COMMENT | Is today the beginning of the real emergency?

COMMENT | Why are the cops wasting public funds in seizing publisher Gerakbudaya’s computers over Tommy Thomas’ book? The former attorney-general is not denying writing this book. Anyway, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness is a best seller which I am sure he is proud about.

Neither is Gerakbudaya nor its founder Chong Ton Sin saying they didn’t publish the book. These are all unnecessary distractions and a waste of time from other serious issues like Covid-19. Or is this the start of the real emergency?

When I was arrested for sedition for a statement I wrote on the judgement against Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy charge, the police asked for an additional remand period because they wanted to seize my computers. I told the magistrate that was not necessary because I don’t deny writing the statement and was in fact proud of it.

So similarly why seize computers when it is a known fact and nobody is challenging its source?

And then we have the contempt guilty verdict and Malaysiakini is fined RM500,000.

This is simply outrageous given the fact that Malaysiakini is punished for something they did not utter and worst still, the courts fined Malaysiakini more than double what the attorney-general's chambers requested.

In passing the judgement, Court of Appeal President Rohana Yusuf said, “The impugned statement (comments) has gone far and wide locally and internationally and the content is spurious and reprehensible in nature, containing the allegation of corruption”.

Now with this verdict, does the judiciary think they are going to receive praises from around the world?

It seems the judiciary is unnecessarily getting too personal and petty when it comes to criticism directed at it. If at all the judiciary wanted to be magnanimous, they could have just fined Malaysiakini RM1. This is not a joke because previously, a former ISA detainee who won his case for unlawful detention was awarded nominal damages of only RM1.

This decision, however high the punishment may be, will only be seen as an attack on freedom of speech and expression. It is a blow to fundamental liberties. It is a sad day when six of the highest judges in our Federal Court can come to such a conclusion.

S ARUTCHELVAN is deputy chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

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