KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Feb 2009: DAP chairperson Karpal Singh said today that he would not apologise to the Perak Sultan and would proceed with his plan to take legal action against him for allowing the Barisan Nasional (BN) to replace the Pakatan Rakyat government in the state.
He said it was not against the law to institute the legal action and if it was, he was prepared to be charged in court.
Speaking to reporters at his office here, Karpal said his action could not be deemed an insult to royalty or challenging Sultan Azlan Shah.
“After 1993, the Federal Constitution was amended and a special court was established to deal in matters where royalty and sultans are concerned” he said.
He, however, did not say when he would file his case.
Meanwhile, at Karpal Singh’s office in Jalan Pudu here, some 200 Umno Youth members gathered outside it at 10am to protest the move by the veteran politician and lawyer.
Bukit Bintang Umno Youth head Tengku Azman Tengku Zainal Abidin said it was insolent on the part of Karpal Singh to take such an action and that it did think about the sensitivities of Malaysians who are made up of various races.
In IPOH, there had been a heavy police and media presence earlier today at the Ipoh High Court in anticipation that Karpal Singh would be instituting legal action against Sultan Azlan Shah.
Some 100 people wearing yellow headbands and carrying placards reading “Daulat Tuanku” (Long Live the Sultan) also turned up to protest the move by Karpal Singh.
They had gathered there since 8am and only left at 3pm after receiving information that Karpal Singh would not be coming and that he was in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, outside the state secretariat building, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who refused to step down as menteri besar following the sultan’s directive, told reporters that Pakatan Rakyat would be initiating legal action at the Ipoh High Court tomorrow to challenge the appointment of Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the new Menteri Besar of Perak.
Karpal Singh’s son, Gobind Singh Deo, when contacted, confirmed that his father did not initiate the legal proceedings today.
In KOTA BARU, Kelantan police received three complaints today about Karpal Singh’s planned action against Sultan Azlan Shah.
Kelantan police chief SACI Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said two reports were lodged by Umno Youth and another by Majlis Tindakan Rakyat Kelantan (MTRK) in Kota Baru and Pasir Mas respectively. — Bernama
PCB says
Kapal is in the right and does not need to apologise to anyone. A sultan is not a politician.