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Zaki should support Chief Justice’s vow of “house-cleaning” of judiciary with three measures

The new Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad has made a courageous pledge of “house-cleaning” of the judiciary after being sworn in as the highest judicial officer of the land.

Abdul Hamid is the first top judicial officer to admit to the rot in the judiciary which has plunged national and international confidence in the system of justice to the lowest point in the 50-year history of the nation, and the rot in the judicial system is most vividly described by the Chief Justice when he said:

“I am aware that this appointment is a heavy burden on me. It is more so when it happens at a very challenging time, that is, when public perceptions of the judiciary are disturbing, when the integrity of the courts in the administration of justice is doubted, when appointments and the behaviour of judges and their commitments in the discharge of their duties, are all being questioned.”

Describing the judiciary as the last frontier of a nation, he said : “When the people no longer have confidence in the courts, there will be chaos.

“The independence of the judiciary means giving decision in a case based on law and evidence adduced in court without being influenced or pressured by any party.”

I wish to express my full support to Abdul Hamid’s bold admission of the rot in the administration of justice and his vow to “house-clean” the judiciary.

I do not doube Abdul Hamid’s sincerity, honesty or seriousness of purpose. However, I am very pessimistic at the prospect of success of such a “house-cleaning” by Abdul Hamid for two reasons: Continue reading “Zaki should support Chief Justice’s vow of “house-cleaning” of judiciary with three measures”

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Sanctity of Parliament violated (2) – Mustapha roughed up (YouTube)

YouTube video of police roughing up and dragging away veteran PAS leader who was former Deputy Minister and MP, Mustapha Ali when effecting arrest at Parliament precincts yesterday – another damning evidence of the violation of the sanctity of Parliament by the police and executive.

I told the police that what they had done was just wrong. DAP MP for Ipoh Barat, M. Kulasegaran asked where was the court order justifying the police action, but the police refused to show such an order.

Mustapha was guest of PAS MP for Tumpat, Kamaruddin Jaffar but such niceties and courtesies mean nothing to the Police, as clearly shown by this video clip captured by Lim Swee Kuan.

Shame for Parliament! Shame for Malaysia!

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Sanctity of Parliament violated – Chin Huat sings Negaraku on arrest (YouTube)

YouTube video of police violation of sanctity of Parliament with unprecedented mass arrests of BERSIH activists in parliamentary precincts yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007.

What was their crime? For upholding the Malaysian Constitution for wanting to have free and fair elections?

Writers Alliance for Media Independence chairperson Wong Chin Huat held up the Constitution and sang Negaraku when he was arrested by the Police in Parliament yesterday to tell the world that he committed no crime except for his love for the country and to protect and promote the Malaysian Constitution.

See this most touching and memorable episode captured for posterity by Lim Swee Kuan in YouTube.

Also arrested at the same time as Chin Huat were Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng, Centre for Independent Journalism executive director V Gayathry (both on YouTube) and Pusat Komas programme director Mien Lor.

DAP MPs Chong Eng (Bukit Mertajam), Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang), M. Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Chow Kon Yeow (Tanjong), Fong Pokuan (Batu Gajah), Lim Hock Seng (Bagan), Chong Chien Jen (Bandar Kuching) and I were taking the four for lunch outside Parliament when the police swooped and intercepted them while in parliamentary precincts as if they were “top villains” of the country!

Shame for Parliament! Shame for Malaysia!

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Blackest day for Parliament in 50 years

This is the blackest day for Parliament in 50 years.

In utter contempt of the sanctity of Parliament and the honour and dignity of Members of Parliament, the police arrested over 20 people in the parliamentary precincts.

Among those arrested were PAS leaders Mustapha Ali and Dr. Hatta Ramli, Parti Keadilan Rakyat secretary-general Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Information chief Tian Chua, Parti Sosialis Malaysia protem chairman Dr. Nasir Hashim as well as activists from the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) including Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng, Centre for Independent Journalism executive director V Gayathry, Pusat Komas programme director Mien Lor, Writers Alliance for Media Independence chairperson Wong Chin Huat, PAS Research Centre director Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad and Harakah advertising manager Mokhtar Rosaidi.

