I refer to the Malaysiakini report Cops summon DAP rep over 'apartheid' remark .

Between 2:30pm and 5pm on March 25, I was called to JB Central Police Station and interrogated under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act for raising the issues of apartheid, bumiputeraism, Amanah Saham Johor and Dana Johor in my adjournment speech during the last Johor state assembly sitting on Feb 26.

A police report had been lodged against me in Segamat by Umno Youth’s Sekinjang Division in the presence of Kemelah state assembly person Ayob Rahmat.

The content of my speech was delivered as an adjournment speech which was submitted to the state assembly secretary one week before the sitting at 10:20am, Feb 19 as required by the Dewan’s Standing Orders Clause 119(1).

However, according to Standing Orders Clause 119(3), any adjournment speech must be notified of to the menteri besar or the state government secretary (in menteri besar’s absence) for the state government to decide on whether the issues being raised in the adjournment speech would be answered by state government.

In other words, the state government has the liberty to decide as to whether it would answer issues raised in my adjournment speech.

Furthermore, according to the Standing Orders, the speaker has the power to reject my adjournment speech from being delivered in the state assembly if he finds that issues being raised were ‘seditious’ and would then advise me accordingly.

Furthermore, one oral and one written question raised by me were rejected by the speaker as they were considered ‘government secrets’, ie,

1. List of state assembly persons, state excos, MPs and ministers that had been given government land and timber concessions in Johor; and

2. List of all annual emoluments, monthly salaries, bonuses and perks that have been given to managers and the board of directors of Syarikat Air Johor Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Even though these questions of public importance were turned down, it shows the ‘power’ of speaker and the state government in evading my questions.

I appreciate the speaker’s openness in letting me raise important issues such as apartheid, bumiputraism, Dana Johor and ASJ.

I also think it was commendable for Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman to take all the trouble to answer questions and issues raised in my adjournment speech.

Nonetheless, the sequence of events show no seditious intent on my part. I decided to deliver my thought and detailed studies on apartheid in the form of my adjournment speech because it had to be submitted earlier to the state government.

My intent was to allow for the state government and speaker to determine earlier whether these issues raised in my adjournment speech would be appropriate to be debated within the august Dewan.

Since it was allowed to be delivered, I am fully protected by the privilege of immunity provided by Johor state constitution.

The writer is Johor DAP state chairperson and Skudai assembly person.