Are the Courts now useless and powerless to enforce the law? The Pahang govt is spitting in the face of the Federal Court Judgement and there is nothing the Courts can do about it??
PETALING JAYA: The 55-year-old retiree who threatened to commit suicide by fire has called off his plans following pleas by his friends and family who feared for his life.
Gan Ee Seng, who had announced his decision to self-immolate in protest over the Pahang state government’s refusal to honour a over RM70-million court ordered compensation to a company he invested in, said he may pay the state’s Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob a visit at his home instead.
“Actually I felt that I want to burn myself today but I won’t. I was warned and advised by police and friends not to do so and… I have agreed,” Gan told reporters at the clearing in Padang Kota, Kota Damansara.
A number of plainclothes police were seen monitoring the situation this morning.
Gan, who had heart problems and diabetes, had begun his hunger strike on Monday and was hospitalised yesterday after he collapsed at the tent he was camping at. Today, he said he would not continue his hunger strike as well.
It was learnt that Gan’s wife and children, had wept and pleaded with him last night to change his mind about killing himself. They had known about the hunger strike but only read about the suicide plan in the papers yesterday.
“My family, my wife, she said they want to come to stop me, but I told her better don’t come. I told them not to worry, I just don’t want her to see me like this,” he said.
Gan said he owed many friends and family money because of this case and has been depressed for some time.
Gan said he called off his plan also because he was reminded not only that an attempted suicide was an offence, but his actions may affect others.
“I may continue my campaign in Kuantan, I may go to the front of his (MB’s) house, maybe burn myself there, I don’t know yet,” he said.
“I just want Pahang people to know, Malaysians to know, that the MB is no different from a pirate.
“If someone comes into your house in the morning and takes your possessions, will you keep quiet? Is it because your fists are larger that you can bully us?” said an weary but emotional Gan.
‘Will stop if BN loses’
Gan said if Pahang government can be so lawless, what was stopping other states from being so. “Which investor would want to come to such country?”
Gan said he may stop all campaigns when the BN government loses in the next general election.
Meanwhile, Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd former director Lee Sin said the group had calmed Gan down last night at the hospital.
“We already calmed him in hospital, we were so afraid and worried for him. He later only really realised that this is not the correct way,” said Lee.
Kuantan-based Seruan Gemilang had in 2002 sued the state for breaching a logging contract in which Seruan Gemilang claimed it was issued a permit to clear 8,000 acres of forest in Pekan, said to be owned by Pahang Umno.
In 2007, the Kuantan High Court awarded RM37,127,471.60 in damages with 8% interest per annum backdated to Dec 31, 2000. In total, the amount due to the company is now over RM70 million.
The award was retained as the Federal Court denied the state government’s application for leave to appeal against the May 2007 decision.
Since then, Seruan Gemilang had repeatedly attempted in vain to compel the state to pay up, including resorting to holding demonstrations, appealing to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and even holding a hunger strike relay last year.
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