What Police would have done if a clutch of six NGOs had a demonstration which offered RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap the Prime Minister  and smeared the blood of slaughtered chicken on a banner featuring photographs of UMNO Ministers including the DPM?

Imagine what the Police would have done if there is a clutch of six NGOs which  held a demonstration yesterday afternoon which offered RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and provide photographic evidence of their action, followed by the slaughter of two chicken and the  smearing of their blood on a banner featuring photographs of UMNO Ministers including the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin?

If there had been such a demonstration, the entire force of the Royal Malaysian Police led by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar himself would have landed on the 30 odd demonstrators from the  six NGOs like a ton of bricks and all the demonstrators would instantly be held under lock and key, subject to rigorous investigation and swift prosecution not only for violating the Peaceful Assembly Act in not giving police the minimum of 10-day notification of an assembly, but the more heinous crimes of causing ‘hurt’ to parliamentary democracy under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 [Sosma] and a battery of other charges under the Sedition Act, Penal Code, etc. which would probably keep them behind bars for the best part of their lives.

In actual fact, the clutch of six NGOs of some 30 people would not even be able to start slaughtering any innocent chicken, for they would have been packed into the “Black Marias” before they could gather, as the police would have got wind of their intentions well in advance.

The Malaysian Special Branch is undoubtedly one of the best of its kind in the world, thanks to the British colonial legacy and the primacy it has always enjoyed in the police hierarchy with collection of intelligence to protect  the present regime as the top police priority when in a truly democratic society, the top police priority should be to promote and protect parliamentary democracy and human rights.

It would be completely inconceivable that media representatives from both printed and electronic media could be informed to give full coverage to the chicken-slaughtering and blood-smearing demonstration yesterday without the police having any inkling of the event before-hand – which could call for a complete shake-up of the Special Branch and even sacking of the Special Branch director.

I have greater respects for the professionalism of the Special Branch, and this would mean that the police must have known beforehand the demonstration planned by the cluster of six NGOs which called itself the Council of Islamic NGOs, comprising Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah (Pekida), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Insan Bakti Malaysia (Perkib), Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM).

Up to now, both the Police and the Barisan Nasional government have maintained a thunderous silence to the outrageous, provocative and seditious demonstration yesterday which openly incited racial and religious hatred and threatened another May 13 in the country over Teresa Kok’s “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” which critiqued the Barisan Nasional government failings and weaknesses, but which has made no reference to race and religion.

There have been allegations that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam and  I have invited those who made these allegations to step into the open to show where in the video there are anti-Malay and anti-Islam references.

If the critics  can show that Teresa’s video have anti-Malay and anti-Islam  references, I will publicly ask Teresa to take the necessary remedial action. But up to now, there have been no takers to my proposal.

I find it most regrettable that both the new MCA President, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai and the new MCA Deputy President, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong, like their other MCA leaders who have jumped on the Barisan Nasional bandwagon to attack Teresa’s video, are unable to show that there is anything anti-Malay or anti-Islam in the video, but they continue to egg on, even aid and abet, intemperate and extremist protests against Teresa for the video.

I think all decent and right-thinking Malaysians are entitled to ask the IGP, the Home Minister, the Prime Minister, and the UMNO and MCA leadership why the double standards if there had been a clutch of six NGOs offering RM1,200 reward to anyone to slap the Prime Minister and smearing the blood of slaughtered chicken on a banner featuring photographs of UMNO Ministers as compared to the demonstration yesterday of six NGOs offering RM1,200 reward to anyone to slap Teresa Kok and the slaughter and smearing of chicken blood on banner featuring Pakatan Rakyat leaders!

It is such double standards afflicting police and the major national institutions, when they should be non-partisan, impartial and  professional which is the continuing cause of the national crisis of confidence over the lack of good governance, accountability and transparency in Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 7 February 2014, 9:41 am and is filed under
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Advice to All Politicians: Keep Calm, Cool and Collected

Koon Yew Yin

8th February 2014

When Theresa Kok’s video clip for the Chinese New Year first appeared, I saw it as a cleverly done piece of political satire.  It was funny, original and thought provoking.  I thought the references to various personalities and public issues of concern captured some of our recent political controversies in a refreshingly irreverent and comical way. The clip brought back to me memories of that hugely popular and successful British television series, “Yes Minister”  which first ran in the 1980’s and has been recently revived.

At the same time that I appreciated the black humour and wit in the “ONEderful Malaysia!” video, I was concerned that it would be viewed the opposite way by the Government and UMNO’s political supporters and would become ammunition for them to hit back not only against her, but also the DAP and the opposition parties as a whole.

Clearly the video was intended to draw attention to issues of public concern. It was also meant to draw attention to Theresa Kok as a politician and to enhance her public image. But what if the Government or its supporters twisted it around and concocted elements of racial or religious discord to smear the DAP and Pakatan coalition? I was especially concerned that the targeting of the video to a Chinese audience and timed for the Chinese New Year period was strategically unwise and could backfire.

My worse fears have now proven correct.
 Muslim groups have seized on the video clip to engage in a new round of frenzied opposition and DAP bashing. Besides engaging in the now standard practice of stomping on banners and portraits of their political opponents, these groups have gone a step further by  smearing the banners with blood from freshly slaughtered chickens – an unprecedented act of violent symbolism. Further they have also upped the ante by offering a reward to any of their supporters willing to slap Theresa – an invitation that could easily lead to a more violent outcome should some fool hardy supporter decide that a slap was not sufficient to restore their lost ‘dignity and honour’.

This response by the political enemies of Theresa and the DAP has been rightly condemned by both sides of the political divide in the country. Action has also been called for the authorities not only to investigate the alleged seditious content of the video clip but also the response by the Muslim groups to it.

What’s happening appears to be a spiraling of the country towards greater racial and religious strife and enmity which can only have a disastrous end result. A number of other groups and organizations have also viewed with increasing alarm the deterioration in our political situation. For example, a petition campaign has been launched by academics from Malaysian and abroad calling for the renunciation of violence by political leaders and parties. Everyone needs to sign on this petition. There have also been calls made for the National Unity Consultative Council to move more quickly in its work of national reconciliation so that whatever measures it is recommending is not too little too late. More groups and individuals should come out to provide constructive suggestions on how we can restore “muhibbah” and inter-racial solidarity.

Speaking as a Malaysian Chinese, I would like to appeal to our Chinese leaders to think twice or three times or even more before engaging in any political publicity especially aimed at the Chinese electorate because it is so easy for the other side with its dominance of the Malay and official media to distort or spin its message and intentions. We all should know that there are double standards in this country and of course this is something which is deplorable and runs against the grain of any democratic system. However, we have lived with these double standards for a long time and we must learn to live with them a little longer and be more circumspect and strategic in our opposition.  We must understand that the final break with these double standards will not come about as a result of the Chinese leaders putting up such video clips aimed at the Chinese community.

Finally, it is not difficult to find a solution to this particular episode of racial tension.. All that needs to be done is for Theresa Kok to say that she is sorry if she has offended anyone’s sense of racial or religious honour as she had no intention of doing so.

At the same time, Prime Minister Najib Razak should say that he has found the video clip quite funny and well acted, even if he thinks it is inaccurate and wrong in its insinuations. He may want to note that the “Yes Minister” programme was Prime Minister Margaret Thacher’s favourite programme!

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 11:44 am and is filed under
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Call on IGP to form a special team to investigate the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to create another May 13 riots in the past few months and to nip the nefarious and treacherous plot in the bud

Today is the  111th birth anniversary of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Sadly, there is nothing much  to celebrate to mark the greater realization of Tunku’s Malaysia Dream – to make Malaysia a haven of peace, harmony and happiness – as 44 years after Tunku stepped down as the founding Prime Minister of Malaysia, the country has never been more polarized racially and religiously as today.

Nobody can now  claim that Malaysia is a haven of peace, harmony and happiness?