I was eye-witness to the police arrest of Mustapha, Yap Swee Seng, Wong Chin Huat and Gayathry within the precincts of Parliament. In fact, I was accompanying Yap, Wong and Gayathry out of Parliament when the police abused its powers to effect the arrest within parliamentary precincts during lunch-break.

I protested strongly against such a most shameful episode in the annals of Malaysian history in 50 years when Dewan Rakyat resumed sitting after lunch recess, proposing a privilege motion to direct the Police to release all arrested within parliamentary precincts – as the police arrests should have been made outside Parliament. However, there was no support whatsoever from any Barisan Nasional MP or Minister.

Nine DAP MPs and one PAS MP also met the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to lodge the strongest possible protest and he said he would seek clarification from the Inspector-of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan. Continue reading “Blackest day for Parliament in 50 years”

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DPM and PM are both liars

by Richard Teo

How could god fearing leaders perpetuate a lie in order to further their agenda of remaining in
office?

For DPM, Najib to label Hindraf as a violent and extremist group is doing a great injustice to the marginalised miniority Malaysian indians. This is a blatant lie that honest, fair minded citizens cannot accept as the truth.

How could a peaceful group of Hindraf supporters who participated in a peaceful assembly just two weeks ago suddenly being transformed into a terrorist group is beyond the comprehension of Malaysians of all race and creed.

Quite obviously, Najib was merely parroting what the Attorney-General Gani Patil was arguing in the courts to deny bail for the 31 Hindraf supporters. (They were denied bail.) On the basis of a flimsy Police report without proper investigative measure he surmised that Hindraf was a terrorist group with contacts with the Tamil Tigers, LTTE.

How could any one classify Hindraf as a terrorist group when their only crime to date was to participate in a peaceful assembly to articulate their grievances? An assembly that was deemed illegal because of the govt’s decision not to issue them with a permit.

If at all it was accused as a terrorist organisation then it must be the world’s most harmless
group of terrorists because it had not fired a single bullet, it has not caused any violence, it has not professed the destruction of any instituition and yet beyond the imagination of fair minded people they were called an extremist terrorist organisation. Continue reading “DPM and PM are both liars”

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A Legacy the Country Can Do Without

by M. Bakri Musa

When the Council of Rulers did not even entertain former Chief Justice Ahmad Feiruz’s request for an extension of his tenure, it went beyond royal rebuff. It was a very public and equally royal repudiation of Prime Minister Abdullah’s judgment.

The Council went further. Traditionally it does not even announce details of its meetings, but on October 31st, 2007 the Rulers specifically stated that the item was not even on their agenda. Presumably they went out of their way to declare this fact openly to pre-empt anyone from “spinning” this royal snub into something else.

The immediate consequence was that Feiruz left office unceremoniously the next day, with no end-of-term “photo ops,” elaborate dinners, or the obligatory farewell tours. There was not even a parting interview or any dispensing of words of wisdom. It was the body language of someone drummed out of office rather than a dignified farewell of someone proud of his legacy. It was the image of a guard dog turned renegade, desperate to escape for fear of being shot, with its tail between its legs after it was found snatching one of the lambs it was supposed to protect.

On this point, Ahmad Feiruz had read the situation well; his legacy is not one that the nation should be proud of; neither should he.

Has Prime Minister Abdullah learned anything from this disgraceful saga? Sadly, no! In elevating recently appointed Judge Zaki Azmi to be President of the Court of Appeals, the number two slot and thus potentially in line to be the next Chief Justice, Abdullah has again demonstrated his incompetence as well as inability and unwillingness to learn from his mistakes.

This is the same Zaki Azmi who before his elevation to the bench grabbed headlines with his attempt to have his second marriage in South Thailand annulled. Press reports alleged that he might have instructed his bride to destroy their wedding certificate, potentially an act that could be construed as obstruction of justice, a serious charge especially to an officer of the court.

