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Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 12nd August 2008:  PM shows poor commitment to the Rule of Law I am surprised at the furore created by about 30 non-governmental organisations and political parties in front of the Bar council building on Saturday. The gathering appears to have been condoned by the police because there does not appear to have any precautionary measures taken to ensure that the demonstration did not take place over the forum on conversion to Islam at the Bar Council’s auditorium. The repeated argument that the forum ought to have been held behind closed doors does not appear to hold any water. Conversions to Islam have been subject-matter of numerous cases in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. These cases were not held behind closed doors because, by law, courts are open to the public. When arguments were raised in these cases by those intending to renounce Islam and the counter arguments by the Majlis Agama Islam in open court in the presence ot packed galleries, there was no objection taken by any quarter. In any event, no objection could have been taken because our courts are open to the public. I cannot see how the Bar Council public forum could not have been allowed to proceed as planned without ugly scenes outside the Bar Council building by those who do not obviously believe in transparency and the right to freedom of speech. The threat by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, that action could be taken against the organisers of the forum under the Internal Security Act and the Sedition Act does no speak well of out already poor commitment to the Rule of Law as universally understood. The country should not take retrogressive steps. We must move forward in tadem with the necessity of serious commitment to the Rule of Law if we are to have any standing of dignity in the eyes of the international world. Action should be taken against the demonstrators who appeared in large numbers and, obviously, with racial overtones, and not against the Bar Council. The Inspector-General of Police should explain why the demonstrators were even allowed to gather outside the Bar Council building without a police permit. The police obviously knew of the intended demonstration days before it occurred. However, no preemptive steps appear to have been taken to nib the unlawful demonstration in the bud by cordoning off tha area and arresting those who dared to defy the law. What occurred has contributed substantially to loss of confidence in the police force. * Karpal Singh, DAP National Chairman & MP for Bukit Gelugor