Negara-Ku to spread message of peace and hope in Sabah and Sarawak

BY EILEEN NG

Published: 24 July 2014

Undeterred by the strong opposition from Malay and Muslim groups in the peninsula, newly-formed civil society movement Negara-Ku is spreading its wings to East Malaysia.

They will take their message of unity and hope to Sabah and Sarawak where they also hope to tell East Malaysians what the Malaysia Agreement was intended to do for them.Negara-Ku, a coalition of NGOs launched two weeks ago, had roped in former vice-chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), Tan Sri Simon Sipaun (pic), as one of its patrons to achieve its objective of peace and unity.

"One of our deepest wishes is for our brothers and sisters who reside on the other side of the South China Sea to realise all that was intended for Sabah and Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement.

"Together we can work towards bringing about justice they so dearly need and which we so dearly want for them.

"Our efforts in taking the message of unity and hope to Sabah and Sarawak will begin after the Hari Raya holidays," Simon said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today. – July 24, 2014.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/negara-ku-to-spread-message-of-peace-and-hope-in-sabah-and-sarawak

Police ticked off for poor handling of Bersih 3.0 rally

Ram Anand 5:25PM Apr 17, 2013

The police force had acted in "bad faith" in its handling of the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 and this violated the spirit of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) said at the conclusion of its inquiry into the rally.

Suhakam, in releasing the inquiry report today on alleged human rights violations during the rally, also said that the police had taken “unreasonable measures” that were not justified in trying to control the crowd during the rally, which included preventing media personnel from carrying out its duties.

It said the ‘3R 1C 1E’ (Restraint, Restraint, Restraint, Caution and Enforce) approach of the police was not reflective of the PAA legislation which had come into force just five days before the rally.

“The exercise of restraint is not quite the same as facilitation, which connotes a more active and participatory role,” the commission said after the six-month inquiry that began last July.

It said that the police had not assisted or facilitated in the dispersal of participants during the assembly, which had turned ugly after a police barricade was breached at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

“The participants were not given sufficient and reasonable time to disperse in an orderly and safe manner,” the three-member panel concluded in its 80-page report, which also included 25 recommendations.

The commission said that the police should have immediately arrested the individuals who were responsible in breaking the barricade, especially because the incident took place within a visible distance for some officers.

“Instead, for reasons only best known to them, the police made the decision to disperse the crowd using water cannons and tear gas without conducting early arrests,” the report said.

“The police had also acted in bad faith, in fact their actions show that there were deliberate efforts to stop media personnel from doing their jobs,” it further added, referring to the violence against media personnel during the rally.

The report notes that despite a host of police reports lodged against police personnel regarding their conduct during the assembly, the police had not completed investigation nor taken action into any one of these reports after almost a year.

‘Lack of cooperation by police’

Suhakam also took issue with a lack of cooperation by the police during the inquiry, as they had failed to send a full list of officers on duty that day and did not send any officer who was able to respond to allegations of police brutality during the rally.

The inquiry panel’s chair Khaw Lake Tee said that as a result, the commission were left to draw their own inferences based on the 49 witnesses who had come forward to testify.

“Our own conclusions, as a result, may not necessarily be favourable to the police,” Khaw said after reading out the report.

She also noted that this is not the first time the commission has made recommendations to the police regarding its conduct in handling public assemblies, with many of the recommendations not being implemented by the force.

“We can’t say they have not implemented at all. There are a few that have been taken it, but largely, we need to meet them again and try take this a step further,” she said.

Khaw said that the commission will need to meet the police and will keep reminding the force of the recommendations until the latter adopts them.

“But our (commissioners) term expires next week. So we need to inform the new batch of commissioners and remind them to keep following on this issue,” she said, while seeming to be cautiously optimistic that the police would eventually adopt the recommendations.

Among the key recommendations in the report were:

• That police make public all of its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in handling such assemblies so that the public can be informed.

• That police review and amend its SOP and standing orders accordingly to better handle public assemblies.

• That police make a clear distinction between a riot and a peaceful rally.

• That police allocate a reasonable amount of time in allowing rally participants to disperse in an orderly fashion.

• That police personnel at all times wear permanent name tags or identification body numbers.

• Officers wearing plainclothes should not be involved in dispersal or arresting processes.

• That police and media have a briefing between each other before such assemblies.

• The need for the police to complete its investigations on the police reports lodged by the public in relation to acts committed by police personnel.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/227111

Police were punishing Bersih crowd, says Ambiga

By Zurairi AR

December 06, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan suggested today that the police had failed to give the April 28 electoral reform demonstrators in the city sufficient time to disperse and punished them by using disproportionate force instead.

