Why she is the target
Teresa Kok’s attempts to reach out to Malay Muslims has no doubt been a threat to Umno
Leslie Lau, October 4, 2008
SHE has been villified as a Chinese chauvinist and portrayed as anti-Muslim. She was detained one week under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly stirring up religious sentiments. And last week, unknown assailants threw a Molotov cocktail into the compound of her family home in Kuala Lumpur.
But ask Democratic Action Party (DAP) Member of Parliament Teresa Kok why she has become the target of a smear campaign in recent months and she will probably be hard pressed for an answer.
And those who know her insist she is anything but a chauvinist or an enemy of Islam that her detractors claim she is.
When Ms Kok was detained under the ISA, even Mr Zaid Ibrahim, who quit the Cabinet as de facto Law Minister partly in protest against the use of the law, said of her: “I know Teresa personally and I cannot see her as anti-Islam.”
While Mr Zaid was the only United Malays National Organisation (Umno) member who spoke out publicly, he was not the only one who viewed the recent ISA detentions of Ms Kok and a female journalist, who was released after18 hours, as unwarranted.
“Look, everyone who knows her (Ms Kok) knows she is not a bigot or a chauvinist. This makes the government look bad,” one MP from the Umno told Weekend Xtra.
In fact, it was some of Ms Kok’s political opponents in Parliament – from the ruling Barisan Nasional – who met with government officials in private to plead for her release. Such is Ms Kok’s popularity that when she made her first public appearance at a press conference hours after her release on Sept 19, she received a standing ovation from reporters.
It is probable that Ms Kok, who won her Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur with a 36,492-majority – the biggest – in the March elections, could win with an even bigger margin if polls were held today.
To her supporters, she is a hero who has been wronged.
It was alleged that she had abused her position as an MP and a member of the Selangor state government to direct a mosque to reduce the volume of its public address system during prayer times because it was disturbing non-Muslims living nearby.
The allegation, made by former Selangor mentri besar Mohd Khir Toyo, and highlighted in the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia newspaper, was found to be untrue. Even the mosque committee came out to publicly deny the allegation. Still, she was detained by the police.
The attacks have not stopped despite her release. Utusan Malaysia has made her, in her own words, a “cover girl” since her release. After she complained about the allegedly low quality of food served during her detention, comparing it to dog food, she has been chastised repeatedly in the newspaper.
Ms Kok, known for her multi-racial stand, has been determined more than ever to flaunt it since her arrest.
Following her release, she has been attending breaking-of-fast functions almost nightly during the just-ended fasting month of Ramadan.
But even that has become the subject of attacks by Utusan Malaysia.
Last week, Ms Kok was criticised in the newspaper for “wearing a skirt to a mosque”. The article appeared to suggest that she was wearing something outrageous and that her attire caused serious discomfort among Muslims present at the function.
However, facts suggested otherwise. Ms Kok wore a long-sleeved dress which came down almost to her ankles. She also did not enter the mosque, remaining instead in its compound.
One of Ms Kok’s Malay-Muslim supporters told Weekend Xtra: “I don’t understand why she is being targetted. She is usually so sensitive to the religious obligations of Muslims it is almost ridiculous. She usually takes great pains to tell me what I can or cannot eat when we are out that I find it hard to believe she would be anti-Islam.”
Ultimately, the smear campaign could be attributed to the fact thatMs Kok and a number of leaders from the Chinese-dominated DAP have taken pains to reach out to Malay-Muslim voters.
As a member of a party who is part of three state governments – along with its Malay partners in the Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Parti Islam SeMalaysia – DAP leaders like Ms Kok have been reaching out more than ever, and successfully, to Malay voters.
This is undoubtedly a political threat to the ruling coalition led by Umno.
The attacks against Ms Kok and the attempts to portray her as a Chinese chauvinist who is anti-Islam represent a crude attempt at undermining the credibility and viability of the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, as a viable multi-racial alternative to BN.
But targetting Ms Kok, known for her congeniality as much as anything else, may well backfire.
What is wrong about this whole thing is the opposition inability to spin this much more to their favour. Frankly, this thing should have boomerang backed so hard Khir Toyo should have been forced out of political oblivion.
THE MAN LIED!!! DEFAMED not just someone ELSE but someone that is more than just innocent! and likely to be part of this campaign that include violence.
The fact the guy is not a political pariah speaks volume of the beastiality of the politics of UMNO.
Since Teresa is suing Utusan and Khir I am sure the judge will have to take all these threats and hate messages against Teresa when awarding damages against Utusan and Khir Toyo.
All these would not have happened if not for Utusan hate journalism which had vilified and demonized her as anti Malay and anti Islam.
stick & stone can hurt he but word can never hurt her.
Go Teresa Go, the hero is marching in.
Hi Teresa is no threat to national security. Her detention is obviously a misuse of the ISA. That is why the ISA has to go. Why was she detained and vilified? Remember ” wag the dog “? Some UMNO topdog just wanted to vent some anger. That is why ISA has to go.
