DAP’s permit to hold public speeches cancelled due to karaoke function

DAP’s permit to hold public speeches cancelled due to karaoke function
Posted on April 8, 2011, Friday

PERMIT CANCELLED: (From centre) Fong, Loke and Ling display the police permit at Pelita Commercial Centre witnessed by (from left) Wu, Kok, Chua and Leong.

MIRI: The issue over last-minute cancellations of police permits issued to opposition parties has cropped up again.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is upset over last-minute cancellation of a permit issued by the police to hold their speeches in Boulevard Commercial Centre on the first night of the 10-day Sarawak election campaign period.

“We would like to remind the police that they are bound by professional ethics to be impartial, now that the campaigning period has started,” said DAP Miri branch chairman and Pujut candidate, Fong Pau Teck in a press conference held at Pelita Commercial Centre yesterday morning.

Fong pointed out that with the dissolution of the Sarawak State Assembly (DUN) on March 21, local authorities like the police are in charge during the transition period without a state government.

“The police called up our election agent yesterday to tell us our permit to speak in public had been cancelled,” said Fong standing for the second time against Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) incumbent Andy Chia Chu Fatt.

The DAP was fuming when police said their function would disturb a nearby karaoke function planned by their rival, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) which has three incumbents defending their seats in Piasau, Pujut and Senadin.

“We set up our stage with proper lighting at the approved venue to speak to diners, but the last-minute cancellation forced us to find another place nearby so as not to disappoint people who turned up,” he added.

He called upon the police to discharge their duty without fear or favour, in accordance with a call by Transparency International Malaysia on March 30 for relevant parties including the police to ensure all political parties get equal and free access to the public media.

Also present were DAP members Anthony Loke, Teresa Kok and Vincent Wu; Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MP Tian Chua and Perak assemblywoman Leong Mee Meng.

Fong and fellow DAP candidate Alan Ling Sie Kiong went around introducing themselves to the public after the media briefing.