“The police personnel were trapping the people. It is as if your intention was not to disperse, but to punish instead,” the co-chairman of electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 told the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) panel looking into the large-scale violence that erupted in the national capital nearly eight months ago.

“They should’ve used Shelltox instead of nuclear bomb,” Ambiga (picture)quipped, referring to a popular brand of mosquito repellent.

She was responding to a panel member who used an allegory, that one should not burn down the net just because one is mad with mosquitoes, to describe the chaotic situation in the city that day.

Ambiga had pointed to a previous statement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in Parliament where he said 909 tear gas canisters and 58 tear gas grenades were used on April 28.

“I was shocked to see the numbers. Nothing justifies using nearly 1,000 canisters into a crowd that is leaving,” she said.

According to Ambiga, the authorities also failed to help disperse the crowd by keeping road blocks in place and by closing the light rail transit (LRT) stations.

The lawyer had compared Bersih 3.0 to the recent Himpunan Hijau rally, and alleged that the latter went peacefully since there was no agent provocateurs embedded in the crowd.

“You don’t know who’s planted to cause trouble .. we’ve seen agent provocateurs in both times,” she said, referring to the two Bersih rallies that she had been involved with.

Ambiga explained that it would’ve taken at least one hour for the crowd to fully disperse, after the rally was cut short to end at around 2.30 pm.

She said that the original plan was for PAS’ Unit Amal to help direct the dispersing crowd and spread the dispersal instruction by word of mouth, since her loud hailer couldn’t be heard over the crowd noise.

Suhakam panel chief Prof Datuk Khaw Lake Tee had also questioned an instruction given to Bersih participants, telling them to only listen to Unit Amal field commanders and nobody else.

“If the police gave out orders, should they disregard the orders?” Khaw asked.

“I have to be frank, it wasn’t very well-drafted,” Ambiga replied, explaining that it only meant that participants shouldn’t listen to rumours as it would create confusion among the crowd.

In his cross-examination, ACP Jamaluddin Abdul Rahman suggested that the police had exercised restraint in firing only 976 shots of tear gas.

“A total of 18 shells of tear gas would’ve been fired once every minute ... if we had continuously shot for four hours when Bersih was happening, we would’ve used 4,030.

“(Don’t you agree that) the police only shot when it was necessary?” Jamaluddin asked, to which Ambiga disagreed,

In September, Khaw had said that “there was not much room to run” for protesters during the Bersih rally on April 28, disputing earlier police testimony of having enough roads open for participants to disperse.

She had told reporters after the panel made an on-site visit that the exits assigned by the police to allow people to disperse were further away, leaving only two narrow lanes nearby.

The inquiry will continue for one more day at a later date.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/police-were-punishing-bersih-crowd-says-ambiga/

百姓不是国家敌人，臭水驱人群，人群不会臭，而是国阵政府变得更臭

428听证会‧联邦后备队：“身体留臭＂难除‧建议未来射臭弹阻嚇

2012-10-17 10:58

• 
  查哈里（左一）向眾人解说利刃铁丝网的用途；右起是查达瑟甘拉、迪达沙敏、莫哈末祖迪及迦玛鲁丁。（图：星洲日报）

1 of 3

（吉隆坡16日讯）大马联邦后备队（FRU）副总指挥助理总监迦玛鲁丁提议，或许未来警方可採用“臭气＂的方式来发射催泪弹，让集会者“体上留臭＂，因而选择回家而不会在外游荡。

也是428听证会旁听警方的迦玛向428勘察团讲解联邦后备队水砲车如何运作时，突然提出建议，或许未来警方发射催泪弹时可以加入一些难以去除的“臭味＂，一旦在场者接触到此“臭味＂，就很难再除掉。

他表示，没有人喜欢臭味，为了阻嚇集会者，拥有此“臭味＂的人就不敢或害羞到公共场合逛街等，就会选择回家而不在街上流荡。

水砲车可掺2种化学物

联邦后备队第1號部队指挥官查哈里警监（第23名证人）也解说，水砲车可掺杂两种化学成份，即2-氯苯亚甲基丙二（（2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile），简称CS）及干顏料（Pigment，粉末与液体混合製成的顏料粉），若掺杂干顏料化学成份的水砲，被射中者的身上会沾上白点，刺痛效果十分强烈，也不容易洗脱。

警方在709集会时有使用掺有干顏料及CS成份的化学水砲，不过，在428大集会却只使用掺有CS成份的水砲，被击中者只会感觉辛辣，效果不会十分强烈。

水砲化学量低过1%比率

迦玛指出，根据国际標准，掺杂化学成份的水砲（水加化学物）不能多过1%比率，否则浓郁的化学物將会破坏该水砲系统，因此发射含有化学成份的水砲化学量，都低过1%比率。

人权委会到FRU总部勘察
瞭解標准作业程序

人权委员会今日到大马联邦后备队总部进行勘察，向警方瞭解在428当天使用利刃铁丝网（Razor blade platedconcertinawire）、催泪弹及水砲车的作业方式，以及瞭解联邦后备队的標准作业程序（SOP）。

