Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
SIVARASA Officiates the PPKM-CDP AGM
YB Sivarasa telah diberi penghormatan untuk merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung Ke 14 Persatuan Pesara kerajaan Malaysia Cawangan Daerah Petaling. Dalam ucapan beliau, Sivarasa berjanji akan terus memperjuangkan isu-isu pesara seperti pencen dan hak-hak pesara.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Press Statemen by R Sivarasa
Pakatan Selangor’s support for Suhaimi is principled and correct
8th February 2011
Comments made by Kedah Gerakan Youth Chief Tan Keng Liang and so-called “Gaps” Chairperson Hamidzun Khairuddin (see Malaysiakini 7.2.11) objecting to the PR Selangor government commitment to pay lawyers to defend PKR Seri Muda ADUN Suhaimi Shafiei in his sedition prosecution only show their lack of understanding on the duty of the state to ensure access to justice.
The most obvious reason for the Selangor government to give him financial support is the fact Suhaimi, a PR member of the Selangor State Assembly, is now facing a politically motivated prosecution under a draconian law initiated in colonial times to stifle free speech. On that score alone, PR Selangor, as a government advocating for a full democracy,would be duty bound to support his defence.
In the same way, there could be no objection whatsoever to PR Selangor giving similar support if some of the persons arrested during the Selangor organised gathering to hand over a memorandum rakyat to the Agung on the water standoff in Selangor were prosecuted for unlawful assemblyunder the Police Act, another BN draconian creation.
Likewise, if PR lawmakers in Selangor were suddenly arrested under the ISA (another draconian colonial creation) by the Federal Home Minister, there could be no objection whatsoever if PR Selangor weighed in with legal support for habeas corpus applications to secure their release. These are some examples to make the point
Simply put, the PR Selangor government is correct in principle to put its money where its mouth is and in principled opposition to politically motivated criminal prosecutions using oppressive laws.
The ignorant objectors we are hearing should appreciate that a civilised society goes even much further. Developed democracies all over the world put billions of dollars to fund legal aid systems and lawyers to defend their ordinary citizens facing criminal prosecutions for all sorts of ordinary criminal offences. This is to ensure a fundamental canon of justice – that access to justice is not denied because of a lack of means. Whenever matters of public interest are raised in court, these are also relevant considerations for the state to consider legal aid.
It is high time that the BN Federal government realised that the 25 million ringgit currently used annually to fund our existing pitiful legal aid system needs to be expanded many times over. We should be spending much more per capita to fund a truly effective legal aid system particularly for persons arrested and remanded in police lockups.
Countries like Australia, United Kingdom and Canada spend billions to deliver effective legal aid systems. Even after adjusting for the size of our GNP, our legal aid expenditure looks completely miserly and only serves to confirm our antipathy to a basic principle of justice. We should be spending hundreds on millions to ensure our citizens are ensure legal representation particularly for criminal prosecutions instead of spending billions buying military hardware of limited utility. It makes a mockery of the slogan ”Rakyat didahulukan”!
Whilst it is certainly not a responsibility of the state government under the Federal Constitution to provide full fledged legal aid systems which is afederal responsibility, it is my view that PR Selangor should consider initiating limited pilot public legal aid projects ( bearing in mind its limited resources ) to demonstrate PR’s commitment to full-fledged legal aid systems under a future PR Federal government. Access to justice must always remain a cornerstone of any equitable and fair legal system.
Sivarasa Rasiah,
Member of Parliament for Subang
Member of Political Bureau
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
8th February 2011
Comments made by Kedah Gerakan Youth Chief Tan Keng Liang and so-called “Gaps” Chairperson Hamidzun Khairuddin (see Malaysiakini 7.2.11) objecting to the PR Selangor government commitment to pay lawyers to defend PKR Seri Muda ADUN Suhaimi Shafiei in his sedition prosecution only show their lack of understanding on the duty of the state to ensure access to justice.
The most obvious reason for the Selangor government to give him financial support is the fact Suhaimi, a PR member of the Selangor State Assembly, is now facing a politically motivated prosecution under a draconian law initiated in colonial times to stifle free speech. On that score alone, PR Selangor, as a government advocating for a full democracy,would be duty bound to support his defence.
In the same way, there could be no objection whatsoever to PR Selangor giving similar support if some of the persons arrested during the Selangor organised gathering to hand over a memorandum rakyat to the Agung on the water standoff in Selangor were prosecuted for unlawful assemblyunder the Police Act, another BN draconian creation.
Likewise, if PR lawmakers in Selangor were suddenly arrested under the ISA (another draconian colonial creation) by the Federal Home Minister, there could be no objection whatsoever if PR Selangor weighed in with legal support for habeas corpus applications to secure their release. These are some examples to make the point
Simply put, the PR Selangor government is correct in principle to put its money where its mouth is and in principled opposition to politically motivated criminal prosecutions using oppressive laws.
The ignorant objectors we are hearing should appreciate that a civilised society goes even much further. Developed democracies all over the world put billions of dollars to fund legal aid systems and lawyers to defend their ordinary citizens facing criminal prosecutions for all sorts of ordinary criminal offences. This is to ensure a fundamental canon of justice – that access to justice is not denied because of a lack of means. Whenever matters of public interest are raised in court, these are also relevant considerations for the state to consider legal aid.