Nonetheless he had the personal integrity then to withdraw himself from UMNO’s Disciplinary Committee investigating “money politics.” Thus we have the specter of a man who earlier felt himself unqualified to be in UMNO Disciplinary Committee being appointed by the party’s leader to be next in line as Chief Justice. The mockery of this appointment is lost on the judge as well as the Prime Minister. Continue reading “A Legacy the Country Can Do Without”

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Abdullah – listen to Musa Hitam and step on the brakes for a major Ops Lalang crackdown

I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to revoke the “green light” for the mass arrests and prosecutions and to pull back from the brink of the precipice of a major crackdown on human rights and democracy which will push back democratization and liberalization for decades.

Many are asking whether the country is on the eve of a second Operation Lalang when there was a major crackdown on human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy in 1987 with mass arrests under the Internal Security Act and the closure of four newspapers which was followed by the “mother” of all judicial crisis in 1988 causing irretrievable damage to the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

Abdullah made the promise to protect and promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law when he became Prime Minister just four years ago and I call on him to step on the brakes to prevent the country from careening down the slope of a major assault on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and the first Suhakam Chairman, Tun Musa Hitam, has provided a solution to prevent the country plunging down the slope of a new “dark age” for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In an interview with New Sunday Times, Musa has made an eloquent call for Malaysia to be one of the first developing nations to show respect for the human right of freedom of expression by allowing peaceful assemblies and demonstrations.

Asked “Is Malaysia ready for peaceful assemblies”, Musa gave the refreshing and confident reply: “Yes, Come on, we have been independent for 50 years.” Continue reading “Abdullah – listen to Musa Hitam and step on the brakes for a major Ops Lalang crackdown”

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Abdullah’s Black Sunday for human rights on International Human Rights Day

I have this morning given notice to the Parliament Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move an emergency motion in Parliament tomorrow on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Black Sunday for human rights on International Human Rights Day yesterday – with mass arrests of peaceful Human Rights Day marchers, lawyers and BERSIH leaders.

My urgent motion reads:

“That the House gives leave to Ketua Pembangkang YB Lim Kit Siang to adjourn the House under S.O. 18 (1) to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance – the police mass arrests on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on 9th December 2007.

“International Human Rights Day on Sunday 9th December 2007 turned out to be a Black Sunday for Malaysia with mass police arrests including lawyers and peaceful marchers to mark human rights day, Bar Council Human Rights Committee chairman Edmund Bon and two leading lights of BERSIH, Pas vice president Mohamad Sabu and Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua showing utter contempt and disregard of human rights by the police and the government.

“The arrest of the eight persons on Sunday morning, including five lawyers, N Surendran, Latheefa Koya, R Sivarasa, Eric Paulsen and Amer Hamzah, and human rights activists Anthony Andu and Norazah Othman in totally unprovoked circumstances is a blot on human rights in Malaysia, as the some 100 people who had gathered for the march in Kuala Lumpur clearly posed no threat to anyone, let alone national security, public order or peace.

“The arrest and manhandling of Edmond Bon at the Bar Council premises in connection with Human Rights Day banners were clear abuses of police powers, excessive use of force and public display of police contempt for human rights. Continue reading “Abdullah’s Black Sunday for human rights on International Human Rights Day”

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AG’s Hindraf selective and malicious prosecution – widening crisis of confidence in administration of justice

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail should drop the charge of “attempted murder” against the “Batu Caves 31” and abandon the manhunt to charge at least another 30 on the same count as it will result in a new crisis of confidence in the administration of justice over selective and malicious prosecution in the abuse of the Attorney-General’s discretionary prosecution powers.

It is most outrageous and a blot in the Malaysian administration of justice that the Shah Alam Sessions Court could be so harsh, excessive and unconscionable as to accede to the Attorney-General’s outrageous demand to deny bail to the 31 persons charged with the ridiculous offence of attempted murder of a policeman and to send them to Sungai Buloh Prison in the past four days since Thursday.

