Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:55 PM PST

It is a wonder why these parties, why after making such loud noises about the issue of illegal immigrants all these while they have not pursued or even clamoured for participation in the RCI proceeding.

Richard Libun Adou

After attending the proceedings of the on-going Royal Commision of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah for just two days, I have observed quite a number of shortcomings in terms of participation in the inquiry process, i.e. on the way it is conducted. It is very clear that these shortcomings are seriously hinder the original purpose of the RCI – to seek the truth for the sake of justice.

The RCI was decided to be carried out to enable a panel to hear witnesses' testimonies as well as to question and dig for deeper information from them, with lawyers (including from the Sabah Law Association or SLA) and members of political parties given the opportunities to pose their own questions. So other than members of the RCI panel, several lawyers have been given the authority to pose more questions to those making testimonies for the purpose of clarification and obtaining of more details.

What I find wanting is that the political parties such as Umno, MCA, PBS, PBRS, Upko, Star, Sapp and other parties have not sent their representatives to be among those who could pose such queries. It is a wonder why these parties, why after making such loud noises about the issue of illegal immigrants all these while they have not pursued or even clamoured for participation in the RCI proceeding. I applaud Hj Ansari Abdullah, Datuk James Ghani and the SLA representative for being active in posing very good and relevant questions.

I suspect one or two of these parties are afraid to be in the proceeding because they may be afraid that they, or some of their leaders, may be identified by witnesses as the culprits or perpetrators of the illegals problem in Sabah. I am also flabbergasted that Tan Sri Pairin had made a statement asking people not to make any comments on the RCI testimonies until the whole process if over. I find his remark to be evident of his cowardice in the issue; what he said actually had disappointed a lot of the people, especially the KDMs. Many are questioning his motive in making such a call when there is much worry among his people about this mother of all problems.

In the matter of those giving testimonies many people who can present their cases have been excluded and deprived of their opportunity to speak up. Our biggest loss is the absence of Suhakam in the list of those testifying because, as I have been made to understand, Suhakam requested to contribute in the matter even as those to pose questions were rejected for unknown reasons.

The number of individuals from the public allowed to pose questions are also limited; the opportunity should be opened to more people. It is such a loss; we can now only imagine what great revelations Suhakam could have offered the world on their own findings about the illegal immigrants issue because we know Suhakam, being the main body dealing with matters of human rights in Malaysia, have files and files of reports! Why was Suhakam rejected? Who were the parties privy to the surprising rejection? Is the RCI also practicing what we can call selective witnessing? Even the Kota Kinabalu DAP's member of parliament, was reportedly rejected like Suhakam.

I had also noticed that the Sabah Law Association (SLA) is not serious enough in its participation, because when its representative missed one Thursday afternoon session of the inquiry, no one was sent as a temporary replacement. So why is the SLA, a highly professional body, playing a disappearing act in such an important undertaking in our history?

And last but not least is the quality of the performance by some of the panellists. One or two of them are obviously there just to warm up their chairs because during the two days I was there they hadn't spoken a single word in addition to smiling and grimacing! It appears that only the chairman, Tan Sri Steve, Datuk Henry Chin and Tan Sri Herman Luping are the ones most active in probing the testifiers.

I find it shocking that the other panelists being also personalities of high calibre and experience with high positions behind them are not curious or serious enough, not able to ask a single question day in and day out? I can't believe they are ignorant or dumb, nor can I believe that they are afraid of talking too much because as retirees who can touch them? To me this is a serious failing of the panel and I believe if you can't speak, you might as well leave the chair and give it to someone who can perform. What a huge loss that Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, the capable and dynamic activist, was not included in the panel!

I feel that it is still not too late to overcome these serious shortcomings and improve the situation by amending the policy and revamping the panel to replace those who don't speak up with others who can perform better. As it is, because of these weaknesses, we are losing a tremendous lot, and the final report of the RCI may not do justice to the seriousness of the illegals problem.

Listen…

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST

Often we hear
Our people lament
What has happened
To this country
It was never like this
When we were young

We hear the voices of hatred
That seek to divide
Ring out loud
The voices of love
That seek to unite
Remain but whispers …

When race and religion
Are played up by the irresponsible
When differences are emphasized
And similarities ignored

And in their ignorance
They cry
It is us against the other
For that other and I are not one
We are separate … as we are different

To them I say … listen
And look around you now
The young speak with one voice
The voice of love
When the other
Has become brother
And we have become one

Listen and you will hear
The voices of love
Grow louder and louder
The middle ground reclaimed
How … you may wonder

Those who speak the language of hate
And seek to divide a nation united
Watch as their voices are drowned
In the symphony … of unity

Listen …
To the voices of a nation awakening
Where the winds of change are blowing
The unity of its people blossoming

Thank you Sharifah Zohra
For a glimpse
Of the myopic Malaysian
Incapable of differentiating
A patriot and an anarchist
Not understanding
That respect begets respect
Nor responding
With coherence

Thank you Sharifah Zohra
For giving Malaysia the chance
To learn from you
The values of respect … of humility …
To not speak as you have spoken &
To not act as you have acted
For in your words & actions
We have learnt
What we should not say or do …

Thank you Sharifah Zohra
For your magnanimity
In forgiving the one
Whom you have wronged
And whose forgiveness you must seek

Thank you Bawani
For the courage
To stand up for free education
To stand alone
And yet stand your ground
To speak up in a hostile environment
To be the Malaysian
We aspire to be

Thank you to the students in the hall
Who applauded when applause was far from due
For you show us who, not just you, but we, as a society, can be
Compliant & uncritical
While many speak unforgivingly of these young Malaysians
I wonder …
If a similar situation had occurred when we were present
Would our reactions have been any different …

Thank you to the organisers
But for your wise decision
And immaculate selection
This day would never have been

Thank you to the ones who recorded and shared this event
For you have played an important part
In the making of history

Thank you to the beautiful Malaysians
For coming together as one
Who saw not gender, race, religion
Even political affiliation
Or that she was simply a student
But seeing her as one of us
Asking not for herself
But for our children
Why they should not be given
Free education

To those who ask
Is this a fleeting moment
Or a proud new chapter
In the history of our nation

I say
Listen …

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Ahad, 27 Januari 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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