Day: September 14, 2008

by Azly Rahman

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish’d.

— from William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Saudara RPK,

I hope they are treating you well, in this holy month of Ramadhan that is turning our nation into our Ramallah.

I write in a state of being free while you languish in sadness incarcerated by those in their dying days breathing painfully.

They say that you are anti-Islam and anti-government. The are wrong on both counts. You are a great defender not only of Islam but of other faiths. You are a great defender of a sane government yet to be installed and one that will gladly set you free.

They are fearing not you nor the voices of conscience no longer in the wilderness; they are fearing themselves – their Inner Self – that they are answering to in their scramble to satisfy their greed for material wealth and lust for power.

They have not made you a bankrupt, RPK. They themselves are drowned in riches that will bury them.

Sdr. RPK. I hope your incarceration will be brief. So too will be of the others.

The rakyat feels that the present government will not be the one freeing you. A new one will. Continue reading “Set Raja Petra free – this true defender of Islam and the rights of many”

Please forward to all Malaysians:

http://www.petitiononline.com/freetkok/petition.html

The Barisan Nasional Government has on the 12 September detained Member of Parliament for Seputeh, state assemblywoman for Kinrara as well the senior state executive councillor for Selangor, Sdri Teresa Kok without trial under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

She has been accused of stirring up racial sentiments by instigating residents to petition against mosques in Kinrara and Kota Damansara to lower the volume of their speakers. Teresa has denied these allegations and both mosques have come out to deny these accusations. There is hence absolutely no basis for this arrest. She has already threatened to sue Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, the former Selangor Menteri Besar and Utusan Malaysia for making and publishing these unfounded allegations.

The arrest of Sdri Teresa Kok,Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the Hindraf 5 as well as others is hence arbitrary, high-handed and a mockery of democracy. By labelling Teresa and others as threats to national security without any shred of evidence is a travesty of justice and a gross violation of human rights.

The petitioners hence resolves that the BN government should not use draconian powers under the ISA to cling on to power and demands the immediate and unconditional release of Teresa, Raja Petra, the Hindraf 5 and other detainees. In addition, we the petitioners demand the immediate repeal of the ISA to prevent abuses that oppresses the fundamental liberties of each and every Malaysian.

As loyal and upright Malaysians, sign the petition today!

http://www.petitiononline.com/freetkok/petition.html

The habeas corpus application to free DAP National Organising Secretary, three-term MP for Seputeh and Selangor Senior Exo for Investment, Trade and Industry Teresa Kok from arbitrary and wrongfully detention under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) would be filed at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Kuala Lumpur at 12.30 pm tomorrow.

The application will be filed by Teresa’s lawyers, DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor, Karpal Singh and Central Executive Committee Member and MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo.

Let all friends and supporters of democracy and freedom show up at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex tomorrow to demonstrate our support, sympathy and solidarity with Teresa at this hour of trial – both for her and the nation.

A three-prong international-level “Free Teresa Campaign” will be launched in the next few days to secure the support of parliamentarians in ASEAN, the Commonwealth and the World Parliaments for her immediate and unconditional release. Continue reading “Habeas Corpus application for Teresa Kok tomorrow; International-level Campaign will be launched”

I will meet the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia in Parliament tomorrow over the detention of DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the actions which should be taken by Parliament over an MP’s arrest on totally baseless and non-existent grounds.

Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday that Teresa was detained under the ISA as she had questioned the sensitive issues such as the azan (call for prayers for Muslims) and that could cause ill-will and disharmony.

This allegation was first made by the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo, which was then sensationalised by Utusan Malaysia.

Teresa had made an immediate denial that she had tried to disallow azan in Kota Damansara Sri Serdang and Puchong Jaya. The mosque committees in both areas have endorsed Teresa’s denial with the Masjid Kota Damansara officials explaining that a damaged ampliflier had resulted in the calls to prayer to be made without the aid of a PA system while Masjid Kinrara mosque committee said Teresa had never set foot in Masjid Kinrara and was not involved in the azan petition issue in the area.

The PAS MP for Kota Raja Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud had also lodged a police report against Khir on Thursday for his statement published in Utusan Malaysia on Tuesday, as it was “maliciously intended and aimed at raising the anger and anxiety of Malay Muslims”.

The police has no basis whatsoever therefore to detain Teresa under the ISA for the baseless and non-existent grounds linking her to any azan controversy.

As an active political leader, how can Hamid repeat the baseless claim of the police about Teresa’s questioning the azan issue as anyone following the news whether in the printed or electronic media would know that it was the irresponsible and sole concoction of Khir Toyo and Utusan Malaysia? Continue reading “Meeting with Speaker Pandikar Amin tomorrow on MP Teresa Kok’s ISA detention on totally baseless grounds”

Candlelight vigil for Teresa Kok at her Seputeh service centre at 7pm.

The address is 28-3A, 4th floor, Sri Desa Entrepreneur’s Park. Jalan 1/116B, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur.

Please pass on the message.

Gutsy Sin Chew Daily senior journalist Tan Hoon Cheng makes Internal Security Act (ISA) history for being detained for the shortest period under the infamous detention-without-trial law – less than 20 hours!

She was detained in her Bukit Mertajam home on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 8.35 p.m and released at her Bukit Mertajam house at 4 p.m.

She spent the Friday night in the police lockup and the next morning was being taken down to Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur by car but U-turned at Ipoh to return to Penang as “instruction” came for her release.

All for a four-paragraph straight reporting of a speech by Umno Bukit Bendera division chairman Datuk Ahmad Ismail in the Permatang Pauh by-election ceramah on August 23 referring to the Chinese in Malaysia as “penumpang”!

Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar meanwhile acquired ISA infamy for his cynical, preposterous and contemptible explanation and justification for Tan Hoon Cheng’s arrest as well as those of Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the ISA. Continue reading “Tan Hoon Cheng makes ISA history – Syed Hamid acquires ISA infamy”