In fact, Malaysia suffered the ignominy ten days ago when a Pakistani website gloated go that “Malaysia no longer land of peace and tolerance” after the latest outrages against racial and religious harmony in Malaysia – the Molotov cocktail attack on a church in Penang a day after the provocative banner, “Allah is Great. Jesus is the son of Allah” was hung outside five churches in Penang without the knowledge of church authorities and the vandalism of eight gravestones in a Christian cemetery in Kuantan.

Two days ago, some 30 members of six NGOs styling themselves the Council of Islamic NGOs staged a protest in Kuala Lumpur and conducted a pagan ritual where they  slaughtered chicken and smeared their  blood on a banner featuring Pakatan Rakyat leaders and offered RM1,200 to anyone who would slap DAP woman MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok and provide photographic evidence of their action.

Their actions were not only anti-women but anti-Islam as it is totally against Islam as the religion of peace and compassion.

Tunku would have been horrified that there are people who could not only instigate violence against women but  incite racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to  threaten another May 13 riots in the name of Islam.

However, he would be even more horrified by  two other events, viz:

•	Two days passed  without the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak or any top government Minister  publicly condemning the criminal activities of the self-styled Council of Islamic NGOs on Thursday;  and

•	the lackadaisical and insouciant attitude by the police completely unconcerned about the criminal intimidation, sedition and incitement of racial chaos and religious conflagration, including another May 13 riots, as if the police had received a directive from above to close its eyes and adopt a hands-off attitude and to treat the self-styled Council of Islamic NGOs with “kid gloves”.

More than 15 police reports have been lodged yesterday country-wide against the criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against Teresa Kok and another May 13 riots, committed by the 30-odd demonstrators on Thursday whose identity are easily ascertained as the whole disgraceful episode had been videotaped and given full publicity by the electronic media and UMNO blogs  but no police action had been taken to pick up and question the suspects.

The Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohamad Salleh told The Malaysian Insider last night that police investigations would begin after Teresa, together with others, have lodged police reports and that no police action had been taken earlier despite the presence of police at the protest as a report had to be lodged before police could begin a probe.

He said: “This is our standard operations. There is nothing biased about it. Our actions are the same no matter who lodges a report and we will look into this.”

This is arrant nonsense. Is the KL CPO seriously saying that until a police report is lodged,  a police officer would not take any action even when he is witness to the commission of serious crimes, as happened in the demonstration  by the self-styled Council of Islamic NGOs committing serious offences including criminal intimidation,  sedition, inciting violence and another May 13 riots?

Such a police officer would have committed a gross dereliction of duty and should be subjected to immediate disciplinary action  for being a disgrace to his profession and the Royal Malaysian Police.

In fact, the police officers who were  present at the demonstration of the Council of Islamic NGOs should be hauled before the disciplinary board for not stopping the demonstration and the commission of an assortment of serious crimes and  not immediately lodging a police report against the crimes committed at the demonstration so that police action could be  immediately taken!

The Malaysian  police, under the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abdu Bakar is really one of its kind in the world which  can see what nobody can see and cannot see what all can see.

Two weeks before the New Year, Khalid announced that there was a plot to topple the elected government in the gathering on New Year’s eve at the Dataran Merdeka to protest price hikes, followed by warnings from the Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar that weapons, including grenades and gas masks, would brought to the “overthrow the government” rally.

All these police warnings have turned out be  a “fairly tale” and  a pure concoction of the  feverish imagination of police officers as they were  not backed up by any solid and credible intelligence – as proven in the weeks after the New Year as the police have not been able to produce one iota of evidence that there was a violent plot to topple the elected government at the  Dataran Merdeka gathering on New Years Eve.

Clearly, the police could see what nobody else could see. Furthermore, the Police  could not see what everybody could see – that the demonstration  of chicken-slaughtering and the  inciting of violence against Teresa by the Council of Islamic NGOs was part of a  campaign of incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to raise racial and religious temperatures to generate a chaotic and combustible atmosphere to foment a repeat of May 13 riots!

The May 13 threat was first raised in the UMNO youth demonstration in Penang on 18th January and it was repeated in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 6th February.

How can the police stand by and allow the threat of May 13 to be wielded again and again to intimidate the people and escalate the incitement of racial and religious hatred, animosities and tension in plural Malaysia?

If Tunku is alive today, he would have no hesitation in immediately denouncing the extremist racist and religious fulminations of the self-styled Council of Islamic NGOs.

He would also have directed the IGP and the police to do their duty to uphold the law and ensure peace and harmony in the country.

Why is Najib keeping quiet for the past two days and equally pertinent, why the lackadaisical and insouciant attitude adopted by the police towards a grave threat to Malaysia’s achieving the Tunku’s dream of the country as a haven of peace, harmony and happiness in the world?

I call on IGP to form a special team to investigate the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to create another May 13 riots in the past few months and to nip the nefarious and treacherous plot in the bud.

The police had earlier formed a special team to investigate the threat “to overthrow the government” through a violent rally at Dataran Merdeka on New Year’s Eve. This was announced on Dec. 22 by the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Datuk Hadi Ho Abdullah who said the team would be headed by Deputy Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor.

If the police could set up a special team to investigate the “fair tale” of a plot “to topple the elected government” at the Dataran Merdeka rally on New Year’s Eve, what reason could there be for the police refusing to set up a special team to investigate a pressing and imperative threat to national security – the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to create another May 13 riots in the past few months and the urgent  need to  nip the nefarious and treacherous plot in the bud before it results in  a national calamity.

In the Parliamentary meeting beginning on March 10, I will ask the Home Minister to report on the outcome of the special team formed by police to investigate the threat “to overthrow the government” at the Dataran Merdeka gathering on New Year’s Eve.

I will also be asking whether a special police team had been formed to investigate the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to create another May 13 riots, and the outcome, and if no special team had been formed by the police, why not.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 7:55 am and is filed under
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Is Zahid seriously suggesting that it is perfectly lawful and permissible to organise public demonstrations to offer RM1,200 to anyone to slap the PM, DPM or Home Minister?

Overnight, Malaysians are asking whether the law of the jungle have replaced the rule of law in the country on our way to a fully developed nation status in six years’ time in 2020.

This follows the shocking statement by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who dismissed calls to investigate the organisers of Thursday’s chicken slaughter protest against DAP MP Teresa Kok, and who dismissed the RM1,200 reward offered by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” who slaps Teresa saying “there is nothing to investigate as it is not a threat”.

He said: “Why do we need to investigate that?

“Slapping is not a threat. If they say murder, then it is a threat.”

Is Zahid seriously suggesting that it is perfectly lawful and permissible to organise public demonstrations to offer RM1,200 to anyone to slap the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister or the Home Minister?

Is the Home Minister advocating the law of the jungle instead of the rule of law? Then we are not heading towards a fully developed nation in 2020 but down the abyss to a failed state by the end of the decade!

Zahid’s dismissal of the country-wide police reports by DAP/PR MPs and State Assembly members against the 30-odd people in the “Council of Islamic NGOs” demonstration committing offences of criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman MP and incitement of another May 13 riots, is the height of irresponsibility for a Home Minister and raises the question whether the Home Minister is committed to upholding the rule of law, peace and harmony in the country.

I want to ask Zahid whether his comments amount to a directive to the police not to investigate the police reports which have been launched countrywide by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs, State Assembly members and leaders against the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” for a battery of criminal offences, including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman MP and incitement for another May 13 riots?

Is Zahid also telling the Police that they should not investigate the Council of Islamic NGOs for breaches of the Peaceful Assembly Act in not giving the police 10 days notice for the assembly?

At Thursday’s chicken-slaughtering and blood-curdling demonstration, a spokesman of the Council of Islamic NGOs even raised the spectre of May 13 riots, saying that the blood of the slaughtered chicken was symbolic of the May 13 riots.