人权委员会委员拿督莫哈末祖迪表示，这次勘察团让他们可以更加瞭解警方操作的真实情况，让他们接著作决定时能秉持中立及公正的立场。

从今年7月5日至10月11日期间，人权委员会已进行22场“428大集会听证会＂，並传召41名证人出席供证。

由於“428大集会听证会＂主席拿督许绿娣家里办丧事，无法出席勘察，故由该委员会委员拿督莫哈末祖迪和迪达沙敏率领今日的考察团。旁听警方代表包括助理总监迦玛鲁丁及查达瑟甘拉警长；律师公会及马来西亚半岛新闻从业员职工会（NUJ）旁听代表则是陈永建律师及净选盟2.0代表是李祥溢律师。

警扩音系统不够大声
人权委会建议用更强扩音器

警方也出示他们使用的“指挥官音响＂（Sound Commander）扩音系统，经过示范后，眾人发现该音响效果並不大理想，而当天警方共有4台扩音系统。

人权委员会也建议警方使用音效更强的扩音器，而迦玛也表示会考虑採纳类似如在海啸时发出警报的相关音响系统。

迦玛强调，警方行动前有多次发出警告，但每当发出警告，集会者就会欢呼喝彩。

另外，迦玛也表示，警方有考量在庞大人群中，前方的人群因后方推挤下被迫移前的行为，而警方也不会隨意发射催泪弹。

“或许我们会考虑设三重防界限，若他们（集会者）闯进第二层的话，就凸显著他们（闯入）的意图。＂

428当天催泪弹向上发射

联邦后备成员也现场示范如何发射催泪弹，包括45度向上发射（远距离）、直射（近距离）及向下发射。

迦玛声称，428大集会警方並没选择向下发射催泪弹，但在709大集会时，曾在吉隆坡中环广场（KL Sentral）发射过。

查哈里也强调，联邦后备队428当天都是向上发射所有的催泪弹。

颈痕或物体击中

询及第四证人张敏诗被催泪弹击中颈项的伤痕是如何造成的，迦玛则回说仍不能確认该伤痕就是催泪弹所致，或许是其他物体击中也不定。

迦玛披露，由於428大集会的人群集会地点很多及人群不断重聚原故，当天5辆联邦后备车队在5个小时內，共发出约900颗的催泪弹；若5个小时不停发射催泪弹的话，发射量可高达约5千颗。

警方设下4层封锁线

另外，428当天负责装置利刃铁丝网（Razor bladeplated concertinawire）的查哈里也讲解该铁丝网的用途，而利刃铁丝网也用於装置在警局篱笆上。

他也向记者们出示照片，显示警方当天4层封锁线，即铁丝网、灌水塑胶路障、钢栏障碍及警方人墙。

此外，人权委员也现场蒐集联邦后备队员其中一人的鞋印，並与第六证人古玛衣服上声称遭警方踩踏的鞋印照片对比，然而两者鞋印似乎有所出入。

来源：http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/265022?tid=1

是水臭还是国阵政府臭？

镇暴队水炮或考虑添加臭剂 警方希望更有效驱散集会者 2012年10月16日 下午1点46分

为了更有效驱散集会者，警方可能考虑在水炮内添加臭剂，以取代目前使用的刺激物。

“我们正考虑，为了威慑作用，我们可能使用人们不喜欢的非常臭（化学物）。”

“我们将会发射，他们（集会者）将会发出臭味，甚至过后都不能去购物中心，所以他们将会回家。”

来源：http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/211840

428大集会听证会，国家基建董事：看到人群逃跑‧“关轻快铁站最好决定”

2012-10-12 08:41

（吉隆坡11日讯）国家基建有限公司（Prasarana）集团董事（轨道部）凯拉尼坚称，他在428大集会当天下令关闭轻快铁站，是最好的决定。

他也说，他下午决定重开快铁站时，警方喝令他重新关闭快铁站，並进入站內驱赶群眾。

凯拉尼（48岁，第41名证人）在“428大集会”听证会上供证表示，当天下午3时15分左右，他听到多次发射催泪弹的声音，並且看到人群开始逃跑，於是决定根据標准作业程序（SOP）启动“罗密欧紧急代码”（Code Romeo），即骚乱信號。此时轻快铁就不会在已启动“罗密欧紧急代码”