Sixteen of these 31 had been earlier charged in the Selayang session’s court with being at an illegal assembly in front of Sri Subramaniam Temple at Batu Caves between 1 am and 8 am on Nov. 25, and released on a court bail of RM1,000 each.

They were free for only three days as they were re-arrested for the capital offence of among 31 for the attempted murder of a cop, for which they were not allowed bail and sent to Sungai Buloh Prison pending trail, which could see them being imprisoned for months on end although their guilt has not been established and have their innocence proved at the end of the trial. Continue reading “AG’s Hindraf selective and malicious prosecution – widening crisis of confidence in administration of justice”

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Human Rights Day arrests – police takes off velvet glove to show iron fist

The high-handed and arbitrary police arrests of eight people, including five lawyers, for the peaceful march to mark the International Human Rights Day in Kuala Lumpur this morning has marred the celebration of Human Rights Day and blotted Malaysia’s international image on human rights.

The arrest of the eight, including five lawyers, N Surendran, Latheefa Koya, R Sivarasa, Eric Paulsen and Amer Hamzah, and human rights activists Anthony Andu and Norazah Othman in totally unprovoked circumstances is a great shame for the Abdullah premiership, as the some 100 people who had gathered at Sogo Department store in Kuala Lumpur to march to the Central Market in the federal capital clearly posed no threat to anyone, let alone national security, public order or peace.

Why couldn’t the police leave the marchers alone, only taking action if they pose a threat to national order or security, eschewing all forms of police over-reaction which can only add to the list of adverse international publicity which had been piling for Malaysia in recent months.

The police arrests of the eight on International Human Rights Day is doubly ominous for it is a clear symbol that the Abdullah premiership, which had started with the false promise of greater respect for human rights, has finally taken off its velvet glove to show the iron fist within to crush expressions of human rights in the country. Continue reading “Human Rights Day arrests – police takes off velvet glove to show iron fist”

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Terrorist links – stop demonising Hindraf leaders and two million Indians for speaking up against marginalisation

I call on the the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General to stop treating Hindraf leaders and ordinary Malaysians who attended the Nov. 25 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration as “terrorists” just because “somebody” had lodged a police report that Hindraf has contacts with LTTE.

Just because “somebody” had lodged a police report making an accusation against an organization cannot be the basis for any public policy as the government, Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General will surely not treat UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders and members as “terrorist” just because “somebody” has lodged an unsubstantiated police report that they have connections or links with terrorist organizations.

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail was the first to raise the alleged Hindraf links with terrorists when he deployed it as the “star” argument at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Wednesday to oppose the application for bail for the 31 persons charged for the “attempted murder” of a policeman. What was the justification for the Attorney-General leading the attack on Hindraf for its alleged terrorist links?

Yesterday, Gani said his linking Hindraf to the LTTE in his argument at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Wednesday was based on a police report.

He said: “Somebody lodged a police report that there is ground that these people have been going out to (establish) contact with this LTTE.’

Surely, this is too flimsy a ground for the Attorney-General to found his whole court strategy to virtually regard the 31 ordinary Malaysians as terrorists out to wreck the country and too dangerous to be allowed out on bail pending their trial. Continue reading “Terrorist links – stop demonising Hindraf leaders and two million Indians for speaking up against marginalisation”

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Zaki’s quadruple jump as Court of Appeal President – will he undertake to recuse himself from all cases involving Umno?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, cannot be more wrong when he cited Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah as a precedent for the fast-track elevation of Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi as the Court of Appeal President, half-a-heart beat away as Chief Justice of Malaysia in ten months’ time in October next year.

Zaki’s triple jump to become Federal Court judge in September without ever being High Court or Court of Appeal judge is completely without precedent in the nation’s judicial history for half-a-century — just like his quadruple jump in three months up the judicial hierarchy to become the Court of Appeal President or his quintuple jump in a matter of a year when he is appointed Chief Justice of Malaysia next October when Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad steps down from the topmost judicial post.