He even demanded that the government expel Chinese and Indian citizens who were not fluent in Malay from the country?

There are also Malays who are not fluent in Malay. Are they also to be expelled from the country?

If Zahid thinks that the above extremist and ultra statements and demands are perfectly legitimate and acceptable, then he is not fit to be Home Minister for all Malaysians.

I want to ask the new MCA leadership led by Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong whether they agree with Zahid that there is nothing wrong and therefore nothing to investigate with regard to the shocking and outrageous incidents of the the offer of RM1,200 to slap Teresa and the slaughter of chickens and smearing of the chicken blood on banner featuring DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

If not, are they prepared to take a principled stand including requisitioning of an emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council as the very basis of a rule of law and a legitimate democracy have been brought into question by Zahid’s heretical statements, which completely repudiates the rule of law in Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 3:44 pm and is filed under
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Needed – Kajang Declaration on Sanity

Azly Rahman

Malaysiakini

Feb 7, 2014

Blatant racism, religious bigotry, school culture degenerating, public display of hatred, urging this or that kind of jihad at times for reasons unknown, the vigilantes taking over when law and order seem to be at a critical breaking point, mass feeding of the public with stories that hath no educational value and even devoid of moral sensitivity, frequent public protests plagued with character assassinations rather that the focusing on issues to be collectively addressed as a nation, parang-wielding robberies in broad daylight on an almost weekly basis, rising number of cases of children missing, political moves crafted and executed in desperation that weaken due process in democratic culture sorely in need of sane progression, politicians producing statements in arrogance on pressing devoid of intellectual depths, the intensification of effort by fascist groups to incite violence progressively in hope that the bloody riots of May 13, 1969 is to be re-enacted on a larger scale perhaps.

 The media as a technology of consciousness shaper both at the level of Grand and Subaltern Narratives have been successful in playing the role of creator of peace and destroyer of it, as if there is no difference between good and evil in the way we use the materials to build this nation.

Citizens are using social media to raise consciousness and to promote peace, harmony, and social justice but at the same time, more are using it irresponsibly to destroy each other and the do irreparable damage to the moral fabric we are patiently weaving to build a nation of pride, tolerant, and dignity.

 Because Malaysians do not read much but read well visual images, consciousness of such a need for nation-building and sanity is both created and destroyed by manipulation of images to affect psychological changes.

 Daily we see public and cyberspacial images of visuality altered, manipulated, and doctored being nursed into the consciousness of the people who have become patients in a nation straight-jacketed by its own need for economic speed, racing fast and furious on the superhighway of doom, build by the filthy rich working in tandem with the filthy powerful.

 Even the government had admitted that it cannot control the Internet, and the ruling regime has lost the war on perception waged in a perpetually intense mahabharatta in cyberspace.

 But what is the most damaging is the education of the public in matters profane and how children and the younger generations are being destroyed of their ability to compose themselves as rational and self-censoring beings when our Open Sky Policy has probably turned our children and teens into beings exposed to the delights of pornography and educational materials of the lowest and ugliest libidinal value rather than of the highly cerebral.

 Maybe there is a correlation between the rising cases of perversions in society, incest, teenage pregnancy to the insatiable appetite of the public on things pornographic  available as freely as the Malaysian vegetable kangkung sold in the marketplace and in pasar malam alleys.

 Hence, in our excitement over everything cybertechnology, over media and wanting to act as if we are blessed with a First World mentality, we have forgotten to introduce a systematic programme of critical media education in our schools or even in our universities.

We are a sick nation

 Where do we go from here? I have a microbe of a multitude of questions in my lamentation on the future of this lovely nation.

 What are we doing as a nation?

 Where is law and order?

 Where is ethics?

 Where is sanity in the way we ought to build a nation?

 Where is tolerance?

 Where is shame ?

 Where is humility?

 Where is the taming of gluttony and greed we ought to have mastered as a nation that prided itself as a “gentle nation with good eastern values grounded in the asian way of doing things?”

What have we become? What do we wish to become? Are we losing it?…

 What hath our education system done to us; a system that hath produced a generation of people that is speeding up the degenerating process?

 What kind of virus have we introduced in the body politics and in the educational vein of the conveyor belt of progress?

 Why are we seeing all these crudeness and the hideousness of a generation that does not see to care what the name “being Malaysian” should mean?

 I do not really care who shall win in any by-election, or even in Kajang. I’d like to see the winning party proclaim a commitment to a radically improved education system, law enforcement, the electoral process, work on cultural preservation, fiscal management, and in everything we hope for in building nationhood.

We need to see a stop in the rot that is happening at this rate and to save future generations from becoming a nation of Hutus and Tutsis, of Zimbabweans, of North Koreans, of Iranians, of Syrians, of the peoples of Myanmar, and even of that brutal and barbaric segment of American society that are trigger-happy even in schools, churches, malls, and in Boston marathons.

 We need a Kajang Declaration on National Sanity! We are losing our mind. We are not just sick – we are critically ill.

 DR AZLY RAHMAN, born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in International Education Development and Masters degrees in four areas: Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 350 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience in Malaysia and the United States spans over a wide range of subjects, from elementary to graduate education. He has edited and authored four books; Multiethnic Malaysia: Past, Present, Future (2009), Thesis on Cyberjaya: Hegemony and Utopianism in a Southeast Asian State (2012), The Allah Controversy and Other Essays on Malaysian Hypermodernity (2013), and the latest Dark Spring: Ideological Roots of Malaysia’s GE-13 (2013). He currently resides in the United States. Twitter, blog.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 6:10 am and is filed under
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Seeking thought and civilisation

Tunku Abidin Muhriz

The Malay Mail Online

February 7, 2014

FEB 7 — Normally, I return to Negri Sembilan on Fridays, but sometimes I will stay in Kuala Lumpur and perform my prayers at the mosque named after the second of the Rightly Guided Caliphs in Damansara Heights, where there are familiar faces from the homes and offices nearby. On occasions, I go to the National Mosque (where the Heroes’ Mausoleum is located) or the Federal Territory Mosque.

Many mosques in our country and the world have been memorable, but if I had to choose my top three (apart from the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and the Masjid Al-Nabawi in Madinah which I went to during umrah in 1997), they would be Masjid Tengku Tengah Zaharah near Kuala Terengganu, the Gallipolli Mosque outside Sydney and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, each for different reasons. Special mention must be made of the Mezquita in Cordoba and the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul: both former places of worship embody more history and culture than most cities on the planet. Perhaps more tangibly through buildings such as these, rather than through books and lectures, does the historical diversity and complexity in Muslim civilisations really impress.

Still, within the small geographical area of the Luak Tanah Mengandung around Seri Menanti in Negri Sembilan, each prayer experience is different. Even though the Friday khutbah might be standardised statewide, as a worshipper your thoughts are affected by the location, decor and assiduousness of upkeep of the mosque, the melodies used by the bilals and imams in their recitations, and interactions with others in the congregation.

Thus Masjid Tuanku Muhriz in Bandar Seri Jempol, Masjid Yamtuan Raden in Kuala Pilah and Masjid Tuan Tulis in Tanjong Ipoh have their own unique feel to them.

A couple of weeks ago, however, upon a friend’s recommendation, I attended Friday prayers at the mosque of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC), located in the Kuala Lumpur campus of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Taman Duta.

Coincidentally, there was a book sale that day: I bought The Correct Date of the Terengganu Inscription by Syed Muhammad Naguib al-Attas, which I had long been looking for, and I was given a free copy of Islam and Democracy in Malaysia edited by Ibrahim Zein.

Inside the prayer hall, it was apparent that the congregation was international. While T-shirts and jeans alongside baju Melayu are a common sight in urban mosques, here there were a greater variety of garments and headgear than normal.

The melody used for the azan was not one usually heard in Malaysia, and then the khutbah began, entirely in English, on the subject of hadith denial. It seemed that the khutbah has been prepared personally by the speaker rather than being issued by a federal or state authority, which must be rare in Malaysia, and after the prayers the do’a did not feature the usual mention of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong either.

