KUCHING, Aug 29: A Sarawakian human rights activist is calling for Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to be arrested or a street protest will be held.
Peter John Jaban who is also the vice-secretary for Global Human Rights Federation (GHRH) has added his voice to the calls for action to be taken against Abdul Hadi for the latter’s allegedly seditious remarks against non-Muslims in Malaysia.
According to a statement, Peter John said with Abdul Hadi aiming to use such inflammatory rhetoric for political gain in the upcoming 15th General Election, his statements are a direct threat to Malaysia’s secular democracy.
This has led Peter John to decide to take to the streets in protest if this double standard in the law persists and this matter is left unaddressed.
“As a non-Muslim and an Orang Asal of Sarawak, I have run hundreds of protests against discrimination and corruption in my long career as an activist.
“In fact, I marched in London and various countries to call for the abolition of the ISA ( Internal Security Act), seeing it corrupted by politicians to take action against political rivals instead of being used to protect the nation.
“I have marched with Bersih, calling for free and fair elections. I remember clearly at that time the biased press coverage condemning these anti-corruption demonstrations as ‘Chinese-dominated’. In fact, I remember these events as multi-cultural and multi-faith. Muslim and non-Muslim alike, marching for the future of their country. But Hadi Awang cannot have it both ways,” said Peter John in the press statement.
He believed that Abdul Hadi’s comments are particularly dangerous as it is one thing to preach discord to a small group of fanatics—though this is bad enough in a multi-cultural nation—but it is entirely another to use hate speech for political position.
“This goes to the very heart of our democracy and proper representation of all races and faiths in our government. Hadi Awang must never hold political office again. His continuing position in any government is an affront to all non-Muslims and he must be arrested immediately and charged for his remarks,” said Peter John.
He said lately GHRF, led by its President S Shasikumar, have lodged several police reports at Ibu Pejabat Polis Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, demanding that Hadi be investigated and charged accordingly for his ‘roots of corruption’ remark.
Peter John claimed the police reports have been ignored.
Hadi had on Aug 20, called on for corruption to be eradicated holistically and accused the non-Bumiputera of comprising the bulk of “roots of corruption”.
His statement had drawn flak from the public as well as politicians. Sarawak ministers and politicians have called for Hadi to be banned from entering Sarawak, and several NGOs lodged police reports to the same effect, threatening a petition to from entering the non-Muslim majority State.
“Any investigation against Hadi Awang is being confined to minor charges under section 505(c) and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for sharing offensive and menacing content. This is far bigger than that,” said Peter John.
“Why is he only being investigated under Section 505(C) and Section 233? The police should also investigate and charge him under the sections below:
“Section 4[1] Sedition Act 1948 Section 298 of the Penal Code (uttering words, writing on public postings etc with deliberate intent to wound the religious feeling of any person);
“Section 298A of the Penal Code (causing disharmony, disunity or feeling of enmity, hatred or ill will or prejudicing, the maintenance of harmony or unity on grounds of religion);
“Section 504 of the Penal Code (intentional insult with intent to provoke) – breach of the Peace];
“Section 124B, whoever by any means directly or indirectly commits an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years.”
Peter John said not only is Hadi’s statement denigrating and insulting to the non-Muslims in Malaysia, inciting feelings of contempt against the non-Muslims in Malaysia, this comment also shows intent to influence the political process and embed such sedition in the corridors of power.
“This goes beyond Section 298 of the Penal Code, which describes intent to wound religious feelings. It goes beyond causing disharmony or disunity on the grounds of religion. This, in fact, goes direct to Section 124B, under which anyone whoever by any means directly or indirectly commits an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years,” said Peter John.
He said there now exists a long list of cases in which the police and authorities have failed to take action against Muslim hate paddlers, from Zakir Naik (Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, Indian televangelist preacher) all the way up to religious activist Wan Asshima Kamaruddin. In the last case, the authorities waited for private citizens to take action themselves through the civil courts.
“If no official action is taken against PAS President Hadi Awang, who has committed serious offences as set out above, then action by the public must be inevitable. This is not just a religious leader, this is a political leader seeking personal gain within a secular system of democracy.
“His statement is a corruption of our political process in the extreme and a direct attack on Article 8 of the Federal Constitution. He must be stopped if democracy and representation in Malaysia is to continue,” said Peter John. — DayakDaily
