Mei-13 Fun
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT BY CONCERNED MALAYSIANS ON 22 JANUARY 2008:
Say No to the Spectre of May 13
Chew Mei Fun MP must retract her fear-mongering statement and apologize
We, the undersigned civil society groups and concerned citizens of diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, stress that all Malaysians have the right to choose their representatives and the government in a free, fair and clean election. No individual politician or political party should resort to threats or intimidation to influence the voter’s decision.
We lament that Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, MCA MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, as reported in the China Press on January 21 (Monday), has conveyed this fear-mongering message to the public: “If there is insufficient Chinese representation in the Barisan Nasional, it is not a good thing, the Chinese community cannot afford another May 13 incident.”
The May 13 ethnic riot in 1969 was a dark chapter in Malaysia’s political history where political violence and manipulation overshadowed the democratic process as well as the voice of the people. Invoking the bitter memories of this tragic incident for political gain is a huge insult to those who died, the surviving victims and their families. This veiled threat to voters not to support the opposition parties is shameless and unbecoming of a responsible political leader.
If Chew is aware of certain quarters planning to use violence in response to a certain electoral outcome, she who has been speaking tirelessly on public safety should lodge a police report immediately and assist in the police investigation.
If she is merely speculating, we are truly disappointed that she has stooped so low in fishing for support. Politicians should not behave like gangsters. They should not use the threat of violence to solicit vote, as gangsters do to extort money.
By making this statement, Chew has in fact violated Section 9 (1) of the Election Offences Act 1954:
Undue influence
9. (1) Every person who, before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence, or restraint, or inflicts or threatens to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person in order to induce or compel such person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account of such person having voted or refrained from voting, at any election, or who by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or contrivance impedes or prevents the free exercise of the franchise of any elector or voter, or thereby compels, induces, or prevails upon any elector or voter either to give or refrain from giving his vote at any election, or who directly or indirectly interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise by any person of any electoral right shall be guilty of the offence of undue influence.
While waiting for the Election Commission to investigate and lodge a police report, we call upon Chew to do the honorable thing. She should retract her statement and apologize unreservedly for her fear-mongering act. She must condemn unreservedly the use of political violence in Malaysia.
Voters must be assured of their right to vote for any candidate or party of their choice in an environment that is free from fear and intimidation.
We also call upon the Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi to disassociate his administration and party from Chew’s fear-mongering statement and condemn unreservedly the use of threats and intimidation on voters.
We must not let Malaysia become a failed state where political violence political violence by state and non-state actors rule. We must not allow any party to ‘play with fire’. We categorically reject anyone who uses the spectre of May 13 as a bogeyman to threaten Malaysians.
All civil society organisations in support of democracy may endorse this statement by displaying a copy of this statement on their premises, vehicles or the front page of their blogs or websites, until Chew retract the statement and apologizes.
- Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC)
- SOS Penang
- Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
- Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)
- Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
- Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA)
- Labour Resource Centre
- Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS)
- Civil Rights Committee, KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-SCAH)
- Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
- Unit Pemikiran Politik, Institut Kajian Dasar (UPP-IKD)
- Malaysian Voters Union (MALVU)
- Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)
- Citizen Think Tank
- Artisproactiv(APA)
- Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
- Youth For Change (Y4C)
2 comments:
Please read the China Press, 23rd Jan 2008, page A7. They published an apology to announce that their reporter misinterpreted and misquoted YB Chew’s speech. YB Chew did not mention “May 13” as reported in the original press report on 21st. She referred to the 1969 General Elections when the MCA was very badly defeated.
It is sad that we get so worked up based one unsubstantiated piece of sensational journalism from just one Chinese newspaper source. We should be more diligent and not simply belief what we read in the papers. We should stop all rumour mongering.
Anonymous:
If the China Press grossly misinterpreted Chew Mei Fun's statement, she ought to demand much more than a simple apology. It ought to be a banner apology in 72pt reverse headline. That's the least the paper could do to repair the damage it did.
Mei Fun's reputation suffered sharply in this episode and it went beyond the Chinese-reading community. Every effort needs to be taken to reverse this; and in the process make the media accountable when they spread untruths.
i am willing to take this post off, even apologise for being party to perpetuating wrong information. But before that, the China Press and Chew Mei Fun have to be more convincing given the gravity of the matter.
Otherwise it'll be like AAB saying he'll ask that Turkish paper to apologise for reporting he was in a resort town to check on his yacht.
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