的特定快铁站停下。

1小时关闭6快铁站

他指出，他在1个小时內陆续下令关闭6间快铁站，包括占美清真寺站（Masjid Jamek）、人民广场站（Plaza Rakyat）、中央艺术坊站（Pasar Seni）、金马区站（Dang Wangi）、国企十合站（Bandaraya）和苏丹伊斯迈站（Sultan Ismail）。

他强调，只是快铁站关闭而已，轻快铁服务仍然正常操作。

虽此，由於当时占美清真寺站挤满乘客，他通知控制室人员，让2班轻快铁车停站，载送乘客离开。

称为了乘客员工安全

询及为何要关闭轻快铁站时，他表示，这是为了乘客、財务及员工的安全。

他指出，通常轻快铁站经理可以做决定，而428当天，由於他人在占美清真寺站，轻快铁站经理諮询他的意见及由他做最终决定。

他指428大集会跟709大集会不同，709当时，他们有跟警方举行协调会议，709当天某个时段，轻快铁站是关闭的，警方也封锁某些路段。

但428大集会警方没有跟他们开会，因此他们视之为正常日子，估计人潮会如新年节庆般庞大，但他们有加派人手及保安人员。

警员指示2度关站

下午5时15分后，当他看到情况已缓和及安全后，决定重开占美清真寺站，但不久后，警员指示他们再度关闭快铁站，並且进入站內喝令乘客离开。

他坦承，若警方没下令关闭车站的话，他们不会二度关闭快铁站。

询及为何一定要遵照警方指示关闭车站时，他回应，遵从警方的命令也是依据標准作业程序及协议等行事。

据他瞭解，当天吉隆坡快速巴士（RapidKL）一早接获指示不能进城，唯一载送群眾进城的交通工具只有轻快铁。

他声称，或许（有人认为）他的决定是错的，但他觉得当时他已经做了最好的决定。

他也透露，428当天安邦线增加了80%的载客量及格拉纳再也路线增加35%乘客量。

428大集会听证会的人权委员会以拿督许绿娣为首，委员是迪达沙敏和拿督莫哈末祖迪；旁听警方代表包括助理总监迦玛鲁丁及助理警监M.库玛；律师公会及马来西亚半岛新闻从业员职工会（NUJ）旁听代表则是陈永建律师及丹尼尔律师代表净选盟2.0。

来源：http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/264328?tid=1

Kit Siang urges Suhakam to intervene in harassment of Suaram

By Lisa J. Ariffin

September 23, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Lim Kit Siang today called upon the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to invoke its powers to protect Suaram from what he described as “continued government harassment and infringement of human rights” over its funding sources.

The DAP parliamentary leader (picture) today called upon Suhakam to intervene in Putrajaya’s continued harassment of Suaram’s parent company, Suara Inisiatif Sdn. Bhd “as they (Suaram) had been continually persecuted by the government and its agencies since July 2012”.

Human rights group Suaram is currently in the limelight due to its part in an ongoing French inquiry probing possible corruption in Malaysia’s multi-billion ringgit purchase of two Scorpene submarines, which has been linked to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the murder of Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuu.

Lim explained that Suaram has since asked Suhakam to take a stand on Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “overreaching powers in interrupting and influencing investigations by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) and to acknowledge the normalcy of foreign funding to organisations in Malaysia”.

He urged Suhakam to act under Section 4(1) (4) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 which vested it with functions “to inquire into complaints regarding infringements of human rights” and Section 4(2)(3) empowering it “to study and verify any infringement of human rights”.

Lim also called upon prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to end the harassment of “other independent-minded human rights NGOs and news portals”.

“This is totally inimical to word and spirit of his (Najib’s) ‘political transformation’ and pledge to make Malaysia’s the ‘world’s best democracy’,” he said today in a press statement.

“(It is) also totally alien to the ‘new politics’ recently advocated by deputy higher education minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah which envisaged a positive partnership of government with business and civil society to create a new governance framework,” he added.

Earlier this month, the CCM raided the office of Suara Inisiatif. Ismail Sabri was quoted as saying the accounts of Suara Inisitatif were “highly suspicious”.

Suaram, established since 1989, has been investigated by the CCM since early 2012 for being registered as a company instead of a society, a practice among NGOs whose applications under the Societies Act 1966 were rejected by the government.

The NGO has come under pressure since it started scrutinising the purchase of Scorpene submarines by the Defence Ministry.

When asked by reporters to comment on its foreign funding, Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong said many NGOs used the funds for programmes without intervention or advice from such parties.