Hairan Bin Pelik.
Those who had said the “racist remarks” is freed even though penalised for “3 years” by “UMNO”. But Teresa who is no more treat to the national security as police said still under target.
Those who target Teresa are not more than “BUSUK HATI”. These people should be investigated and put in “Tanjung Rambutan” – may be they are “SICK” or “MAD”. Not qualify as healthy and normal citizen of Malaysia!!!
So what are the police doing? The low IQ police force is a real problem for this country. They can hardly solve any serious crime problems, but are experts in practicing corruption, abuse of power and ISA, and acting as special agents for the umno politicians. So much time, efforts and man power were used in planting sodomy case against Anwar. Police never realised that the crime syndicates are having higher IQ than them. Without a better police force, crimes shall prevail in boleh.
ISA itself is not bad. It is only the person using it. If he or she abuses the usage ISA.
It is like anything, such as drugs, motor vehicles, guns, alcohol, knifes, bullets, axes, wine, pigs or porks, bananas, cucumbers and etc…
if it was wrongly used or the uses of it been abused, than it is very bad. If not those things are like ISA, by itself is not a bad item and if it was used properly by its user, it will turn out to be a good thing, item or law.
So, it is better for us to keep the ISA, we won’t know when we really need to use it one day….. it is always better to have it.
what we need to do is to control the abusers of ISA.
we must have a law to punish the abusers, like a law to punish the abuser of drugs.
Catholic and Muslim are rather close compared to Buddist or Taoism and Muslim. May be they are too close such that they want to be rivals. Can’t we look for similarities between the religions and treasure the common values preached by both religions? Afterall Catholic and Muslim (and Judaism) share the same background – originated from the Middle East with a root in Jerusalem.
besides Teresa, there are other sick things happening in the country. The case of senior citizen Yong Lee Hua, 78, native of Sabah since 1963 was issued a MyPR after losing her MyKad.
This is senior citizen abuse by a petty racist administration.
Malaysiakini:
“Lee Hua herself was first told when she queried her red IC, also called the MyPR, that the “the NRD normally issues the MyPR to senior citizens who lose their MyKad.”
“She voted in the March 8 general elections this year using her driving licence. Luckily for her, her records at the Election Commission had not disappeared too.”
“To add to Lee Hua’s troubles, the Immigration Department told her that her data was no longer in the system, that she could not renew her expired Malaysian passport, and that it has been cancelled.”
“She was further advised that she could not even step outside Sabah with her red IC, not even to visit her son, who is with a bank in Kuala Lumpur.”
“More troubles for Lee Hua as the wheels of bureaucracy swung into motion: her account with Alliance Bank has been frozen and she can’t withdraw her monies; frozen too is her Amanah Saham Nasional account.”
“She also holds native land in her name, which she won’t be able to pass on to her eight children.”
in one fell swoop, a senior citizen has been deprieved (robbed ??) of everything in her golden years by the state, whereas in other countries, senior citizens are respected.
CAN ISLAM HADHARI DO ANYTHING AT ALL ??
I have a lingering suspicion all these attackers are somehow connected to those being sued by her. I urge Teresa to be steadfast and sue their b*lls off.
with regards to the case of Yong Lee Hua:
senior citizens, please beware,
they will grab everything,
be prepared !
All right thinking people should stand up to condemn Umno,Utusan and also the police for the injustice done to YB Teresa Kok.For a start,boycott Utusan and tell everyone it is a damn useless newspaper and it is not worth your money to buy and read it.The sinister and devilish paper can be allowed to publish racist articles and racial biased news clearly shows how iniquitous and wicked the powers that be.
Being truthful …sincere and direct…and a DAP popular politician….all UMNO needed was a chance…to find ways and means to crucify her.
That they did. Will they succeed? I doubt.
Kicdefella blog owner said he was also badly treated …and had lousy food…but decided to be sarcastic and spoke all good…in order not to give UMNO a chance to do or talk back to him.
That was in line with Anwar’s advises to Malaysians too.
Yes…Teresa Kok did nothing wrong….except being truthful and direct…and a DAP’s popular politician.
I am sure….she and her family are not afraid of threats…spoken or acted upon them.
DAP do have a team of fearless politicians.
I must salute Mr.Zaid Ibrahim….one of the very rare gentleman politician and a Minister…coming out to defend her with his resignation.
This is the stuffs we need more….to show to young Malaysians….how to succeed ..not to kow tow or be a yes man….to an unreasonable boss.
Everyone please check your EPF nominations. My sister recently ran a check on her EPF nomination and was shocked to find that her previous nomination made more than 15 years ago were “erased”. There was no record of any nomination ever being made! She immediately corrected the problem by making a new nomination.
