2 theSun | THURSDAY MAY 7 2009

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80 GLC unions to picket next month

KUALA LUMPUR: The 80 unions in
the various government-linked com-
panies (GLCs) have decided to picket
nationwide sometime next month to
highlight their grievances.
With a total membership of
200,000, these former civil servants
who opted for privatisation in the early
80s and 90s were frustrated that the
government had neither looked after
their welfare nor kept its promise of
offering better terms and conditions
of work.
“The picket would be our last re-
sort to seek justice for our members,”
said the unions’ task force chairman,
Mohamed Shafie B.P. Mammal.
Mohamed Shafie, who is also
president of the National Union of
Telecoms Employees (Nute), told Ber-
nama yesterday that the unions “were
still open to negotiations so as not to
jeopardise the industrial harmony
within the companies”.
He said the GLC unions’ three core
issues were:
» to get a standardised minimum pen-
sion of RM720 per month as enjoyed
by their civil service counterparts;
» to provide opportunities for serving
officers for promotions over outsiders;
and
» to standardise the pension age to
58 years.
He said at the time of privatisation,
the government had promised the
workers that the terms and conditions
of their employment in the new entity
would be no less favourable than what
they were previously enjoying.
“Sadly, it had been almost 15 to 25
years since privatisation and we are
getting less compared with what our
counterparts in the civil service are
getting currently,” Mohamed Shafie
said.
For example, he said, the take-
home pay of an office boy in Tenaga
Nasional was only around RM700 while
his counterpart in the civil service was
taking home more than RM1,000.
This difference was due to the
various allowances enjoyed by those in
the civil service which were not given
to those in privatised companies.
Mohamed Shafie called on Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
to look into the plight of these workers
who had been “loyal to the govern-
ment all these years”.
“If we had not opted for the pri-
vatised companies at that time, the
government’s policy on privatisation
would not have been implemented.”
The unions would hold a special
national conference on June 6 to
discuss the various issues faced by
members and prepare a comprehen-
sive memorandum to the government.
– Bernama

