|
Second
reading of National Service Bill should be postponed for six months
Press Statement
by
Fong Po Kuan
(Petaling
Jaya, Monday):
DAPSY welcomes the proposed amendment to the National Service
Training Bill 2003 to delete in full Clause 29 which provides that it is an
offence for anyone to incite another person to evade duties or liabilities
which he is liable to perform or to oppose the national service program.
This afternoon, all MPs were given a copy of the proposed amendment to
clause 29 and I believe all MPs should welcome the deletion of clause 29
which is intended to clamp down on any opposition to the national service
program.
Although DAPSY welcomes the deletion of Clause 29, we believe that it also
goes to show that the Bill has not been properly drafted and without
adequate consultation. Instead, the Bill was tabled in Parliament in a hurry
in order to be rubber stamped and passed in the present session through the
two-thirds majority of the Barisan Nasional.
MPs were only given a copy of the Bill last Tuesday and yet they are
expected to debate on it especially as the actual contents of the Bill
differ greatly from the brief and general information given by the Defence
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. For instance, until yesterday, the
Defence Minister was still misleading the public that the Bill only targets
those who are 18 years old and SPM school leavers. However, Clause 3 of the
Bill includes as many as 19 age groups, ranging from 16 to 35 years old, who
will be caught under the National Service Bill once it is passed and
enforced.
The lack of details and harsh criminal punishment provided in the Bill also
raise doubts as to the effectiveness of its implementation to achieve the
objectives stated by both the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
and the Defence Minister to instill national unity, patriotism and
discipline.
I have submitted a motion to the Speaker of the House calling for the
postponement of the second reading of the Bill for 6 months in order to
refer it to an all-Party Parliamentary Select Committee to conduct
nationwide public hearings on the proposed Bill.
(24/6/2003)
* Fong Po Kuan, Member
of Parliament for Batu Gajah and DAPSY National Executive Council Member
|
http://dapmalaysia.org