KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 1 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has urged the police to focus its time, resources and effort on exposing the cartel of corrupt police officers instead of investigating Saturday’s peaceful Undi18 gathering in front of Parliament.
He said the cartel is clearly more important since it involves police personnel allegedly on the payroll of crime syndicates, including a former inspector-general.
“DAP urges the police to stop such investigations and not trouble peaceful protesters seeking to uphold the Federal Constitution,” Lim said in a statement.
The Bagan MP added that the cartel is also more dangerous and of greater threat to public order and security than the peaceful gathering that sought to uphold the constitutional amendment lowering the voting age to 18.
“Further there is no avenue for those protesting to ask their MPs to voice their grievances and dissatisfaction, following the improper suspension of Parliament by the prime minister.
“Amongst DAP leaders summoned by police are Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, DAP Youth chief Howard Lee and Pahang Ketari assemblyperson Young Syefura Othman,” he said.
On Monday, Malaysia United Democracy Alliance’s Amir Abdul Hadi confirmed 11 people including himself have been called in for questioning by police over the demonstration.
He was one of 100 or so youths who protested the government’s decision to break its promise to implement the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 by July 2021, which has been instead deferred to after September 2022.
The participants also stopped by Padang Merbok, less than a kilometre from Parliament’s front gates, where they held a silent sitting vigil for 18 minutes as an additional gesture of protest for the initiative, called Undi18.
Among those seen participating include former education minister Maszlee Malik, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, former Batu MP Tian Chua, electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0, NGO Demokrat Nasional, among others.
The 11 people have been summoned under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for failing to provide a 10-day notice before a gathering, per Regulation 11 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) (Conditional MCO) (No. 4) Regulations 2021.
Last week Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador alleged that the cartel is seeking to oust him from office, and to dominate the police force for their personal benefit.
He said he is also seeking to put an end to the culture of threatening the public who wanted to come forward to provide information, as well as the culture of corruption among police personnel.