Kua was referring to allegations by Malay dailies that Suaram took aid from the George Soros Foundation, which made them an agent of the billionaire currency speculator.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kit-siang-urges-suhakam-to-intervene-in-harassment-of-suaram/

监督人民之声报章媒体，人权委会：不开听证会

2012-09-22 11:00

• 
  娜莉妮（前左3）代表人民之声呈交备忘录给人权委员会成员莫哈末沙尼（右2）；前排左起为辛蒂婭和麦莎拉；右是迪瓦拉贾。（图：星洲日报）

（吉隆坡21日讯）针对政府及政府机构近期对人民之声（SUARAM）所作的指责，人权委员会（Suhakam）委员莫哈末沙尼表示，他们会监督人民之声及报章媒体，不过不会召开听证会调查此事。

人民之声执行董事娜莉妮、秘书处成员辛蒂婭、麦莎拉和迪瓦拉贾及非政府组织等人，今日向人权委员会呈交备忘录，要求对方监督及促请政府停止对人民之声的骚扰。

备忘录中共提出14项请求，其中包括承认政府及相关机构针对人民之声的行动，做出不当的骚扰；针对人民之声事件引起侵犯基本自由和公民自由採取坚定立场；促请政府即刻停止一切形式的骚扰；谴责对人民之声的骚扰和侵犯；劝请政府扮演好联合国人权理事会的角色；谴责政府曲解民间社团；针对部长越权插手及影响公司委员会调查及组织接受海外资金课题表明立场等。

人权委员会莫哈末沙尼表示，我国並没有法律阐明，非政府组织不能接受来自海外的资金援助。

询及政府以人民之声不是合法非政府组织，不能接受海外资助的说法，莫哈末沙尼则认为，人民之声以SuaraInisiatif公司名字註册，与其名为SUARAM的非政府组织两者间並没產生任何衝突。

邀涉及机构会商

此外，莫哈末沙尼说，人权委员会將邀请涉及此事的相关机构进行会面，並从中瞭解有关事件，然后会將报告呈给政府。

他说，他们会继续监督此事的发展及媒体的报导，並会询问媒体为何会含有“误导性＂的成份，如似组织接受海外资金就是犯罪一般。

不过，他说，人权委员会並没有打算针对此事召开听证会。

来源：http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/261900?tid=1

Bersih protesters had no chance to disperse, says Suhakam panel chief

By Hafidz Baharom

September 21, 2012

Khaw (with raised blue file) and other members of the Suhakam panel visit Dataran Merdeka on September 21, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) panel chief today said that “there was not much room to run” for protesters during the Bersih rally on April 28, disputing earlier police testimony of having enough roads open for participants to disperse.

Prof Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee told reporters after the panel made an on-site visit that the exits assigned by the police to allow people to disperse were further away, leaving only two narrow lanes nearby.

“Police said there were a lot of areas where protesters could have dispersed and we were looking for that.

“We only saw two; small lane near Citin Hotel and Masjid India Jalan Tun Perak. There was not much room to run,” Khaw said.

The three-hour walking site visit began at Dataran Merdeka and included visits to the alleged holding area in front of the Royal Selangor Club, Citin Hotel in Jalan Melayu, and Jalan Hang Lekiu, three locations where witnesses have testified of police brutality on the day of the rally.

The inquiry resumes next Monday with further testimony from the police.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bersih-protesters-had-no-chance-ro-disperse-says-suhakam-panel-chief/

Assault on Bersih protesters, journalists ‘unacceptable’, says senior cop

UPDATED @ 02:20:00 PM 13-09-2012

By Hafidz Baharom

September 13, 2012

File photo of several policemen detaining a sole Bersih supporter (yellow T-shirt) at the April 28 rally.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — A senior police officer said today that the alleged assault by policemen of protesters and journalists during the April 28 Bersih rally here was “contemptuous, ill-mannered and unacceptable”.

Deputy city CID chief ACP Khairi Ahrasa said this when testifying at the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry into the rally for electoral reforms that descended into chaotic scenes and violence.

He also told the inquiry that policemen should not have arrested protesters who had dispersed by dragging them from restaurants.

“These actions are contemptuous, ill-mannered and totally unacceptable. And I will look into it and take action,” Khairi said.

He also said the media’s role was historically established and police should not have interfered since they were only doing their duty on that day.

“In my briefing on that day, I told everyone of the freedom of the press to do their job and not to harm them as these incidents would harm our (the police) image,” he added.

When asked whether there was a need for police to brief the media before an event, Khairi disagreed and said it was not needed.

“They (the media) have been around since before Merdeka. Instead, we (the police) must understand their freedoms and should not be afraid of what they report,” he added.

However, Khairi said there should be a memorandum of understanding between the media and the police to limit where journalists could go during rallies to avoid they being harmed.

“But for this to happen would need feedback from both sides,” he added.

Khairi’s testimony ended proceedings today.

Inquiry panel head Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee said the secretariat will announce the next sitting at a later date, which may include a site visit to the police depot used to hold detainees on April 28.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/assault-on-bersih-protesters-journalists-unacceptable-says-senior-cop/

Review 114A, rights group demands

By Lisa J. Ariffin

August 26, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today urged Putrajaya to review or even repeal the new law that threatens to curb freedom of expression on the Internet as it violates basic human rights principles. 