It is high time that the BN Federal government realised that the 25 million ringgit currently used annually to fund our existing pitiful legal aid system needs to be expanded many times over. We should be spending much more per capita to fund a truly effective legal aid system particularly for persons arrested and remanded in police lockups.
Countries like Australia, United Kingdom and Canada spend billions to deliver effective legal aid systems. Even after adjusting for the size of our GNP, our legal aid expenditure looks completely miserly and only serves to confirm our antipathy to a basic principle of justice. We should be spending hundreds on millions to ensure our citizens are ensure legal representation particularly for criminal prosecutions instead of spending billions buying military hardware of limited utility. It makes a mockery of the slogan ”Rakyat didahulukan”!
Whilst it is certainly not a responsibility of the state government under the Federal Constitution to provide full fledged legal aid systems which is afederal responsibility, it is my view that PR Selangor should consider initiating limited pilot public legal aid projects ( bearing in mind its limited resources ) to demonstrate PR’s commitment to full-fledged legal aid systems under a future PR Federal government. Access to justice must always remain a cornerstone of any equitable and fair legal system.
Sivarasa Rasiah,
Member of Parliament for Subang
Member of Political Bureau
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
SIVARASA Bersama Penduduk Desa Aman
Located just off Jalan Kuala Selangor heading towards Sungai Buloh, the village is already home to two other legitimate concrete-batching companies.
Rumbling cement mixers, heavy lorries transporting sand, cracked pavements, dusty surroundings and the noise pollution are proving to a bane to the residents.
The company, RMC Concrete Sdn Bhd, cleared off a large section of a forest in Desa Aman in August 2010 to build the plant without permit or approval of the Selayang Council (MPS).
Angry and upset over the brazen attitude of the company, the residents brought up the matter to MPS councillor Zulnizam Shahrani who visited the site today.
“This is a stupid development (pembangunan biadap),” said Zulnizam.
“The area was zoned for light industries, not one that involves a lot of lorries going back and forth.”
Zulnizam said one of the other two legitimate concrete-batching companies, Evermix Concrete, has agreed to relocate its business elsewhere by June this year and the permit for the other company would not be continued.
RMC Concrete Sdn Bhd had applied for planning permission for its site but it was rejected by Zulnizam at an MPS Local Centre Committee (OSC) meeting in early October.
Oddly enough, the permission was approved one week later at another OSC meeting.
Legal complications
Zulnizam, who was not invited to be a part of the second meeting, found out about this much later in the year. Permission was then again denied at a third OSC meeting in January 2010.
However, according to state law, the multiple rejections and approvals meant that the case had to be forwarded to the State Planning Committee (SPC) for further investigation.
Subang MP R Sivarasa, who also visited the village today, said that the OSC episode was unnecessary, and has now led to legal complications.
“If the MPS had done the proper thing, rejected the planning pemission and left it, we won’t have an issue, and today you could demolish the plant,” he said.
Sivarasa said that it was not clear why the second OSC meeting happened the way it did, leading to Kampung Desa Aman residents’ troubles.
In the meantime, RMC Concrete, went ahead and completed the plant early this year, much to the chagrin of the village folk.
“The residents have complained. They asked how work can still be going on when the planned permission at the OSC has been rejected,” said a frustated Sivarasa.
He pointed to different types of sand piled up at the back portion of the batching plant, waiting to be mixed into concrete.
MPS has issued a stop-work order to RMC Concrete Sdn Bhd. It is also in the process of bringing the company to court for illegal earthworks and building construction.
Until then, the council is unable to demolish the plant, and is currently waiting for the SPC to complete its investigation and get back to them
SALAM GONG XI FA CAI
YB Sivarasa bersama pasukan nya telah turun bersama rakyat untuk mengirim salam Tahun Baru Cina kepada penduduk-penduduk di:
Pasar Pagi dan persekitarannya di Kampung Baru Sungei Buloh pada Ahad 30hb Januari. Hadir bersama dalam program ini adalah YB Dr Nasir ADUN Kota Damansara dan Ketua Kampung, Sdri Ho dan ahli-ahli JKKK.
Kawasan Perdagangan di Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara. Pasukan Pejabat Ahli Parlimen Subang bersama dengan YB Dr Nasir ADUN Kota Damansara bersama mengirim salam Gong Xi Fa Cai kepada pengunjung-pengunjung di kawasan ini. Hadir bersama adalah Ahli Majlis Zon tersebut, Sdr Kandeah.
Pasar Pagi dan persekitarannya di Kampung Baru Sungei Buloh pada Ahad 30hb Januari. Hadir bersama dalam program ini adalah YB Dr Nasir ADUN Kota Damansara dan Ketua Kampung, Sdri Ho dan ahli-ahli JKKK.
Kawasan Perdagangan di Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara. Pasukan Pejabat Ahli Parlimen Subang bersama dengan YB Dr Nasir ADUN Kota Damansara bersama mengirim salam Gong Xi Fa Cai kepada pengunjung-pengunjung di kawasan ini. Hadir bersama adalah Ahli Majlis Zon tersebut, Sdr Kandeah.
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