We have heard this issue made its round sometime ago. Yet, i am disgusted that EPF has made light of this issue. How could nominations made previously be mysteriously ‘erased’ from the system? Was it lost during computer system migration? Why didn’t EPF notified affected members? They must be made to answer these problems.
More distraction, despicable act, and other hoodlum act ‘will be reported from here on just to get some cheap publicity stunt during this period. This is just some of it.
-A BANNER put up by Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok for Hari Raya was found cut up on Sunday morning.
– On Teresa’s clothing skirt-length to dog food, cannot imagine how low they will go.
– Molotov Cocktail Thrown At My House
– Police reports against extremists’ text messages
Why Teresa? Because she tells the truth, and truth is something the devil is not used to. Its that simple.
-Vandals smashed Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi’s car rear windscreen, loosened the tyre valve caps and placed a heap of rubbish on his vehicle parked at the Jalan P. Ramlee-Jalan Terengganu junction on Wednesday night.
Folks, the frenzy has started. Its feeding time, on the rot of AAB. Stay clear least you’ll be suck into it. The rest of croonies are taking position regardless what the transition date is. “Assumed closed?”. But, do not be distracted by these 3rd grade politics (clowning acts) and their egoistic pleasure in one race based, closed door, family type Goment which are hereditary in Umno. Only 2 categories of them are true rakyat’s politicians. One, already dead. Two, just resigned. Who ever takes over, is more of the same.
Truth is, this country do not have the liberty to wait for ‘improvement or cosmetic changes’ because we are dealing with skin deep ‘advance cancer stage’, not some kind of cough and cold symptoms. Proof: Ever heard or seen MCA, MIC, Umno, Gerakan in such chaotic disorder before? All these goons are so ‘cock-sure’ their comfort and lies will never be shaken.
Stay focus and vigilant. Support what little ‘rooms’ we have at the moment on activities like: releasing RPK, Hindraf, abolising ISA, peaceful candle vigil gathering, be at DSAI’s coming trials. All the same, do let your voice be heard and condemned on every stupidity act these low down scumbags are doing to Peaceful, true Malaysians.
There will be retrospect analysis of what AAB is to Malaysia. Before and after Goment changed. Either way, he’s insignificant because he is a PM by default, PM by accident, PM by Mahathir choice. So far, what he is has been established. No need to waste time.
Don’t worry too much. This is all part of God’s plan to make Teresa Kok the first non Muslim female Prime Minister of Muslim majority Malaysia. Yes I am not day dreaming and I am sober. It is my right to engage in wishful thinking, no matter how unrealistic it may seem.
The best, the most honest and the most capable, irrespective of race and religion, shall govern this country. We must sell this message relentlessly to all. Incompetent and parochial leaders can’t create value for this country and as a result of that, Malays, Chinese, Indians, and others all suffer.
This country should have been as rich if not richer than Singapore years ago. There is nothing in Malaysia that is inferior to Singapore – human capital, resources, cultural practices, religion, and entrepreneurship. There is only one shortcoming in Malaysia – third world leadership, bigotry and corruption championed by none other than Mahathir. He should just shut up and retire into oblivion.
YB Teresa is in this position purely from the misinterpretation of Utusan Malaysia and some UMNO ‘VIP’ politicians. The double standards practice by the police. Worst of all, the free talking Home Minister was shamefully silent.
Teresa is the beacon of hope in integrating of various races and tolerance of different religions. She has penetrated the minds of modern malays that DAP is not a threat and doing it very successfully and professionally as a MP. The extremists in UMNO, are feeling the threat of loosing ground with their power base…the malay community. They have to resort to dirty means to slow her down.
This may be a blessing in disguise for herin a longer period, as the rakyats will recognize her sincerity, an able politician, who spreads the Truth.
Teresa’s is not just the first case linking to religion like Islam or Malays but the best ‘Test’ case for all Malays and Islam preacher in Malaysia now.
Where are all those Malays and Islamic ppl who claim to support Teresa? Isn’t it time they should stand out to be counted and tell the truth also? Especially to their own kind? Seriously, if only what the Malays talk so loud about equality and the likes, this is a perfect case and time to Educate and set free the minds of other misguided, misinformed, brainwashed Malays thinkers or dictators in this country.
It have been too long now, while non-Islam or Non-Malays who do great things for them. They choose to turn a blind eye. In the end, they choose to be what they are, what else can you say?
I urged all those Malay or Islam folks who have benefited from Teresa’s work to Stand Up! have backbone! Be Free! Tell the truth!! Is that so difficult? Talk is Cheap, Action and Stand up for Teresa Now and Set free for your own kind. We don’t hate Islam or Malays, just give others ( Non-Islam, Non-Malays) a chance to love you?
Read this
@ http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/10002-zaid-attacks-race-politics
Why racists, bigots and extremists must be stopped:
I read somewhere that during Hitler’s Germany, the majority of the Germans were decent non Nazi but eventually it was Nazism that held sway in that country.
