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The BN in particular the MCA and Gerakan approved the Ipoh City Park bye law and they must take it upon them selves to repeal it with immediate effect

 


Media Statement
by M Kula Segaran

(Ipoh, Saturday)  To date the Ipoh City Council enforcement officers have issued more then 170 summons for alleged indecent behavior under rule 8 of the Parks byelaw.

The byelaw sets out 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

On 27May03 the Perak DAP disclosed to the Malaysian public that innocent couples while holding hands in public parks have been issued summonses by the City Hall enforcement officers under the above byelaw. Even a student and his classmate while on the stairway of a public library were issued a summons. Since our disclosure of abuse of power and discretion by the enforcement officers of the City Hall the Perak Menteri Besar has issued a directive to the City Hall to cease enforcement of this byelaw.   

The above byelaw was enacted as a bylaw of the City Hall of Ipoh in 1985. At that material time and to date all the local councilors are from the component parties of the BN. In fact the majority of local councilors came from MCA and Gerakan in 1995. These councilors were responsible in approving and enacting the Parks byelaw, which has caused so much of controversy and inconvenienced the young couples while in public parks in Ipoh. In fact many of these councilors (1995) have been subsequently elected as Members of Parliament and State assemblyman. Is the MCA and Gerakan willing to disclose the names of these councilors?. Many of them are still around and active in the political arena. Is MCA and Gerakan willing to take disciplinary action against these former councilors for have been part of yes man of 1995?

It is widely reported that the Perak MCA wants the “Municipal by law on indecent behavior repealed if it is found to be ambiguous”. The MCA and Gerakan having caused all this misery and hardship to the people. They are now trying to wrangle their way out by suggesting that the byelaw need to be restudied. Why did the MCA and Gerakan councilors fail in their public duty by approving the bylaw in the first place?

 The DAP is given to understand that almost all the other local councils in Perak have similar provisions of the by-law. In view of the suspension of the Parks byelaw of Ipoh when will MCA and Gerakan prevail on the Menteri Besar to suspend similar byelaws in the other local councils?  

The Perak Chairman Datuk Ong Ka Chuan further mentioned that its party’s legal advisors would “study the bylaw” before making a proposal to the state government. Didn’t the local councilors or MCA study the byelaw before saying yes to it in 1985?

As the next general election is nearing, the MCA wants to create a picture to the public that it could settle problems of the people. In reality the Gerakan and MCA are the root cause of this bye law which has resulted in the issuance of the summonses. . Both Gerakan and MCA just abide to the needs of their big brother UMNO and dare not say “no“ to this by-law. 

The MCA and Gerakan in particular must apologize to the public on this disaster they have created and take immediate steps repeal this byelaw.   

(14/6/2003)


*  M.Kula Segaran Deputy Secretary-General DAP Malaysia and Perak DAP Secretary