ID :
16209
Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:31
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http://m.oananews.org//node/16209
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ATTACK ON PHOTOGRAPHERS MOST SHAMEFUL, SAYS ABDULLAH
BUKIT MERTAJAM (Malaysia), Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Sunday described the assault on two media personnel, who were covering the nomination process for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election, by a group believed to be opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) supporters Sunday as most shameful.
The Prime Minister said such an act was very serious and the authoritiescould take legal action against the perpetrators.
"This is an illegal act. You have caused serious injury to someone and thus commit a criminal act and those responsible should be charged in court," he told reporters after meeting leaders of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from the Chinese community and Islamic religious teachers in the Seberang PeraiTengah district at the Safira Country Club, here.
He said such an act also did not reflect the real practice ofdemocracy.
"We say that we want to practice democracy, we want the freedom of speech, we want the general election to be a way for the people to choose their representatives to parliament or the state legislative assembly. So when we wantto practise democracy, let's campaign.
He was commenting on the incident where a photographer from the New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP), Mohd Sairen Mohd Nafis, 26, and Halim Berbar from the HBL Press News, based in France, were assaulted by a group of men near the nomination centre at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers Institute, Mengkuang near hereyesterday.
Abdullah also criticised the groups responsible saying that they hadportrayed as though there was no democracy and freedom of speech in the country.
"Is this the democracy that they want? To the West, they say that there must be democracy, there is a need to ask for freedom, as though there is nofreedom in our country.
"In the newspapers, all kinds of things are written. They accuse us of many things and the same goes for the internet media. Yet there are people who still say there is no freedom. What kind of freedom (do they want)? Do they want unlimited freedom? How can there be unlimited freedom in this world," hesaid.
He was commenting on the incident where a photographer from the New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP), Mohd Sairen Mohd Nafis, 26, and Halim Berbar from the HBL Press News, based in France, were assaulted by a group of men near the nomination centre at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers Institute, Mengkuang near hereSunday.
Abdullah also criticised the groups responsible saying that they hadportrayed as though there was no democracy and freedom of speech in the country.
"Is this the democracy that they want? To the West, they say that there must be democracy, there is a need to ask for freedom, as though there is nofreedom in our country.
"In the newspapers, all kinds of things are written. They accuse us of many things and the same goes for the internet media. Yet there are people who still say there is no freedom. What kind of freedom (do they want)? Do they want unlimited freedom? How can there be unlimited freedom in this world," hesaid.
Asked on the allegation by the PKR candidate, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the Barisan Nasional (BN) would use dirty tactics in the by-election, Abdullahsaid: "He always accuses, but it is he who always does these things".
On the BN campaign in the by-election, Abdullah said campaigning was progressing well at the moment although it was not intensive and active at themoment.
"I hope the campaign will be pick up steam with more activities in the nextfew days," he added.
The Prime Minister said such an act was very serious and the authoritiescould take legal action against the perpetrators.
"This is an illegal act. You have caused serious injury to someone and thus commit a criminal act and those responsible should be charged in court," he told reporters after meeting leaders of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from the Chinese community and Islamic religious teachers in the Seberang PeraiTengah district at the Safira Country Club, here.
He said such an act also did not reflect the real practice ofdemocracy.
"We say that we want to practice democracy, we want the freedom of speech, we want the general election to be a way for the people to choose their representatives to parliament or the state legislative assembly. So when we wantto practise democracy, let's campaign.
He was commenting on the incident where a photographer from the New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP), Mohd Sairen Mohd Nafis, 26, and Halim Berbar from the HBL Press News, based in France, were assaulted by a group of men near the nomination centre at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers Institute, Mengkuang near hereyesterday.
Abdullah also criticised the groups responsible saying that they hadportrayed as though there was no democracy and freedom of speech in the country.
"Is this the democracy that they want? To the West, they say that there must be democracy, there is a need to ask for freedom, as though there is nofreedom in our country.
"In the newspapers, all kinds of things are written. They accuse us of many things and the same goes for the internet media. Yet there are people who still say there is no freedom. What kind of freedom (do they want)? Do they want unlimited freedom? How can there be unlimited freedom in this world," hesaid.
He was commenting on the incident where a photographer from the New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP), Mohd Sairen Mohd Nafis, 26, and Halim Berbar from the HBL Press News, based in France, were assaulted by a group of men near the nomination centre at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers Institute, Mengkuang near hereSunday.
Abdullah also criticised the groups responsible saying that they hadportrayed as though there was no democracy and freedom of speech in the country.
"Is this the democracy that they want? To the West, they say that there must be democracy, there is a need to ask for freedom, as though there is nofreedom in our country.
"In the newspapers, all kinds of things are written. They accuse us of many things and the same goes for the internet media. Yet there are people who still say there is no freedom. What kind of freedom (do they want)? Do they want unlimited freedom? How can there be unlimited freedom in this world," hesaid.
Asked on the allegation by the PKR candidate, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the Barisan Nasional (BN) would use dirty tactics in the by-election, Abdullahsaid: "He always accuses, but it is he who always does these things".
On the BN campaign in the by-election, Abdullah said campaigning was progressing well at the moment although it was not intensive and active at themoment.
"I hope the campaign will be pick up steam with more activities in the nextfew days," he added.
