagai keingkaran bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa, sebelum penyiaran, tertuduh mengambil langkah yang munasabah untuk mengesahkan kebenaran berita itu.

“(3) Tiada pendakwaan bagi sesuatu kesalahan di bawah seksyen ini boleh dimulakan tanpa kebenaran bertulis daripada Pendakwa Raya.”

Sebelum terlambat, Zahid harus menjelaskan sama ada dia berbohong dan sama ada dia boleh dipercayai dengan apa yang dia katakan pada Perhimpunan MIC Isnin lalu.

(Kenyataan Media Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 17 Oktober 2022)