27 NGOs, others slam IGP for proposal to rope in the Army

27 NGOs, others slam IGP for proposal to rope in the Army
4 July, 2008
The Star
by Tan Teong Li

KUALA LUMPUR (July 4, 2008): Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan's statement t on Wednesday that the Army can be roped in to help police in public order and security enforcement has drawn flak from 27 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

"A military presence in the city or in public is a threat to the country's democratic system. No democracy in this world will allow this to happen," said National Institute for Electoral Integrity Malaysia chairman Yunus Ali.

Speaking in a press conference on behalf of the 27 signatories of a joint-statement today, Yunus said: "When the military is deployed, they will most likely be arm with guns. It is not a good move in crowd control," he said.

Yunus questioned why it was the IGP who made the statement instead of the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) as employing armed forces in the city required the approval of the National Security Council. He urged the Prime Minister to clarify the IGP's statement.

Asked if the deployment of the Armed Forces would be like the May 13 racial clashes which saw the establishment of the National Operations Council (NOC) as an emergency administrative executive which attempted to restore law and order in country, Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) chairman Wong Chin Huat said: "A second NOC is intolerable. This idea should be given up. This situation does not warrant the presence of the military. Why choose this particular time to hold the police-armed forces joint exercise?

"It is a political game at the expense of the public. It is gangster tactics to instil fear on us."

Ivy Josiah, Women’s Aid Organisation executive director said the objective of this press conference was to register "our concerns and to reject the IGP’s proposal".

"Freedom of assembly must be allowed in this country. It is basic human rights to express dissatisfaction," Ivy said, adding that the government must assure the the public that that the country is not in a state of emergency.

Asked if the 27 NGOs will be at the ant-fuel price hikes' rally on Sunday (July 6), she said: "Yes, we will be in the rally as observers and consumers. It's an opportunity for individuals to express their feelings through this rally."

Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM) said in a statement today said the IGP seemed to be seeking extra ordinary reinforcements and power to deal with peaceful demonstrations and public assemblies.

"AIM has raised concerns on the excessive use of brute force to clamp down of peaceful assemblies. We feel that the fused operation will only give space to greater arbitrary action with some very serious result to human rights development here," said K.Shan, AIM's Campaign Coordinator.

"The Police Act spells out the boundaries of all actions and powers in terms of policing in Malaysia. We fear the inclusion of the military in public order policing might create an overriding rule of engagement that is inconsistent with the Police Act," he added.

He said AIM opined that "it is highly improper to involve the military in public order and security enforcement".

"The military should only assume temporary jurisdiction on maintaining public order and security when it is absolutely necessary during emergencies with specific orders and function. We are not at war for the the military to step in," said Shan.

lang MP Charles Santiago said in a statement today the IGP's proposal "violates the rights of Malaysians to freedom of expression".

"Musa's statement also smacks of an effort to create panic in the country and conjures images of a nation in crisis. I believe this is a result of the anti-fuel rice hikes rally planned for Sunday.

"The organisers have said that hundreds of thousands of people would attend the peaceful protest. Any violence on the part of the police and military will only lead to more public dissatisfaction," said Santiago, adding that Prime Minister Abdullah has said "everything is under control".

"The military must not interfere the rights of Malaysians to free assembly in the country. Stationing soldiers on the streets is a travesty of democracy and will have serious implications on our political system," he added.

The NGOs opposing military involvement in public order and security enforcement are:

1) Civil Society Initiatives for Parliamentary (CSI-Parliament)

2) Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

3) Community Development Center (CDC)

4) Empower

5) Group of Concerned Citizens

6) Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)

7) Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN)

8) Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor (PERMAS)

9) Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)

10) Sahabat Wanita

11) Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

12) Tenaganita

13) Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)

14) Writer's Alliane for Media Independece (WAMI)

15) Pusat Kommunikasi Masyarakat (Pusat Komas)

16) Malaysia Youth & Student Democratic Movement (DEWA)

17) Youth for Change

18) Labor Resource Center

19) Center for Orang Asli Concerns

20) Sisters in Islam

21) All Women's Action Society

22) National Institute for Electoral Integrity

23) Women's Candidacy Initiative (WCI)

24) Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

25) Both Section of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

26) Jawatankuasa Kebajikan Mahasiswali (JKM)

27) LLG Cultural Development Centre