Saturday May 24, 2008 MYT 5:57:08 PM

Police record statement from Karpal over report against Dr M

By PRISCILLA DIELENBERG

GEORGE TOWN: The police have recorded a statement from national DAP chairman Karpal Singh in connection to his police report lodged against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his remark that certain judges had approached the former Prime Minister to lobby for promotion.

Asst Supt A. Sidambaram took about an hour from 11am to record Karpal Singh’s statement at his legal firm in Green Hall Saturday.

Karpal Singh, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, then held a press conference before proceeding to give another statement to the police in relation to his earlier police report on April 26 against a Johor Baru college student who posted a murder threat against him on a PAS youth website.

Dr Mahathir was reported as saying on May 17 that he was prepared to be charged in court so that he could reveal many things about the judiciary, including lobbying.

He also said he wanted to tell all about judges who had come to him to lobby, adding that if lobbying were wrong, then these judges should be investigated.

Karpal Singh called upon the police to undertake an in-depth investigation into the allegation so that innocent judges could be spared from being dragged into the net of infamy.

He added that it made no difference if some of them had retired as they could still be charged.

On the statement by former UN rapporteur Datuk Param Cumaraswamy that Dr Mahathir should be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for his public speech on May 17 in Johor Baru which bordered on sedition, Karpal Singh said it was misconceived and against the rule of law.

He said the DAP was absolutely opposed to detention without trial, and he advised Param to lodge a police report.

“Param is saying Dr Mahathir should have a dose of his own medicine but I think the ISA should not be invoked under any circumstances, even though I an very angry and bitter about spending more than 15 months detained under the ISA during Dr Mahathir’s time as the Prime Minister. There are other laws that can be applied,” said Karpal Singh.

On his report against the 19-year-old college student, Karpal Singh said he had since made an appeal to the Attorney-General to consider not prosecuting the boy as he had accepted his apology.

“However, the prerogative lies with the A-G and police investigations have to be completed. In the event the boy is charged, I volunteer to appear as a witness in court to say that I have accepted his apology.

"That should be given enough weight to conclude that his sentence is not severe despite the severity of what he posted on the website,” he said.