| Teoh’s ‘suicide’ – fact or fantasy? Posted: 23 Jul 2011 01:38 PM PDT  By Kim Quek
The Royal Commission of Enquiry on Teoh Beng Hock's death (RCI) says that Teoh had committed suicide.
And what had driven this promising young political aide to take his own life? RCI provides the answer in the concluding paragraph on its probe (para 232 of RCI Report), which refers to the supposed final stage of the all-night grilling of Teoh in the MACC office on July 15, 2009: "TBH experienced a change in his state of mind. And in a matter of hours, this change transformed him from being in the low-risk group for suicide into the high-risk group. The doubts, extreme emotional conflict and the immense feeling of guilt were all intolerable. ….. Finding no viable strategies to surmount the hurdle of accusations leveled, he found himself unable to escape from the suffocating quagmire in which he was trapped. Losing all hope, TBH would have felt trapped and succumbed to despair. ……TBH would have found that the only way for escape from the torment he was undergoing was by jumping out of the window, even though it meant taking his own life." Judging from the severity of anguish described by RCI, one would have thought Teoh must have been cornered for improprieties over millions of public funds, and now was the moment of reckoning when he had to face the terrible shame of having to dishonour himself, his loved ones, his party and his government. Not at all the case. PETTY AND DUBIOUS ALLEGATION Teoh was in fact only brought in by MACC as a witness to assist in the investigation of an unfounded allegation against his political boss of having abused a mere RM2,400 of public funds – allegedly claiming the money to buy flags that were not delivered. If you are a novice to the case, you would certainly have expressed shock and disbelief that such a trivial matter could have driven a seasoned political activist to commit suicide. But RCI thinks otherwise, for which they have come up with a host of reasons, the main ones of which are summed up in para 230 of the report, which I quote in full: "These intense stages of interrogation must have created serious doubts in TBH's mind as regards his action in relation to his duties as YB Ean's political secretay. Signing his name but affixing YB Ean's seal, the absence of at least three quotations before the awarding of a project or programme, the alleged kickbacks to the DAP, the direct awards of projects, and fixing prices to goods required for projects also weighed heavily on his mind." RCI has earlier explained in its report that MACC officers had bullied Teoh with all sorts of false accusations of wrong-doings. These included Teoh signing on documents with boss Ean's rubber stamp (though Teoh was actually blameless as his own name was clearly written on the document, indicating he was signing on behalf of his boss), awarding contracts without calling at least 3 quotations (though this rule was superceded by a new Selangor government directive allowing direct awards for projects under RM20,000, but Teoh apparently was not familiar with these rules). Other events that had compounded the distress of Teoh, in the opinion of RCI, were the removal of his hand phone to which Teoh was addicted, and the disclosure of the password to his email account, which would have enabled an invasion into his privacy. TEOH & BOSS' INTEGRITY INTACT However, in RCI's laborious weaving of the picture of gradual doom that was supposedly experienced by Teoh that had eventually reduced him "to almost a mental and physical wreck" (para 229 of the RCI Report), RCI had forgotten the cardinal fact of the case – that the integrity of Teoh and his boss was intact and Teoh was well aware of that. In fact, when Teoh was taken in, he was already familiar with MACC's witch-hunting against Selangor's Pakatan leaders that had been going on for some time – it was part of BN's strategy to destabilize the Selangor state government. Under the circumstances, even if MACC had succeeded in creating self-doubt in Teoh through the false accusations as outlined in para 230, these are all technical in nature. There was no element of dishonesty, as neither Teoh nor YB Ean had illegally pocketed any money. How is it then that RCI can make the conclusion that such dubious allegation of minor technical misconduct had plunged Teoh into a state of "extreme emotional conflict", "immense feeling of guilt", "losing all hope" and "succumbed to despair"? In reaching these bizarre conclusions, hasn't RCI made a giant leap in fantasy land? By all accounts, Teoh was a bright young man of integrity and cheerful disposition, looking forward to his imminent marriage to his lover who was then conceived with his child. Will such a person jump from the 14th floor of the building just because he was unjustly and unfairly interrogated by government officers? Professor Paul Edward Mullen, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Psychiatry of Monash University, who was brought in by the Bar to prepare a report, seems to have provided the answer when he stated (quoting from para 209 of RCI Report): "TBH was firmly in the lowest risk group for suicide when he was taken into MACC custody. And if TBH …. did kill himself, things were likely to have occurred both to undermine his psychological stability and to frighten him literally to death. …" Could Teoh have been frightened to death by the interrogation antics, albeit cruel, waged by MACC officers over such minor and dubious accusations? Isn't the answer obvious? PSYCHIATRIC REPORTS QUOTED OUT OF CONTEXT On the subject of psychiatrists' reports, it is regrettable that RCI has resorted to quoting these out of context to make them