RTM Memali programme broadcast possible sub judice: Karpal

comments     Leong Kar Yen     Published     Updated

DAP today called on Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to order the Information Ministry to immediately stop broadcasting its programme on the Memali incident as a court case on the bloody clash in 1985 is still pending.

With pending suits, it would be contempt of court to proceed with the programmes broadcasting, DAP deputy chairman Karpal Singh said in a statement today.

He said the Alor Setar High Court would be hearing the Memali case on April 23. Fourteen cases have been filed by Memali villagers over the 1985 incident in Baling, Kedah, against then home minister Musa Hitam.

Karpal called on Abdul Gani to investigate the broadcasts of the ministrys programme for possible sub judice . The 30-minute programme has been broadcasted twice over the government-controlled Radio Television Malaysia.

Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin was quoted in media reports today as saying RTM would continue with the broadcast of its Memali programme.

Third segment

Karpal said he was surprised the government had broadcast the Memali programme twice despite pending court proceedings.

It is most unfortunate the cases filed as far back as 1987 are only being heard this year.

With that handicap, the matter is now further compounded with the government embarking upon broadcasting the third segment over RTM on the eve of the trial, he said.

RTM first broadcasted the Memali tragedy this year on Jan 31 and repeated it a day later.

In the incident, villagers were overwhelmed by security forces in a clash resulting in 14 deaths and many others injured.

The government has claimed that a local religious teacher, Ibrahim Libya, who was killed in the tragedy, had incited the Memali villagers to take up arms against government forces and that he was linked to PAS, an opposition Muslim-based party.



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