A link shared at J.I.M Facebook Page on October 09, 2014 at 09:08PM via IFTTT:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/inaction-against-ibrahim-ali-proves-double-standard-by-putrajaya-say-lawyer
Putrajaya's refusal to act against Perkasa's Datuk Ibrahim Ali over his call to burn Bibles reflects a blatant practice of double standards, lawyers say, as the government continues to come down hard on dissenting voices.
Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Eric Paulsen (pic) said he was concerned with the "incredible excuse" given by de facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri for not taking any action against Ibrahim and instead defended him.
"Nancy made up new defences not found in the Sedition Act or case laws to justify the authorities’ inaction – citing that Ibrahim Ali was 'defending Islam'," he said in a statement today.
"Surely Nancy cannot be so ignorant to not know the intention of the maker is irrelevant in sedition cases and it is an offence to act, speak or publish statements with a seditious tendency. The incredible excuse of 'defending Islam' does not exist in sedition law and is therefore unacceptable."
He said LFL has defended freedom of speech and believed that it can only be curtailed in exceptional cases such as in cases of incitement to violence and hate speech but it was shocked at Putrajaya's "blatant double standards" in Putrajaya's inaction against Ibrahim.
"We are shocked by the blatant double standards that are being applied for Umno or pro-Umno personalities like Ibrahim Ali while cracking down hard on dissidents and opposition politicians for anything that is remotely controversial or offensive as exemplified by the trigger-happy sedition charges against N.Surendran, law lecturer Azmi Sharom, Adam Adli, RSN Rayer and many others."
Yesterday, Nancy said in a parliamentary written reply that no action will be taken against Ibrahim over his call last year to burn copies of the Bible containing the word "Allah" as he was merely defending Islam.
She said that the police concluded that Ibrahim's words were only directed at specific individuals, and not a threat to larger society.
"The statement he made was not intended to cause religious chaos but only to defend the sanctity of Islam," she replied to a question by Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng on why Ibrahim had not been charged with sedition.
Lawyer M. Kula Segaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, also expressed shock at Nancy's reply, claiming that her answer only cemented the belief among Malaysians that Putrajaya was practising double standards when it came to using the Sedition Act.
"Malaysians are now not only angry with the double standards applied by the authorities in not taking action against some individuals but also with the ridiculous excuse used for practising such double standards," he said.
"How could police inaction against Ibrahim Ali be explained or justified with 'he was merely defending Islam'?"
He said that defending Ibrahim was "most dangerous", as it would allow other extremist groups who made provocative statements and actions to get away with their act by offering a similar excuse.
Kula, who is DAP vice-chairman, noted that Seri Delima assemblyman Rayer was charged with sedition for uttering "Umno celaka", despite only referring to several individuals.
"Why should he be charged for merely calling an organisation celaka and had only responded to a protest by some Umno leaders?
"Nancy’s answer has only further confirmed what Malaysians already know – the government practises double standards in using the Sedition Act," he added. – October 9, 2014.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/inaction-against-ibrahim-ali-proves-double-standard-by-putrajaya-say-lawyer
Putrajaya's refusal to act against Perkasa's Datuk Ibrahim Ali over his call to burn Bibles reflects a blatant practice of double standards, lawyers say, as the government continues to come down hard on dissenting voices.
Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Eric Paulsen (pic) said he was concerned with the "incredible excuse" given by de facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri for not taking any action against Ibrahim and instead defended him.
"Nancy made up new defences not found in the Sedition Act or case laws to justify the authorities’ inaction – citing that Ibrahim Ali was 'defending Islam'," he said in a statement today.
"Surely Nancy cannot be so ignorant to not know the intention of the maker is irrelevant in sedition cases and it is an offence to act, speak or publish statements with a seditious tendency. The incredible excuse of 'defending Islam' does not exist in sedition law and is therefore unacceptable."
He said LFL has defended freedom of speech and believed that it can only be curtailed in exceptional cases such as in cases of incitement to violence and hate speech but it was shocked at Putrajaya's "blatant double standards" in Putrajaya's inaction against Ibrahim.
"We are shocked by the blatant double standards that are being applied for Umno or pro-Umno personalities like Ibrahim Ali while cracking down hard on dissidents and opposition politicians for anything that is remotely controversial or offensive as exemplified by the trigger-happy sedition charges against N.Surendran, law lecturer Azmi Sharom, Adam Adli, RSN Rayer and many others."
Yesterday, Nancy said in a parliamentary written reply that no action will be taken against Ibrahim over his call last year to burn copies of the Bible containing the word "Allah" as he was merely defending Islam.
She said that the police concluded that Ibrahim's words were only directed at specific individuals, and not a threat to larger society.
"The statement he made was not intended to cause religious chaos but only to defend the sanctity of Islam," she replied to a question by Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng on why Ibrahim had not been charged with sedition.
Lawyer M. Kula Segaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, also expressed shock at Nancy's reply, claiming that her answer only cemented the belief among Malaysians that Putrajaya was practising double standards when it came to using the Sedition Act.
"Malaysians are now not only angry with the double standards applied by the authorities in not taking action against some individuals but also with the ridiculous excuse used for practising such double standards," he said.
"How could police inaction against Ibrahim Ali be explained or justified with 'he was merely defending Islam'?"
He said that defending Ibrahim was "most dangerous", as it would allow other extremist groups who made provocative statements and actions to get away with their act by offering a similar excuse.
Kula, who is DAP vice-chairman, noted that Seri Delima assemblyman Rayer was charged with sedition for uttering "Umno celaka", despite only referring to several individuals.
"Why should he be charged for merely calling an organisation celaka and had only responded to a protest by some Umno leaders?
"Nancy’s answer has only further confirmed what Malaysians already know – the government practises double standards in using the Sedition Act," he added. – October 9, 2014.
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