appear as if these psychiatrists support its postulation of suicide. This is decidedly not the case. The press release of the Malaysian Bar has quoted from these reports showing that none has supported the suicide theory. On Professor Mullen's report, the Malaysian Bar says: "He further opined that the contest of the events that had taken place was not one 'which in [his] experience, leads to suicide in custody', as he had not been made aware of anything 'to explain panic and distress sufficient to drive [Teoh Beng Hock] to conclude his honor had been irreparably tarnished." And the joint report of Dr. Badiah Yahya and Dr. Nor Hayati Ali, who were present in the court proceedings and had interviewed people close to Teoh, apart from confirming Teoh's status as low risk for suicide, states: "We did not have any evidence on how the investigation was conducted as there were 'no written questions posted to [Teoh Beng Hock]' or audio recording as to ascertain the amount of pressure that he experienced. It is not known whether he had experienced in his mind the effects of being possibly prosecuted on the allegations, whether it would have been devastating for him and/or his organization". Despite these two psychiatrists' clear stand that there were no evidence that suggested Teoh's suicidal move, RCI persisted in using part of these psychiatrists' observation to buttress its suicide postulation. The psychiatrists observed that Teoh was subjected to emotional stress over these two events prior to his questioning by MACC: · Teoh had to bring forward his wedding after discovering that his fiancée was pregnant. · The gathering of documents by MACC from District and Land Office insinuating misappropriation of allocation by his boss YB Ean. That RCI has to resort to using these two rather tame events to support its conclusion of suicide only exposes that RCI is actually scraping the bottom of the barrel to convince a skeptical public. Bringing forward a marriage due to unplanned pregnancy is already a common and accepted occurrence in local society and hence, it is not supposed to raise any eyebrow, not to mention causing any emotional crisis. MACC officers visiting government offices to fish for evidence to incriminate Pakatan leaders has long been recognized as BN's modus operandi to sabotage the Selangor state government, and should therefore be no big deal to a seasoned politician like Teoh. SPINNIG SUICIDE WILL DAMAGE BN MORE However, despite RCI's unconvincing attempt to spin a suicide, it has nevertheless done a good job in exposing the deplorable state of lawlessness and abuse prevailing in MACC, which, like almost all other institutions, have been depraved through the long reign of a corrupted political leadership. If only RCI has applied the same measure of honesty on the cause of Teoh's death, as it has done in criticizing MACC's mismanagement, it would have done its political masters a great favour, as nothing will reassure the electorate more than the moral courage to own up an ugly truth. As it turned out, Teoh Beng Hock in his death, will continue to take his pound of flesh from the political masters who were ultimately responsible for his tragic death. Kim Quek |
| In Malaysia, When in Doubt, Blame the Jews Posted: 23 Jul 2011 10:42 AM PDT  By Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Huffington Post It's time for Malaysian leaders to grow up. Relying on big-lie Jewish conspiracies is no substitute for honest and transparent governance. On July 9, 20,000 Malaysians gathered in Kuala Lumpur to demand more transparency in electoral laws in connection with next year's national elections. Police unleashed tear gas and chemical-laced water on the demonstrators and temporarily detained nearly 1,700 of them. According to reports, authorities also detained six opposition activists without trial and accused them of trying to use the rally to spread communism. Police said they found T-shirts and other materials linked to communist figures. Apparently, these measures didn't suffice for some of Malaysia's nervous ruling elite. The editors of Utusan Malaysia, owned by Prime Minister Najib Razak's United Malays National Organization ruling party (UMNO), defaulted to a time-tested maneuver: When in doubt, blame the Jews! The Jews? Most citizens of the overwhelmingly Asian economic giant have never and will likely never meet a Jew in their lifetime. And yet the folks at Utusan Malaysia, which is influential among Muslims in rural areas who rely on government-linked media to shape their worldview, are apparently confident warnings about a "Jewish plot" would resonate in a land without Jews. To understand why, you need only look at the track record of the man who dominated his nation for a quarter of a century, Malaysia's fourth prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir was credited with engineering Malaysia's rapid modernization and spectacular economic growth. He was a dominant political figure, winning five consecutive general elections. He also used his political clout and controversial laws to detain activists and political opponents. And Mahathir is an anti-Semite. Back in 1970, in his treatise on Malay identity, "The Malay Dilemma," he wrote: "The Jews are not only hooked-nosed ... but understand money instinctively. ... Jewish stinginess and financial wizardry gained them the economic control of Europe and provoked antisemitism which waxed and waned throughout Europe through the ages." In August 1984, a visit by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was canceled when his Information Minister demanded that music by composer Ernst Bloch be deleted from the program. His crime? He was a Jew and the