I also learned that Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. Again right thinking majority did not make a difference.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And what about Rwanda and Somalia, were the people there inherently violent and love to engage senseless killing? No body would think so.
Peace-loving people must speak up or we will be made irrelevant by our silence as history has shown us in numerous occasions. (Ideas obtained from a person named Emanuel Tanay, M.D.)
When a person slaps you on the right cheek, offer the left for him to slap too.
Well, in order to make sense of the whole silly scenario in Malaysia, something uncommon and unprecedented needs to be done to make people see the foolishness of the situation.
The people have to be shaken in order that they wake up from their self-inflicted and/or brain-washed mental block with regard to the so many events happening in our country.
People have to realise that there are just too many unreal and false assumptions insidiously made up to mislead and influence interest groups to achieve hidden agendas and ulterior motives.
How long does this negative and unproductive trend have to play out in our country? The people are growing sick and nauseous of the whole episode. The “players” have to stop victimising the masses and abusing their ill-gotten position. The show is over.
Let’s put a stop to all this nonsense. The people should know that they have the right and might to decide on the way the country is managed and governed.
Let good sense prevail!
The vast majority of people in the Klang Valley know that YB Teresa Kok is one of the finest MPs around, and it is foolhardy for UM to portray her as Anti-Islam, as readers (majority Malays) will surely find out that the reports in the newspaper is becoming more and more irrational and unreadable. Your attempts to smear her will backfire, and the newspaper will find fewer and fewer readers, so is the number of supporters of Umno and BN. That’s how you see governments throughout the world fall. All because of employing dirty tactics…
teresa is targeted becos umno jus couldn’t stand on the fact that DAP is reaching out to the malay community;they hav to demonise DAP by getting one of the most popular MP esp. in selangor.
Theresa is targeted because she has stepped on UMNO’s toes… ouch and we all know that UMNO are extremely sore losers and easily will throw childish tantrums.
Now some local Edward Scissors Hand cut off Teresa’s portrait on the banners around Puchong area.
When kids can’t win an argument, they throw tantrum. Same case with her political opponents, whoever these cowards/vandals are.
Teresa won the GE with the biggest majority; if she distributed the 36K ++ around maybe we have a Pakatan Federal government. At the height of the Teresa storm, the nude squat case, there were no such wide spread campaign. Now we have the azan, dog food, skirt allegations. Why not then? Why now? Is it because DAP and Pakatan are more formidable as a political force now? The timing of the events is most suggestive. The issues now seemed petty compared to the issues relating to the nude squat case.
Since she is popular and pillar of strength for DAP and PR, and represent an unfamiliar problem, the only way to bring her down is not by proper means. Attack her track record? Nothing to attack. Dig up some some corruption or sex scandals? Chances are her detractors got more of their own. Try to set her up with money / gigolo offers? Nobody got a chance with that.
The smear and intimidation campaign is the route taken by some pretty frustrated people. For the sake of Malaysia’s image, your own kama, our society’s stability and everybody’s intelligance; stop this useless, dangerous, stupid games. Badawi and Najib already mention that politicking must stop so that the nation can move forward so these actions must be stopped. It is both embarrassing and dangerous and finally, unpatriotic.
BN needs to learn to be a good opposition fronts in 4 states while PR needs to learn to be the ruling party in those 4 states and the 2 report cards can have some clear grading now in terms of who is doing better……
If UMNO is so afraid of losing Malay support to a non-Malay party, then they should find out what has gone wrong with their own party and get the problem fixed. They should not sabotage the non-Malay party as the latter does not sabotage UMNO when they (UMNO) reach out to non-Malays for support.
In a democracy, every party has the right to reach out to whichever race the party thinks will bring benefit to itself.
obviously, dark forces have a hand in it and we know where they are coming from. As the cracks started to show in the sunset regime, the miscreants are trying to take things into their own hands to intimidate and disrupt the process of CHANGE that’s already on the move. As history will tell, they are going to be thrown into the dustbin of historical oblivion eventually and that’s why they are desperate now.
“Bigotry tries to keep truth safe in its hand
With a grip that kills it”
— Rabindranath Tagore 1861-1941
stay calm always , rakyat …
umno is behind all these coward acts in hoping that rakyat will go against each other ….
as long as we all stay clam and let these clowns continue to do their acts foolishly ….
the police are waiting to take advantage of any racism tension in any of the PR government states ..so stay calm ..
[deleted]
Teresa Kok : Go Teresa Go….we will deeply support you, we will pray for your well being and safety (don’t worry there is ISA for you), do your work with sincere and let it spoken by itself…
kepada khir “pendatang generasi kedua” toyo : dikatakan dalam islam, bila menipu – ada balasannya ; bila mencuri – ada balasannya ; bila ada NIAT jahat – ada balasannya… panasnya bukan macam cili api kampung tapi berkali kali panasnya dari api dunia. buat baik berpada pada, janganlah berniat berbuat jahat dengan harapan boleh bertaubat…
Limkamput,
Well said! Yes, who knows one day, Teresa Kok may well be the first Non-Muslim (& a woman too!) PM of Malaysia! We never know what God has in store for us.