Nazri had been wrongly advised about the history of judicial appointments for Dzaiddin, who served as High Court Judge for more than 10 years and Federal Court judge for seven years before he was unexpectedly appointed the Chief Justice of Malaysia in December 2000 — as the choice of the Conference of Rulers which had rejected the original nominee presented by the then Prime Minister.

What are the grounds for the supersonic flight up the judicial hierarchy for Zaki – apart from his Umno associations – as he is no legal luminary in the Malaysian legal firmament.

At a time when the country is struggling to come out of the 19-year crisis of confidence in the independence, integrity and competence of the judiciary, Zaki’s most unorthodox triple, quadruple and quintuple leap up the judicial hierarchy raises most disturbing questions whether there is any real understanding let alone political will on the part of the top national leadership on the urgent need to restore the Malaysian judiciary to the world-class level it had enjoyed two decades ago.

Or is Malaysia on the occasion of its 50th Merdeka anniversary taking the first step to have an Umno Chief Justice instead of a Chief Justice for all Malaysians by October next year? Continue reading “Zaki’s quadruple jump as Court of Appeal President – will he undertake to recuse himself from all cases involving Umno?”

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Call on AG to agree to bail for 31 Hindraf protestors – emergency debate in Parliament on Monday

I have this morning given notice to the Parliament Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah, to move an emergency motion on Monday on the allegation by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, that Hindraf is linked to terrorists and is canvassing for support from terrorist groups.

It will be Malaysia’s misfortune and tragedy if the government’s sole concern is to indiscriminately demonise the Hindraf leaders over their allegations of “ethnic cleansing” and genocide of Indians in Malaysia which were not the reasons for the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 and use them as excuses to completely disregard the legitimate grievances of two million Malaysian Indians at their long-standing marginalization as Malaysian citizens.

I am shocked at the Attorney-General’s role in the escalation of such “denial-and reprisal” response — belatedly charging 31 Hindraf protestors for the capital offense of attempted murder of a cop and objecting to any grant of bail, resulting for all intent and purpose of their being immediately jailed in Sungai Buloh prison indefinitely for months on end until the end of the trial.

If this is not a travesty of justice, I do not know what is!

Tan Sri Gani Patail must know that as Attorney-General, he is the chief legal officer not only of the government but for all 27 million Malaysians and he must not act in any vengeful, vindictive or bullying manner — something which he seemed to have forgotten in the past two days in his appearance in court over the prosecution of the Hindraf protestors.

I urge him to reconsider his objections to the granting of bail to the 31 protestors and to agree to their release on bail pending trial and to take the personal initiative to submit such an application to the court — or he will be doing a great injustice and disservice not only to the public image of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, but to popular support for the Barisan Nasional government. Continue reading “Call on AG to agree to bail for 31 Hindraf protestors – emergency debate in Parliament on Monday”

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Police should also be charged with attempted murder

by Richard Teo

Malaysians in general and Indians in particular must be appalled at how the Attorney-General could charge 31 Hindraf protestors for the dubious crime of attempted murder.

Surely the charge can only be valid if the perpetrator of the crime can be identified. There is no justification to detain the 31 members if the crime was committed by a single individual. The prosecutor cannot expect the court to believe that the 31 perpetrators were responsible for throwing an object which specifically caused injury to the police officers.

How could the prosecutors cast a net so wide and hope per chance that it may catch the culprit from amongst the 31 protestors? Obviously not all of the 31 protestors were responsible for the single injury caused to the officer. Therefore will justice be served if the law punish the 31 Hindraf members just because one of them caused injury to the officer?

Can our justice be so vicious that 31 individual should pay the price for a crime committed by one individual? That in essence is what the Attorney-general is doing and in doing so he has made a mockery of our judicial system.

But in reality what was the crime committed by the 31 protestors?