selection chosen was based on Hebrew melodies. In 1986, Mahathir charged "Zionists" and Jews with attempting to destabilize the country through allegedly Jewish-controlled media. He subsequently banned The Asia Wall Street Journal for three months describing the publication as "Jewish owned." In the 1990s, Mahathir used the Malaysian news agency, Bernama, to accuse Australian Jewry of conspiring to topple him. Mahathir, who made Islam a central component of Malaysian identity, made this chilling charge in 1997: "We are Moslems, and the Jews are not happy to see Moslems progress." Perhaps that would help explain the resounding ovation which greeted his screed at a Islamic Leadership Conference in 2003: "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million ... but today, the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." And just last year the elder statesman of anti-Semites said this at a conference: "Jews had always been a problem in European countries. They had been confined in ghettos and periodically massacred. But they still remained and still thrived and held whole governments to ransom. ... Even after their massacre by the Nazis in Germany, they survived to be a source of even greater problems to the world." All this may help explain why Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" are on prominent display at the Malaysian capital's International Airport. But there are some signs that in 2011 not everyone is drinking Mahathir's toxic Kool-Aid. Maria Chin Abdullah, one of the organizers of the mass rally that sought to prevent electoral fraud, charged that Utusan Malaysia's warning of an alleged Jewish conspiracy was "nonsense that is being spread in very bad taste," adding, "To rely on this claim of Jewish support is to insult the people's good intentions of seeking important reforms." Perhaps Kuala Lumpur hasn't paid much attention to the Arab Spring. Maybe its time they did, especially since it was inspired by Muslims demanding more freedom and democracy. It isn't world Jewry that is driving members of minorities to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, but the failure of a democratic government to provide equal rights and opportunities to all their citizens. It's time for Malaysian leaders to grow up. Relying on big-lie Jewish conspiracies is no substitute for honest and transparent governance. |
| Of Angry Birds and angry Malaysians Posted: 23 Jul 2011 09:39 AM PDT  By Wong Chun Wai, The Star Even fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has found out, and lamented, that when he exposes scandals involving the government, he is a hero but when he does the same with the opposition, he is turned into a political pariah instantly. Partisanship is so strong on both sides of the political divide that we have become angry Malaysians. Can we stop being angry and try to make sense of the issues affecting the nation instead? IF you watched the live proceedings of the British parliamentary hearings involving the Murdochs, you would agree that they were impressive. Prime Minister David Cameron, in cutting short his trip to Africa to call for a special meeting of the Commons, was grilled incessantly by the Opposition. But he took it all in stride. Although he could not bring himself to apologise for hiring a former staff of News of the World, Rupert Murdoch's newspaper which has been accused of carrying out illegal hacking into mobile phones, he carried himself well, showing his willingness to take on his opponents. The Speaker moderated the proceedings with finesse and we were shown what the Westminster parliamentary system, which our own Dewan Rakyat is modelled after, is all about. A day earlier, also shown live, we watched the parliamentary select committees in action. Never mind if there were disagreements, even accusations of perjury at times, but everyone spoke in measured tones. Everyone went out of their way to ensure there was dignity and decorum – except for the moment when a failed comic attacked Murdoch with a foam pie. Now we all know about his young wife Wendi Deng. Her left hook and swift intervention by a constable were sufficient to wrest the loony away. Not much fuss there, and no need for an Emergency Order, for sure. Compare that with our Malaysian politicians. With a general election looming, possibly by next March, the posturing seems to have become louder. Don't look far. Just read the blogs, the political websites and the comments posted. Many of us seem to contradict ourselves. We call for a better political culture with intellectual discourse and debate over policies and issues, but we often degenerate into name calling. Instead of reading an entire commentary to consider the salient points raised, some enjoy picking up a single sentence or even a word to tear apart the writer's opinion. There's nothing wrong with this except that it often ends up in a distasteful round of name calling and personal attacks. Regardless of our political affiliations, it is hardly the political road that we want for Malaysia. If you support the opposition, you risk being labelled a traitor, communist, socialist, Jew or at least remotely Jewish-linked. On the other hand, if you back the government, or are simply being neutral, you are called a running dog, coward, corrupt or a spineless person and your next three generations will be duly cursed. Of course, you would also be labelled a traitor. In Parliament, MPs are suddenly transformed into verbal monsters with childish tantrums who, as they lunge at each other, call others by animal names. If we read the postings on blogs and tweets, we can see many shouting about transparency and accountability but most opt to remain anonymous