Suhakam said today the controversial section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950 violates the human rights principles of freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 

The commission added that the newly-introduced provision, which came into force on 31 July 2012, also goes against a fundamental principle of law that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty as provided for under Article 11(1) of the UDHR. 

“While the presumption of fact under the Section 114A is rebuttable, a person against whom the presumption is applied may lack the time, resources and more importantly, technical expertise in relation to the Internet environment, to prove the contrary in order to rebut the presumption,” the commission said today in a press statement. “In contrast, the prosecution, in criminal cases, may be better equipped to prove the guilt of the accused, as they are authorised to compel any of the potential witness to produce evidence, and has the technical expertise and resources to assist its investigation or prosecution,” it added. 

The commission pointed out the new law may also discourage expression, dissemination and sharing of ideas, news and information, “thus limiting and impinging on the freedom of expression — an essential attribute of a full- functional democracy”. 

It also detailed conditions of how any power or measure on the limitation of rights must be subjected according to human rights norms: 

i. That the limitation of rights of an individual must be imposed solely for the purpose of protecting a legitimate aim (i.e. national security, rights or reputation of others, public health or morals) that is prescribed by international human rights principles; 

ii. That the limitation of rights must be absolutely necessary for the protection of the legitimate aim;

iii. That the limitation of rights must be proportional to the protection of the legitimate aim. It must be remembered, however, that, there are some rights and freedoms that cannot be limited and they include the freedom from torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and

iv. That there must be adequate safeguards so as to avoid any abuse of powers. These conditions are important to strike a fair balance between public interests — legitimate national security concerns, on the one hand, and fundamental freedoms of an individual, on the other. 

Suhakam reiterated that although national security is paramount to ensure peace and stability, Section 114A of the Evidence Act must be reviewed or repealed to protect and respect fundamental liberties and human rights to freedom of expression and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. 

“The Commission looks forward to engaging with the Attorney General’s Chambers and other stakeholders in the review of the Act, as well as in the drafting of any new law to ensure that they are consistent with universally accepted human rights principles,” it said. Review 114A, rights group demands accepted human rights principles,” it said.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/review-114a-rights-group-demands/

安美嘉：包括希山总警长等‧应传召发命令者

2012-08-17 10:35

• 
  安美嘉（右2）在其他非政府组织代表陪同下，针对人权委员会428大集会听证会提呈净选盟备忘录。左起为艾薇、巴拉迪达山；右为佘贵生。（图：星洲日报）

（吉隆坡16日讯）净选盟2.0主席拿督安美嘉促请人权委员会传召428大集会当日发號施令者，包括內政部长拿督斯里希山慕丁、全国总警长丹斯里依斯迈奥马、全国副总警长丹斯里卡立阿布巴卡等，以便找出集会当天出现暴力、违反人权等事件的真相。

警方似出现两套命令

她指出，428当日警方之中似乎出现“两套命令＂，一套命令要求警员友善对待集会者，另一套命令是在催泪弹发射后，警方以暴力对待集会者。

“集会当天下午2时之前，警方对集会者非常友善，但是在2时之后，当有人衝破禁区时，警方开始暴力对待集会者。＂“警方到底收到甚么指示？

我们要知道到底是谁发出这些指示。＂她指出，净选盟也要知道当天是否有警员身穿净选盟黄衣，有甚么目的。

“我相信內政部长、全国总警长与副总警长卡立等会给予人权委员会配合。＂

吁传召Rapid KL负责人

同时，安美嘉也呼吁人权委员会传召Rapid KL负责人供证，以瞭解当天到底是谁指示关闭轻快铁服务，理由与动机是甚么？

安美嘉今午在净选盟属下的非政府组织代表陪同下，针对人权委员会428集会听证会，提呈该联盟集结有关大集会出现警方施暴、侵犯人权问题等资料与证据的备忘录后，向媒体发表谈话。

她强调人权委员会不应只传召警方或净选盟提供的证人，而是主动传召涉及者出席听证会供证，以追查到底。

吁关注多项课题

她表示，净选盟在备忘录中，提出多项课题，希望人权委员会能关注並展开调查，其中包括：
●警方滥权与暴力对待集会者与新闻从业员
●部份警员没佩戴名牌识別证
●出现身穿净选盟黄衣的警员
●干扰人权观察员
●催泪弹与水砲发射前欠缺足够的警戒
●滥发催泪弹、催泪弹发射的角度与不当
●现场出现警员死亡的谣言
●独立广场禁区栏杆被衝破的確实情况
●质疑禁区栏杆设立的地点，是否有依据庭令，当局有没有擅自扩大独立广场禁区？以及警方在警戒线被衝破后採取的行动。

