Bantah PPSMI - DAP Terengganu ajak rakyat bersatu

Kuala Terengganu - Usaha para cendekiawan, pejuang bahasa, golongan profesional, parti-parti politik, ibubapa dan semua pihak yang tidak bersetuju dengan dasar Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) kini berada dikemuncaknya.

Himpunan 100,000 rakyat dalam Gerakan Memansuhkan PPSMI pada 7 Mac 2009 ini di Istana Negara perlu digembelingkan dengan padu agar rakyat disemua lapisan masyarakat bersatu.

Pengerusi DAP Terengganu, Encik Ng Chai Hing turut mengajak rakyat semua lapisan kaum, cendikiawan dan para ibubapa dapat hadir beramai-ramai membantah dasar PPSMI tersebut.

Katanya, DAP sejak dari awal pelaksanaan dasar itu lagi tidak bersetuju kerana boleh menjejaskan prestasi para pelajar.

“Kita (DAP) tidak setuju sejak dari awal lagi dan bantahan demi bantahan dibuat kepada pihak kerajaan langsung tidak ada ‘respon’ (tindak-balas).

“PPSMI boleh jejas prestasi pelajar dalam kedua-dua subjek (Sains dan Matematik) tetapi kerajaan degil dan teruskan dasar itu,” jelasnya kepada Harakah.

Menurutnya, tindakan GMP menganjurkan Himpunan 100,000 itu bagi menyatakan sokongan rakyat tidak bersetuju dengan dasar yang merugikan semua pihak.

Justeru itu, katanya kerajaan Barisan Nasional hanya boleh diajar dengan kuasa rakyat dan melalui bahasa undi dalam pilihan raya.

Perak tree sitting and a Paris tennis court

DATUK Seri Azalina Othman Said has characterised the attempt of the Speaker to convene an emergency sitting of the Perak state assembly as "uncivilised" and as recourse to the "law of the jungle".

Never in the country's history, she avers, has a state assembly sitting been convened under a tree.

Perhaps she is right. But some further historical perspective is needed.

In 1789, when the King of France sought to forbid the so-called "Third Estate" or representatives of the people from meeting to discuss urgent national business, they convened on a Paris tennis court.

This too was, at the time, unprecedented and surprising.

They passed their "Tennis Court Oath" that they would not disperse, adjourn or relent until their right to convene and discuss important public matters as the people's legitimate representatives was acknowledged.

That, too, was presumably seen as an "insult" to the ruler, King Louis XVI.

It was also the beginning, for better or worse, of the French Revolution and of the entire drama of modern representative democracy and popular sovereignty.

Those who seek to invoke history should know history. It may often prove a double-edged sword.

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Clive S Kessler is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the School of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. - The Nut Graph

民聯闖議事廳遇阻 樹下開緊急州會

攝影：謝志明／美聯社

（怡保3日訊）霹靂民聯28名州議員今日闖州議會廳召開緊急州議會會議不果后，轉移陣地到附近空地一棵大樹下開會，並通過3項動議。

議員流著汗開會

由于警方封鎖了州政府大廈的入口、受到國陣支持者阻擾，民聯議員無法進入議會廳。

唯一受允許進入的州議員西華古瑪，即州議會議長，決定和27名同僚共同進退，並在距離州議會約250公呎之遙的空地大樹下召開會議，通過3項動議，創下歷史。

民聯州務大臣拿督斯里莫哈末尼查過后說，他會尋求覲見州蘇丹，要求后者依據動議，御准解散州議會，以舉行州選舉。

圍成圓圈

在該片“臨時議會廳”空地上，有2棵大樹，靠近民宅，議員們和支持者圍聚在樹蔭下，在人聲沸鼎中開會。

民聯28名議員西裝筆挺，在保安人員築起人牆后，即圍成圓圈開會。

他們以“別開生面”的方式，站著參加這項“特別”的州議會會議。現場雖有大樹遮陰，但會議結束后，各人都汗流浹背。

儀式開始時，尼查站在西華古瑪的面前，隨著是霹州高級行政議員倪可漢律師，各議員則圍成圓圈，仿照州議會的開會實況。

開會前，議長由其車上取下準備好的議長禮服，在穿上議長禮袍及帽子后，即受到支持者歡呼。

隨著，西華古瑪以擴音器宣佈，由于州議會已遭人關閉，在不得已的情況及沒有別的選擇下，他們只好宣佈在大樹下召開州議會會議。較后便由民聯州秘書比斯巴主持祈禱儀式。議長宣佈會議開始后，便討論提出的動議。

3項通過的動議

1.一致通過支持拿督斯里莫哈末尼查為合法大臣。（由迪迪西郎區州議員林川興動議，桂和區州議員黃家和附議）。

2.要求大臣通過所有方法，要求霹靂州蘇丹解散議會。（由迪查區州議員鄭立康動議，半港區州議員吉舒榮德星附議）。

3.支持議長禁止國陣州務大臣贊比里及6名行政議員進入州議會的決定。（由霹靂州高級行政議員倪可漢動議，霹靂州行議員西華尼申附議）。

外界回應

正確行動

◆政府首席秘書丹斯里莫哈末西迪：

霹靂州議會秘書阿都拉安東宣佈緊急州議會非法的做法，是正確的行動。

阿都拉安東只是執行其職務與責任。如果一名公務員是根據法律行事，那麼他的行動就是正確的。

民聯做戲

◆巫統副主席拿督斯里莫哈末阿里：

霹州民聯在大樹下召開緊急州議會，只是在做戲。

因為在政權轉移后，國陣佔有霹州議會大多數的議席，國陣就有權委任新的議長，之前由民聯委任的議長西華，沒有權力召開州議會。

濫用權力

◆隆雪華堂民權委員會主席謝春榮：

霹靂州議會秘書署和警方阻撓及封鎖州議會大廈，阻止霹靂州議員出席會議的行動，是濫用權力及違反州憲法的行為。

西華古瑪無可置疑是合法議長，有權力和職責召開州議會。

Guan Eng: Umno should apologise for lobby incident

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says Umno should apologise for an attack by a mob from the party’s youth wing on Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh at Parliament on Thursday.

“Parliament is the highest house in the country. The Umno Youth’s action is shameful as it shows utter contempt towards the institution,” Lim, who is Chief Minister of Penang said at his office here today (27 Feb 2009).

About 22 Umno Youth members had surrounded Karpal, who is also DAP chairman, as he arrived for Parliament proceedings on Thurs afternoon.

The group demanded that he apologise for implying that Umno Youth had threatened him by sending two live bullets in a mailed envelope to his house in Penang.

Barisan Nasional (BN) Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has apologised over the incident, saying that such a thing should not have occurred in Parliament.

On suggestion that Umno Youth was reacting to Karpal calling the movement “celaka” in Parliament, Lim said it is up to the Speaker to take action against any MP for conduct in the house.

“Many MPs have used strong language in Parliament before, such as those used against women. This is for the Speaker to act upon.” - The Sun