even as they run down others as cowards. So who is the coward in the end? Perhaps it's the fault of our education system, or our lack of proficiency to speak or debate in more than one language, or simply our political culture. Being articulate is surely not our strong point. Maybe we have become so angry and fed up with what is happening that we no longer wish to be polite. Or have we really lost our marbles and are therefore unable to rationalise? Is it no longer politically correct to be moderate or neutral with the frightening emergence of the "us" or "them" syndrome? The partisanship is so strong that both sides expect the media to be excessively pro-government or openly slanted to the opposition. An objective and unbiased media, to some, even means being openly hostile to the government. That has become the fastest way to be popular, fortunately or unfortunately. Even fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has found out, and lamented, that when he exposes scandals involving the government, he is a hero but when he does the same with the opposition, he is turned into a political pariah instantly. If the government is regarded as being intolerant to dissent, the same attitude is also detected among the ranks of the opposition. In the fight for votes and power, the end seems to justify the means. Nothing is sacred. So when we read about faked deaths in a recent demonstration, those who claimed to be righteous and demanded "truth and justice" can also become strangely silent. Malaysians do not know who and what to believe any more, what with new issues appearing one after the other. There is too much contradiction and sacrificing of principles, all seemingly in the name of justice. Look at it carefully, however, and it is simply about the advancement of individual political careers and attempts to control Putrajaya. The authorities have not been consistent. The police have stopped opposition ceramah, arrested those taking part in candlelight vigils and ridiculously nabbed politicians wearing yellow T-shirts with the word "Bersih". On the other hand, it is open knowledge that the opposition holds ceramah almost every other day. The demand for a 21-day campaigning period does not seem to gel. In fact, the ceramah is supposed to be a closed-door affair if its definition is strictly enforced, but many of them have turned into rallies. In short, the rules are not consistent. Make it clear and easy for all parties to apply to hold such talks. Let there be fairness. The political and media landscapes have changed but many of our civil servants and leaders are still stuck in a time warp, and seemingly indifferent to it. So we have officials who black out parts of an article in The Economist when one can easily access it online, or put hurdles out to ban the Bahasa Malaysia Bible when all it takes is a simple click to print the entire version from the Internet. But emotions and scoring points seem to have become the obsession of many Malaysians. Is it any wonder that one of the popular pastimes among Malaysians is playing the "Angry Birds" game on their mobiles and tablets? Can we stop being angry people and try to make sense of the issues affecting the nation instead? Or better still, just laugh at them? It's just the run-up to the silly season, as cynical reporters call it.
|
| Rule of law, rule by law Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:43 PM PDT 
By Ambiga Sreenevasan I urge you to use this arsenal of knowledge and your passion for justice to fight for those who are downtrodden.
You have already heard of the events of July 9th in Malaysia. Whilst it brought out the worst in some, it brought out the best in others and this is where our hope lies. JULY 23 — Good Morning! Chancellor, vice chancellor and graduating students.
It is so good to be back!
I am deeply moved by the conferment of this honour upon me. That it comes from my alma mater is especially significant for me. That it comes at this time is almost providential, for it allows me and all lawyers to reflect on our roles in the societies we live in.
For this honour and this moment of reflection, I extend my grateful thanks to the Council and Senate of the University of Exeter.
Tired of injustice and oppression, people the world over are crying out for truth, goodness, justice and universal love and understanding.
The events in Malaysia over the past six weeks culminating in the rally for free and fair elections on the 9th of July, has taught me so much more than I could have ever learned in the last 30 years as a practising lawyer.
My team and I faced first-hand the full force of the unleashed power of the state, and I realised then the importance of the independence of the Institutions of government, particularly the judiciary, to check such abuses of power.
I also realised how real and present the absence of the Rule of Law can be.
In countries where the Rule of Law reigns strong and true one probably does not even talk about it. But in countries that veer towards Rule by Law, talking about getting back to the basics is crucial.
In many countries, Rule by Law is reflected in the existence of repressive laws that violate the fundamental rights of its citizens. One example of this is preventive detention laws that lock people away without affording them the basic right to a trial. There are many examples of such oppressive laws worldwide and they are not confined to underdeveloped or developing countries.
As lawyers, we are in a unique position. Our years of legal study and practice teach us to see and appreciate the fundamental role that the Rule of Law plays in guaranteeing that the state governs its citizens in a just and democratic manner.
