The Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons in Perak will boycott a meeting called by state police chief Deputy Comm Zulkifli Abdullah tomorrow.
According to ousted Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the police have no right to interfere with the business of the state assembly.
The meeting is for the police to brief the assemblypersons on security measures ahead of the controversial Perak assembly sitting beginning on May 7.
"The police should respect the democratic process and the right of the speaker and the assembly to convene a meeting without any perceived threats," said Nizar following a top-level Pakatan meeting at the PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
The PAS leader also revealed that a number of Pakatan assemblypersons had been harassed by the police in recent days where officers were seen taking photographs outside their houses.
Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham said a team of police officers in two vans had visited homes of assemblypersons including Siva Subramaniam (Buntong), Idham Lim (Titi Serong), Chang Lih Kang (Teja) and Loke Chee Yan (Kepayang) over the past two days.
Meanwhile, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who chaired the Pakatan meeting today, called on the state government to allow all media to cover the assembly sitting.
"We are worried that there will be an effort to cover up or manipulate the event," said Anwar at a press conference after the Pakatan meeting.
Today’s meeting was attended by other Pakatan top guns, among others, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Lim, who was also at the press conference, added that the restriction on the Internet media made a "mockery" of World Press Freedom Day, which is commemorated worldwide today.
Perak Pakatan has demanded that all media, including alternative media, be allowed to report on the assembly meeting.
Late this evening, Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir announced that all restrictions on the press have been lifted, including the ban on bloggers and online media.
Anwar: Najib should free Manoharan
When asked about the decision by M Manoharan, who is incarcerated under the Internal Security Act, to consider resigning his Kota Alam Shah state seat in Selangor, Anwar stressed that all political detainees should be freed.
"This is so that Manoharan can executed his duty as a state assemblyperson," he said.
Lim was however pressed by journalists on whether DAP would accept Manoharan’s resignation should he decide to do so in two weeks.
Lim said that he emphatised with Manoharan’s frustration in not being able to properly carry out his task as the state representative for his constituents, but he hoped that the ISA detainee would think this through carefully.
"We hope (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) can solved the problem. If he doesn’t want any unnecessary by-elections, he should free Manoharan without any delay."
Conversion: Pakatan papers over difference
Meanwhile, Pakatan tried to paper over its differences in regard to the cabinet decision to ban parents from secretly converting their children.
Anwar said that Islam stands for freedom of religion and there should be no compulsion in religion.
“On the issue of child custody, naturally it should be given to the mother, or as decided by the court,” he added.
However, he lamented that the cabinet had made the decision without taking into consideration several key aspects involving the thorny issue.
The cabinet, said Anwar, had also failed to consult religious leaders, the civil society, academics and the opposition on the matter.
Anwar said that there should be a meeting of relevant parties to look into all aspects of religious conversion.
“We (Pakatan) also agreed to set up a special committee to study the issue, which include looking into the state enactment (of the cabinet decision),” he said.
Hadi Awang: PKR to contest Penanti
When asked to elaborate on the special committee, Hadi Awang, who was present at the press conference, said it involved discussion with all relevant parties.
He echoed Anwar in saying that the cabinet had made its decision without any consultation with all affected parties.
Hadi Awang stressed that although custody of children would naturally go the mother, the ties between the father and their children should not be severed.
Anwar further explained that the father is still responsible for providing maintenance to the family and he has the right to visit his children and look after their welfare.
Meanwhile, Hadi Awang said Pakatan had agreed that PKR would be the party to contest the upcoming Penanti by-election.
"This decision should not be questioned and we have ordered (PAS Penang) state and division to give their full cooperation to the PKR candidate," he said, referring to the stringent demand by Penang PAS to contest the seat.
According to ousted Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the police have no right to interfere with the business of the state assembly.
The meeting is for the police to brief the assemblypersons on security measures ahead of the controversial Perak assembly sitting beginning on May 7.
"The police should respect the democratic process and the right of the speaker and the assembly to convene a meeting without any perceived threats," said Nizar following a top-level Pakatan meeting at the PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.The PAS leader also revealed that a number of Pakatan assemblypersons had been harassed by the police in recent days where officers were seen taking photographs outside their houses.
Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham said a team of police officers in two vans had visited homes of assemblypersons including Siva Subramaniam (Buntong), Idham Lim (Titi Serong), Chang Lih Kang (Teja) and Loke Chee Yan (Kepayang) over the past two days.
Meanwhile, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who chaired the Pakatan meeting today, called on the state government to allow all media to cover the assembly sitting.
"We are worried that there will be an effort to cover up or manipulate the event," said Anwar at a press conference after the Pakatan meeting.Today’s meeting was attended by other Pakatan top guns, among others, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Lim, who was also at the press conference, added that the restriction on the Internet media made a "mockery" of World Press Freedom Day, which is commemorated worldwide today.
Perak Pakatan has demanded that all media, including alternative media, be allowed to report on the assembly meeting.
Late this evening, Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir announced that all restrictions on the press have been lifted, including the ban on bloggers and online media.
Anwar: Najib should free Manoharan
When asked about the decision by M Manoharan, who is incarcerated under the Internal Security Act, to consider resigning his Kota Alam Shah state seat in Selangor, Anwar stressed that all political detainees should be freed.
"This is so that Manoharan can executed his duty as a state assemblyperson," he said.Lim was however pressed by journalists on whether DAP would accept Manoharan’s resignation should he decide to do so in two weeks.
Lim said that he emphatised with Manoharan’s frustration in not being able to properly carry out his task as the state representative for his constituents, but he hoped that the ISA detainee would think this through carefully.
"We hope (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) can solved the problem. If he doesn’t want any unnecessary by-elections, he should free Manoharan without any delay."
Conversion: Pakatan papers over difference
Meanwhile, Pakatan tried to paper over its differences in regard to the cabinet decision to ban parents from secretly converting their children.
Anwar said that Islam stands for freedom of religion and there should be no compulsion in religion.
“On the issue of child custody, naturally it should be given to the mother, or as decided by the court,” he added.
However, he lamented that the cabinet had made the decision without taking into consideration several key aspects involving the thorny issue.
The cabinet, said Anwar, had also failed to consult religious leaders, the civil society, academics and the opposition on the matter.
Anwar said that there should be a meeting of relevant parties to look into all aspects of religious conversion.
“We (Pakatan) also agreed to set up a special committee to study the issue, which include looking into the state enactment (of the cabinet decision),” he said.
Hadi Awang: PKR to contest Penanti
When asked to elaborate on the special committee, Hadi Awang, who was present at the press conference, said it involved discussion with all relevant parties.
He echoed Anwar in saying that the cabinet had made its decision without any consultation with all affected parties.
Hadi Awang stressed that although custody of children would naturally go the mother, the ties between the father and their children should not be severed.
Anwar further explained that the father is still responsible for providing maintenance to the family and he has the right to visit his children and look after their welfare.
Meanwhile, Hadi Awang said Pakatan had agreed that PKR would be the party to contest the upcoming Penanti by-election.
"This decision should not be questioned and we have ordered (PAS Penang) state and division to give their full cooperation to the PKR candidate," he said, referring to the stringent demand by Penang PAS to contest the seat.
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