陪同安美嘉提呈备忘录的非政府组织代表包括砂拉越改革运动组织主席佘贵生、大马和平公民联盟（Warga AMAN）总秘书巴拉迪达山、妇女援助中心（WAO）主席莫壮莲及执行董事艾薇。

促查散播“警员死”谣言黑手

安美嘉指出，428大集会当天现场传出有警员死亡的谣言后，相信间接导致部份警察的行为趋向暴力，净选盟希望人权委员会能查出製造与散播不负责任谣言的“幕后真凶＂和动机。

她也指责当天警方发射催泪弹的方式与角度，包括针对集会者发射催泪弹、甚至分別在街道两端向集会者发射催泪弹，而轻快铁站暂时关闭，让集会者无路可逃。

在净选盟提呈的备忘录中，除了集结许多集会者、目击者的证词、照片与录影片段截存等作为举证。

安美嘉今日也接受人权委员会录取口供与提呈证据，她在结束1小时30分钟的录供后向媒体指出，人权委员会已订在9月24日传召她在听证会供证。

另外，针对428净选盟大集会独立諮询小组主席敦韩聂夫邀请净选盟代表包括安美嘉会面，商討大集会课题，安美嘉强调净选盟已拒绝邀请。

来源：http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/258020?tid=1

428听证会，证人：被捕遭沿路警员踢打，“押送警员拉我一起跑”

2012-08-01 20:25

• 
  许振威：押送我的警方拉著我，跟我一起跑到独立广场。（图：星洲日报）

1 of 3

（吉隆坡1日讯）参与428大集会者声称当天在马来佑路（Jalan Melayu）回酒店时遭催泪弹三面夹攻，1名警员较后进酒店逮捕他；当他遭沿路的警方踢打时，押送他的警员突然拉著他一起逃跑，躲避警方攻击！

催泪弹三面夹攻

第21名证人许振威（25岁，会计经理）今日在428听证会上供证时指出，428前一天（27日），他已下榻马来佑路的思庭酒店（citin hotel）。

428当天，他在华侨银行（OCBC Bank）参与净选盟大集会，约下午3时他听到民眾宣佈解散的消息，就开始动身走回酒店。之后他就看到催泪弹从独立广场方向射来占美清真寺轻快铁站（Masjid Jamek）的敦霹雳路（Jalan Tun Perak）。

警方衝进酒店捉人

约5分钟后，另一发催泪弹从敦霹雳路另一端的马银行大厦射来，眾人都跑进马来佑路，孰知过后又有另一枚催泪弹射进马来佑路，形成“三角型”烟弹攻击，让集会者无不感到惊慌。

他回到思庭酒店，酒店大门已锁，他出示住客通行证（access card）后，酒店保安才允许他进入。当他在酒店餐厅点餐时，警方衝进酒店指著他命令说：“你跟我走！”，在不问原由下，就把他拉出酒店，期间他后颈被警员打中。当时跟他一起的女性友人穿著净选盟黄衣。

原本警方也要逮捕他的女性友人，但该友人及时把黄衣脱下（內有穿另一件衣服），並且將之交给警方，才免於被逮捕。

押送回独立广场的沿途中，他也遭2、3名警方拳打脚踢，押送他的警察突然推他及要他跑！

与警员一同“逃离”

他说：“警方拉著我的左肩叫我跑，我只好跟著他跑。”於是他就跟著押送他的警员，一同“逃离”直到独立广场范围。

盘问官英丹询及，该警员是否有意要保护他免受警方殴打时，他则表示不確定。

他之后於下午6时被押往吉隆坡警察训练中心（PULAPOL），於凌晨4时才获释。

他说，由於前面有公眾和媒体，警方用巴士从后面载送他们至大使路（Jalan Duta）才放走他们。

他也披露，他隔天去白沙罗警局报案及到马大医院验伤，他向医生索取医药报告，但医生不给他，以及告之有警方会来帮他拿报告。他说，医生表示怕他会篡改医药报告內容，而不要將报告交给他。

酒店经理：跑上3楼“避难”
“没看到警方抓人一幕”