Who better to remind those in power of their responsibilities to their citizens than lawyers trained in understanding the difference between "Rule of Law" and "Rule by Law"?
Our role as lawyers must therefore extend far beyond traditional legal practice.
Here, I make no reference to rules, guidelines, documents, or declarations. My only reference point is our conscience. Can we as lawyers, ever sit back and watch the erosion of fundamental liberties of the people around us and do nothing? Clearly, silence in these circumstances, is not an option.
When I graduated from this university about 30 years ago, things were of course very different. Today the Internet and social media has empowered people with a continual flow of unfiltered and up-to-date information. No longer can the manipulation and control of information be effectively used by those in power to suppress either thought or action.
You are in a world where you know instantly of injustices taking place in any part of it. In this global village drawn together by so many factors, we are one. We can reach out to each other using these new means of communication and we owe it to each other to stand together for what is right.
You may say, "But I studied law to be a solicitor or barrister and to earn money for a decent standard of living". There is nothing wrong with that, I assure you. I run a commercial litigation practice in a partnership of four where we also do public interest litigation. The two can co-exist quite comfortably.
The point I make is this.
You are graduating from one of the best universities in the country if not on the planet! You are special. And you are now a proud member of an army of people that is equipped with all that is necessary to both practise law and to fight injustice.
I urge you to use this arsenal of knowledge and your passion for justice to fight for those who are downtrodden.
You have already heard of the events of July 9th in Malaysia. Whilst it brought out the worst in some, it brought out the best in others and this is where our hope lies. There were some in government who opposed the methods used to shut us down. Even doctors left their comfort zones to speak up against injustices. And of course there were the lawyers and the independent media who stood on the side of truth and justice. However, the real heroes of that day are our friend and supporter Allahyarham Baharuddin Ahmad who paid the ultimate price in fighting a noble cause, the six members of the Socialist Party of Malaysia who, as we speak, sit in solitary confinement under preventive detention laws and finally the brave people of Malaysia who overcame their fear of intimidation and harassment to uphold their fundamental rights. With all my heart I dedicate this honour you have bestowed upon me to them. * This was the acceptance speech delivered by Datuk Dr Ambiga Sreenevasan upon her conferment with the Honorary Doctorate Of Laws, University of Exeter. |
| Raja Aziz Addruse Posted: 22 Jul 2011 06:40 PM PDT 
He was without a doubt a tenacious and learned lawyer, and a great believer in the sanctity of the Rule of Law. He was my first boss and I was with him for the first four years of my working life. He was also instrumental in me becoming involved with the activities of the Bar Council. Datuk Zaid Ibrahim This towering Malay lawyer passed away last week, at 75. I was fortunate enough to have been in town and was able to pay him one last visit at his home. With his death, the country and the profession has lost a symbol of justice.
He was without a doubt a tenacious and learned lawyer, and a great believer in the sanctity of the Rule of Law. He was my first boss and I was with him for the first four years of my working life. He was also instrumental in me becoming involved with the activities of the Bar Council. I did not achieve the success that he earned for himself, but he taught me a few things that I cherish to this day. A lawyer, he told us, must not be afraid to do what is right by the law – the reason why we refer to the profession as an honourable one is because we have the capacity to fight for justice. The day we no longer care enough about justice is the day we cease to be a member of an honourable profession.
The country needs more people like Raja Aziz to stem the tide of authoritarian rule. There are many young lawyers joining the profession and I hope the gifted ones will continue the struggle to uphold just laws and protect the rights of individuals. Today, fortunately, we still have the courageous Maliq Imtiaz, Haris Ibrahim and Azhar Azizan Harun, who are relentless in their pursuit of justice in cases that other lawyers are too afraid to touch, and judges are too afraid to decide on. I am refering to cases involving the issue of religious freedom. Although enshrined in the Constitution, this right has become meaningless as it's politically not acceptable.
Every other day we hear of heartwrenching stories about such cases, all of which could be avoided if our leaders, adminstrators, and judges had a small dose of compassion in their hearts. Look at what happened recently to Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz, who underwent a sex-change operation in 2008. All she wanted was for the Registration Department to change her gender from male to female, but she was refused because the religious authorities will not condone such action. The judge Datuk Yazid Mustafa said he could not do much, and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Dato' Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has also said she cannot do much beyond offer welfare assistance. The truth is they all can, but they won't.
