The journalist fraternity has expressed dissatisfaction with the state government's decision to merely issue a three-month suspension on a voluntary patrol member (PPS), who has admitted to assaulting one of their peers last month, instead of giving him the sack.

NONE State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh ( right in photo ), who presided over the case, has asked representatives of journalist groups to appeal the Jan 11 decision by the nine-member panel formed to probe the incident.

"Please send in your appeal. The committee is willing to reviw the decision, we have to listen to the people," Phee said at a press conference to announce the action against Lim yesterday, after journalists expressed their dissatisfaction at the outcome of the probe.

Penang Chinese Media Journalists and Photographers Association (Pewaju) representative Law Chan Yee also sat on the panel that decided to suspend the assailant, Lim Ah Chye, from his duties.

Lim, 52, had on Dec 30 assaulted and injured 32-year-old Guang Ming Daily photographer Ang Kean Siang, when the latter was carrying out his duties in covering a suicide at Jalan Makloom.

Decision to suspend not final

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the decision was not final, adding he had just received the report yesterday.

"Since this is a serious matter, we will table the report to the state exco meeting on Wednesday before we finalise it," he told reporters, also asking their representatives to send in an appeal if they were not happy with the decision.

NONE He was responding to a journalist who had earlier asked him if it was better to have sacked Lim instead of merely suspending him as that would have set an example for others not to repeat Lim’s actions.

"Does this mean that if another PPS member does it again, he can publicly apologise, pay a fine in court and just get suspended from his duties?” the journalist asked.

Another asked if the light sentence was enough or effective to deter other PPS members from repeating the same mistake in future.

Yet another questioned if the state government can give assurance that a journalist or photographer would never again be assaulted by a PPS member, as what had happened to Ang ( left ).

One of the journalists, who had been a victim in a similar case, said the decision of the panel was "unfair as what happened to me still leaves a scar".

'Who never sinned please stand up'

Pewaju secretary Ng Choon Nam questioned why the association representative was not invited to attend the panel's third and last meeting on Jan 11, which meted out the sentence, to which Phee said he would look into the matter.

Phee said the panel had decided on the suspension after considering the fact that Lim had admitted to his crime, issued a public apology, paid a RM3,000 fine in court and replaced Ang's camera, which cost RM1,200.

guang ming daily journalist ang kean siang assault by pps 301212 1 "He had also been handcuffed, punished by the police, his photos appeared in newspapers and television, he had felt shameful, and everyone thought he was a criminal," said Phee, whose portfolio covers caring society, environment, health and welfare.

"Who never sinned before please stand up? He (Lim) has explained that he was emotionally involved when his friend committed suicide and so acted out of line," said the Sungai Puyu assemblyperson.

"We believe that a person should be given a second opportunity...to err is human, to forgive divine but if Pewaju asked for a review, it would be the stand of Perwaju, not us, but we will ask the case to be reviewed".

On the state government's assurance that the incident would not be repeated, Phee said even the police, which has such a large force, cannot give assurances that there would be no snatch theft in Penang.

Suspension to educate unit

Meanwhile, Phee said the panel also decided, effective yesterday,  to lift the suspension of the other members of the Jalan Makloom PPS, since Dec 30, adding "it is not right to punish the entire unit just because of the act of an individual.

"There had been another member who was supposedly involved but we found out that he only acted as a good samaritan to stop the scuffle, after which, he left the scene.

"Another individual who was said to be involved in the incident was actually just a member of the public and does not represent any PPS group," clarified Phee.

Phee said the state government viewed the incident seriously and Lim should have been sacked, but a collective decision was made to suspend him because he had shown remorse and had pleaded for another chance to  serve the unit and Lim’s contribution and commitment to the PPS was also taken into consideration.

"There are 5,300 volunteers in 210 groups and since PPS is a big family with many members,  everyone is different from the other; the incident is an isolated case.

"This collective decision is an educational and awareness process for the members to be more cautious when doing their duty as a voluntary PPS," he added.