By the same token, there were several protestors who suffered head injuries when the police fired tear gas canisters laterally at the crowd. Video clips taken on that day confirmed that quite a number of the protestors suffered injuries as a result. By the
same logic the police officers who fired the tear gas canisters can also be charged with attempted murder. Continue reading “Police should also be charged with attempted murder”

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Restore world-class status for Malaysian universities – two first steps

Malaysia has fallen completely out of the list of the world’s Top 200 Universities this year in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.

This is a national shame, especially as occurring during the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary and it must serve as the latest warning to the national leaders to end their complacency and delusion that Malaysia is becoming more competitive globally when the reverse is actually the case.

The national shame of Malaysia falling completely out of the list of the world’s Top 200 Universities this year in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings had been equaled by the scandal that this Malaysian ignominy had been totally ignored by the UMNO General Assembly, whether by UMNO delegates or leaders, as release of the rankings coincided with the Umno General Assembly.

This shows the superficiality of the commitment of UMNO leaders to the slogan of “Cemerlang, Gemilang and Terbilang” and to transform Malaysia into a knowledge-based innovative economy marked by a world-class university system.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had after the UMNO General Assembly expressed his concern about the fall of Malaysian universities from the international league of best universities, but why wasn’t there a single reference to this shocking result in the UMNO General Assembly, touted as the most important national political assembly of the country?

Malaysian universities suffered a very serious drop in the international league of the world’s best universities in the 2007b THES-QS rankings,

For the first time, there is not only not a single university in the Top 200 Universities list, there is also not a single university in the separate ranking of Top 100 Universities for five subject areas — Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities; Life Sciences and Biomedicine; and Engineering and Information Technology. Continue reading “Restore world-class status for Malaysian universities – two first steps”

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Criticism of “ethnic cleansing” no excuse for BN disregard of cry of two million Malaysian Indians for end of marginalisation

I had met the Prime Minister at the beginning of the new Parliament after the 2004 general election to urge him to support the adoption of the parliamentary committee system, and although three select committees had been formed so far, it is most regrettable that a full committee system where every Ministry will be shadowed by a parliamentary select committee as well as the existence of select committees on specialist subjects have not yet come into being.

For the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Unity for which a six-month extension of time is being sought — it is essential that MPs are capable of subordinating their political, party and self-interest to the larger national interest if the national unity select committee is to make any meaningful contribution to nation building.

What happened in Parliament yesterday in the debate on my motion to cut the salary of Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin is a case in point. MPs can agree or disagree as to whether Zainuddin had succeeded or failed in his task as Information Minister but when the Minister made irrelevant and baseless charges, accusing me of challenging the dignity of the Rulers and humiliating the Muslims for supporting Hindraf, it was the height of parliamentary and ministerial irresponsibility.

I know this is playing politics, but this is playing dirty and irresponsible politics subverting the higher national interest of promoting national unity in the country.

I had made it clear that I never agreed with the Hindraf accusation about “ethnic cleansing of Indians” or genocide and what I had consistently stood for is that the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration on November 25 was “a cry of desperation” by the Indians in Malaysia about their long-standing marginalization which must be addressed by the Cabinet and Parliament.

We can disagree and criticize the Hindraf leaders for making the allegations about ethnic cleansing and genocide, but the government must never lose sight of the central issue of the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians which brought Indians from all over the country to support the Hindraf demonstration, as they did not congregate in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 25 to support Hindraf on its allegations of ethnic cleansing or genocide but to make their cry for justice to end the marginalization for themselves, their children and children’s children heard loud and clear. Continue reading “Criticism of “ethnic cleansing” no excuse for BN disregard of cry of two million Malaysian Indians for end of marginalisation”

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Zam – “Eminent journalist” who has “become predator of the press”

As former top journalist, Zainuddin Maidin should have blazed the path and expanded space for greater media freedom. Instead he has done the reverse.

Although the instruments of repressive media control are with the Ministry of Internal Security, it is Zam as Information Minister who presented the public face of the Barisan Nasional government of such media control. In fact, he is the Barisan Nasional ideologue for media control and censorship.

