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Indian marginalisation – Hishammudin’s ultimatum to Tsu Koon threatening severance of ties (Breaking News)

UMNO Youth leader has issued an ultimatum with the threat of severance of ties to the Acting Gerakan President, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon to explain the statement by the Gerakan Youth vice chief S. Paranjothy on Friday that the 30,000 Indians had taken part in the November 25 Hindraf demonstration in Kuala Lumpur “to express their frustrations and anger” because the community has been “marginalized, oppressed and ignored”.

Paranjothy blamed Umno leaders, particularly the Umno Youth Leader Hishammuddin and Deputy Umno Youth Leader Khairy Jamaluddin for racial posturing and inciting racial sentiments among Malays to gain political mileage – citing against the former the keris-wielding episodes and against the latter his berating of the Indian news vendors when the Umno presidential address of Prime Minister and Umno President, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was not carried in the press the next day as Umno general assembly fell on Deepavali, with the next day an annual press holiday.

Paranjothy had described the Indians as “fourth-class citizens” who form the most neglected group in economic terms, as shown by key performance indicators such as tertiary education.

He said: “Where the Indians predominate over their fellow Malaysians is mostly in prison, violent crimes, gangsterism, suicide and social ills. Government policies have failed to improve (their situation).”

Paranjothy also criticized the government’s hardline stance against public demonstrations, hitting out at the government for practising double-standards in the issuance of police permits.

He said: “I have participated in street demonstrations and rallies organised by Barisan Nasional Youth, spearheaded by Umno Youth, to handover a memorandum… over certain issues that had taken place (abroad) which I believe would not have benefitted Malaysia.

“Did BN Youth obtained a permit to hold the rallies or demonstrations?… Looks like the government is one-sided when it came to the issuance of permits for public gatherings. BN started this culture of street demonstrations and now others have emulated it.”

In his ultimatum which appeared in today front-page of Mingguan Malaysia, “Kata dua Hishammuddin kepada Gerakan”, Hishammuddin threatened a break of ties by Umno Youth and Barisan Nasional with Gerakan if Tsu Koon fails to give a reply or or his explanation is unsatisfactory. Continue reading “Indian marginalisation – Hishammudin’s ultimatum to Tsu Koon threatening severance of ties (Breaking News)”

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PM/IGP – heed Nazrin/Musa, respect Constitution and allow peaceful demonstrations

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, all Cabinet Ministers and the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan should give serious heed to the advice by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah that “the desire to maintain public order should not be an excuse for never allowing peaceful assemblies” as the holding of peaceful demonstrations to voice their grievances is a constitutionally-enshrined right of Malaysian citizens.

In an interview with New Sunday Times series “VOICES 08”, Raja Nazrin said:

“Freedom of expression through peaceful demonstrations is a right people can reasonably expect to enjoy in a democratic society. This right is enshrined in our Constitution.

“So people are acting within their constitutional rights in wanting to voice their grievances by holding peaceful demonstrations.

“The right to live in peace and harmony in a safe environment is also a right people can reasonably expect to enjoy in any well-run society. The government is responsible for public order.

“The right to demonstrate must always be balanced by the need to maintain public order.”

All Malaysians can accept Raja Nazrin’s formulation of the relationship between public order and the people’s constitutional right to peaceful demonstration as part of the fundamental liberties of Malaysians to freedom of expression. They also agree with Raja Nazrin that striking the balance between public freedom and public order is never an easy thing to do and that it is a judgment the authorities have to make on the available information.

The current controversy over peaceful demonstrations lies in the failure of the authorities concerned to observe the important qualification highlighted by Raja Nazrin when he stressed that “the desire to maintain public order should not be used as an excuse for never allowing peaceful assemblies” – as there is now a blanket ban by the police on all peaceful demonstrations in the country for people to express their grievances! Continue reading “PM/IGP – heed Nazrin/Musa, respect Constitution and allow peaceful demonstrations”

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Samy Vellu booed and jeered?

This SMS was sent to me at 10.56 pm last night:

“d crowd jeered loudly at semi value (samy vellu) at ‘d atta 100 vagai’ at PISA in penang just now (22/12). d crowd booed loudly when DJ announced samy vellu’s presence. d ‘BOO’ was so loud dat no one heard anything. Within 2-3 mins he moved back 2 d stage. A very gd lesson 4 d spineless… I’m here in PISA. samy has left d arena.”

May be those who were present at PISA in Penang last night could give us eye-witness accounts of this episode.

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Remove the “national security” straightjacket!

by Azly Rahman

“Work with me …. not for me”

— Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who ruled for 22 years, once spoke about the nine challenges called ‘The Way Forward-Vision’, said to be a culmination of his work throughout his tenure.

The document charted the challenges the nation must confront in order for it to develop on par with the advanced nations.

These challenges are summarised as follows:

1. Establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny

2. Creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity

3. Fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries

4. Establishing a fully moral and ethical society whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and with the highest ethical standards

5. Establishing a mature, liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creed are free to practise and profess their customs, cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation

6. Establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilisation of the future

7. Establishing a fully caring society and caring culture, a social system in which society will come before the self, in which welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system

8. Ensuring an economically just society… in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress

9. Establishing a prosperous society with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient

With the Internal Security Act (ISA), how do we then meet these challenges? How is it an antithesis to what a civil society means? Do we still deserve the ISA? Continue reading “Remove the “national security” straightjacket!”