Until then, we have to be patient & keep our wits about us! UMNO CANNOT afford to have MPs like Teresa Kok around because the Malays will realize that she is the type of “Malaysian” that will fight for ALL Malaysians irrespective of their Race or Religion.
Beware of the wounded & dying UMNO as it still has “enough power” to cause pain, suffering & evil…to get what it wants & it WILL do ANYTHING to keep in Power!
Just a moment wrote:
“Where are all those Malays and Islamic ppl who claim to support Teresa? ”
You probably have not been reading a lot of news. Dr Siti Mariah made a police report even before Teresa was arrested. Many Malay bloggers have stated her innocence , Muslim NGOs including JIM have voiced out in her defense.
After BN’s not so recent defeat at Permatang Pauh at the hands of DSAI, UMNO has finally realised that the erosion of its support from the Malays is for real.
SAPP’s pull-out from BN is also likely an early-warning sign that BN’s support base in Sabah is beginning to weaken, which can threaten BN’s majority in the Parliament.
The UMNOputras have started their own little campaign of discrediting & intimidating the PR politicians/political opponents/dissidents with rumours, trumped-up charges, unjustified ISA detention & even Mafia/gangland styled threats, in an attempt to stem the flow of the ‘aftershock ripples’ from the ‘0308 GE tsunami’, because they stubbornly want to cling on to power.
The question now is how far are they willing to go?
ekans,
the answers to your question is worrisome!
In these times of utter ” instability and danger” in the sense that certain parties are going to lose their hold on to power, influence and control over resources and interests, one can expect that plots, counter-plots, mind games, propaganda, intrigues, character assassination, racial card games, religious bigotry, espionage, and the whole gamut of dirty and irresponsible activities be attempted in order to inflict the maximum harm onto whoever is in their way to perpetuate their shaky positions.
This is what is happening right now and we can witness it unfolding in Teresa Kok’s case.
The police have to carry out impartial investigations into those activities to show their non-partisan position, else they would be seen as being partial in their already tainted reputation. Bring those sending obnoxious and irresponsible messages to book and to face the wrath of the laws of the country. Act on those who take the laws into their own hands without fear or favour.
This would bring credibility to the police force; this is an opportunity for them to redeem their worthiness.
PR have to be extra cautious in all their plans and actions in order not to fall into traps which would jeopardise their chances.
rakyatmalaysia07 Says:
You probably have not been reading a lot of news. Dr Siti Mariah made a police report even before Teresa was arrested. Many Malay bloggers have stated her innocence , Muslim NGOs including JIM have voiced out in her defense.
===================================
Thank you rakyatmalaysia07, yes I have not read a lot. What Im trying to get at here. Its not enough. Iam aware some are also standing up like Zaid the great. We need more of these exchange of goodworks between different race and religion as well. We need to break the monotonous or monopoly game of One race. No such thing as one race.
What Teresa Said about the eggs being slightly better then dog food in ISA detention is a very good point as she was taken by the Police to ISA without doing anything wrong. An innocent person do not eat eggs everyday, if Police wanted to invite a guess, she should be given what ever she wanted to eat.
Teresa should sue the Police and Government for compensation on the mistake and the embarrassment and torture she has to put up with through out the ISA detention from day one until she was released.
The Police has highly abused their power and self invented law like ISA is not acceptable to humans, only the primitive race can think of a senseless law like ISA.
There may also be attempts by irresponsible parties and individuals with vested interest to create a situation of disturbance and seeming instability in order that emergency rule be applied or drastic actions be taken against targeted individuals who are seen as standing in the way of those irresponsible parties and individuals.
Everybody knows that there is always such a possibility, but how the authorities approach and tackle the situation is everybody’s guess.
We can only pray that truth and good sense would always prevail.
What do we expect these days? Every minute and every hour all sorts of crime are happening throughout the length and breadth of the country.Even VIPs past or present ones have fallen victim to crimes.What about ordinary folks like us?How many people do feel safe when they step out of their well guarded homes(if they really live in one)?When you drive on the road,you have to stay vigilant against car hijack.When you reach home,you have to make sure you are not targetted for robbery.Crimes have become so rampant because the law breakers have no fear of the police.They know the police just cannot do anything to them.So the pitiful people have to pray to God for safety wherever they go.The situation now is pathetic and very abhorrent.
It’s natural for us to strike back when we are threaten or perceived to be threaten. Teresa had fall into trap of her perpetrator. To effectively counter-attack adversaries , reversing what our instince enticing to do would boomerang back the draconian acts back to the perpetrator.
