Threatening to blacklist companies merely for funding the Bersih 5 rally on November 19 is an abuse of power, said opposition lawmakers.
“He is definitely abusing his power. You cannot take whatever actions you want against whoever you please,” DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng told reporters at the Parliament lobby here today.
“Unfortunately, this is the normal practice of (Barisan Nasional) ministers. They are so used to abusing their powers.”
The Bagan MP was commenting on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s statement saying that he would direct the Economic Planning Unit and the Public-Private Partnership Unit under his leadership to scrutinise all companies seeking contracts from the Federal Government.
Abdul Rahman had said that companies which support this illegal gathering will be blacklisted immediately as they are jeopardising the economic safety of the country.
PKR Vice-President Rafizi Ramli said a minister could not simply take such actions as there were legal procedures that must be complied with first.
He also said that Abdul Rahman’s warning was nothing more than just an attempt to divert attention from the real issues affecting the public.
“You have to follow the law and sue the companies, but if the donations are not illegal, then no action can be taken against the companies.
“I think what he is trying to do is to shift focus from all the cuts made in Budget 2017. (But) Abdul Rahman’s role is to take care of the economy, not to ‘pukul’ (take shots at government dissenters).”
Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah echoed Rafizi sentiments and asked Abdul Rahman to behave rationally.
“Focus on what matters to the rakyat. There is no need to apply more pressure on Bersih who has been attacked in a thousand different ways.
“This is clearly an abuse of power.”
Source -FMT-
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