The details in our IC have only one purpose: to help identify the person carrying the card. That means the details are necessarily all personal in nature. If the cardholder says he lives in Tropicana, does the Registeration Department accept that as true or does it have a verification exercise before accepting that statement as correct? When it come to gender, Ashraf knows best the condition her body is in. Why refer to the religious authorities? What does the Religious Department know about genetics, human anatomy, or biology? Ashraf knows herself best.
But in our heartless country, it is the officials who know best, the judges who know best, the politicians who know best. They tell you what religion you belong to, what gender you are, what colour you can wear. They do not care about yourself, your beliefs, your rights or your dignity. Some people tell me that they are like that because they are all God-fearing. I don't think so. A God-fearing people would not condone injustice, corruption and abuse of power. More accurately, they are playing God. We have to continue to fight for these fundamental rights if we want to protect the little freedom we still enjoy. This is how we can best remember Raja Aziz and all the other great lawyers who have gone before us.
|
| Happy birthday Mr PM Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:36 PM PDT 
Najib turns 58 today and as far as the rakyat are concerned, they can only pray that he is bestowed with wisdom in leading a nation as diverse and challenging as Malaysia. The 'green light' from Najib was all that the police needed. It spared no effort in firing tear gas and water cannons at the supporters. The tear gas was even fired inside the compound of the Tung Shin Hospital in Jalan Pudu, a fact which the Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai initially refuted. Jeswan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has a knack for ditching the rakyat when they need him the most. In just two years, the premier has succeeded in proving that his 1Malaysia and 'people first' mantra are nothing but lip service and rhetorics. Typically, 'what goes around comes around', the tide has turned against Najib. Najib's latest antic of leaving the people to face the wrath of the police on July 9 was enough for many to decide he is not the leader they want as the nation's premier. The Facebook page demanding Najib's resignation had as of this morning recorded 207, 935 "likes". The page, titled '100,000 People Request Najib Tun Razak's Resignation' was created immediately after the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally. It was reported that the page registered 300 "likes" per minute following the July 9 rally and hit the 100,000 mark within three days of creation. The July 9, 2011 rally was the initiative of election watchdog Bersih 2.0, the aim being to free the electoral system from corruption and manipulation. Despite the coalition's willingness to work with the police, Najib at the last minute turned back on his word and left it to the police to deal with the 'Walk for Democracy' supporters. The 'green light' from Najib was all that the police needed. It spared no effort in firing tear gas and water cannons at the supporters. The tear gas was even fired inside the compound of the Tung Shin Hospital in Jalan Pudu, a fact which the Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai initially refuted. The July 9 incident which bears proof of the police brutality has also gone on to earn Najib the ire of foreign nations. His official visit to the United Kingdom was not as pleasant as he had expected. The UK premier David Cameron reportedly had queried Najib on the Bersih rally. And w hen Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor had an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, the queen too sent home a message to Najib, knowingly or otherwise. Her yellow attire was enough to give Najib a 'jaundice' attack. Najib's popularity is now at an all-time low and with the latest development concerning the death verdict of Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock, it is very difficult for Najib to regain the trust of the people. RCI finding no surprise
On July 21, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Mohd Aziz revealed the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry which says Teoh was not murdered but had committed suicide as he was unable to bear the aggressive interrogation by three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers. Teoh, 30, had fallen to his death at the then Selangor MACC office in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after an overnight interrogation. Does this disturbing verdict free the MACC of any wrongdoing? Whatever it is, the conclusion leaves no room to doubt that the country's justice system continues to be manipulated by the 'powers that be'. The public outcry that this latest development is set to result in is something Najb cannot pretend to ignore. When he refused to select even one of the seven names suggested by Teoh's family to sit on the RCI, that itself was ground for doubting that justice would ever come Teoh's family's way.
Incidentally, one of the names submitted by Teoh's family was that of lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan, who heads Bersih 2.0 and was one of the key face behind the 'Walk for Democracy' rally. Najib's lack of respect for the judiciary is going to cost him his plush chair in his cosy Putrajaya office. The Bersih 2.0 rally and now the doubtful verdict on Teoh Beng Hock's death will become the noose that with time will end up suffocating the prime minister. To most people, they have not forgotten the arrogance Najib has displayed since assuming premiership in 2009. Najib has not made an effort to assist the Penan women and girls who are continuously raped by timber loggers attain justice. It is also Najib who has shown no courage to rebuke the Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia for fanning racial discord through its seditious editorials and articles. Likewise, Najib is the least bothered with Perkasa, the extremist Malay group which keeps threatening and humiliating the non-Malays.
