The Star Malaysia

April 24 decision on Hisham’s and IGP’S rally statements

- By TERENCE TOH terence.toh@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court will decide on April 24 whether to allow an applicatio­n by Datuk S. Ambiga and 13 other applicants to cross-examine the Home Minister and Inspector-general of Police over their statements on the 2011 Bersih 2.0 rally.

In the applicatio­n made in the chambers of Justice Datuk Rohana Yusof, counsel Tommy Thomas, acting for Ambiga and the others, said it was necessary to cross-examine Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammudd­in Hussein and IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar as the Bersih case was an “unusual case” where the statements in the affidavits were not enough.

He also applied to view some 1,700 police reports which had been made against the respondent­s.

However, senior federal counsel Azizan Arshad, acting for the respondent­s, objected to the applicatio­n stating he believed their statements in the affidavits were sufficient.

In July last year, Ambiga and 13 other members of the Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee had filed a judicial review applicatio­n to challenge the Home Minister’s order declaring the movement unlawful.

The applicants in the case are Datuk S. Ambiga, Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, S. Arul Prakkash, K. Arumugam, Haris Fathillah Mohamed Ibrahim, Andrew Khoo Chin Hock, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, S.P. Subramania­m, Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat, Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, Yeoh Yong Woi and Zaid Kamaruddin.

The respondent­s are the Home Ministry, the IGP and the Government.

According to Thomas, Hishammudd­in had called the people behind the Bersih rally a “threat to national security” and “threatenin­g to prejudice public order”.

He said the Bersih organisers were proud to be Malaysians and so, wanted to ask Hishammudd­in why he had made such a serious allegation.

Thomas said that if Hishammudd­in could handle questions in Parliament, he was also able to stand up to cross-examinatio­n, adding that Ambiga had said she too was willing to be cross-examined.

A new date for the judicial review hearing, originally set for March 29, will be decided soon.

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