Cops complete probe on fiery Umno speeches
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 7, 2006
Beh Lih Yi

The police have completed their investigations into the racist-laced speeches made by several Umno delegates at the recently-concluded Umno annual meeting, Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharum revealed today.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that the police started probing the speeches under the Sedition Act as a result of police reports lodged by opposition party DAP.

“The investigation papers have been sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” Johari said in response to a question by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) during the latter’s debate on the Budget 2007 earlier.

The racist-laced speeches made by several Umno delegates sparked off a public outcry. Following that, five police reports were lodged by DAP while Umno also issued an internal warning to three of the delegates.

They were Umno Youth exco member Azimi Daim, Perlis Umno state liaison committee representative Hashim Subuh and Melaka representative, Hasnoor Sidang Husin.

The three were among several delegates who harshly asserted the economic and religious rights of the nation's majority Muslim Malays over those of its minorities - mostly Chinese and Indians. 

Meanwhile, to another question from Lim over the current status of the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), Johari said the matter was still being studied by the AG’s Chambers.

Lim protested, asking why a same reply was given by the ministry and whether this indicated the formation of the IPCMC - an external independent police watchdog - has been “frozen”.

“The IPCMC formation has been delayed for months, shall we expect a (positive) answer from the government only when the next general election comes?” asked the opposition leader.

Johari however repeated his earlier reply.

Explosives and pregnancy

On another matter, Johari said the C4 plastic explosive allegedly used in the gruesome murder of a Mongolian woman were not only accessible to the army.

They are available to certain police personnel and the special action unit, he added.

He, however, did not reply to a suggestion by Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) that the plastic explosives were used to destroy evidence of the Mongolian woman’s pregnancy.

The Bukit Gelugor MP also asked whether the alleged involvement of a ‘orang atasan’ (top person), of whom according to Karpal is a minister, could have hindered the police investigation. Johari did not answer this too.

To a question by Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) on whether Sri Lankan businessman BSA Tahir has been freed from the Internal Security Act (ISA) detention, Johari said he will provide a written answer to the MP.

The deputy minister however stated that Tahir (photo) - who was held over his alleged connection to international nuclear black market - has not received special treatment from the authorities while under ISA detention.

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