KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — DAP lawmakers are deeply unhappy and have questioned the sudden use of oppressive laws against its leaders for alleged links to a Tamil terrorist group and communism, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.
Lim said DAP representatives questioned the actions in a national party meeting last night, which they said were based on unsubstantiated grounds and was never a problem prior to the 14th general election, furthering speculation of a “deep state” move against the party.
“Questions were raised as to why similar action was not taken against opposition leaders when they were in government, before the 2018 general elections,” the Bagan MP said in a statement.
“A common question that remain unanswered was why action was taken against DAP elected representatives by the present government for alleged offences committed before 2018, when the previous BN government had not taken similar action against them.
“Failure to take similar action against the then government leaders who are now in opposition, some who have given funds raises questions of the existence of a deep state,” Lim said.
Lim said two main issues were raised during the meeting: the detention of DAP elected representatives for alleged links to the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the ban of a comic book accused of promoting communism.
“Again, questions were raised as to why no action was also taken against former government leaders who attended a communist party training school or gave speeches at a communist party congress,” he said.
Umno’s Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor and MCA’s Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had previously spoken at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, while MCA leaders had trained at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong that same year.
Lim said these sentiments were raised during the Cabinet meeting today, in addition to calls to review Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, to allow appeals and judicial reviews on decisions and investigations regarding the pro-China comic book, and for authorities to explain their position of LTTE which no longer exists compared to the Islamic State.
DAP’s Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran and Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan were among 12 people charged separately this week with supporting or possessing material linked to LTTE.
Home Ministry has also banned the Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism comic book written by former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau, which had Lim pen its foreword.
