Malaysiakini was the first to break the story of Raja Petra's arrest yesterday afternoon. I received Malaysiakini's sms alert just minutes after RPK was arrested. His arrest was not entirely unexpected, but nevertheless it is still a shame. But the real shock came last night, first when news broke that the Sin Chew journalist who reported the Ahmad Ismail story was arrested, then later when Theresa Kok was arrested, all under the draconian, merciless and unjust Internal Security Act, ISA.
First things first. I believe that the use of ISA, against ANYONE, is unwarranted. I view the ISA, which allows for detention without trial, as nothing short of an insult to our courts and the justice system. Surely, if someone is a threat to national security, we have existing laws to deal with them. Charge them in court! The entire ISA should be repealed! It's a draconian law that is open to abuse, and its continued use is a step backward for a democracy.
Second, ISA or not, the fact that the messengers are being shot, with the real perpetrators let off with a slap on the wrist is simply too bitter to swallow. The Sin Chew journalist, in particular, was simply doing her job. Unless it is brought to light that she actually did twist facts to intentionally create racial disharmony, which I seriously doubt, then she was merely doing her job. Reporting what an UMNO leader said in his ceramah. It is Ahmad Ismail who should be sitting locked up now, not the journalist.
RPK, now that's a whole different chapter. It's a given fact that the guy writes the most sensational stories, true or otherwise. He has already been charged for sedition. So why the need to lock him up now without trial? Why can't the powers than be simply let the law take its due course? What good is unblocking access to his site (which shouldn't have been blocked to begin with), then arresting him under the ISA the next day? I think the government BADLY needs some new Public Relations advisors!
Theresa Kok on the other hand, well I must admit, I'm not too familiar with the background of the case against her. There wasn't much in the news. Nothing concrete anyway. The issue seemed more like some political mudslinging between her and Khir Toyo, then suddenly it resulted in her arrest. I know it has something to do with azans and Khir Toyo accusing her of asking for mosques to press the mute button. The mosque itself has come out and denied it, she has denied it, so why arrest her now? Even if she did make such a call, while it may be considered by some as rather disrespectful, is it a direct threat to national security?
Enough is enough. The powers that be seem to have lost all bearings. Instead of correcting the mistakes that drove BN supporters away, it seems they are intent on keeping them away, and drive out whatever remaining support we enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
The Courage to Build a New Malaysia.
----------------------------------
The year is 2008. This is the year most Malaysians finally woke up from a deep slumber. Most Malaysians were just too busy earning their living and building up their lives to take notice that times have changed and the idealism spouted by our founding Fathers have still not been accomplished for this country even today.
It was not so long ago in 1957 and then for our fellow East Malaysians in 1963 when the ideals and dreams preached by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj (Bapa Kemerdekaan and Bapa Malaysia) for Malaysia were first announced and was greeted with joy in the hearts and minds of all Malaysians. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman had a dream and ideals, just like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and many others including the prophets over the history of mankind.
Many a times such dreams were hijacked and led astray under the guise of nationalistic, racist and religious idealism by so called politicians and self declared and appointed righteous and religious persons (Little Napoleons). Individuals who have risen to continue some of such idealisms are gagged, isolated, bankcrupted, blasphemied, rehabilitated or worst jailed, for it is deemed not in consonance with the dreams and idealism of the elected parties agendas.
Laws are legislated and passed at whim in Parliament to change the idealism of the Supreme Law of the Land (The Malaysian Constitution) and to cloak such party and individual agendas. It is true, Malaysia, conforms to the democratic process as practiced by most western countries in elections (even though tainted but unproven). But once given the trust to be elected as a leader or representative of the people, party and individual idealism overtook national idealism, and The Jeykll and Hyde personality emerged to be repeated over and over again at each and every election and by-election.
Malaysians have being led astray for so long, that what is right is blurred, what is wrong is tolerated, what is evil is condoned, what is fair is pouted as unfair, what is immoral becomes moral and corruption and close one eye need to become a part of our accepted daily lives. Jealousy, hatred, greed, racism, plundering and satanism starts to breed in Malaysian minds, and brothers, friends and fellow Malaysians were looked upon as enemies or as inferior human beings. Once a while, such nets were cast ashore to include anything to do with other countries or other races which do not belong to one's own race or religious beliefs.
The minds and souls of Malaysians are so polluted and poisoned for so many years that it seems that Malaysia is the only all correct country and we should rule the world by our way. Examples of countries which follows Malaysia or is it we following them are, such as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Israel. What justifications can you tell your own generations or future Malaysian generations that what you are doing to fellow mankind and more so to your own fellow Malaysians that it is righteous and correct, when, it is at the expense and sufferings of your own human kind and fellow Malaysians?
Can you say to them I did it to follow the orders and teachings of God or party political agendas? Who gave you such inspirations and idealism? Do not absolve your own wicked mind and greed nor take a ride on someone else wicked mind and greed. Do not pick and choose in the Books of God nor the man-made laws to justify or suit your own twisted and idealistic minds. You can fool others due to their ignorance or emotions at some time but you can't fool forever a man's conscience nor your own children or hopefully one day your own when such enlightenment comes to you.
The courage to change things which are not right in Malaysia nor achieve the ideals of the Founding Fathers is not impossible. Most Malaysians have woken up to the fact that the future is going to be determined by it's own citizens thru their own conscience guided by their own religious beliefs to live a harmonious and productive life of correctness and not the type of political, racial or religious correctness as preached.
Parties and their own agendas do not take priority over the Founding Fathers ideals and hopes of all Malaysians. Religion and principles are as a guide to your own conscience to make sure whoever is the leader do not lead Malaysians nor society astray.
For in the end, what is just and right should surely overule anything else for any leader or their party agendas.
Does your Representative of the People (Wakil Rakyat) or You! have the courage?
http://patek1472.wordpress.com
A sad day indeed for all Malaysians as the dreadful ISA rules again! Is this justice? The arrest of a journalist is disgusting! A politician is arrested based on someone reporting to the police? I am stunned at all these happenings. What is happening to our country? All caring Malaysians must wake up and answer the call of the people power!
The ISA detentions only go to show how dangerous it will be to have a low mentality politician to hold the power of a minister. He claimed to have the support of the majority. What type of majority when only 3 out of 10 persons supported him! Furthermore, this low mentality is very capable of acting like a warlord, brandishing the power given by the people to him to threatened the citizens of this country at his own irrational whims, just to serve his own purpose. A politician making racist remarks and no action by the law is taken against him while a journalist reporting the statement is being arrested! A politician making a false racist claim against another is not acted on by the law while the wrongly accused with proof of false claimed being arrested! How low the level of mentality the minister is prepared to go? Please bear in mind he is also just an ordinary citizen before he is given the power by his party and the people through the election. Please go and ask those who have elected him whether all of them agree to such draconian action taken by him towards his fellow malaysian without proper reason! It will be even more dangerous to give such low mentality the power from the DNA Act! Come on malaysian, we owe it to our future generations to protect our country against this madness! For the component parties in BN, if you guys don't make your stand on this issue by disregarding your political affiliation for the sake of sanity, then your fate will be sealed too. No more evil race politic please.
Post a Comment