Is there not a single Umno, MCA, Gerakan or MIC MP (including Minister/Deputy Minister) in Peninsular Malaysia who dare to emulate Sarawak BN MP, Billy Abit Joo (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) to support a parliamentary debate on the review of the Internal Security Act (ISA) – and if so, why do they want to get elected into Parliament?
Barisan Nasional MPs from whichever component party cannot remain blind, deaf and dumb to the increasingly widespread and popular demand from all sectors of Malaysian society for review and repeal of the draconian Internal Security Act, which stands as a symbol of the lack of democracy and rule of law in the country.
Yesterday, October 27, was the 21st anniversary of the Operation Lalang mass ISA arrests in 1987, with 13 MPs among 106 persons arrested under the infamous detention-without-trial law.
If the BN MPs suffer from amnesia of history of what happened two decades ago, they cannot be unaware of the blatant and scandalous abuse of the ISA only last month when the ISA was used against the latest trio of ISA victims – Sin Chew senior reporter Tan Hoon Ching, DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin on completely baseless grounds.
In recent weeks, MCA and Gerakan leaders have been making headlines with their demands for the review and repeal of ISA – but all these noises are made just for “syiok sendiri” and out of the hearing or presence of top Umno leaders.
Both MCA and Gerakan annual conferences this month passed resolutions on the review of the ISA but this is only for party and public relations consumption but never meant to be pursued seriously in Parliament or Cabinet.
This is why there is not a single MCA or Gerakan MP (including Minister/deputy Minister) who can emulate Billy Abit Joo to put his signature to support the requisition for a priority debate in Parliament on the review and repeal of ISA.
The requisition, which has the support of 85 MPs (81 Pakatan Rakyat, three Independent and one Barisan Nasional) is not committing any MP to a stand to repeal the ISA but only to support priority debate in Parliament on whether the ISA should be reviewed and repealed.
Even MPs who want to retain the ISA can support the requisition for a priority parliamentary debate on the ISA as it is very clear that there has been radical deviation from the original purpose and character of the ISA when it was enacted by Parliament in 1960 – what more, in the case of MPs in MCA and Gerakan who have just been entrusted by their national delegates with the specific mandate to demand the review and even repeal of ISA?
I reject the explanation by the new MCA Youth chief and Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong why MCA MPs cannot join 85 MPs (including Billy Abit Joo) to requisition the holding of a parliamentary debate on the review of the ISA.
He claimed that the MCA have “our own way of resolving matters”, that “the right forum is the Cabinet”, even claiming authority for this approach by declaring that Malaysia is following the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy.
Everybody knows that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had publicly slapped down the call for review of the ISA when he spoke at the opening of the 55th MCA General Assembly ten days ago.
Which of the four MCA Ministers is going to raise the MCA General Assembly resolution for a review of the ISA in the Cabinet? I am sure none, especially as one MCA Minister is not very sure about his Cabinet tenure after losing out in the MCA Deputy President election while the new MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat would be more preoccupied about ensuring “smooth sailing” for his recommendations to the Prime Minister for MCA appointments in government.
If MCA Ministers dare not raise the ISA review in Cabinet and MCA Deputy Ministers and MPs dare not even support a requisition for priority parliamentary debate on a ISA review, what is the use of having MCA represented in Parliament?
As for Malaysia practising Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, let me remind not just MCA but all BN Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MPs that this had not prevented some 140 Labour Party MPs from voting against the British government’s motion on Iraq War in March 2003 on a matter of conscience and public policy.
Nobody is asking any MCA or BN MP to go against the Barisan Nasional government but to support a requisition to the Prime Minister that there should be priority parliamentary debate on the question of a review of the ISA.
Let Presidents of UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah and Sarawak BN component parties declare whether they have prohibited their MPs from supporting the requisition by 85 MPs for an urgent debate on the ISA review?
If this is an impossible mission to them, then there should be an immediate stop to all the chest-thumping claims by UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders that they have learnt the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami” and that they are going to be articulate and outspoken as they are nothing but just hogwash!