Najib, shape up or ship out
Why does Najib so easily ditch the people in times of need? Is Perkasa his tool to achieve his very own agendas? The premier displayed no interest in solving the issue surrounding the novel 'Interlok' which is used by Fifth Formers. The novel is said to degrade the Indian community. Najib has shown no interest in tackling issues affecting the Christian community and this alone was enough to earn him the ridicule of many during his trip to Vatican City where he met Pope Benedict XVI. READ MORE HERE |
| Ku Li’s Amanah a key to national revival? Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:11 PM PDT 
We know that because of half a century of abuses, manipulation and instituionalising of corrupt practices into becoming a culture, the very attempt at repairing these damages through such reforms will be a gargantuan task, but we must make the first few steps towards repairing the damages and putting the nation on a path of revival. DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN I feel it is very exciting that our highly respected veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, popularly known as Ku Li, has already launched his new outfit Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) towards nurturing unity as espoused by the country's founding fathers. In the midst of our sharp racial divisions at the moment, Amanah said in a statement recently that the group wants "to reaffirm, inculcate and re-ignite the sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among all Malaysians during the time of our common struggle for national independence". It also said it wants to rekindle the legacy, promise and ideals of Bapa Malaysia and the founding fathers so that all Malaysians may live together as members of a truly just, fair, progressive, united and happy nation community. Its other objectives are: (1) To earnestly acknowledge, affirm and respect the sovereignty of the constituent states of the Malaysian Federation, consistent with the principles of federalism, democratic principles and in the true spirit of the Federal Constitution; (2) To ensure that our national institutions respect and uphold the rule of law, democratic principles, rights and universal values; (3) To support a government and administration that is transparent and accountable, truly competent, efficient, free of corruption and cronyism, clean and honest, fair and trustworthy, and that will be fully able to serve its functions and meet its responsibilities, freely and fairly; an administration that will always be mindful of the rights and interests of the people in whose name and cause it is appointed to serve; (4) To promote the socio-economic well-being of the people, so that all Malaysians may enjoy truly advanced, progressive, fair and equitable lives – individually upholding filial piety and other noble values and collectively joined together in sincere family kinship as members of our national community and as stakeholders in our common national destiny; (5) To support an economic policy that will help achieve and sustain a high standard of living for the people, based on the principle of justice, fairness and balance, consistent with the constitution and under a stable monetary condition. In two several papers presented locally and abroad (Shattered hopes and broken dreams and Disenfranchisement of bona-fide Sabahans) I had touched on the sweet promises made by no less than the Father of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who assured us that no colonialisation of any sort will be imposed on Sabah. At the outset of the formation of this federation, we had dreams of a new age of progress in which we Sabahans and Sarawakians will be enjoying a kind of development that will propel us strongly into the 20th and the 21st centuries, under a government which would be just, with no prejudice against any Malaysian regardless of skin colour and belief. Sabah and Sarawak would be part of a federation, not a nation, hence retaining their respective nationalities on equal status with Malaya. We were assured of many rights in perpetuity. But they were not to be. Successive governments and leaders were sweet-talked into surrendering those rights until we are just tools and stooges to federal powers. Through political manipulations and stratagems in the politics of federalism we fell into the traps and ended being what we are today – just one of the 13 states in Malaysia, and the poorest of the lot at that! In the second paper mentioned above I had listed our disenfranchisements due to so many losses and victimisations: (1) Loss of right as a national entity, (2) Loss of rights guaranteed in the 20 Points, (3) We have been victims of demographic re-engineering, (4) We have been victims of Kuala Lumpur's divide-and-rule manipulation, (5) We have lost the true democratic system, (6) We have been victims of gerrymandering and the manipulation of the electoral rolls, (7) We have been re-colonised, (8) Our security has been substantially compromised, (9) We are losing our land rights, (10) We are the poorest state! (11) We are victims of Malay supremacy, (12) Loss of harmonious and peaceful co-existence. I then followed up with a list of demands of things that are should have been rightly ours.
