Media statement by Tony Pua Kiam Wee in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 29^th September 2010:

The Royal Malaysian Police should spend its precious time investigating criminal cases, especially those involving serious crimes, instead of wasting man-hours on trivial or non-issues

I have been invited to give a statement at the Shah Alam Police Headquarters today at 1pm with regards to one of the suggestions I made during the Selangor Budget 2011 dialogue on 26 July 2010 where I called for a review of the current bumiputra housing discount policy.

I have suggested that discounts for luxury homes valued at RM500,000 and above, and commercial properties valued more than RM2 million be discontinued. Under the current policy, the rich benefit much more than the poor as a house valued at RM2 million will receive RM140,000 discount while a medium cost flat worth RM100,000 will only get RM100,000. I have proposed instead for the discounts to be channelled towards helping the poor, particularly the bumiputra poor.

I was informed that the investigating officer that I'm now being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.

I understand that the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim will also have his statement taken as he had commented on the same issue to the press in the subsequent days.

The whole idea of being investigated for Sedition for the policy proposals which I have raised is just completely frivolous and ludicrous.

Firstly, the policy suggestion is completely in line with the Prime Minister's call for reform in the countries' race-based affirmative action policy under the "New Economic Model (NEM)". This reforms include his often quoted remarks that the affirmative action policies will be "market-friendly and merit-based" and focused on the lowest 40% of income earners, the unlike in the past.

My policy suggestion is fully in-line with the Prime Minister's "NEM" where the removal of the discounts will make it more "market-friendly" for property developers and prevent abuses by middlemen who profit from re-selling the discounted properties to non-bumiputras.

In addition, it is also "merit-based" as the poor will receive the necessary assistance through the discount while the already wealthy will no longer be given such disproportionate assistance. Based on my suggestion, the policy will definitely be focused to benefit the bottom 40% of income earners.

How in the world is my suggestion seditious is really beyond me. If my policy suggestion is seditious, then sure the NEM is the same and perhaps the police should also bring in the Prime Minister for investigation on possible sedition in his "market-friendly and merit-based" affirmative action policy statements.

The fact that the event had taken place at the end of July and the investigation is now only taking place 2 months later with the installation of the new Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar shows that the new regime is becoming a bigger cats paw of the Umno and Barisan Nasional to intimidate members of the opposition and to frighten the rakyat into supporting the ruling parties.

I empathize with the officers who are investigating my case as well as the other cases involving my colleagues such as Teo Nie Ching and Ean Yong Hian Wah for they are being forced to carry out the investigations despite the obvious frivolousness of the cases.

I have cooperated fully with the investigating officer but I call upon the the new IGP to stop making a complete mockery of the police force by spending time investigating "non-issues" and start focusing its under-staffed criminal investigation department on the various serious crimes affecting the country today.

* Tony Pua Kiam Wee, DAP National Publicity Secretary & MP for Petaling Jaya Utara