briefs
Don’t wear black today,
IGP tells party supporters
KUALA LUMPUR: Political party supporters have
been reminded not to create tension by dressing in
black and illegally gather in protest of the Perak state
assembly sitting today.
The police warning came following the call by
Bersih or Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, for
the public to wear black and assemble in protest of
the scheduled state assembly sitting which the NGO
regards as unconstitutional.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Has-
san said party supporters should ignore the call by
the NGO to foil the assembly proceedings, or risk
arrest.
“Police will not hesitate to take action, including
arresting those who illegally assemble or prevent
the assemblymen from entering the (Perak State
Secretariat) building to thwart the assembly sitting.
“We will ensure that no one can create trouble
by foiling anything that has been decided by the law.
We also assure safety for all the assemblymen,” he
told reporters after launching the National Job Skills
Standards yesterday. – Bernama
Guan Eng to wear black
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim
Guan Eng describes the arrest of activist Wong
Chin Huat for alleged sedition after calling on
the public to wear black today as a “shocking”
development.
“This is especially shocking as we are now
supposed to have a new climate of freedom and
democracy,” he said yesterday.
Wong, a Bersih coordinator, was arrested on
Tuesday evening after a press conference to
encourage the public to wear black today when
the Perak state assembly is scheduled to sit.
“Malaysia is a laughing stock of the world if
even choosing the colour of your clothes can
cause you to be arrested and charged with
sedition,” Lim said in a press conference after
addressing state civil servants in Komtar here.
Saying he will be wearing black today, Lim
encouraged Penangites to do the same.
‘Mat Rempit’ joint panel
KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry will form a
joint committee comprising government agencies
to check illegal racing by “Mat Rempit”.
Deputy Minister Jelaing Mersat said the commit-
tee was aimed at strengthening law enforcement by
the ministry, departments and agencies.
He said it would discuss legal issues and create a
mechanism to check illegal racing by ‘Mat Rempit’.
The agencies would also conduct continuous
operations to stamp out the menace.
“Street racing is against the law and a threat to
public order. Illegal racers pose a danger to other
road users,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hus-
sein on Tuesday directed Jelaing to study the spread
of illegal racing by ‘Mat Rempit’ and find ways to
check the problem. – Bernama
Pahang MB’s logging case
KUANTAN: The High Court here yesterday set May
29 to arrive at decision on the application by Pahang
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob for a stay of
execution of a mandamus order to pay RM63 million
to a logging company.
Judge Datuk V.T Singham fixed the date after
hearing submissions from lawyer Datuk Mohammad
Shafee Abdullah and Pahang legal adviser Datuk Mat
Zara’Ai Alias, who represented the mentri besar, and
counsel Karpal Singh and Rajoo D. Moothy for Seruan
Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd. – Bernama
PAS leader Mohamad
Sabu detained
Police man
roadblocks
outside the
assembly
building
on Jalan
Panglima by Charles Ramendran ers to assemble in Ipoh
Bukit newsdesk@thesundaily.com in conjunction with the
Gantang Perak state assembly
Wahab KUALA LUMPUR: PAS vice-president sitting today, as police
in Ipoh Mohamad Sabu was detained yesterday moved to ensure public
yesterday. for inciting the public and party support- order was kept. Mohamad Sabu and Wong
Bernama quoted Perak
police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah as say- the vicinity of the area.
ing Mohamad Sabu was detained at a The order stated that any gathering or
restaurant in Jalan Pahang at 3.15pm by a assembly within the compound of the Ban-
police team in civilian clothes. gunan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Jalan Panglima
Meanwhile, political writer and activist Bukit Gantang Wahab, and its vicinity was
Wong Chin Huat, who was arrested under prohibited.
the Seditiion Act by federal police on Tues- Police will take action against members
day for allegedly calling for a nationwide of the public who try to create trouble while
protest against the Perak assembly sitting the sitting is in progress, he said.
was yesterday remanded until tomorrow. Yesterday, road blocks were put up
He had allegedly called for the people by the police in the afternoon at certain
to practise “civil disobedience” and to wear roads.
black as a sign of protest of the Barisan In another development, three political
Nasional takeover of the state govern- activists who went along with Parti Keadi-
ment. lan Rakyat (PKR) supreme council member
Federal Commercial Crimes Badrul Hisham Shahrin to the Prime
Investigations Department director Comm Minister’s Office in Putrajaya to hand over
Datuk Koh Hong Sun, when contacted, a cake apparently to mark the birthday
declined to comment except to say a re- of dead Mongolian national Altantuya
mand order has been issued against Wong Shaariibuu yesterday were detained by
till May 8. police.
In Ipoh, the district police headquar- The three detained activists were iden-
ters obtained a court order to prevent tified as Sani Md Shah, Saufi Mihat and
any assembly today near the Bangunan Yasir Sheikh.
Perak Darul Ridzuan where the legislative Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC II Datuk Ku
assembly hall is located. The order was Chin Wah said the three men were detained
obtained from the Ipoh magistrate’s court for obstructing and defying police orders
under Section 98 of the Criminal Procedure while Badrul was summoned to have his
Which MAS Stimulus Code. statement recorded. As at 7pm, the three
Zulkifli said the application to the court activists were still held at the Putrajaya
Package do you like best? was made following the call from several police station.
political parties to the public to assemble At about 9pm yesterday, police detained
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Tell us what you think on www.sun2surf.com party to hold an assembly or ceramah in gathering, were released unconditionally.
Key sections of the Sedition Act
What is sedition? ration to do, or conspires with any person to » to point out errors or defects in the govern-
This is defined under Section 3 (1) of the Sedi- do” an act with seditious tendency, such as ment or Constitution as by law established;
tion Act 1948. Basically, these are acts that have uttering seditious words, or printing, publish- » to point out, with a view to their removal,
a tendency to ing or importing seditious literature, is guilty of any matters producing or having a tendency to
» bring into hatred or contempt or to excite sedition. It is also a crime to possess a seditious produce feelings of ill-will and enmity between
disaffection against any ruler or against any publication without a “lawful excuse”. different races or classes of the population
government, or against the administration of It defines sedition itself as anything which
justice “when applied or used in respect of any act,
of the Federation. However, the Act explicitly
states that any matter covered by subsection
» to raise discontent or disaffection amongst speech, words, publication or other thing quali- (1)(f), namely those matters pertaining to the
the people to promote feelings of ill-will and fies the act, speech, words, publication or other Malaysian social contract, cannot have these
hostility between different races; or to ques- thing as having a seditious tendency”. exceptions applied to it.
tion any matter, right, status, position, privilege,
sovereignty or prerogative established or pro- Are there any exceptions? What’s the punishment for
tected by the provisions of part III of the Federal Section 3(2) provides examples of speech which sedition?
Constitution or Article 152, 153 or 181 of the cannot be deemed seditious. It is not seditious On conviction, a first-time offender can be
Federal Constitution. to: jailed up to three years, or fined not more than
Section 4 further states that anyone who » show that any ruler has been misled or RM5,000 or both. A repeat offender can be jailed
“does or attempts to do, or makes any prepa- mistaken in any of his measures; up to five years.