The following Friday coincided with the first day of Chinese New Year, and I was at Masjid Negeri in Seremban. The khutbah began by quoting verses and hadith to expound the idea that Muslims can appreciate the festivals of other cultures within a society, explicitly including Chinese New Year (though it didn’t point out that there are more Muslims in China than there are Malaysians of any religion).

It continued by recalling the spirit of Merdeka and quoted the poet Usman Awang on the importance of unity for all, rather than any particular group. The accompanying slide presentation included pictures of Muslims and non-Muslims at open houses together, which might normally seem clichéd, but this was the first time I had seen such images in a mosque during Friday prayers. As I left, I remarked to the imam and mentri besar what a good khutbah it was. Judging from reports that evening, however, many mosques in Kuala Lumpur used a khutbah that made no reference to Chinese New Year.

I had hoped to return to ISTAC next weekend for a forum featuring Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol, but it has been cancelled without any reason. The same event will now be hosted by Global Movement of the Moderates, which under the stewardship of Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah is fruitfully demonstrating that thought and civilisation are beneficial for the country.

In the free book from Istac I found this: “It also champions trustworthy government, protection of minority rights, balanced development, freedom and independence and mastery of knowledge.”

‘It’ here being ‘Islam Hadhari’ — but that was a whole two prime ministerial slogans ago.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 6:19 am and is filed under
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When places of worship are turned into hatred factories

Zurairi AR

The Malay Mail Online

February 7, 2014

FEB 7 — As it is often with the government, the left hand rarely — if ever — knows what the right hand is doing.

How else do you explain that in the same week Prime Minister Najib Razak urged Malaysians to listen to the “voice of reason”, another government agency urged Muslims to do exactly the opposite?

In its Friday sermon last week — which came barely a day after the prime minister’s Chinese New Year address — the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had brazenly singled out Christians and Jews as the so-called “enemies of Islam.”

I say “brazen” because the sermon-writer in Jakim finally found the guts either by purpose or by mistake, to finally name the usually unnamed “enemies.”

In the past few years, Jakim’s Friday sermons had commonly mentioned the Jews — always up to no good with their scheming ways — and the Christians (always, always identified using the name “Nasrani”).

“Nasrani” is the Arabic form of the word “Nazarene” which originally referred to a sect of Christianity, but has become the general term for Christians as a whole.

I guess when the Christians are too close to home — unlike the Jews — it will probably be too awkward to say bad things about them without using some sort of alias that is far from subtle.

Jakim had also regularly made reference to the “enemies of Islam”as bogeymen to scare Malaysian Muslims into submission, and leaving them unnamed had lent an air of mystery.

Not anymore. Now Jakim has its guns out in the open. The next time a sermon mentions “enemies of Islam”, we know who Jakim is referring to.

In the sermon last week, Christians and Jews were blamed for turning Muslims against each other, and tricking them into losing their rights.

This, in turn, plays into the same narrative played by Islamist groups of a global conspiracy involving networks of Christians, Jews, and even Freemasons (or Illuminati, depending on which group has extra time to spare).

Following rebuke from non-Muslim politicians over the accusatory nature of Friday sermons, minister in charge of religious affairs Jamil Khir Baharom explained that every sermon read in mosques have been vetted by Jakim.

Which is exactly the problem. Not only has Jakim endorsed such incendiary sermons, it also produces such sermons itself on a regular basis.

It is becoming much harder for Muslims nationwide to deny the obvious fear-mongering and religious hatred being peddled by the religious authorities.

It is even harder to ignore and bury, especially when sermons such as this are easily obtained with its texts available online weekly.

In addition, social media also ensures that the formerly secretive indoctrination happening during Friday prayers is now open for everyone to see.

Bigotry and hatred towards Christians and Jews, the two Abrahamic religions which came before Islam, is certainly not new.

In fact, some Islamic preachers would be quick to convince you that this showdown has been mentioned in the Quran.

In particular, a verse from the al-Baqarah chapter has been frequently quoted by some Muslims to justify their hatred towards the two faiths, since it “proves” the two faiths’ “wickedness”:

“And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion.” [2:120]

Regardless of the original context of the verse, it has continuously been (mis)appropriated to drive a never-ending war against Christians and Jews.

In Malaysia, the verse seems to have achieved new relevance, with the ongoing row over the use of the word “Allah.”

Especially since the narrative endorsed by Jakim is that Christians are trying to trick Muslims into giving away their exclusive right of the word, to confuse Muslims and eventually convert the latter into Christianity.

How did hating other religions become such a fundamental part of a religion?

When you consider that a dogmatic religion needs to convince its believers that it is the only One True Thing, then perhaps one way of doing that is by instilling hatred towards other religions.

And perhaps that is the same thing being attempted by Jakim. There seems to be a need to foster a siege mentality, create imaginary enemies and perpetuate conspiracies to keep Muslims in line.

In a way, it has succeeded. A significant number of Malaysian Muslims have turned out paranoid, bigoted and full of hatred. None of this matters, because these Muslims obediently toe Jakim’s line.

It is a pity not many of us know that this week is World Interfaith Harmony Week, partly because nobody in power really cares about interfaith harmony.

And even when they sort of care, like Jakim, they have a different idea of what interfaith harmony means.

Just wait and keep your ears open for today’s Friday sermon by Jakim, and hopefully you will get what I mean. Go on, I will still be here.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 February 2014, 6:15 am and is filed under
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I will ask Teresa to withdraw and apologise for the “Onderful Malaysia” video if anyone can show that there is any part which is anti-Malay or anti-Islam

I am most surprised by the furore over DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” video which has highlighted the political desperation of some quarters and the rank political opportunism of others.

We can agree or disagree as to whether Teresa’s video was good, bad or  even atrocious; most appropriate in giving vent to the people’s heart-felt grievances about the price hikes, low educational standards, worries about security because of rising crime and rampant corruption in the country or whether it is in poor taste and not befitting the work of a Member of Parliament; but what is completely unacceptable is  resort to lies and falsehoods to accuse Teresa’s video as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I have seen Teresa’s video a few  times because of the allegations that it is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and although I have gone through the video with great care and attention, I cannot find any part of the video –   a stinging critique on the failures of the Najib government to resolve the many pressing problems in the country  – which could be regarded as anti-Malay or anti-Islam.

I will ask Teresa to withdraw and apologise for the “Onederful Malaysia” video if anyone can can show there is any part which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

This is because the DAP is a Malaysian-centred party serving the interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, and we will not condone any action which is anti-Malay, anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan or anti-Iban or anti any religion because to be anti-Malay, anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan or anti-Iban is to do the greatest disservice to the cause of Malaysia and the fulfilment of the Malaysian Dream.

This is why I am outraged by two Ministers today, firstly by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who dismissed the RM1,200 reward offered by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” to anyone who slaps Teresa, saying “there is nothing (for police) to investigate as it is not a threat”, which is a repudiation of his oath as Home Minister to uphold the rule of law.

What is even more shocking, it appears to be a directive to the police not to investigate the scores of police reports which had been lodged by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs, State Assembly members and leaders against the “Council of Islamic NGOs” for a slew of crimes, such as criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against woman, incitement of violence against Member of Parliament, incitement of racial and religious hatred causing another May 13 riots, etc.

I want to ask the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar whether the police is subjected to the directives of the Home Minister whether it is to investigate  police reports lodged by elected representatives or not? And where does the law says that the Home Minister has such powers over the police?  If not, isn’t the Home Minister illegally usurping the powers and duties of the police?

Zahid is setting a terribly bad example in upholding the rule of law.

I am still waiting for Zahid to answer my question earlier today whether he is advocating the law of the jungle to replace the rule of law, and secondly, whether it is now perfectly lawful and permissible for demonstrations to be held throughout the country to announce bounties whether RM1,200, RM1,500 or RM2,000 for anyone who could produce evidence of having slapped the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister or the Home Minister?

