Press Statement from YB R. Sivarasa

Press Statement

By R Sivarasa – Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat and candidate for Division Chief of Subang

28^th September 2010.

The Star’s inaccurate reporting yesterday 27 September and today 28 September of the PKR Subang Division’s 2010 AGM and Election

I am constrained to issue this statement to correct completely inaccurate statements published in the STAR yesterday and today on the PKR Subang Division’s 2010 AGM and Elections as published in The Star on 27^th and 28^th editions.

Yesterday 27^th September, The Star wrongly reported ( page N8 ) that meeting for the PKR Subang Division was called-off on technical grounds when in fact the Annual General Meeting started about 11am as scheduled and completed.

It was also reported as follows “Vice President contender R Sivarasa also failed to secure the Subang Division Chief post” giving the false impression that a valid election had in fact happened. This is not true.

As a result of technical errors in the ballots papers resulting in substantial delay in arrival of fresh ballot papers only after 1 pm, an objection was made by me and 3 other Division Chief candidates and a request for postponement of the elections made as many members had arrived early but had left without voting.

Sdr Sabaruddin a member of the party’s National Elections Committee arrived and after considering the situation made and announced the decision to postpone the elections to a date to be fixed to the 4 candidates and one candidate’s representative for the Division Chief post present in front of him.

After that announcement at about 230 pm, I and many of the other candidates and many members left the venue.

Subsequently, a group of persons including some candidates intimidated and threatened the election officials present that they would be confined there and damage done to the venue if voting did not proceed. I understand that at some point, in order to prevent physical violence and under duress, the officials allowed voting to proceed.

Election official Puan Zariny Zainol subsequently lodged a police report to that effect at the Kota Damansara Police Station yesterday.

It is in that context that my statement that the election was null and void was made which was quoted in The Star yesterday. However regrettably the article does not mention the facts regarding the voting done under duress and the police report done by the election official which must have been known to The Star which would have my comment immediately understandable to any reader.

Today 28.9.10 at page N14, The Star has made further false and inaccurate statements regarding Subang. First it reports as follows “Sivarasa and four other contenders walked out in protest claiming that there were missing candidate names in the ballot papers”. As would be obvious from the facts stated above, this is not true. We left the premises, as was proper, only after the announcement by En Sabaruddin that the election was postponed.

Second, it reports falsely that “Sivarasa lodged a police report.” This again is wrong as I did not lodge any police report.

I understand that in the light of the fact that some voting did take place as a result of the election officials being forced to conduct it, the party’s National Election Committee will at some point make a ruling on the matter of the Subang election.

I urge The Star to publish this statement in full so that readers are able to get a balanced view of the facts.

R Sivarasa

Vice-President Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

SEMUA di JEMPUT HADIR - Datanglah Beramai-ramai

Beraya di kawasan Parlimen Batu

Sivarasa bersama pemimpin Parti Keadilan Rakyat yang lain beraya bersama rakyat kawasan Parlimen Batu

Gambar-gambar Program

Suhakam, NGO kesal protes ISA dihalang

Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam) kecewa dengan tindakan polis menyuraikan perhimpunan anti-ISA di Petaling Jaya kelmarin kerana tindakan itu melanggar hak orang awam untuk berhimpun secara aman.

"Pemerhatian Suhakam mendapati bahawa hak untuk berhimpun telah dinafikan apabila pihak berkuasa menghentikan perhimpunan itu dan menyuraikan orang ramai dengan tergesa-gesa," kata pengerusinya Tan Sri Hasmy Agam.

"Amaran yang sebaiknya dan masa yagn cukup tidak diberikan oleh pihak berkuasa, yang menyebabkan 22 lelaki dan lapan wanita ditahan kerana disyaki menjadi peserta acara nyalan lilin."

Sempena 50 tahun ISA diperkenalkan, aktivis NGO dan pembangkang berkumpul di pelbagai tempat bagi menyalakan lilin tanda bantahan terhadap akta kontroversiti itu.

Tindakan itu menyebabkan polis menahan 30 orang di Petaling Jaya, empat di Pulau Pinang dan dua di Kelantan atas alasan terlibat dalam perhimpunan tanpa permit.

Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, Hasmy mengingatkan polis terhadap cadangan yang dibuat hasil daripada pendengaran awam kes perhimpunan di lebuh raya Kesas dan KLCC - atau dikenali sebagai 'Bloody Sunday' (kiri) - sebelum ini.

"Suhakam mencadangkan dalam suatu keadaan apabila polis perlu mengawal atau menyuraikan orang ramai, waktu yang cukup dan cara yang tidak ganas hendaklah digunapakai," katanya sambil mendakwa Suhakam memerhatikan secara langsung demonstrasi di Petaling Jaya pada malam minggu sebelum ini.

NGO: Bongkar muka munafik

Beliau menegaskan sekali lagi bahawa hak orang ramai untuk berhimpun secara aman dijamin oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Deklarasi Hak Asasi Manusia Antarabangsa.

Sementara itu beberapa kumpulan NGO hari ini turut mengecam tindakan polis membuat tangkapan "besar-besaran" dengan mendesak Menteri Dalam Negeri Tan Sri Hishammuddin Hussein meletakkan jawatan.

Tiga badan itu - Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur, Pakatan Penulis untuk Kebebasan Media (Wami) dan NGO pendidikan Pusat Pembangunan LLG - mendakwa Hishammuddin 'melanggar' janjinya pada Jun lalu bahawa pindaan ISA akan menjamin hak berhimpun.

"Tetetapi kami berpendapat, tangkapan besar-besaran (pada) 1 Ogos telah bercanggah dengan janji kerajaan dalam pemindahan (pindaan) ISA, membongkarkan muka munafik kerajaan yang mengabaikan hak-hak sivil rakyat," kata mereka dalam satu kenyataan bersama.

Sementara itu, Pemuda PKR Pulau Pinang pula menyifatkan justifikasi polis bagi menghalang perhimpunan itu dengan mengatakan sebagarai 'haram' merupakan tindakan yang cukup simplistik.

"Pihak polis barangkali buat-buat lupa terhadap pengisytiharan kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang yang sebelum ini telah menyediakan Speakers Corner khas untuk rakyat menyatakan sebarang ekspresi diri terhadap apa jua isu semasa yang berlaku," kata setiausahanya Syed mikael Rizal Aidid.

"Penganjur juga telah menuruti arahan kerajaan negeri untuk tidak menggunakan sebarang pembesar suara.

"Berdasarkan keadaan ini, pihak polis sewajarnya menghormati perhimpunan dan hak rakyat ini, dan bukannya menimbulkan lagi suasana tegang.

Sumber dari: Malaysiakini

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