Perak Pakatan to BN: We are like Gandhi, you are just hypocrites
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders saw their claims of double-standards by the police become a self-fulfilling prophecy as their attempt to march to the Ipoh High Court resulted in the arrests of over a dozen people.
The eight arrested elected representatives included dumped assembly speaker V. Sivakumar, Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, Kedah DAP chief Thomas Su and Perak PKR deputy chief Chang Lih Kwang who had just attended the launch of the planned three-day hunger strike in the Perak DAP headquarters.
Former mentri besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin led the claims of hypocrisy by Barisan Nasional (BN) and the police whom PR claims are serving the ruling party’s interests.
“We see the police spending RM8 million on each by-election claiming to guard the safety of the people. But when BN does not contest in Penanti, the police are not there.
“This shows they are only there to guard the safety of BN leaders,” he said.
Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming had kicked off the agenda by mimicking mentri besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir’s comparisons to revolutionaries like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
“Gandhi also had a 21-day hunger strike which forced the British colonialists to negotiate the independence of India,” the Taiping MP said.
He decried police action against PR activities — “put up tent cannot, gather cannot, wear black cannot, hold candles cannot, drink teh tarik also cannot” — and it was echoed by other PR leaders who spoke.
“Tak nak makan pun tak boleh. Mana Malaysia Boleh (Not wanting to eat also cannot. Where is the Malaysia Boleh spirit)?” added Dr Lee Boon Chye, PKR’s Gopeng MP.
Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham condemned the police for actively practising double-standards by taking orders by BN.
“Why did police stop us from showing videos of the May 7 assembly but MCA’s state executive councillor Dr Mah Hang Soon was allowed?” he said of footage of the chaotic emergency sitting where Sivakumar was removed from his speaker position.
He also said that Zambry had promised not to disturb the fast but the police action earlier in the morning in arresting five workers from an event management company who were setting up a tent outside showed that the mentri besar had lied.
Nizar had also encouraged Perakians to join the fast after Dr Lee had asked those with health problems to exclude themselves.
“The doctor said if you have kencing manis (diabetes) or darah tinggi (high blood pressure), not to fast. As an engineer, I say that if you have darah manis (sweet blood) or kencing tinggi (a lot of urine), it would do you good to fast,” he quipped.
But he added that those who could not fast could still join the effort by donating to an election fund that was kick-started today with a stunning RM200,000 contribution from retired local engineer Koon Yew Yin.
He told reporters that he was not a politician but “many others” like him wanted to see the Perak crisis solved by elections.
“Remember sooner or later only you can choose the government and only God can stop you from choosing,” was his parting shot.