The second Minister I am most outraged today is the Minister for Housing and Urban Wellbeing, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who quoted the saying “You reap what you sow” on the threats to Teresa  by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs.

In a series of tweets, Abdul Rahman said Teresa should not play victim when threatened by Muslim groups.

He made the preposterous allegation that DAP had “relentlessly attacked the position of Malays and Muslims”.

He tweeted: “Maybe the DAP don’t understand. To Malays, insulting the Agong and Islam is more painful and degrading than a slap.

“Since 2008, the DAP has relentlessly attacked the position of Malays and Islam. When there is a reaction from Malays, the DAP acts as if they are victims. Crazy!”

Abdul Rahman should be completely ashamed of himself for  being a racist through and through when he should be setting an example as a Minister for all Malaysians – even without mentioning the 1Malaysia policy advocated by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Abdul Rahman was telling a pack of lies when he alleged that the DAP had “since 2008…relentlessly attacked the position of Malays and Islam” and had even “insulted” the Yang di Pertuan Agong and Islam, for these allegations and lies are completely untrue.

Abdul Rahman should be a more responsible Minister as he should not be making wild and reckless allegations which he could not substantiate, and he should not be telling lies and falsehoods.

Or has Abdul Rahman joined the ranks of the political desperadoes in Umno, who are prepared to make wild allegations they cannot prove and resort to the most heinous and despicable lies and falsehoods to serve their petty political ends.

The furore over Teresa’s video has also exposed another group of opportunistic politicians in MCA, Gerakan and the LDP, who are prepared to tell another type of lies and falsehoods  – seeking to convince leaders in UMNO that the Mandarin and Cantonese dialogue in Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam although this is completely untrue.

Is there anyone among the top leadership of MCA, Gerakan and LDP who is prepared to tell the truth that there is no basis to the allegations and lies  that  Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam?

(Speech at the Pakatan Rakyat Chinese New Year Open House in Tawau on Saturday, 8th February 2014 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 February 2014, 4:34 pm and is filed under
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Sabah students ignorant of the three most historic events in Sabah in 50 year history in Malaysia as they are not in the school history textbooks

I fully agree with the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Tunku Zain Al-Abidin Muhriz that failure to teach history properly has enabled others to invent a past that threatens national unity in Malaysia today.

Speaking at the opening of a forum organised by IDEAS yesterday to commemorate the 111 birthday of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Zain said there were too few references to Malaysia’s own history in charting the vision for the future of the country.

“Which is why I keep saying they should be made compulsory reading in schools, instead of the lamentable textbooks that I have seen,” he said, adding that the biggest ignorance of all was that of our own history.

Tunku Zain also said that the proper teaching of history in schools would  provide the tools for critical thinking so that young Malaysians could consider conflicting pieces of evidence and come to their own conclusions, a skill, he added, which would make them better citizens.

“When a young Malaysian grows up without meeting or interacting with a fellow citizen of a different ethnic or religious background, the problem multiplies in urgency.

“If unchecked, this phenomenon will split our country apart,” he warned.

Malaysian history today is just Umno/BN history instead of the real history of the country.

In Sabah, for instance, Sabah students are ignorant of the three most historic events in the state in the past 50 years.

We can differ as to what are the three most historic events in Sabah in the last 50 years of Sabah forming Malaysia, but they are all not in the school history books.

My choice of the three most historic events in Sabah in the last 50 years are:

1. 20-Points and Batu Sumpah Keningau;

2. The ‘666’ tragedy of 1976 which changed the course of history, not only in Sabah but also in Malaysia; and

3. Million illegal immigrants who were unlawfully and unconstitutionally given citizenship/voter  status through illegal scams like Project Mahathir, undermining Sabah and Malaysia.

What are your three most historic events in the 50-year history of Sabah in Malaysia – but whatever they are, they will not be in the school history books for Malaysian history in the schools have become a “brain-washing” tool by the powers-that-be to indoctrinate and mislead the young generation of Malaysians about the true history of the country.

(Speech  at the Pakatan Rakyat Chinese New Year Open House in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday, 9th February 2014 at 11 am)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 February 2014, 5:12 pm and is filed under
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When will Paul Low follow Wathamoorthy and resign as Minister in Prime Minister’s Department as the Najib administration has evinced  no political will to fight grand corruption and gross abuses of powerful

P. Waythamoorthy is set to resign as Deputy Minister and senator tomorrow because the Najib administration has “committed a historic act of betrayal to the Indian community by not honouring the MOU” with Hindraf to resolve the chronic socio-economic problems afflicting the Indian community.

It would appear that Waythamoorthy and the Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) are the only ones in the country who do not know that Najib does not have the political will nor the courage to deliver on the promises in the MOU.

The question now is when Datuk Paul Low will follow in the footsteps of Waythamoorthy and resign as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as it is crystal clear except to Paul Low that Najib does not have the political will to fight grand corruption and gross abuses of power.

Paul Low had said that he would ensure that at least five of the country’s institutions must never be corrupt and that he would risk everything to keep that clean.

He also urged all Malaysians to rally behind him in the fight to keep the judiciary, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, National Audit Department, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) free of political control.

Paul Low is leading the people up the garden’s path as he is daily fighting a losing battle.

Only yesterday, all Malaysians were shocked by the most blatant usurpation of the powers of the police by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who made one of the craziest statements ever made by a Home Minister in the 56-year history of the nation, when he virtually issued a public fiat to all police officers not to investigate the scores of police reports lodged by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs, State Assembly members and leaders throughout the country against the slew of offences committed by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” who carried out a “bloody demonstration” of chicken slaughtering and smearing of chicken blood on a banner featuring DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders apart from offering RM1,200 to anyone who slaps woman DAP MP Teresa Kok.

If the Home Minister is not politically interfering with the police, I do not know what is corruption and abuses of power.

Let us not forget that corruption is misuse or abuse of public office for private gain and is not confined to monetary or pecuniary benefits, but includes political interference of police or judicial powers for partisan or personal gains, like Zahid’s interference with the police investigations on the crimes committed by the Council of Islamic NGOs.

As Paul Low has called on all Malaysians to rally behind him to keep the police free of political control, let him tell Malaysians what is he doing to prevent Zahid from interfering and usurpation of the powers of the police in this particular case?

Or does he accept that Zahid was within his powers as Home Minister to issue a public fiat to all police officers not to entertain and investigate the scores of police reports lodged by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs, SAs and leaders against the Council of Islamic NGOs for a slew of offences committed last Thursday?

Furthermore, can Paul Low explain why the Police and the Inspector-General of Police could apply double standards, as doing nothing whatsoever to stop the “Council of Islamic NGOs” from carrying out their provocative and incendiary demonstration although the Police knew of it beforehand, while acting very differently, even concocting “fairy tales” about a plot “to topple the elected government” with regard to the Dataran Merdeka gathering on New Year’s Eve to protest price hikes?

The integrity of the judiciary, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the MACC have come under increasing question, and Paul Low has not very much to show in his nine months as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department to enhance public confidence in the integrity of these three institutions.

Of the five institutions mentioned by Paul Low, only one – the National Audit Department, – has remained unscathed  by corrupt practices and abuses of power, yearly producing voluminous reports  of cases of extravagance, waste of public funds and abuses of power by various government ministries and agencies.

However, recently, the National Audit Department has come under increasing question – not about the integrity of the Auditor-General and the audit officers but their efficacy, efficiency and effectiveness as every year the Auditor-General’s Reports increase in thickness and number of cases when it should be the other round.

I do not know what Paul Low has to be proud of in Malaysia’s corruption ranking in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

So is Paul Low going to follow in the footsteps of Waythamoorthy as nobody is convinced that Najib has the political will to fight grand corruption and gross abuses of power by Ministers and their officers.

