Police Report against 'Pendekar'

Earlier today morning, I made a police report against the 'Pendekar Tanah Air' blog at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters, accompanied by Putera MIC National Coordinator Mr. P. Kamalanathan. Following the report, I was asked to provide my statement to the police. 

I notice that the offensive blog has been removed, however the damage is done. Such behaviour cannot, and should not be tolerated. Let this be a reminder to all, that Putera MIC will not sit by and allow such insults to be heaped on the Indian community!

Below is the text of the police report.

TEKS LAPORAN POLIS

Saya, Premnath a/l Agamutu, K/P 800412-14-xxxx, pada hari ini, 31 Januari 2009, ingin melaporkan kewujudan sebuah laman web berbentuk blog, bertajuk ‘Pendekar Tanahair’, di alamat web http://pendekartanahair.blogspot.com yand dikendalikan oleh orang yang menggunakan nama samaran ‘Pendekar Ramlee’.

Laman blog ini menghina kaum India di Malaysia, dengan kata-kata kesat dan menyakitkan. Ia mengandungi pelbagai tuduhan dan maklumat yang salah mengenai rakyat Malaysia yang berketurunan India. Laman ini juga mengandungi unsur-unsur hasutan, bertujuan mewujudkan rasa benci terhadap orang-orang India, sejurus mengancam perpaduan kaum di negara yang berbilang kaum ini.

Berikut adalah beberapa petikan dari laman tersebut yang berunsur hasutan:

1.    Tuhan buatkan mereka berkulit hitam sebagai amaran kepada umat kita semua yang orang India ini adalah orang yang tidak baik sama sekali.

2.    Mereka adalah orang jahil, seperti binatang buas dan perlu di awasi dan di pukul selalu untuk mengingkatkan mereka supaya berkelakuan baik dan tidak sebagai binatang buas.

3.    Orang India jahat, mereka hitam kerana mereka jahat. Terutama sekali orang lelaki india. Harus dihapuskan sama sekali. Lanyak keling!!!

4.    Orang India di Malaysia ini adalah bangsa yang paling rendah kalao dibanding dengan orang mereka yang asalnya dari India.

5.    Sebab utama ini ialah mereka adalah kasta "pariah" dan diambil oleh orang British sebagai kuli untuk bekerja di ladang getah.

6.    Sebab itu mereka harus di lanyak dan di pukul selalu. Ini adalah kerana otak mereka adalah seperti binatang. Mereke tidak faham akan erti budi pekerti dan cuma seperti seekor lembu dan tidak mempunyai pikiran dan emosi sebagai manusia.

7.    Saya syorkan semua orang india dipukul sebulan sekali untuk mengajar mereka supaya dapat menjadi manusia yang berguna dan bukan binatang.

8.    Kaum yang tak berguna, kuat menipu, merompak dan mencuri.

9.    Lepas tue jadi loyar buruk, cakap yang bukan-bukan macam diorang nie macam bumiputra? Siapa kaum keparat nie. Si celaka india nie.

10. Kaki minum, kaki tipu dan kaki putar belit.

11. Lintah darat - ini lah kaum keling kepada orang Melayu di Malaysia nie.

12. Dah lah banyak buat dosa, banyak kes kecurian, rogol dan pembunuhan.

13. Setakat pukul keling nie tak cukup, kena hantam cukup-cukup terutamanya wartawan keling sperti Joe Fernandez yang asyik tulis cerita keling dalam Malaysiakini.

14. Kalo pihak polis tak lanyak keling-keling nie, orang melayu akan bangkit dan lanyak keling celaka nie.

15. Biar aku panggil semua orang kampong ku dan lanyak keling kaparat nie.

Saya mendesak polis menyiasat laman blog ini, mengenalpasti penulis yang berkenaan dan mengambil tindakan yang sepatutnya. Sekian laporan saya.

Pendekar? More like Penghasut!