” I thanked our Minister of internal affair for giving me the chance to be alone medidating and strengthen my faith and challenge myself to be better politician during my ISA detention” would do better than ” those food served to me is no better then dog food “
Posturing is important to project one’s stand and principles.
An unclear posturing could cause a message to be misinterpreted or that the message could be interpreted in more ways than that was intended, leading to confusion and ambivalence.
So before one opens his mouth or acts, think about the consequences, effects and impact that the words or actions would have on the observers and participants.
All Pakatan Rakyat proponent and supporters must stand united in these trying times. Dont let hell break loose. UMNO is really afraid now. Pak Lah, Ahmad , Toyol are now irrelevant. Malaysians should brace themselves for a roller coaster ride in the malaysian politics. But hang on to the grail- dont fallout, yet.
well if teresa kok wear skirt, at lis shes not naked going to the naked..sum malays even almost naked when passing by mosque…instead of highlighting the skirt issue, might as well highlight the social problem caused by themselves malays!
I have not been following very closely to the events which took place but I believe Teresa’s dilemma began with a misconception. She should not have misunderstood the insertion of Jawi characters on road signs as being Islamic in the first place. Many people are like Teresa. They have misunderstood that Jawi is Islamic.
Actually, if we had not been under British rule for the few centuries prior to our independence, Bahasa Melayu or our national language would have been written in Jawi. That is the original form of Bahasa Melayu. It was only romanized for the convenience of the British and the Bahasa Melayu we study today is in fact a mutation.
We can only say that by inserting Jawi on road signs, it is a redundant process and a waste of resources as these Jawi words are actually what is written in Romanized form on these road signs. They are nothing Islamic.
I am a Chinese but I was actually “forced” to learn Jawi back in the early 70’s. Thanks to the group of people who had the same misperception as Teresa living in Kajang. Road signs in Kajang were among the first to be displayed with Jawi and this misperception led to a group (believed to be anti-Islam) who went around the whole of Kajang town with a pail of black paint in one hand and a brush in the other. They began blackening out the Jawi writing on these road signs and this led to a series of events which eventually made Jawi a compulsory subject in National primary schools.
I was out of school by then but because I was a private tutor having a few students from national primary schools, I was “forced” to study the subject in order to teach these kids. I do not regret learning Jawi and it has in fact opened up new avenues for me. Just hope that everyone would adopt this similar attitude. No harm learning something extra. If non-Chinese can send their children to Chinese schools to learn Chinese, why can’t we as non-Malays learn Jawi?
Teresa’s comments about the food during her ISA detention had been purposely blown out of proportion by the UMNOputras.
One even said that she had insulted the starving poor by criticising the food served to her, but this UMNOputra had himself insulted the poor by comparing their food to that served to ISA detainees and prison inmates. Furthermore, he should realise that his party’s super idea of NEP affirmative action had not totally eradicated poverty after almost 40 years because the policy had been abused by rakan2 seperjuangan & possibly himself, which is why he can mention about the poor today.
I am certain that Teresa will agree that we do not expect the food behind bars to be like from high class restaurants, but even if it is tasteless or does not look appetizing, the food should still be hygienic enough not to smell bad or cause diarrhoea or other illness.
Whether it is a convict who had been put behind bars after, beyond reasonable doubt, being found guilty in a court of law, or whether it is an untried individual, detained indefinitely under an unpopular law which allows a certain minister to act as the judge, jury & executioner, to deprive them of freedom does not necessarily mean feeding them unhygienic food and also depriving them of good health.
Humility is the cohort of the original real self, Arrogance is the cohort of the borrowed false self.In psychology this false self is called ego,in some religions they are termed syatan,devil and so on. You can find that many people in the kampongs are actually very humble .These falks are humble without knowing that they are humble; this is true humility! In contrast the city falks,especially the politicians,are the walking syatans without knowing they are one all their life!Exhibiting their arrogance in public as if this land on earth belong to them!
Sorry typo error; it should read….especially the UMNO politicians..
Ms Teresa Kok could also have been a convenient scapegoat to deflect people’s attention from the many contentious and controversial issues.
It would buy time for certain groups to do whatever to change their fortune.
Ignorant and misinformed people would also be made use of to direct, target and vent their frustration and anger on Ms Kok and the likes of her who are considered as barriers and enemies.
Indeed, such abuse and exploitation of common folks, who are normally ignorant and ill-informed, by groups who have ulterior motives is not something new. The common folks are easily influenced and aroused to defend their leaders who know them too well, when sensitive issues are raised and exploited.
Such is meanness and utter evilness of those who are out to create disturbances, instability, confusion, trouble, damage, etc., etc., to achieve their selfish aims. In so doing, these manipulative perpetrators hope to make their opponents into devils, while projecting themselves as angels and defenders of those whom they have exploited.
Such dirty tactics have to be exposed so that the masses could be duly informed and hence be able to differentiate between truth and tricks. Those perpetrators have to be stopped from making more damage and harm.