此外，第22名证人拉米斯（思庭酒店业务经理）在供词时则声称，他在酒店值勤时，由於要躲避催泪弹烟雾，所以跑上酒店3楼“避难”，因此没看到警方进酒店抓人一幕。

此外，负责看守门口的巴基斯坦保安当时也为了躲避催泪弹烟雾而跑开了。当时保安人员也没告知他有住客被警方逮捕。

他也透露，酒店有装闭路电视，但每两星期就会自动覆盖原有档案，因此如今也找不回428当天的录影片段。

询及他有无看过录像带，他表示没有看，並认为这是柜台经理的工作，后者应该会去查看。

他指出，该酒店从週五至週日的住客率已爆满。他也在净选盟2.0代表委员邱进福的引导下道出，709及428並没影响该酒店的生意率，外国游客的入住率跟往常一样多。

听证会主席拿督许绿娣似乎已知道接著助理总监迦玛鲁丁会盘问的问题，为了节省盘问时间，她也预先“帮”迦玛鲁丁对证人发问问题，让后者“反抗”笑说，他所设下的问题都被委员会“看透”问完，他不知要问甚么了。

星报摄记：被令交出相机
“5便衣警员包围我”

拥有22年摄影经验的第20名证人布什巴纳登（41岁，星报摄影记者）在428值勤拍摄警方殴打集会者时，遭1名制服警员喝止；同时，遭到4至5名便衣警员包围，对方命令他交出相机和记忆卡。

他以工作为由拒绝从令，但最终在警方逼迫下，被迫刪除相片，才准离开。

他说，他在下午6时30分在占美清真寺站看到一群拒绝解散的集会者正在跟联邦后备队对峙。一名制服警察看到他拍照，就喝令他不准拍照，其中一名便服警员欲抢夺他相机，另一名则要求他交出记忆卡，他拒接从命，但最后仍须刪除照片。

害怕被警方打
只好刪照片

他声称，虽然他有向警方出示公司媒体证，但警方没理会並二度怒喝他。基於当时他非常害怕，脑海一片空白，只好刪除照片。

他也表示，当时他看到警方殴打集会者，看到警方包围他时，他认为警方也有可能会打他，因此感到十分害怕。

他说，下午6时在占美清真寺轻快铁站的他，看到马银行大厦的集会者逐渐解散，但在联邦后备队前方一小撮集会者仍不肯解散，其中他看见1、2名集会者向警方丟掷石头及塑胶路障筒。

询及他们有无可能是第三者时，他表示不確定哪些人的真正身份。

此外，他在回答助理总监迦玛鲁丁提问时说，我国集会者不是暴民。他们都非常冷静。如果他们要闯入禁区早已这么做，但他们不，他们都听警方指示遵守秩序。

428大集会听证会的人权委员会以拿督许绿娣为首，委员是迪达沙敏和拿督莫哈末祖迪；旁听警方代表包括助理总监迦玛鲁丁、阿迪安扎及查达瑟甘拉警长；律师公会及马来西亚半岛新闻从业员职工会（NUJ）旁听代表则是阿里弗本贾敏律师及净选盟2.0代表委员邱进福。

来源：http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/256345?tid=1

Rally participants not to blame for chaos, says Suhakam commissioner

UPDATED @ 10:10:17 PM 28-07-2012

By Ida Lim

July 28, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Those who take part in public rallies may not be entirely blamed for disruption of public order, a Malaysian human rights commissioner said today.

Prof Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee, who is deputy vice-chairman of the Human Rights Commision of Malaysia (Suhakam) said “over-precautions” taken in the run-up to peaceful assemblies could also be a cause.

“Do you need to cordon off certain areas? Do you need to cordon off the whole city so as to cause disruption and traffic jams all over the place? Was it necessary?” she asked at an open forum on public assembly laws at the Bar Council here.

“At the end of the day, was it the participants or the authorities that caused the disruption of public order?”

Khaw (picture) was responding to questions on fears that public assemblies may disrupt the lives of other citizens.

Khaw also chairs an ongoing inquiry into abuse of power and violation of human rights during the April 28 Bersih rally in the federal capital.

The rally, calling for the Najib administration to step up electoral reforms ahead of key national polls due in April next year, was held months after the Peaceful Assembly Act was passed by the federal government.

Earlier in her presentation at the forum, she said: “There’s no such thing as an unlawful peaceful assembly.”

Before she spoke, Khaw said she was speaking in her capacity as a Suhakam commissioner.

Today’s event is this year’s third forum under the Siri Pemikiran Kritis (Critical Thinking Series) organised by the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC).

The forum aims to highlight the operation of the new Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which had drawn much controversy last year when it was speedily passed by Parliament.

Opposition lawmakers and other civil rights activists had cautioned that the law drafted by government lawyers contained inherent weaknesses that could prove more restrictive than the sections of the Police Act it was to replace and protect an individual’s right to assemble freely.

Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, a former president of the Malaysian Bar, and Tan Keng Liang, Gerakan’s Youth Chief also spoke at today’s forum.

Prominent lawyer-activist and Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had last month accused the Najib administration of abusing its power by ordering the police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall to block the April 28 sit-down rally from taking place at Dataran Merdeka here.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rally-participants-not-to-blame-for-chaos-says-suhakam-commissioner/