Immunity for Deepak: PKR promises justice
Pakatan cannot guarantee protection for Deepak Jaikishan, but it can promise that he will be dealt with justly.
Anisah Shukry, FMT
PKR has assured businessman Deepak Jaikishan that should Pakatan Rakyat come into power, a mechanism will be set up to guarantee justice for him and others who risk persecution to expose the truth.
“We will provide enough procedure and protection for all citizens who are entitled for it and that applies to everybody, whether it is Deepak or (former inspector-general of police) Musa Hassan or (prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak),” PKR vice-president Tian Chua told FMT.
“So it is not necessary for Deepak to try and strike a bargain with Pakatan because we will ensure justice prevails regardless,” he added.
The Batu MP said this when asked to comment on Deepak’s request that Pakatan guarantee him protection as a state witness should the opposition pact win the next general election.
In return, Deepak said he would expose the alleged wrongdoings of Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor during the mammoth People’s Uprising Rally, which was held on Saturday.
However, Pakatan remained mum on the issue throughout the assembly, and Deepak merely showed up at the rally as a participant.
Tian Chua clarified that it was not up to Pakatan leaders to guarantee Deepak either immunity or protection under the Whistleblowers Act.
Instead, he stressed, it was up to the “independent mechanism” that the opposition pact put into place to decide whether Deepak was entitled to it.
“I believe that if Deepak’s cause is genuine and if he needs protection in order to expose his wrongdoings, then he would surely be entitled to protection.
“But that would be for the mechanism to decide, not us politician,” he added.
No blanket agreement now
Asked what kind of mechanism Pakatan would put into place, Tian Chua said it would be similar to that of a truth and reconciliation commission or an anti-corruption agency.