They had her detained so she could later be released. You can’t release someone who has not been detained.
http://media1.malaysiakini.com/143/ee3e497b6c77bc3696bbfc6815a06273.jpg
I am curious in know the person behind Teresa. She looks like her. Who is the person?
limkamput’s posting somewhere above points out an irony in us and in our system of politics. The government is suppose to be our servant. We select them (through general election) and entrust them with the duty to serve us and the country. And we are entitle to know what our servants are doing, to question them and to criticise them; and if they are not up to mark, to boot them.
It has got everything to do with being in power for too long. We must change them. The change is long overdue.
The people have to know their rights and standing with regard to their relation with the government and its agencies, local municipalities / authorities.
Indeed the government is answerable to the rakyat, and not the other way round.
People have to learn to exert and demand their rights in order that they get their deserved services and attention.
Those in government service have to be told and made to realise that they are answerable to the rakyat and not the other way round. Either they perform or leave the service.
A campaign organised to educate the rakyat on these matters would be useful and long overdue.
THE DILEMMA OF BEING THERESA KOK
INTRODUCTION
Theresa Kok and people like her who hold public office should always seek proper counsel on the subject of precision in preparation and publication of their statements to the public in order to avoid embarrassment to themselves and to the outcomes they like her so desperately now seeks to avoid.
If statements attributed to her in press releases were prepared or approved by her for publication and if I were a constituent of hers, I would have grave reservations about her ability to function effectively or to communicate my needs as a constituent of hers to the legislature.
The inference is drawn from her very poor ability to express herself properly in the language of her choice, English either orally or in written form. She speaks English (if that’s not stretching the imagination too far) but clearly thinks in Chinese and not even Bahasa which would in the circumstances be preferable.
Perhaps this is why she also prefers the Chinese characters so provocatively displayed often on her website, from which any polemic is excised and diversity of thought discouraged. A totalitarian mindset in skirts and covered up in a cheap wash of cosmetics? Democracy? Freedom of expression ? I think not.
THE PROBLEM WITH THERESA AND HER UNDERSTANDING OF RIGHT AND WRONG
Theresa Kok is her own biggest enemy. By implication of what she says in her press release and public comments (assuming what’s published and attributed to her as being her statements are in fact her statements), she patronisingly seeks to impugn unlawful or unfair conduct on the part of the police in their investigation of complaints and allegations leveled against her and her alleged activities.
There is a wide discretion of powers given to the police not only in Malaysia but in most other countries of the world to exercise in the course of their investigations. The police do not have to ask a suspect the types of questions the suspect would prefer the [police to ask of them. Which planet does this woman live on?
The ISA is no ordinary piece of legislation and police questioning is not designed to assist a suspect to conceal what they the police seek to elicit from them in the execution of their duties. Such fanciful privileges are not even accorded a detainee or suspect during a non ISA instituted interrogation or questioning by police anywhere.
Whether or not one likes the ISA, it remains on the statute books and a personal revulsion to the Act is insignificant to its application or to its existence until such revulsion manifests itself in a change of legislation.
As an example on the point, there is universal opposition to the death penalty. I would have assumed that such a truly draconian punitive sanction would have been a priority issue for a self confessed practicing Catholic and Chinese chauvinist MP to pursue into oblivion.
It is after all an issue concerned with the preservation of human life and human dignity which doctrinally is paramount to everything Catholic. To whom forgiveness is a close second relative.
And further statistically for good measure the Chinese remain the largest victims of the gallows in South East Asia. And even further still her openly demonstrated priorities lie squarely with the Malaysian Chinese community!!
Where convenient Theresa embarrassingly poses with a token few Malays whilst dressed uncomfortably in a baju kurong in an unconvincing attempt at absolution and exorcism of that the self inflicted stigma of her narrow race based leanings.
There is a different forum and process by which people are able to express their dissatisfaction or revulsion to the ISA. That process and forum was available for the public to act on in March 8 of 2008. The results of that event are self evident.
The ISA was not a policy issue then sufficient to change anything. With Theresa Kok’s incarceration under the Act it suddenly takes centre stage. Perhaps the message is that charity does indeed begin at home.
Who is Theresa Kok really acting for? her narcissistic self or her constituents who are narrowly aligned to her equally narrow non secular racially inspired ideologies? she has set herself up for her fall and now plays Mother Theresa and the little flower.
POLICE ACTION IN DETAINING HER AND THE ISA
Were the police acting in a high handed manner in their detention and interrogation of her? perhaps so. But were they breaking the law in doing so? I think not.
What Theresa Kok in her statement here speculates is, that in detaining her and in not conducting an investigation according to what she believes was the right way to go about it has rendered the police action against her unlawful and immoral.
Further it would appear from her statement, that she is inviting an inference that it was the Utusan Melayu’s publication on the offending subject that was the genesis of her problems leading to her detention. Pure speculation. Maybe an officer who interviewed her said so. But that’s a statement of the officer and not one of proof that UM was the complainant.