Last year, Zainuddin was awarded the Eminent Journalist (Tokoh Wartawan) in appreciation of his contribution to journalism in the country.

Who gave away the award to him? None other than the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the Malaysian Press Night 2006 organised by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) in November last year.

I do not know how Zainuddin dared to accept the award of Tokoh Wartawan when he has become the “Predator of the Press” as the government’s chief hatchet man to suppress press freedom in the country.

In the last few days, there are already several cases of the screws being tightened to throttle press freedom and the fundamental constitutional right of freedom of expression of Malaysians.

Only yesterday, top editors of Tamil and Chinese dailies were hauled to a 90-minute meeting in Putrajaya for the latest dose of brain-washing — not not to highlight stories and photographs relating to the Hindraf rally on Nov 25 and on all other matters involving the coalition. Continue reading “Zam – “Eminent journalist” who has “become predator of the press””

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48 hrs for two BN MPs to apologise for slur on mission schools

The explanation by the Barisan Nasional MP for Parit Sulong Syed Hood Syed Edros defending his proposal to remove the crosses and images in missionary schools has compounded his offence, not only because of his recalcitrance but his totally unapologetic stance.

Syed Hood said he raised the issue to seek clarification from the Education Ministry based on grouses on the ground.

He said: “Times have changed and I think that we cannot allow Malays to look at the crosses and statues without explanation.”

What type of an explanation is this which not only reflects his petty-minded but highly offensive attitude to all fair-minded Malaysians who accept Malaysia as a plural society of diverse races, religions, cultures and languages.

A study of Syed Hood’s offending speech in Parliament on Oct. 29 will show that he was not seeking clarification but making baseless assertions –as recorded in the parliamentary debate on Oct. 29 in the Hansard (pp142-144): Continue reading “48 hrs for two BN MPs to apologise for slur on mission schools”

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Why AG appeared for charging 26 Hindraf supporters but did not appear for Altantunya murder trial?

The personal appearance of the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail at the Shah Alam Sessions Court yesterday to lay charges against 26 Hindraf supporters for attempted murder of a cop has raised many question.

The first question is why Gani Patail thought it important to appear on an attempted murder charge when he never thought it important to personally handle the high-profile Mongolian Altantunya Shaariibuu murder trial on its 66th day of High Court trial in very same court building in Shah Alam, although the murder trial of the Mongolian woman has far-reaching national and international implications in view of ramifications reaching to the highest government level?

Yesterday, the Shah Alam High Court was told that plastic explosives were placed on three parts of Altantunya Shaariibuu’s body — her head, chest and lower abdomen — before she was blown up when the explosive were detonated simultaneously by using a single detonator connected to all three parts.

Secondly, questions arising from one of disbelief that as many people as 26 people are being charged for the attempted murder of a cop injured in the Batu Caves fracas in connection with the Kuala Lumpur Hindraf demonstration on November 25 , a charge which entailed a maximum 20 years’ jail with fine for the 26 persons.

If the Attorney-General succeeds in his prosecution and in securing maximum sentence, Malaysia will create world history in getting the most number of people sent for life sentence for the attempted murder of a cop — but what a world record!

These troubling thoughts raise the further question as to the real motives of the re-arrest and new charge of attempted murder for 26 people — and whether this is conducive to the larger national objective to de-escalate the tensions caused by the long-standing marginalization of the Malaysian Indians and highlighted by the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration on November 25. Continue reading “Why AG appeared for charging 26 Hindraf supporters but did not appear for Altantunya murder trial?”

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Let Us Vote this Chief Minister out

This piece by Richard Teo is taken down following Vehir’s post and Jee’s email that the demolition of the Sri Penyachi Amman temple in Tambak Paya, Melaka had taken place some four months ago, and not two days ago.

As all the posts have also been removed, posters concerned are welcome to re-post suitably amended points-of-view on other threads.

Many thanks to Vehir and Jee. Apologies to all for this mistake.