Perak: MB, BN Adun open to similar illegal DVD charge
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
IPOH, Sept 7 — With a Perak DAP assemblyman facing the possibility of being charged in court for his unapproved DVD production, the authorities seem to have found themselves caught in a Catch-22 situation.
Questions now center on whether they would eventually be forced to slap similar charges on Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and MCA’s Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon for allegedly committing a similar crime.
If so, this would mean the duo would also face the possibility of losing their state seats should the courts find them guilty.
The Malaysian Insider understands that it is likely that they too had failed to obtain approval from the Film Censorship Board prior to their DVD production of the tumultuous May 7 assembly sitting.
According to past reports, Dr Mah, who is also a state executive councillor, announced in May last year that the BN government would distribute a whopping 50,000 copies of the DVD to the public.
The purpose of the production was to counter the Pakatan Rakyat’s claims that they had been mistreated during the controversial May 7 sitting, during which DAP’s Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar was famously forced out of the Speaker’s chair.
When contacted today an evasive Dr Mah refused to answer questions on the matter.
He only offered that the BN government was aware of the need to obtain approval from the board prior to the distribution of any production.
“We know. We were advised about it,” he claimed.
However when asked to confirm if he had obtained any certification to legalise his production, Dr Mah kept mum.
“I have no comment. I do not have to comment on all of your questions. I can choose not to answer,” he said, sounding upset.
Dr Mah’s defensive response has triggered Perak’s PR representatives into action.
Nga Kor Ming, who was formerly a state executive councillor when PR helmed Perak, told The Malaysian Insider that the state PR Youth would soon lodge a police report against both Zambry and Dr Mah for their production.
“We will lodge a report against them for printing and distributing 50,000 copies of the state assembly DVDs to the public. It was announced by them on May 29,” he said.
When contacted, Perak police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Pahlawan Zulkifli Abdullah confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that no investigation had been done so far against Zambry or Dr Mah over the DVDs.