“Barisan Nasional MPs from whichever component party cannot remain blind, deaf and dumb to the increasingly widespread and popular demand from all sectors of Malaysian society for review and repeal of the draconian Internal Security Act, which stands as a symbol of the lack of democracy and rule of law in the country.”
Uncle Lim, they are just beggars and servants!
to repeat my domestic violence theory of these little wives:-
A family full of domestic violence, yet the wives (not just wife) dared not to separate from the husband. This is the kind of situation in Barisan Nasional. I don’t know what are they afraid of. Pakatan Rakyat is willing to save their lives. They are afraid of divorcing their husband because they afraid they may lose a man and they cannot live on their own, because they are not capable and attractive enough to be independent or find another man. I could not find a better example than domestic violence in describing about UMNO and its component parties.
In addition, Parti Rakyat in Sarawak dared to voice out about Taib is bullying the component parties. I hope some actions will be taken by the Party as well to get out of BN. Unfortunately the Chinese party in Sarawak, SUPP, dared to keep quiet, or another Chinese like Tiong King Sing is just holding balls of the bulliers. MCA and Gerakan, please learn from the tiny party from Sarawak.
ISA will remain.As long as the old Umno leaders are around nothing will happen to ISA.UMNO/BN cannot rule the country without the ISA so nothing will change even if a Chinese or an Indian from MCA or MIC become the PM.They need the ISA.The only way out is to vote them out and then the ISA repealed!
MCA– 15 MPs
MIC– 2 MPs
Gerakan– 2 MPs
So it is obvious there are dozens of unelected MCA, MIC and Gerakan political has-beens scrambling over each other in the rush to be appointed as senators by Big Brother Bully umno. And you expect these worthless scum to to support a parliamentary debate on the review of the ISA?
These parties are the scum of the earth. They sing so loudly during their AGMs hoping to get votes to be elected. After that their memory is short. They have always given the ppl the short end of the stick. As long as you vote them in they will be turncoats and be servants who wait for crumbs to fall from the masters table. They should have been booted out during the last GE. Those that voted them in are to be blamed. Hope they learn teir lesson and vote PR in the next elections
Please also understand that Sarawak is quite different from Malaysia, although it is a part of Malaysia. Each time when I went out and back into Sarawak, I have the long immigration line at Sibu Airport. I may want to blame the system, but I feel proud to be on the line and no blaming on this immigration law since it is part of the rights of the Sarawakians – We are a different country.
Sarawak is different from the rest of Malaysia because the majority here is the real native people, but perhaps they migrated from kalimantan before. The Malays are the minority in Sarawak, even less than the Chinese population. However, Sarawak is ruled by the Melanau dynasty for ages. The power was passed from uncle to nephew. The real problem of Sarawak is not the race, but perhaps the dictatorship because everything is under the control of a single hand.
In the early 60’s, the chief ministers used to be the Dayaks, but the biggest bullier from Malaya came and thrown him out of thrown. That created the sad history for Sarawak because the majority Ibans/Dayaks never recovered the leadership. They are now spreading over in several parties, and constantly undergoing dividing and subdividing and power struggle. There is no single strong Iban leader and that allowed Taib to smile for decades. The Ibans in the same party as Taib are just good listeners and they are being blamed for not taking care of their folks back in the long houses once they were elected and gained power. Further allegations that they know how to make their long house folks drunk during election.
But, Sarawak has a Chinese deputy chief minister. This is something Malaya should learn from us.
It works this way.
Only 10 days ago PM “slapped down the call for review of the ISA” at “the opening of the 55th MCA General Assembly”.
None of the Presidents of MCA, Gerakan or BN component parties would want to be seen acting against the PM who is BN Chairman. To call for a review would be a slap on the face of PM/BN chairman. With the presidents of respective BN component partes taking this stance of not to be seen as contradicting authority of PM/BN chairman by calling a review of ISA, downline BN MPs (other than Billy Abit Joo) would follow suit and not dare to affix their signatures to opposition initiated petition calling for review of ISA, no matter how much YB Kit cajoles, intigates or provokes them to otherwise do so. This is BN Party whip in operation, which is also “normal” parliamentary procedure in operation.
What Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong claimed that the MCA has its “own way of resolving matters”, that “the right forum is the Cabinet”, is not untrue.