Theresa’s attempts to now sue the Utusan Melayu is reinforcement of her grand standing, self indulgent politics, devoid of any real alternative policy she has yet to convince the masses she is capable of.
TANTRUM POLITICS BY CREATING CONFLICT
Her further attempts to widen the conflict of ‘Theresa versus the rest of the world’ by drawing on a statement by MP Ahmad Ismail of Bukit Bendera and turning it into a racist controversy worthy of the proverbial “charity” that would “cover her multitude of sins” against the Malays is pathetic.
I once more urge Theresa Kok to discover the meaning of the word racist and place it for her here to absorb.
“a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.”
Ahmad Ismail’s comment in this regard at worst is perhaps a misstatement of fact or a statement misplaced in context. He referred to Chinese as squatters. I won’t go into that definition as it may hurt and lend unsolicited credibility to Ahmad’s statement.
THE TEST TO THERESA’S IDEOLOGY AND PURPOSE
If Theresa was genuinely concerned about racism she would have worked earnestly with the backing of the empire of the Vatican to;
(i) prevent Chinese exploitation and brutality against Phillipino and Indonesian maids in Malaysia (which statistically human rights orgnisations number ethnic Chinese families in Malaysia as being disproportionately bigger offenders than the other two races),
(ii) condemn and actively encourage an apology and repentance from Raja Petra Kamaruddin for blaspheming against the prophet regardless of her own faith,
(iii) condemn his vile racist comments against Malays which by any definition is racist and a vilification of an entire race without any defense, justification or moral qualification and patently illegal at international law.
(iv) campaign against Chinese exploitation of poorer and unprotected Indians who are the lowest paid employees in Chinese dominated organizations in Malaysia.
(v) campaign against the scourge of Chinese triad societies and the brutal predatory Ah Longs
(vi) campaign against the scourge of prostitution ( a profession dominated by Chinese pimps and not only in Malaysia)
(vii) campaign against the Catholic churches abuse of orphans, the poor and women and other weaker and dependant groupings within it
(viii) seek out and publicly identify pedophiles and sexual predators within the Catholic church a matter that is universal within that organization.
THERESA’S HYPCROSIY
Instead she calls for Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s release as if he were an innocent victim of justice gone wrong. A Martyr for her cause celebre, being the defamation and racial stereotyping of Malays and Muslims.
Her desperation in exploiting what Ahmad Ismail said and by her attempts at extrapolating his words into a specious argument about racism is just that. Desperation.
It beggars belief that someone in her position should cry foul whilst upholding the alley cat Hitlerian morality of one such as Raja Petra Kamaruddin. A man bereft of any morals, standards (social and professional) or credibility, hiding behind the thin veneer of respectability by calling himself a journalist.
In the current political and communally charged environment it is people like Theresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamuruddin that lend credibility to the continued need for and existence of the ISA. Their conduct supports its implementation as a tool to prevent a greater mischief being committed against the community at large by their reckless conduct and comments.
Many Malaysians unfortunately tend to forget what occurred during the blood letting of May 13 1969. To many more of a younger generation May 13th is merely academic and a reference point to the extremities of communalism. That’s dangerous.
Theresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin are birds of a feather. Generous with the lives of others in their provocation, eccentricity and their attempts at pushing the envelop to tearing point in pursuit of personal gratification and glory, attention and adulation and a mistaken belief they are doing the community a service.
What Theresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin engage in is nothing short of populist adventurism in its most vile and dangerous form.
CONCLUSION
Well there may be those who admire such politically bankrupt exploitation of racial tension either willfully or negligently by covering it with the respectability of “democracy and freedom of speech”. They then draw on the indiscretions of their opponents to justify what they do. But no one is game enough to ask the question;
“when did the indiscretions of those you despise become your moral beacon to follow?”
If a member of Parliament who practices a religion with a historical and ideological intolerance of the beliefs of others as its credo espouses it on her website, eschews a common language that could reach all constituents, but instead uses Chinese characters and English and calls herself a democrat and a freedom lover, goes hell for leather against Malays and Muslims in her unbridled and contemptuous hatred for them, she deserves more than a mere locking up for 8 days in solitary. Theresa and people like her need a re education or total banishment for the danger they are to any civil society.
It may be worth noting that this woman was actually accorded the honorarium of a Masters Degree from a university in Malaysia. On what basis and on what merit god only knows. At that level perhaps she is right. The country is corrupted and the education system in need of radical overhaul. She is evidence of both points.
Welcome to the world of partisan politics. Welcome to the world of non Catholics and welcome to diversity of opinion Theresa Kok.
The following may also be worth remembering Theresa.
There are no absolute democracies n this world. That’s a euphemism for anarchy. Your right to express your freedom ends at the tip of your neighbours nose
My Advice: If you can’t stand the heat. get out of the kitchen”.
Gopal Raj Kumar