Cruel Punishment Meted Out Against OKZ 13 Perceived As Political Vendetta

The Court of Appeal yesterday  sentenced the following 13 demonstrators: Bad Latif Mansor, 48; Suhana Abdullah, 50; Mohd Faiz Mohd Arshad, 27; Zulhaizam Zulkifli, 30; Isha Riduan Ishak, 60; Adi Hilmee Mohd Nasir, 45; Mohamad Nazeer Hameed, 49; Khairul Azmi Hassan Basri, 49; Mohd Hasri Ismail, 49; and Mohamed Ismail S.M. Abdul Kadir, 48, Idris Mohd Thaib, 49; Meor Safizal Meor Mohamed Amin, 40; and Yusoff Jaafar, 49;  a  10 month jail term, as well as reaffirmed a fine of RM5000. The demonstrators were found guilty of protesting the appointment of  Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the new Perak Chief Minister, after 3 Pakatan assemblymen jumped ship and became BN friendly independents.The court judge disallowed a stay of execution pending an appeal at the federal court, and ordered the sentence to be carried out immediately.

​This sentencing is nothing short of being cruel – and lends credence to the perception of political vendetta against Pakatan supporters who were against the Barisan Nasional engineered Perak coup.

Taking into account that the act was in defence of a legitimate government that was removed by a coup by Barisan Nasional, makes this sentence even more reprehensible. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said of the coup,  “The Constitution makes no provision for his (The Chief Minister) removal by any other means, including by petitions or instructions from any other authority. To formally test the mandate of the current government, the question must either be put to the people through state elections, or to assemblymen through a formal vote in the Dewan”.

The sentencing is something nearly impossible to stomach, especially when compared against the 16 men who trespassed into the Penang State Assembly, who were only fined RM1500 each in default of 2 months jail each, after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of Section 447 of the Penal Code​.

It bears reminding that​ freedom of assembly is one of the rights that is enshrined in Article 10 of our Federal Constitution.

I also fully support any and all efforts to ensure the welfare of families of the 13 are well taken care of during the tenure of this jail sentence. We must not allow this sentence to intimidate the Rakyat. We must band together, stronger than ever to show that the 13 heroes are not going to languish in jail alone.

The 13 have fully paid their dues to uphold the principles of democracy. Their struggle will not be in vain.

NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LEMBAH PANTAI
VICE PRESIDENT OF KEADILAN