What Ku Li's Amanah can do are many, but what comes immediately to mind is the re-institution of real justice (in all matters including the fair redistribution of wealth and opportunities), liberty, transparency, true democracy, meritocracy, and freedom of the press. But amanah itself had made an excellent summary of all that need to be done by stating them in its comprehensive list of objectives. If we were to analyse everything mentioned in those objectives it would take a whole thick book. I have high hopes when reading objective No. 3, which aims for "a government and administration that is transparent and accountable, truly competent, efficient, free of corruption and cronyism, clean and honest, fair and trustworthy, and that will be fully able to serve its functions and meet its responsibilities, freely and fairly". We know that because of half a century of abuses, manipulation and instituionalising of corrupt practices into becoming a culture, the very attempt at repairing these damages through such reforms will be a gargantuan task, but we must make the first few steps towards repairing the damages and putting the nation on a path of revival. The biggest damage has been in the area of race relations. We are now living in an era of interracial and interreligious suspicions and paranoia. We are so far into interracial distrust that we are actually nearing the point when another interracial riot may take place and bring the whole nation down to its knees – no thanks to many bigots and hate mongers like Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa. The second biggest damage, I believe, is in the area of economic confidence of the people as a result of rampant and unbridled corruption. With these two combined, the effect on the economy has been devastating, resulting in increased poverty and the frightening brain drain. And all these are dragging us deeper and deeper into the abyss. Without any drastic change, even with the so-called transformasi of the Prime Minister, the nation will continue to sink deeper and deeper into trouble.
We need more NGOs like Amanah, UBF, MCLM, CigMa, Bersih and others with similar aims to operate against the BN-sponsored tranformasi and 1Malaysia movements which have the single agenda of keeping BN in power and perpetuating the abuses. With enough pressure, the BN will be brought to heel. The only acceptable change is to beat BN and change the government. And with a giant like Ku Li making the move even while he is still in Umno, the BN is suffering a double injury. One injury is the stab in the back of BN by Ku Li, and the other is the great damage on the BN when Ku Li reveal all the dirty inside stories. It is very exciting to read of his speech at the launching of Amanah last Friday during which he said, "I believe at the end of the road that we are taking in these early steps, we will be called upon to make several important decisions for the future of our nation – choices that we must take regardless of the problems, challenges and obstacle that we face. This morning could be another normal social event or it could be the beginning of a journey towards something that has never taken place before, that may change the current of our country's future." Agreed, totally. And truth will prevail. Ku Li will be a major force, with a strong potential to become the leader of the Third Force, and to become the key to the great change we have been dreaming of. Can we dare to foresee him becoming our next PM? After all, politics is the art of the possible, isn't it? |
| MoCS march: A test of faith and fortitude Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT  By Mariam Mokhtar, FMT An insecure government which feels threatened by calls for democratic reform and proper governance will, for political gain, find a religious or racial issue to attempt to combat any of the rakyat's demands. In March, Francis Siah, the leader for the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), lodged a police report against Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud for corruption, money laundering and abuse of power. Siah confirmed that his report contained allegations and accusations which had been made by Sarawak Report, the Bruno Manser Fund and various news portals and blogs. He also urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation into Taib's alleged crimes. "It must be noted that most of the corruption and money laundering and blatant abuse of power have documentary evidence." The MoCS rally on Aug 13 is a public protest against Taib's mis-rule and Siah is adamant that he has acted within the confines of the law. "I want to assure the police that MoCS will not take part in any illegal gathering or rallies in Kuching or any other place. "There is no need to monitor MoCS as we do things in accordance with the law." Just like Bersih 2.0, the MoCS is a non-political movement born from the rakyat's desire to rid their nation of a dictator. The rally by MoCS shares the same aims as the Bersih 2.0 "Walk for Democracy" in that Sarawakians also desire free, fair and clean elections and a demand to return to a government that listens to and works for the good of its people. By Merdeka Day 2011, Sarawak will have celebrated 49 years of being part of Malaysia. For many Sarawakians, especially those from the interior, life has not progressed much in almost five decades. The indigenous peoples may think they are liberated from colonial domination, only to find that they are shackled by the yoke of rule under Taib. Sarawak has an abundance of natural resources and its people should be enjoying a reasonable standard of living from the riches of oil, minerals, timber and land. In reality, the wealth has not been shared equally. Taib and his cronies have helped themselves to Sarawak's riches and shared very little with its people. Taib's target practice Sarawak's corrupt leaders are not made accountable for their actions and instead of developing the nation, have developed a taste for the high life by robbing the poor. Rather than helping the people by creating jobs, these politicians create opportunities for themselves in the form of contracts and land-grabs. Instead of recognising the native customary right (NCR) lands of the indigenous peoples, those in positions of power have recognised opportunities only for themselves and in the process denied the Sarawakians their way of life and their ancestral rights. They have also destroyed the environment. While the old reminisce about a land that was once abundant with wild life and riches that could be shared by all, a majority of the young only know of poverty, a low standard of living, a poor health system, a sub-standard education, poor infrastructure and broken or scattered families whose members are forced to seek work for a paltry wage either in the coastal towns or elsewhere. Sarawak is blessed in that the different races are more integrated and tolerant of each other than in peninsular Malaysia. READ MORE HERE. |
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
