PRM terima kebebasan perhimpunan aman tak macam MCA hendak hentikan perhimpunan aman

Kenyataan Media  – 25/9/2015

PRM terima  kebebasan perhimpunan aman  tak macam  MCA  hendak  hentikan perhimpunan aman  

Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) terkejut dan mengkritik seruan Presiden MCA Liow Tiong Lai kepada Perdana Menteri untuk melarang dan menghentikan semua perhimpunan aman pada masa depan. 

Menurut laporan berita, beliau dipetik, “ MCA dengan kerasnya mesti hendak semua perhimpunan dilarang….” 

Jelasnya, Liow Tiong Lai tidak memahami betapa pentingnya hak kebebasan perhimpunan aman dan kebebasan bersuara, dan hak-hak ini lebih penting  dalam sistem pemerintahan demokrasi. Hak ini juga hak asasi yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

PRM tetap menyokong hak rakyat untuk mengadakan protes,  bantahan dan perhimpunan aman. Sama ada protes dan bantahan, perhimpunan, atau perarakan  terdiri daripada berbilang kaum atau berbilang agama, atau hanya terdiri daripada khalayak ramai satu kumpulan etnik dan kaum, agama, atau kelas seperti pekerja atau petani tidak mengapa.   

PRM menerima bahawa perhimpunan aman merupakan satu saluran untuk menyampaikan hasrat kepada umum, kumpulan tertentu, entiti  atau institusi termasuk kerajaan. Perhimpunan aman juga merupakan saluran untuk menyampaikan hakikat bahawa sesuatu tuntutan itu bukan pendirian atau kehendak seorang dua sahaja, tetapi kehendak sekumpulan manusia yang banyak yang diperlihatkan dengan bilangan peserta yang besar bilangannya dalam perhimpunan. Oleh itu, adalah tidak masuk akal   dan tidak munasabah dicadang perhimpunan aman diadakan di tempat terpencil atau di kawasan tertutup.

Oleh demikian, PRM menyeru kepada anggota dan penyokong MCA supaya mendesak Presidennya untuk memahami dan menghormati hak perhimpunan aman dan semangat demokrasi serta menarik balik seruan yang mahu melenyapkan  hak asasi perhimpunan aman di negara ini. 

Koh Swe Yong

Setiausaha Agung,

Parti Rakyat Malaysia

(No. Tel: 012-2766551)

Media Statement – 25/9/2015

PRM  recognizes the freedom of peaceful assembly unlike MCA who wants future mass rallies stopped

Parti Rakyat Malaysia(PRM) is shocked and  strongly criticizes  the call of  Liow Tiong Lai, President of MCA, to the Prime Minister to stop all future mass rallies. 

He was reported as saying, “MCA is adamant that all mass rallies must be stopped...”(Malaysian Insider, 24/9/2015). 

Clearly, he fails to understand the importance of the right of freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and opinion, more so in a democracy. This is also a fundamental right that is enshrined in our Federal Constitution.

PRM   certainly upholds  the right of people to hold peaceful protests and rallies. It matters not whether these protests, rallies or processions are multi-racial or multi-religious, or just by people of one particular ethnic group, religion or a class like workers or farmers . 

PRM recognizes that a peaceful assembly is a means of conveying an opinion to the public, targeted persons and entities which could also include governments. Peaceful assembly is also the means to communicate the fact that this is just not the position of 1 or 2 persons, but a lot of people reflected also by the numbers that attend. That is why it makes no sense to have a peaceful assembly at some isolated location or a closed venue.

PRM calls on MCA’s members and current supporters to sanction its President who wants to extinguish our fundamental right to peaceful assembly in Malaysia.

Koh Swe Yong

Setiausaha Agung,

Parti Rakyat Malaysia

(No. Tel: 012-2766551)

Stop all future rallies, MCA tells Najib

BY EILEEN NG

Published: 24 September 2015 2:52 PM | Updated: 24 September 2015 4:50 PM

 

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai says today mass rallies will strain national unity and tarnish Malaysia’s international image. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, September 24, 2015. 

 

Senior Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition party MCA wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to put a stop on all rallies in the future, calling such gatherings a threat to the nation’s harmony.

President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said mass rallies would eventually lead to violent confrontations as extremists from both ends would be spoiling for a fight by pushing one another to the edge.

This, he said, would strain national unity and tarnish Malaysia's name internationally.

“MCA is urging our prime minister to put a stop to all further rallies. Clearly, they are threatening to tear the fabric of our nation apart. “MCA is adamant that all mass rallies must be stopped. The way forward is to return to the values of our founding fathers,” he read from a statement after chairing the party’s central committee meeting today.

Malaysia saw two rallies in the space of three weeks recently.

Electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 held a 34-hour rally on the eve of Merdeka Day in August aimed at institutional reforms and pressuring Najib to step down. The massive demonstration was held simultaneously in the capital Kuala Lumpur, and state capitals Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

In retaliation, Malay rights protesters wearing red shirts held the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu gathering on September 16. Its organisers claimed that the Bersih rally had insulted the integrity of the Malays.

The “red shirt” rally saw incendiary remarks and racially charged banners and placards as well as some tense moments when participants got upset over questions asked by some journalists.

Riot police also used water cannon on a group of rally goers who had attempted to breach the barricades to gain access to Petaling Street, a shopping strip dominated by Chinese traders.

Najib had justified the rally, saying it was a manifestation of the rise of Malays to defend their dignity and the country’s leadership from being condemned and humiliated.

Najib had also praised the rally participants for convening a peaceful gathering with no racism involved.

But MCA had singled out the 'red shirt' rally, which saw racial slurs being hurled at the Chinese community, and Liow said the party disagreed with statements that the gathering had been peaceful and its participants law abiding.

"There were clear incidences of violence as rally goers challenged the law enforcement authorities and uttered seditious statements that displayed clear disregard for the law and the authorities.

"It is obvious that the rally goers intended to stoke fear and create racial tension.

"Words such as 'Cina Babi' and 'Hapuskan SJKC' cannot be excused."

He said singling out the Chinese community and showing animosity towards the ethnic group was unacceptable and cannot be condoned.

"BN must take stock and put a stop to this unhealthy problem immediately." – September 24, 2015.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/stop-all-future-rallies-mca-tells-najib#sthash.b94T2UWf.dpuf