I am upset and angry after reading the seditious contents of a blog that serves no purpose other than to incite hatred against the Malaysian Indian community. Apart from calling us all kinds of names, the blog accuses the entire community of being animals. The author also calls for violence against Indians.

I will be lodging a police report against the blog on Saturday, 31st January at 11 am at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters. I know it is not easy for the police to trace the author, let alone take any action against him. However, I feel it is only right that a police report be lodged, and for the police to investigate. If anything, I hope it will at least serve as a deterrent to others who might want to follow the footsteps of this 'Pendekar Ramlee'.

The blog also levels unwarranted criticsm against news portal Malaysiakini, with specific calls for violence against one Joe Fernandez, stated there as a Malaysiakini reporter.

More on this after the report is lodged, stay tuned. Do come to the police station and show support if you can.

In the meantime, I call upon all to flag the blog, so that blogspot will remove the blog from their server.

Rest in peace, Kugan.

I attended the funeral of police-death victim Kugan Ananthan today afternoon. Earlier, I joined a small crowd that had gathered outside the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, where Kugan's body had been kept. The funeral procession then proceeded to the USJ police station where Kugan died, for a brief prayer session before heading to the Indian burial ground in Puchong.

The funeral procession was marred by the arrest of several individuals. Three were supposedly arrested for wearing Hindraf t-shirts. A few more were arrested for trying to breach the police barricade of the hospital mortuary. Apparently one of those arrested is a murder suspect. Well, let's wait and see if that's true. 

Meanwhile, the police must be appreciated for giving Kugan such a grand send-off. I mean, how often do we have several hundred policemen, some in riot-gear, escorting a funeral procession? They even threw in a helicopter and a whole battalion of traffic policemen. The only thing missing was a gun salute.

A lot has been said and done since the start of this controversy. I welcome the AG's instruction to the police to investigate the case as a murder. I welcome the statement by the IGP and Deputy IGP that the police will investigate the case transparently, without any cover-up. That said, it would help if the police actually DO something instead of just promising. The 11 policemen being investigated for the murder have been given 'desk jobs'. Why no remand? How come the police who are so prompt in arresting people wearing Hindraf t-shirts, did not arrest and remand murder suspects?

A lot of attention has also been focussed on the alleged 'morgue barging' incident. My fellow MIC friends who were there that night say there was no such thing. The video on Malaysiakini shows the door open, not 'locked from the inside by the mob' as claimed. Whatever it is, I feel that the entire attempt to divert the attention to the 'morgue incident' instead of a death in police custody, is lame at best.

Another pathetic thing about this whole episode was the attempt by some politicians to score points. Come one lah, how cheap can you get. Some of them seemed only interested in taking photos and giving press conferences. They even had the cheek to claim that the MIC was not there. In fact, the MIC was the first at the scene from day one. We genuinely helped the family. We didn't go just to take photos. A letter to Malaysiakini by MIC Youth's Secretary explains the story.

Some have twisted the entire episode to make it an 'Indian issue'. Yes, Kugan is Indian. Yes, most deaths in police custody are Indians. But no, this is not an 'Indian issue'. This is a Malaysian issue. Deaths in police custody is a national issue. So let's stop making this a racial problem.

Our Home Minister takes the cake for issuing rubbish statements. His claim that the two BN deputy ministers could be charged for the 'morgue barging' incident is most uncalled-for. Dato' Seri... check your facts first lah, that way you won't end up looking like a fool.

Well, Kugan has been buried. May he rest in peace. But we cannot rest. There must be justice for Kugan. The alleged murderers must be charged in court. The police have to take concrete steps to make sure this doesn't happen again. Until then, this issue is very much alive!

PDRM = Polis Dera Rakyat Malaysia 2

Just weeks after the Prabakar drama, where an Indian youth was scalded by boiling water during police interrogation, a new case has emerged. This time, the alleged police abuse victim, Kugan Ananthan, is dead. The police version of the story, as reported in Malaysiakini and then other major newspapers, is that he drank some water, threw up, and simply dropped dead. There was a suggestion that Kugan died of an asthma attack.

