Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Article 11 roadshow forum in Johor Baru to go on this Saturday
Maria J.Dass and Regina William
The SunThe Article 11 public forum in Johor Bahru on constitutional protection for all Malaysians will go on this Saturday (July 22, 2006) despite intimidation, threats and opposition from certain quarters. Instead, the organisers are calling on the police to provide protection for the forum that will be held between 9am and 1pm in Hotel Selesa. "We have a right to hold this peaceful forum where we discuss the Constitution and other laws which affect all of us," said Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah. WAO and Sisters in Islam are the joint secretariat for Article 11 - a coalition of 13 non-governmental organisations that was set up because of concerns raised by the Nyonya Tahir, M. Moorthy and S. Shamala cases where conversion to Islam by one party led to difficulties for non-converted family members. Josiah told a press conference today (July 18, 2006) the forum was not organised to insult any religion or ethnic group. Today, WAO received a threatening phone call and SMS that demanded for the forum to be called off. "Threats and intimidation of this kind are totally unnecessary," Josiah said. "We have already written to the Inspector General of Police and the Johor police for security to be stepped up in the area where the forum is being held, to prevent any disruption as happened in Penang during the last forum," Josiah said, adding that the organisers were confident of the police's ability to maintain order. On May 14 (2006), the same Federal Constitution: Protection for All forum in Penang was disrupted by a 500-strong mob of protestors. Police had advised the forum to end early to avoid trouble. Following that, the anti-Inter Faith Commission group known as Badai released a media statement that threatened more hostility if Article 11 continued with its road show. On Monday (July 17, 2006), Johor Umno Youth and the state PAS also called on the police and the State Islamic Religious Department to stop the Article 11 forum in Johor Baru. However, Article 11 members stressed today that the forum was a legitimate and legal gathering in accordance with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, assembly and association. They said there was no need for a police permit to hold the forum as it was being held in a hotel and not in a public area. Suaram secretariat member Zaitum Kasim said: "Those who are not happy with what is being brought up or discussed at the forum are welcome to attend it and state their opinions openly." "This is an open forum for people to express their opinions in a peaceful manner," she said. In Penang, CPO Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee told theSun today the police had yet to receive any instructions from the Attorney-General (A-G)'s Chambers on what action to take against the May 14 protestors. Even though the A-G Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail signed, in June, the order for the main protestors to be charged, and the papers were despatched last Monday (July 10, 2006), the police are still waiting for instructions. Sources told theSun last week the Penang demonstrators would be charged with unlawful assembly and for disrupting a peaceful gathering.
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