Bon said the complainants had confused theory with facts. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 – Lawyer Edmund Bon, who heads the Bar Council’s “My Constitution” campaign, said today he was surprised and tickled by a youth group’s claim that its public awareness booklets were seditious.
Bon was responding to a police report lodged yesterday by the 1 Malaysia Youth Graduands Club in Serdang, calling on the authorities to take immediate action against the campaigners for allegedly advocating the changing of provisions in the Federal Constitution, especially those touching on the special position of Malays and Islam.
“We’re amused they are saying it’s seditious,” Bon told The Malaysian Insider.
He defended the contents of the booklets, explaining that they were written in a simplified form but were an accurate guide to the provisions of the highest law of the land, and denied the campaign was aimed at changing the Constitution.
“The campaign does not seek to amend the Constitution, only to educate the public on what is in the Constitution,” Bon stressed.
“They’re confusing the theoretical aspect of the Constitution with the facts,” he added, referring to the allegation by the youth group’s secretary-general Ezaruddin Abdul Rahman, that people had the right to amend the Federal Constitution if they voted for members of parliament capable of doing so.
Bon pointed out that some 90,000 booklets had been distributed nationwide to date with the support of the federal government and in partnership with several state governments — including Sarawak, Selangor and Kedah.
He also highlighted that senior members of each arm of government have graced the campaign since it took off on November 13 last year, notably Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia for the legislative; Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum for the judiciary; and representing the executive was Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department charge of integration and national unity.
“We’re certainly not funded by foreign, anti-government NGOs,” he laughed, in response to further insinuations from the group.
Ezaruddin was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying: “We also believe that the brochures were sponsored by an anti-government foreign non-governmental organisation.”
Today, Bon invited the group to the join in the campaign’s next forum at its next launch on September 16 in Bangsar, which will discuss the role of the judiciary.
He added they could also contact him for a private discussion. - The Malaysian Insider
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