It has always been their way to bargain for concessions and explain their position via secrecy of cabinet proceedings. This is their way of protecting UMNO Taiko’s face. If these component parties ministers could not persuade UMNO, no one would know for sure that they have tried and were told off or overruled by UMNO. On the other hand, if UMNO listens and acts, then it is “collective decision” on the part of the cabinet where the entire government especially dominant UMNO would share a greater part of the political credit points scored with the public and electorate for a popular decision taken.
Now assuming the repeal or amendment of ISA would be popular with the majority electorate, why would UMNO, straight down the line to its component parties to their MPs agree to a parliamentary review of ISA based on an Opposition initiated petition which only serve to help Pakatan Rakyat to score political brownies points with electorate in initiating a fight of a popular cause to review ISA???
If at all they agree to amendment or repeal of ISA, that initiative will be reserved for UMNO to get the political credit or more particularly the next UMNO President in March to get the political credit of its amendment or repeal based on government’s own initiative!
Every successor needs something to fire the imagination of the nation with what goodies his new administration will herald and this issue (ISA) could be a convenient item to serve this cause.
This effectively means ISA detainees have to wait until middle next year for Najib Tun Razak to show his magnanimity and humanity as a boost to his new administration and to mute popular unhappiness in respect of his baggage of allegations relating to Altantuya Shaariibuu.
It is no beef to UMNO – the amendment or even repeal of ISA. Our legislations are still replete with other draconian laws to preventively put down dissent even if ISA were toned down or otherwise repealed!
Wee Ka Siong’s explanation on Westminster system was ridiculous… There were so many occasions where MPs voted without party’s shackle, or even went against party whip’s stand in many Westminster model country… The MCA youth chief should check the fact before using this as a lame excuse~
Uncle Lim,
Depa suka takut mau marah MP from BN.
Depa takut dia orang lompat.
http://malaysia-update.blogspot.com/
:::
pulau_sibu, battered wives tolerate domestic violence and not leave their bullying husbands because the women lack independent financial resources………
UMNO is still directing gravy train, and dispensing patronage goodies, no matter you call it crumbs, to the component parties.
In this respect in what way Anwar Ibrahim of Pakatan Rakat qualify as better suitor?
He is not in an secured position with hand over the lever to dispense the resources; he may not have the recources to dispense in the first place or he may not be trusted to be able to do so as he has many constraints, first his coalition’s ideology that seems to denigrate such dispensation as corruption, and second, he may have other wives that have (politically) gone through thick and thin with him whom he has to divide and prioratise resources coming, if at all, within his control in due course.
So that is why women should endeavour to be financially self reliant – and not dependent on their husbands who can turn abusive.
So too the people entering politics : so with financially independent means when your parents have left you a munificent legacy or you’ve made money in business or the stock or property markets : don’t become politicians to make easy and big money through exercise of power in breach of trust.
Trouble is, as I have complained, this attitude to make easy money via politics out of an ignorant populace is exacerbated by the feudal culture of wider society made worse by that subsidies mentality that institutionalised affirmative policies reinforce!
They won’t do anything la, anything against their masters
Even Sarawak has a Chinese Deputy Chief Minister but of no use as his thinking and behaviour is just like the Chief Minister.
So, there is nothing to learn but more to suffer.
Jeffrey, you can bet that the BN government will not do anything about reforming or repealing the ISA.
The reason is not that requests for its reform or repeal comes from the PR but that this act, as well as other repressive acts, is very useful in terrorising dissidents.
It’s treated as one more weapon in its armoury albeit a very powerful one!
Some people always bark on the wrong tree while others tried to do good from their own conscious. It is very unfortunate that dominant position people abuses our right of way & therefore confuses many who support our local media such as newspaper, tv & radios.
What can we do here as we do not have the reach to our millions of Malaysian? And sad to say we have convinced the millions who believed in the internet but not the whole community.
This struggle is for a cause but nevertheless, internet uses may be interpreted as “Hoodlums” who are continuously trying to offer the public a different view. Our system is one sided and sad to say again, we are not ready for this change!
So continue to bark on the wrong tree & perhaps this causal will eventually come true………..
“and if so, why do they want to get elected into Parliament?”
–YB KIT.
I WANT MY PROJECTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THAT’S WHY….
I feel that quite a lot have been said by many regarding ISA.
My question is, as a MP, do you yourself have confidence that the ISA will be abolished one day? If yes, when and what would eventually be the ultimate push for it to happen?
I realise that these are all very open-ended questions with no certainties, but I would be interested to know your own personal view on this.
MCA will become a zero if does not cling to UMNO’s apron strings. How else could it have 4 cabinet posts unless it wants to play ‘master slave’ role.
“our own way of resolving matters”, that “the right forum is the Cabinet” – Wee Ka Siong
It has been 51 years, and this is where we get, ….waiting, waiting for this sick government to wake up, to come to its senses? And MCA still in denial syndrome that it has been rejected by the Chinese community it claims to represent?
All the BN parties only look after themselves as they want to be in power. They will not do what is good for country or rakyat. Self interest comes above all interest for them including country’s interest. so do not hope they will do the right thing be it in parliament or the cabinet.
I think we are wasting our breath. These BN MPs, I believe, prefer to stay in the same camp as our own version of “Comical Ali” and enjoy the fruits of their loyalty. Who are we, plebeians, to tell them what to do? Plebeians should be patient until the next polls and show these holdouts they no longer count. When they start singing a different tune, it’s probably too little and too late for them.
At the moment, the ONLY to CHANGE is to make things transparent to all citizens. No matter all the promises ANY POLITICIAN can give, the sickness of the last 30 years would not just disappear! All Malaysians must contineu to expose all wrong doings from any politician who aspires to take advantage of sensational issues. So long that any form of corruption is permitted to survive, the same gravy train will move on.
The act of corruption is so prevailing that it has spreaded to every nook and corner, both public and private sectors in the whole country. Of course, many in the private sector love to point finger at the public sector though they are aware of the same behaviour in the private sector. Only their own intepretation of the issue differ; just because they think they are not answerable to anyone but themselves.
So unless the whole society has a change of mind, the real concept of corruption would not go away and we all will continue to reap what we have sowed! It is great to tell others what they should or should not do, but we all ought to ask ourselves how much we have had put into practice what we expected others to do? we blame other Malaysians that they forget fast [ remember TDM ?] as if he did not forget!
I tend to believe that the sandiwara at the Parliament reflects exactly the reality of life. TDM could accuse Sami of not really helping the Indians and vice versa Sami said the same thing; but they would kiss and forget when their common interests coincide!
Just watch the recent party thrown by M of ITI. Ha! Ha! Ha!
…aku takut nanti kena tiau ma dengan umno : mcagerakanmic
Lets see the MCA and GERAKAN (dog of umno) ,how long they want to act infront of media. these two party is really suck.
ALL MALAYSIAN ! ARE WE ready ?!!!! 4 and half years later, IS A Funeral day for MCA AND GERAKAN
All the BN MPs except one ignored the ISA debate motion
Meaning that they are not in favour of ISA abolition
In order to achieve the goal the desired solution
The best way is to bring a new PR gov’t into action
A lot of thunder. Loud thunder.
A lot of lightning. Bright lighting.
Where is the rain?
Write these cowards from the component parties of the coalition off.
If they stood by their principle and fight for justice, they will not be in this UMNO-BN regime. “Wise men fear to enroll, crooks rush in”
Taiking, precisely, these MCA leaders particularly Liow Tiong Lai should just keep his big mouth shut. Nobody believes him anyway. Talk and more talk, but when UMNO and Mahathir ask him to shut up, he will behave exactly like a dog with tail between its legs. Stupid hypocrites.
No voice from inside SUPP yet, although SUPP in Kuching has shown some disastisfaction openly in the past, such as nomination of the city mayor, appointment of federal minister, dll. Afterall, the Taib kingdom is tied to so many companies managed by their family and he already turned Sarawak into his own. Many state projects are done by his family companies.
In Sibu, we have a lot of problems with Taib. He really did not allow SUPP to do what they promised for different development projects. Priorities are given to Miri such that Sibu now dropped to become the third little wife. SUPP promised that Sibu will be elevated to become a city several years ago, but it is still now a town.
Look at how many years did the Durin bridge take to complete? Why the job was given to a Bosnian company who could not finish it? Job opportunities should be given to local companies for the local development projects. Development projects are not for the politicians to suck away our money, but for the development and jobs of the local people.
During Chinese new year, this man flew to Sibu to visit the rich taukays to collect Angpao. I don’t know if he returns to Kuching full of cash or cheques or direct bank deposit!
One of Sibu constituency has been subdivided for Taib’s party. This is something all Sibu people are aware of. He should not be hiding.
In my opinion, the existence of Taib is good for the opposition, because with that the opposition can win over SUPP. The bottom line is SUPP dared not to speak out in front of Taib although ALL the people of Sibu are unhappy about Taib. We wait for the liberation of Sarawak from this royal family.
Liow Tiong Lai, :D is enjoying his new-found status as newly elected Vice-President MCA. Let’s see how he’s going to respond to that Mamakfler.
When Ong Tee Keat was appointed as Transport Minister, one of the first things he promised to do was to reveal “all” on the Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal. 9 months later, all has been forgotten. The BN thieves think that with time, all will be forgotten. Instead, Ong Tee Keat put one of his cronies, a losing candidate at the last elections, as the Chairman of the Port Klang Authority. A car, a huge allowance, a driver – these perks await those who abide by the rule of not rocking the boat.
Who in the Barang Naik coalition is going to rock the boat ?
With the voters politically awakened and agitating for change which MCA is unable to deliver, Ong Tee Keat may well be “The Last Eunuch” until the next elections wipe MCA off the political scene just like MIC has been wiped out.
ISA must be reviewed. I must say that it must be reviewed, it is not a law. Initially it was a emergency precaution step to avoid riot e.g. 13 May incident, communist(history) or any terrorist attack e.g. suicide bomber that will threaten the nation’s security. But basically avoiding racial clashes .The keyword here is EMERGENCY. The country have no time to wait for court’s trial before they can react. The detention of reporter! OK, Maybe the government thought that she raise up sensitive issue that will threaten the social harmony between races, but i don’t see any emergency element. If the government think that her action was against the law, then just sue her on court LAH! The same for Raja Petra and Kwok. If the government not happy, sue them also lah. No need to use ISA. The government can sue Raj Petra through Syariah court if they want. From observation of a third party, it looks like the government is trying to teach this guys a lesson so that they will be good boys or good girls. In Chinese peoples call it, kill one alerts the rest. Just like a father want to punish his children, no trial or court is needed. They just punish according to the value of the father. The government abusing the power!!
Yes, Godfather, i remember OTK promised that (PKFZ)when he first took over the Transport Ministry. There is a saying in the civil service – There is no need to worry for anything. All problems can be resolved in the course of time. OTK is not the “new” MCA President. He is a hapless civil servant.
“Heard only staircase noise,
Can’t see anyone coming down.”
Its expected that when MCA/Gerakan/MIC and other BN component would just keep quiet when the moments come to fufill their election rhetorics. What is needed is a couple of by-election to keep drumming this message especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
That would keep the drum roll going…
Beo Kit,
The MCA, Gerakan & MIC have shown thier “true” colours time & time again. They are just the “slaves” of UMNO & to add to that, they are the biggest cowards around!
Never mind, we can wait…we will enuste that they are voted out once & for all in the next GE!
Dear PSM,
No. MCA, mIC, Gerakan are not slaves of UMNO. But their existence depend on UMNO. Without UMNO support, they are likely to be wiped out.
I personally feel that lSA is still handy in face of mounting pressur from double faced politicians like Kit Siang or Anwar Ibrahim. You know these people say one thing to one community and other to different community.
“There is a saying in the civil service – There is no need to worry for anything. All problems can be resolved …” limkaput
Godfather,
You better accept that as gospel truth especially when it comes from someone who spent his entire career in the service of the UMNO government which he now condemns. Didn’t he admit proudly to having received a long service medal (the lowest bestowed on anybody when he is about to retire, drivers included) at the end of his career in the civil service??
C’mon give the guy some respect!