P Ramakrishnan
Immediate past president
Aliran
15 September 2012
At around 9.00am on Tuesday, 11 September 2012, we discovered that the Aliran office had been broken into. The perpetrators had gained entry from the back portion of the building through the window by removing the grille.
They unlocked the wooden door from within the ground floor and proceeded to the first floor. They prised open the secured wooden door upstairs and entered the first floor.
The building wasn’t ransacked; nothing was strewn on the floor. They did a very neat job. According to the carpenter who came later to repair and fix the damage, these culprits had to be professionals because they did not cause severe damage to gain entry. He also revealed that his boss’ house was broken into two months ago. He lost three laptops and cash.
The loss that we discovered was amazing and somewhat startling. The notebook belonging to the current president of Aliran (Francis Loh) was stolen. The computer set and the printer belonging to the immediate past president (P Ramakrishnan) were stolen. The computer set used by the treasurer (Anil Netto) was also stolen. All these are old computers. But strangely two other computers used by the clerk were left behind! There was also RM26.90 in one of the drawers but this was not touched.
We made a police report and were told to go back and wait for one Sergeant Karim who would investigate and take a statement from us. Sergeant Karim came sometime later informing us that he was at the Jelutong Secondary School immediately behind the Aliran office investigating another break-in there. We were informed that burglars had carted away computer equipment (laptop, projector) and cash from the school.
The police dusted the Aliran office for finger prints without success, took pictures of the break in and took our statement. They were of the opinion that the burglars could have gone to the school after the Aliran break-in.
Cash-strapped as we are, we feel the financial strain arising from the loss of our computers. But we are no stranger to this situation. We have always been struggling on a shoe-string budget. The struggle will continue.
Much has been said about the reduction in crime rates to assure the populace that the security situation in the country is improving. Statistics are trotted out to convince Malaysians that the improving crime situation is no idle talk.
But Malaysians remain cynical and unconvinced. They hear of so many crimes taking place in their neighbourhood which go unreported. There are Malaysians who are reluctant to make police reports on the perceived premise that nothing is done or can be done to bring the culprits to book. They rationalise that it is a waste of time reporting.
But it is a fact, it seems, crimes take place on a daily basis across the country. People no longer feel safe. The fear is always present that they may be robbed or accosted or assaulted. They feel intimidated.
This is the reality.
Malaysians argue that the police go after the opposition with a determined purpose for any infringement of the law, however remote or mild, but this vigorous pursuit is lacking when ordinary Malaysians are victims of crimes. They contend that instead of deploying thousands of police personnel as was done during the Bersih 3.0 rally or any opposition centred activities, these personnel should be out in the streets ensuring our safety and security.
And old computers are practically worthless.
I’m guessing these people are looking for the data on those computers. I hope Aliran had encrypted their data.
#1 ref.
Don’t just encrypt the data but also back up the encrypted data in a thumbdrive and put the thumbdrive in another place other than the office.
AliranGate? Doe data contain sources of information/funding of Aliran? Remember they try to establish SUARAM’s links to foreign funding but official way cumbersome (suaram not registered company), no to mention publicity backlash. Better check for any small and not easily detectable listening devices which may have been embedded. A break in and subsequent investigation provided opportunities to these the unofficial way.
Apparently BN is trying to establish NGOs which support the Opposition are funded by foreign countries and then bring these NGOs to court.
Bersih and other NGOs must back up their data in a thumbdrive and delete the original data from their laptops/computers (delete also the copy in the recycle bin). They should keep the thumbdrive in a safe place and beware of moles and traitors.
CAN we TRUST d gomen appointed panel 2 probe d Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 2012?
Learn fr d UK’s Hillsborough Independent Panel n read its Report dat uncovers cover-up carried out by South Yorkshire Police
23 years after d disaster, “D truth is out today. Justice starts tomorrow.”
N dat is the UK. What abt here, ANYTHING CAN BOLEHLAND? Will we ever get d TRUTH abt polis violence (violence by NO-NAME, NO-NUMBER badges mata2 on defenceless n unarmed rakyat, young n old, male n female) on 28.4.2012?
Also d TRUTH abt other mysterious DEATHS of ppl under custody (polis, MACC, etc)?
Don’t save anything on the computers’ hard disks.
Even deleted data can be recovered.
Save everything directly onto an external drive and make sure that the drive is kept elsewhere.
This is a disgraceful act from a political party….looking for something.
Which political party…Malaysians can conclude with no difficulties.
Really fishy….
Is this the work of a special branch of UMNO’s saboteurs?
Aliran now needs a deep throat from the special branch? Any deep throat please?
Ha, ha – they r looking 4 exotik SEKS recordings (oral, sodo mee, AC/DC, mé nage à tro is, groupie, human-animal, etc) stored in d Aliran’s PCs n notebooks, in order 2 upload them on UTube n 4 mata2 n AGC 2 charge d performers
Ha, ha – they r looking 4 exo tik SE KS recordings (oral, sodo mee, AC/DC, mé nage à tro is, group, human animal, etc) stored in d stolon PCs n notebooks, in order 2 upload them on you tube n 4 mata2 n AGC 2 charge d performers
Alirangate??
Note the recent trend of the blitz on Suaram, Rafizi’s arrest, attack on DAP offices, attack on the PR bus with red paint – all a coincidence?
Someone must be desperately trying to find whatever they can to try to discredit all these organizations which are proving a threat to the BN for the coming GE.
Alright umno pls return those items you took.