[Speech (2) at the Pakatan Rakyat Open House in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday, 9th February 2014 at 11 am]

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 February 2014, 6:53 pm and is filed under
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Cat out of the bag – MCA clearly behind the plot to mislead UMNO Ministers to spearhead  the vicious demonization campagn against Teresa Kok falsely accusing her video as being anti-Malay and anti-Islam

Now the cat is out of the bag.

MCA is clearly behind the plot to mislead UMNO Ministers to spearhead the vicious demonization campaign against DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok falsely accusing her video, “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” as being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and therefore deserving not only downright condemnation by all right-thinking Malaysians but also the fullest punishment whether under the laws of the land or the law of the jungle.

I have come to this conclusion after reading the Bernama report of  the statement  by the MCA deputy president, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong, at the Sabah MCA CNY dinner in Kota Kinabalu last night, where he advised Teresa to apologise for her video clip “for the good of Malaysians”.

Present at the Sabah MCA CNY dinner in Kota Kinabalu were the Sabah Yang diPertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Urban and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

What interested me was the presence of Apdal, the first UMNO/BN leader to open up the attack on Teresa on the video on the completely baseless grounds that the video “Onederful Malaysia” lampooned the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy.

When it was pointed out that the video contained no reference whatsoever to the security forces or the Lahad Datu tragedy, then one UMNO Minister after another joined the fray and accused Teresa’s video of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Who misled Apdal into opening the attack on Teresa’s video, when clearly Apdal could not have understood the Mandarin or Cantonese dialogue in the video, and who were responsible for misleading other UMNO Ministers and leaders, as well as Muslim NGOs into believing that Teresa’s video was anti-Malay and anti-Islam –  like the six NGOs which styled themselves the “Council for Islamic NGOs” which conducted the disgraceful blood-splattered “chicken slaughtering” demonstration last Thursday, committing a slew of offences such as sedition, criminal intimidation, incitement of another May 13 riots as well as incitement of violence against a woman MP when RM1,200 was publicly offered to anyone who slapped Teresa Kok?

I have right from the beginning suspected that  there were  “unseen hands” manipulating UMNO Ministers, leaders and so-called Islamic NGOs, to launch a vicious demonization campaign against Teresa on the ground that her video was anti-Malay and anti-Islam, for two reasons: (i) the allegations that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam were completely baseless; and (ii) the many UMNO Ministers, leaders and “Islamic NGOs” taking umbrage raises questions as the language in the dialogue in the video was in Cantonese and Mandarin.

I made a standing invitation more than a week ago to be “educated” as to how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and this invitation remains open and valid – for I really want to know how Teresa’s video could be described as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Teresa would be going against DAP principle and policy if she produces a video which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, as the DAP had always stood for a Malaysia for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

In fact, when the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin repudiated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signature 1Malaysia policy in early 2010 and declared that he was “Malay first, Malaysian second”, I proudly declared in Parliament that I was “Malaysian first, Chinese second”.

This basic principle remains unchanged and unshakeable – and as I have said many a time, DAP leaders, whether Members of Parliament or State Assembly members, must always regard themselves as “Malaysian first and race and religion second” – as we are first and foremost Malaysian patriots and not race champions!

In pursuit of this long-standing DAP principle and objective of being a party for all Malaysians, I have no doubt that Teresa Kok would have no hesitation in withdrawing and apologising for the “Onederful Malaysia” video if there are portions which are anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

But Teresa and DAP leaders have been waiting for someone to come out into the open to point out and substantiate the allegation that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, but no one has been able to do so in the past two weeks.

If Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, why is it so difficult for someone to point this out publicly?

This is in fact the best proof that while one can disagree with Teresa’s video – with some particularly in MCA and  Gerakan claiming that it is in bad taste to produce such a CNY video with stinging criticisms of the Barisan Nasional government in failing to resolve the people’s hardships and grievances arising from price hikes, fall in educational standards, high crime rates and rampant corruption in the country – it could not be faulted for being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I have always suspected that UMNO Ministers and leaders have been led by the nose and “poisoned” by Chinese leaders in MCA and  Gerakan as the Teresa video issue as they do not understand the dialogue which is in Mandarin and Cantonese, and misinformed  into believing that Teresa’s video was a most ferocious and aggressive attack on the Malays and Islam.

Wee’s statement at the Sabah MCA CNY dinner appears to be “the smoking gun” that it is the MCA who are the “unseen hands” misleading UMNO Ministers to spearhead the vicious demonization campaign against Teresa’s video on the completely false allegation that it is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Wee and  the top MCA leadership should cease and desist, and not be so unprincipled and unscrupulous as to  stoop so low to “poison” and mislead UMNO Ministers and leaders into believing that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam when there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in the video.

If Wee believes that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, then let him declare how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Otherwise, has Wee and the new MCA leaders including the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai got the courage, ethics and principle to declare publicly that there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in Teresa’s video and that UMNO Ministers and leaders have been completely misled.

It is public  knowledge that Wee and the top MCA leaders are only pre-occupied with one issue – how to get back to Cabinet and government after being out in the wilderness for nine months.

They should be more concerned about political principles and honour.

They should  ask the Prime Minister and Cabinet to repudiate and reprimand the Home Minister, Datuk Ser Zahid Hamidi for condoning and absolving the self-styled “Council for Islamic NGOs” in their slew of crimes, including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against woman, incitement of violence against a Member of Parliament, incitement of another May 13 riots, and declare that unless the Prime Minister and Cabinet repudiate and reprimand Zahid for his irresponsible stand that there was nothing for the police to investigate against “Council for Islamic NGOs” despite police reports lodged by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs and State Assembly members , there is no purpose of MCA returning to be Ministers and members of such a disreputable and dishonourable Government.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 10th February 2014)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 10 February 2014, 5:10 pm and is filed under
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Has Malaysia a Home Minister of “unsound mind” who could condone and absolve the criminal actions of people stoking racial tensions by declaring payment of RM1,200 to anyone who slaps woman MP Teresa Kok?

This morning the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said those stoking racial tensions by offering a reward for slapping DAP National Vice Chairperson and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok are people of “unsound mind”.

The more relevant and pertinent question is whether Malaysia has got a Home Minister of “unsound mind” who could condone and absolve the criminal actions of the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” in stoking racial tensions by declaring payment of RM1,200 to anyone who slaps woman MP Teresa Kok.

The 30-odd people from six Muslim groups involved in the “slap Teresa” demonstration and the chicken slaughter and smearing of chicken blood on a banner featuring DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders are “sick” but what is shocking is whether we have a Home Minister who is equally “sick” as to be capable of defending and championing the “sick” actions of the ‘Council of Islamic NGOs’.

Thanks to the  publicity given by the extremist NGOs and their sponsors in UMNO, Teresa’s video “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” has now  exceeded over 450,000 hits on YouTube.

The Minister of Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal was the first Cabinet Minister to demand action to be taken against Teresa alleging that her video ridiculed the security forces and the Lahad Datuk incursion tragedy.

However, when it was pointed out that Teresa’s video did not make any mention of the security forces or the Lahad Datu incident, Shafie had disappeared into the background.

The other two Cabinet Ministers and Umno leaders who have publicly attacked Teresa’s video are  the Home Minister Zahid and the Minister for Communications and Multimedia Datuk  Ahmad Shabery Cheek but none of them have been able to pinpoint or substantiate their allegation that the video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I made a standing invitation more than a week ago to be “educated” as to how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and this invitation remains open and valid – for I really want to know how Teresa’s video could be described as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I can state publicly that Teresa would be going against DAP  principle and policy if she produces a video which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, as the DAP had always stood for a Malaysia for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

In fact, when the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin repudiated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signature 1Malaysia policy in early 2010 and declared that he was “Malay first, Malaysian second”, I proudly declared  in Parliament that I was “Malaysian first, Chinese second”.

