Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 24^th May 2009: 

Najib must apologise for what five previous Prime Ministers had not done – police raid on DAP Hqrs as if DAP is a terrorist organization like Al Maunah

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should apologise for what five previous Prime Ministers had not done in the 43 year history of the DAP – police raid on DAP Hqrs as if the DAP is a terrorist organization like Al Maunah.

I was enroute to Air Kala for a DAP branch function and had stopped in Sauk for dinner for its famous fresh-water fish, jerawat and malau, when I received a phone call at 6.27 pm from DAP IT manager, Goh Kheng Teong that a police party of 12 in plainclothes had brought along a handcuffed DAPSY political education director Ooi Leng Heng in a police raid of DAP hqrs.

I was unable to tweet the outrageous police action as I could not access the Internet with Maxis 3G and I later authorized Goh to update the twitter on my behalf.

Why has Najib, who had committed himself to an open and democratic premiership only seven weeks ago, allowed the police to go on a rampage to the extent of doing things which the previous five Prime Ministers had not allowed the police to do for 43 years – a police raid on DAP Hqrs as if the DAP is a terrorist organization like Al Maunah.

Al Maunah immediately came to mind as I was in Sauk, which was made famous or notorious by the Islamic cult nine years ago, for its was the site of the four-day stand-off between Al-Maunah and the security forces after the former made an audacious raid on July 2, 2000 on a Malaysian Army Reserve camp and stole weapons from the armoury. Three were killed in the stand-off while three leaders of Al-Maunah were subsequently executed after a trial on charges of “waging war against the King”.

The question many are asking is whether with Najib as Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as Home Minister, the cousins are taking the country quickly down the slippery slope of a police state, where the rule of law and human rights are trampled upon indiscriminately without any compunction.

Nobody believes that the police are not aware of the sensitivities of a police raid on the DAP Hqrs, or that it would have taken place without the “greenlight” from the highest authorities.

Who from the “top” gave the “greenlight” for the police raid on DAP Hqrs? Is the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, whom I had said many a time should resign because of his dereliction of duties, party to it?

The police raided the DAP Hqrs without a search warrant. The police came to the DAP Hqrs like “thieves in the night” without any notice whatsoever. It was fortunate that the DAP Hqrs was not empty and unoccupied at the time, as Goh and another Hqrs staff Ng Yon Kok were still in headquarters at the time.

Imagine what could have happened if the DAP Hqrs were completely empty of staff during the police raid, when the police would have a field day to search and do whatever they like in the Hqrs.

Is this in keeping with the Police Standard Operating Procedures when they want to search sensitive places like headquarters of political parties?

Will the Police ever think of conducting police raids on Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan Hqrs let alone in circumstances like “thieves in the night” completely without notice and when they are completely unoccupied, so that they might be able to do whatever they like there?

Gerakan President and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon has been talking about KPIs (key performance index) for Ministers. Is he prepared to be frank with Najib and Hishammuddim that their KPIs will suffer grievously with such unprecedented police raids on the DAP Hqrs?

Are there any MCA, MIC or even UMNO Ministers who dare to condemn the police raid on DAP Hqrs yesterday or place this subject on the Cabinet agenda on Wednesday?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor