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Call upon the Menteri Besar of Perak to direct all Local Councils in Perak to repeal the Park Bye-laws

 


Press Statement
by M Kula Segaran

(Ipoh, Saturday) The Park Bye-law which has caused a great controversy with Ipoh folks has now been suspended of its operation by the Menteri Besar (MB) of Perak. The decision was made after a full executive council meeting on Wednesday.

DAP urges the MB to issue a directive canceling all summons which was issued earlier and at the same time to provide some form of compensation to the victims as they were summoned for an non-existence offence under the bye-laws. Further, immediate steps ought to be taken to repeal the offensive bye-laws which is against the very spirit of caring and loving society which is being promoted in this country. Some of the victim have suffered mental trauma and as a result feel extremely shy to go out with their friends of opposite sex. Since when it is the duty of the Ipoh mayor to be our moral guardian ? Don't impose Taliban style of administration on to the people.

It is reported that more than 150 summons had been issued for indecent behaviour by the city council of Ipoh alone although the summons if any should be for "disorderly behaviour" as stated in Rule 8 of the bye-laws.

The bye-laws rules states as follows:


8 (1) Any person found in behaving in disorderly manner in any park commits an offence.
(2)Any person committing any act in contravention of any of the provisions of these bye-laws may be ordered out of any park by the President or any officer authorized in writing by him or a police officer and may be refused admission subsequently.
(3) Any person refusing to obey such order under Paragraph(2) may, with reasonable force be removed from such park.


The DAP is given to understand that other local and municipal council in Perak has such provision like that of the Ipoh local council and therefore the other local council is also empowered to issue summon under the bye-laws.

Can the MB or the Chairman for Local government and Urban Development Dato Chang Kou Youn state publicly the numbers of summons that had been issued under the above bylaw by the other local councils in Perak .

With the suspension of the Park bye-laws, inIpoh, what about the other local councils which are having similar bye-laws. Failure to suspend/repeal the bye-laws would mean discriminatory imposition of an offence in different districts of the state although they came under one State Administration. To bring about consistency in the civil administration all Park bye laws in the other districts of Perak need also to be repealed.

The DAP demands all Local Councils In Perak including the Ipoh City Hall to convene an emergency full board meeting to legally and officially repeal the bye-laws forthwith.
 

(7/6/2003)


* M.Kulasegaran, DAP Deputy Secretary-General and Perak DAP Secretary