This basic principle remains unchanged and unshakeable – and as I have said many a time, DAP leaders, whether Members of Parliament or  State Assembly members, must always regard themselves as “Malaysian first and race and religion second” – as we are first and foremost Malaysian patriots and not race champions!

In pursuit of this long-standing DAP principle and objective of being a party for all Malaysians, Teresa Kok would have no hesitation in withdrawing and apologising for the “Onederful Malaysia” video if there are portions which are anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

But Teresa and DAP leaders have been waiting for someone to come out into the open to point out and substantiate the allegation that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, but no one has been able to do so in the past two weeks.

If Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, why is it so difficult for someone to point this out publicly?

This is in fact the best proof that while one can disagree with Teresa’s video – with some particularly in MCA, Gerakan and the BN component palrties,  claiming  that it is in bad taste to produce such a  CNY video with  stinging criticisms of the Barisan Nasional government in failing to resolve the people’s hardships and grievances arising from price hikes, fall in educational standards, high crime rates and rampant corruption in the country – it could not be faulted for being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I have always suspected that UMNO Ministers and leaders have been led by the nose and “poisoned” by Chinese leaders in MCA, Gerakan and other  Barisan Nasional component parties,  as they do not understand the dialogue which is in Mandarin and Cantonese, and misled  into believing that Teresa’s video was a most  ferocious and aggressive attack on the Malays and Islam.

I challenge  the top MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese leaders in other BN component parties to cease and desist, as they should not stoop so low as to  “poison” and mislead UMNO Ministers and leaders into believing that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam when there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in the video.

I call on the  top MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese leaders in the other BN component parties to come out of hiding, declare how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, or have the courage to declare publicly that there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in Teresa’s video and that UMNO Ministers and leaders  have been completely misled.

At present the top MCA leaders are only pre-occupied with one issue – how to get back to Cabinet and government after being out in the wilderness for nine months.

They should be more concerned about political principles and honour – and ask the Prime Minister and Cabinet to repudiate and reprimand Zahid for condoning and  absolving the self-styled “Council for Islamic NGOs” in their slew of crimes, including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against woman, incitement of violence against a Member of Parliament, incitement of another May 13 riots, and declare that unless the Prime Minister and Cabinet repudiate and reprimand Zahid for his irresponsible stand,  there is no purpose of MCA returning to be Ministers and members of such a disreputable and dishonourable Government.

(Speech at the Sandakan Chinese New Year Dinner in Sandakan on Sunday, 9th February 2014 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 10 February 2014, 6:37 am and is filed under
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11th Sarawak state general elections may be held any time after the present state assembly has completed three years on April 16, 2014

The Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is set to  step down by the end of this month, after almost 33 years at the helm of the state.

I will expect the new Sarawak Chief Minister, whether the PBB deputy president Abang Johari Openg, PBB senior vice president Awang Tengah Ali Hassan or PBB information chief Adenan Satem to opt for early state general elections to seek a new mandate from the Sarawak voters instead of heading the Sarawak state government for 12 to 18 months before holding new polls.

Opting for early state polls will give the new Sarawak Chief Minister the advantage of starting on a comparatively new slate, promising to heed the calls for change and improvements after almost 33 years of Taib Mahmud rule, which would not be available if the new Sarawak Chief Minister goes to polls after 12 or 18 months in office when he will have to campaign on his own record.

For this reason, the Sarawak DAP and Pakatan Rakyat must gird itself to be ready to face the 11th Sarawak state general elections any time after the present state assembly has completed three years after April 16, 2014.

I will not be surprised if the Sarawak state legislative assembly is dissolved after April 16, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 7:57 am and is filed under
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Cabinet meeting tomorrow must repudiate and reprimand Zahid and IGP  for failure in their  duties to uphold  the rule of law and embracing, instead,  the law of the jungle

I applaud the Malaysian Bar Council President Christopher Leong’s bold, righteous and forthright statement declaring that government inaction against a group of protestors that slaughtered chickens and smeared its blood on banners of politicians’ faces last week is tantamount to authorities ignoring threats to public order.

Leong said the incident, whereby banners featuring the faces of several DAP and PKR leaders’ were smeared with blood and propositions were made to the public to slap  Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was dangerous as it also made references to the May 13, 1969 racial riots.

The Bar Council said the actions carried out by the group, which dubbed itself Council of Islamic NGOs, can be viewed as an “incitement and a threat to public order”.

“It is wholly irresponsible of the authorities not to take immediate and firm action.”

This episode is in fact the blackest mark for the Najib administration as far as police professionalism and the upholding the rule of law is concerned – worse than the “fairy tale” concocted by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar about the “grenade-plot to topple the elected government” at Dataran Merdeka on 2014 New Year’s Eve because of a peaceful gathering to protest price hikes or the equally preposterous allegation by the government that the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28, 2012 was a coup attempt to overthrow the government using “salt” and “mineral water bottles”!

On the one hand, the police is calling up actress Lim Ching Miau who starred as “Mrs Jit” in Teresa Kok’s “Onederful Malaysia” video to give a police statement, but  on the other hand, the police are restrained and directed by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi not to investigate the scores of police reports by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs and State Assembly representatives against the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” which broke a slew of laws in their “bloody” demonstration last Thursday – including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman, incitement of violence against  Member of Parliament and incitement to cause another May 13 racial riots.

More right-thinking Malaysians, whether NGOs or NGIs (individuals) should speak up to deplore the double-standards and  failure of the Home Minister and the police to uphold the rule of law preferring, instead, to embrace the law of the jungle.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Cabinet meeting tomorrow cannot behave like the three monkeys of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouth that speak not.

I call on the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to speak up, loud and clear, on this issue, and the least they should do is for the Cabinet tomorrow to

repudiate and reprimand Zahid and police for their failure in discharing their duties to uphold the rule of law, preferring  instead to condone resort to  the law of the jungle.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet must issue a clear and specific directive to the Inspector-General of Police for the police to stop applying double standards and  to immediately investigate and prosecute the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” for a slew of offences committed in their “bloody” demonstrations last Thursday.

If the Prime Minister and the Cabinet are not prepared to repudiate and reprimand Zahid and the Khalid  for their  disgraceful abdication of responsibilities as Home Minister and IGP, and the police fail to carry out their duties to immediately investigate the criminal offences  by the “Council of Islamic NGOs”, this will become an urgent and  priority issue in the March meeting of Parliament where the Prime Minister and Home Minister will be required to explain their role in the most shameful episode in the history of the Malaysian police.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 1:01 pm and is filed under
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Call on all moderates in Malaysia, whether BN or PR, to unite and isolate extremists and traitors of the country who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration through  incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension

We are gathered here tonight on the 111th birth anniversary of Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, to discuss the legacy of the founder Prime Minister of the country.

Tunku had always wanted to be remembered as the “happiest Prime Minister” of a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia, but if he is alive today, he would probably be the saddest person in the country.

For the past nine months since the 13th general elections in May last year, the country has been afflicted by a quintuplet of national crisis the magnitude of which had never been experienced by the country in over half a decade of nationhood – nation building and national unity; economic as reflected in the unchecked rise in prices and the increasing hardships of the low-income groups; educational with the unchecked decline in educational standards;  security in terms of the safety of Malaysian citizens, investors and  visitors; and good governance particularly in the losing war against corruption.

Never before has the country been more polarised both racial and religious as in the past nine months – because of a combination of two factors, a rudderless and  directionless administration of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and a systematic and relentless campaign by an irresponsible and reckless group who are prepared to destabilise the country by ceaseless incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension to create the conditions for another May 13 racial riots.

I believe that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, whether in DAP, PKR or PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, or in Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the other component parties in Barisan Nasional,  do not want another May 13 riots in the country as they want, like Tunku Abdul Rahman,  love, peace, harmony and prosperity to prevail in Malaysia.

