(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): DAP warns the government of the unhealthy consequences both nationally and internationally should the government follow the Immigration Department’s suggestion to revoke Wee Meng Chee’s passport. DAP is shocked at the suggestion by Immigration Department director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don that the government can revoke Wee’s international passport and thereby force him to return back to the country immediately. 

Not only would the government provoke national outrage amongst Malaysians and those seeking space for freedom of Malaysians, the Malaysian government would also be subjected to international opprobrium for taking such harsh action against an ordinary university student who is not affiliated with any political party.  Has the government nothing better to do than to use the entire government machinery to bully one ordinary student? Why not focus on acting against criminals who rob, hurt and rape? 

Malaysians would see such action as double-standards, an act of moral hypocrisy and an abuse of power. Why was a Malaysian  leader, who was arrested overseas for trying to smuggle A$ 2 million to Brisbane, Australia not have their passport revoked. Neither was the passport of a serving Deputy Minister who had held a Permanent Resident status in Australia despite taking an oath of loyalty to defend and promote the country. 

If MCA Youth President Datuk Liow Tiong Lai  is consistent, then he should dare to raise the issue of Deputy Minister having PR in a foreign country as unpatriotic and an insult to the country, instead of blindly supporting UMNO. 

Malaysians would see such action against Wee as completely disproportionate to what Wee had done as the government’s allegations against Wee is unproven and completely subjective. So far neither UMNO leaders nor MCA leaders such as Liow Tiong Lai has proven how Wee’s video of himself singing the national anthem interspersed with rap on YouTube is racist, insulted the national anthem, showed disrespect to national leaders and touched on religious sensitivities.  

Deputy Prime Minister  Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday that the authorities would investigate as the insult to the national anthem was serious. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was even more hostile by ferociously demanding that Wee be charged under the Internal Security Act (ISA)  for threatening public peace and national security because Wee had shown gross disrespect to the country, religion, race and leaders who had contributed to the country.  

This is wrong, irresponsible and arbitrary use of power. When has insulting or showing disrespect to UMNO and MCA leaders become such a serious crime as to involve the ISA?

Wee will be granted political asylum status by modern democracies should the government revoke his passport

There is no need for MCA and UMNO leaders to issue threats of ISA or revoking passports. If indeed Wee had insulted the national anthem, Wee can be charged under Section 8(2) of the National Anthem Act 1965 which states,

“Any person who knowingly shows disrespect towards the National Anthem in any public place shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month.”  

Such extreme measures  of revoking passports would be intended to force Wee to return home from Taiwan to be punished and do him harm. Under international human rights law that is recognized and acknowledged by United Nation members, Wee would have a right to seek political asylum either in Taiwan US or any other European country.  

A political asylum status would given by the US government to a person who applies and shows that it is likely that he/she would be directly persecuted or harmed in the home country usually because of membership in a political or religious group or for exercising his view. Any modern democracy would grant political asylum status as forcing Wee to return home to face punishment by revoking his passport is clearly a form of victimization for exercising his right of dissent and freedom of expression.  

Would not this further shame Malaysia’s reputation and damage our efforts to attract foreign investment in ICT technology which requires freedom from censorship and expression to promote creativity?