Photos of the body are making their rounds on the Internet. There are multiple injuries on the body, particularly the back, neck and wrist. I'm no medical expert, but I'm pretty sure those are not the signs of asthma.

There was an outcry after the Prabakar incident. Indian based organizations, political and non-political, the MIC included, demanded action. The police responded with the usual 'we will be transparent, those responsible will be brought to justice' dialog. So far several policemen have been charged. Fair enough.

But it appears that some in the police force still think it is perfectly  within their powers to pick up Indian suspects, beat them to a pulp in the name of interrogation, and if they die in the process... Oh well, it's just another dead Indian. 

No sir, not this time. We've had just about enough of these deaths in police custody. It simply MUST stop, and stop it WILL! If we have to take to the streets to get justice, we will do it!

Wishing all Hindus a Happy Ponggal

Here's wishing all Hindus out there a Happy Ponggal. May the harvest festival bring a bounty of happiness and prosperity to all Malaysians.

Putera MIC Selangor will be celebrating the Ponggal festival on Saturday, 17th January at the Sri Subramaniam Alayam, Batu Tiga, Shah Alam (beside Central Sugar Malaysia, just off the Federal Highway) at 10.00 am.

Pots, coal, milk, rice, sugar etc will be provided for those who wish to come celebrate Ponggal with us. Do drop by!

Currently in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

I am currently in Bangladesh on a work trip, and have little access to the Internet. As such, I will not be able to blog as frequently as I would like to.

Several issues have caught my attention over the last week, including the police response to B. Prabakar's allegations of torchure, the raging war in Sri Lanka and Gaza, the Kuala Terengganu by-elections, etc.

However, one issue that is deeply troubling is the allegation of irregularities in the MIED awarding of AIMST contracts. While it would not be wise for me to comment on this issue, as I do not know the facts of the case, it would suffice to say that AIMST is the jewel of the MIC. Many in the MIC worked hard to see AIMST become a reality. I hope the panel appointed to investigate the allegations do so in a fair and transparent manner. After all the MAIKA allegations, the MIC could seriously do without another scandal, particularly one tainting the success of AIMST.

PDRM = Polis Dera Rakyat Malaysia?

Recently, Malaysiakini highlighted yet another case of alleged abuse by our police force. This time, the victim, Prabakar, had boiling water poured on him, besides being beaten. Again, it comes as no surprise that the victim is an Indian. No wonder then why so many Indian youth seem to die in our police stations! Enough is enough! Stop treating us like dogs. Even criminals have rights. The police have a duty to investigate and interrogate, but it has to be within the laws of the land. Police abuse cannot be tollerated!

According to Malaysiakini, B Prabakar said he was picked up from his work place at Sri Hartamas on Dec 23 and taken for interrogation at the Brickfields police district headquarters where he was repeatedly beaten, kicked and stepped-on by at least 10 police personnel. His relative, picked up together with him, is still missing, presumably in police custody.

PKR MP S Manikavasagam, who has taken up the case, was present at the Brickfields police station earlier today, where a small crowd had gathered to protest against alleged police brutality. Also present was the mother of Francis Udayappan, whose death in police custody remains unsolved. I attended the protest, together with some MIC Youth representatives.

The issue of police brutality against Indians is something that transcends political boundaries. Whether one is in the MIC or PKR or DAP or Makkal Sakthi or whatever organization, we Indians have to unite against this. I am proud that today's protest showed just that. I heartily congratulate YB Manikavasagam for taking the case up. Everyone who gathered there was warm and corteous towards one another, regardless of MIC or otherwise. We may have our political differences, but we all agreed openly with one another that this is an issue that requires us to unite as Indians, not see each other as the opposition!