But all the moderates in Malaysia, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, must act to unite and isolate extremists and traitors of the country who want to foment racial chaos and religious conflagration through  the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension – or they will lose by default and  allow the irresponsible and reckless few to hijack the national agenda which can only lead to ruination and sent the country down the abyss of a failed state.

The best way to remember the legacy of Tunku Abdul Rahman whose Dream is a Malaysia of love, peace, harmony and prosperity for all, where there is no room for  extremists and traitors out to destroy the plural fabric of the Malaysian society, is for the birth of a civil society movement dedicated to the promotion of Tunku’s ideas of love, peace and harmony in our plural society and takes up the battle to expose and defeat the nefarious and treacherous plot to create racial chaos and religious conflagration to perpetuate the traitorous political objectives of the few.

May I suggest that Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan, who has relinquished her position as co-chair of Bersih 2.0, to lead this new civil society movement – a patriotic commitment to mobilise Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, to love and save Malaysia from the nefarious and treacherous machinations of those who want to keep Malaysians permanently  divided according the separate and segregated racial and religious silos in the country.

(Speech at the forum “Legacy of Tunku Abdul Rahman” at New Era College, Kajang on Monday, 10th February 2014 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 11:50 am and is filed under
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Is Najib and Cabinet really seriously about national reconciliation and national consensus rising above partisan differences to end national drift and loss of leadership and direction?

I have addressed three Open Letters to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Cabinet before three Cabinet meetings in January last month urging the end of national drift and loss of leadership and direction in the past nine months since the 13th  general elections last May.

I also appealed to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to accept the olive branch offered by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership “to love and save Malaysia” by preserving and promoting national unity, harmony and tolerance in the country and to ensure that no nefarious and treacherous plot to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration could succeed in Malaysia.

After the January 29 Cabinet meeting, Najib announced a Cabinet green light for a  Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat Leaders’ Summit on national reconciliation and national consensus, claiming that he had first  mooted the idea of national reconciliation after the  last general election but various parties were not responsive to his appeals to come together.

For the past six months, Pakatan Rakyat leaders have been urging for Barisan Nastional/Pakatan Rakyat talks on national reconciliation and national consensus in view of the unprecedented slew of major national crises faced by the country, including the quintuplet of national crisis covering nation building and national unity, economic, educational, security and anti-corruption. The PR leadership never proposed the idea of “national unity” government.

I do not think claiming credit for the first to moot national reconciliation talks will the country very far if there is no sincerity, commitment or political will to come to the roundtable to achieve  national reconciliation and national consensus.

I felt significant progress was made when Najib announced on Jan 29 that the Cabinet had given the “green light” for national reconciliation and national consensus talks with Pakatan Rakyat.

Najib had spoken of the “four thrusts to national reconciliation plan” namely social, political, government and international relations.

These “four thrusts” would serve as a useful proposal for a working agenda by a joint BN/PR Leaders’ Summit Secretariat which should have been formed to finalise the agenda and other details of the BN/PR Leaders’ Summit.

It is therefore most  shocking that two full weeks elapsed with  no follow-up action whatsoever to the Cabinet meeting of Jan. 29 which gave the greenlight for the BN/PR Leaders’ Summit on national reconciliation and national consensus.

Neither the Pakatan Rakyat nor any of its three component parties, PKR, PAS and DAP, received any official communication on the National Reconciliation and National Consensus talks.

I was most shocked when I found out the reasons for this procrastination.

Yesterday, the Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told The Malaysian Insider that “the much-publicised national reconciliation talks between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat will not be taking off anytime soon as Umno has still to get the green-light from its allies in BN”.

“We are going to have our first meeting and we need to engage the other parties in this effort as well” said  Tengku Adnan, adding that only Umno has so far agreed to the talks.

“We are BN, and we work on a consensus basis as a multi-racial party, so we need to include the rest in it.”

I find this the height of irresponsibility for two reasons.

Firstly,  Adnan had been appointed by the Cabinet to liaise with the Pakatan Rakyat on the proposed national reconciliation and national consensus talks.

Why is Adnan still dilly-dallying on the issue after two full weeks have passed.

Isn’t he aware of the urgency and priority of the bi-partisan national reconciliation and national consensus talks, especially as there are   irresponsible and reckless elements – though a minority – who are trying to up the ante to destabilise the country through incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflict and tension whether through demonstrations, provocative banners or  extremist utterances, including raising the spectre of another May 13 riots.

Secondly, is Adnan suggesting that there are BN component parties which opposed the proposed national reconciliation and national consensus talks with PR?

Why hasn’t the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council convened in the past two weeks to give full authorisation and mandate for the holding of a BN/PR Leaders’ Summit on national reconciliation and national consensus?

What is the stand of  MCA, Gerakan, MIC  and the Sabah and Sarawak component parties on the proposed  national reconciliation and national consensus talks with Pakatan Rakyat?

In fact, I want to specifically ask the new top MCA leadership of Datuk Seri Liow Liong Lai and Datuk Wee Ka Siong elected some two months ago why they are not in the forefront requisitioning an urgent meeting of the BN Supreme Council meeting?

Or are the new MCA leaders only  interested to get back to the Cabinet and government so as to be appointed Ministers or Deputy Ministers but totally unconcerned about the great burning national issues facing Malaysians?

Tengku Adnan said once BN coalition members agree to the talks, he will contact PR to fix a date.

When will the BN Supreme Council be meeting? And when will Adnan be contacting the PR?

The Cabinet, at its meeting, should review the non-progress in the national reconciliation and national consensus talks in the past fortnight, which has virtually reduced the whole subject into a national joke.

The question all Malaysians are entitled to ask is whether Najib and the Cabinet are really seriously about national reconciliation and national consensus rising above partisan differences to end national drift and loss of leadership and direction?

Let Najib and Cabinet furnish the answer to all Malaysians after the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 11th February 2014)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 4:31 pm and is filed under
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Malaysians must form ‘peaceful resistance’ against racial and religious strife, says Ambiga

by Eileen Ng

The Malaysian Insider

February 11, 2014

Malaysians must band together for a “peaceful resistance” against ongoing racial and religious strife facing the country, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (pic) said last night when recalling founding prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman’s legacy for Malaysia.

The former co-chair of electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 said those who want to fight racism and bigotry must unite and stand together with the oppressed. Malaysia’s political mercury spiked in the past few months with a church attacked with a firebomb over the Allah issue and threats against an opposition lawmaker over a satirical video clip.

“How do we stop groups who are bent on dividing us? When they speak the language of racism and bigotry, we must respond with the language of unity and togetherness.

“When they speak the language of ignorance, we must speak the language of knowledge. When they attack our brothers and sisters, we must defend them.

“We must respond from a position of knowledge if we see such ignorance. When they create fear, we must respond with courage, when they divide, we must unite.

“We must make this message loud and clear – the more you divide us, the more we will unite,” Ambiga said to applause from the audience at the Tunku Abdul Rahman legacy forum in Kajang.

The forum was organised to celebrate Tunku Abdul Rahman’s 111th birthday, which fell on February 8. He died in 1990.

The former Bar Council president and senior lawyer noted that extremist groups are trying to evoke a response with their actions but reminded Malaysians that they cannot afford to descend to the former’s level.

Instead, the people should respond positively by standing with the oppressed and to never give up hope.

“They better get the message we are not going anywhere. This is our country, my parents were here and they did their part for the country. We have to hand over to our children a country they can be proud of. We can’t allow anyone to tell us to get out,” she added.

In paying tribute to Royal Malaysian Air Force Major Zaidi Ahmad who is facing seven charges for filing a complaint on the indelible ink used in the 13th general election last year, Ambiga called on everyone to stand by him as he is a “courageous man” and a “Malaysian hero”.

“This man is being punished for speaking the truth and we must stand by him. We must at every opportunity express our support for him for daring to speak the truth,” she said.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who was one of the forum’s speakers, said it was time for moderates in the country to stand and draw the line against extremists who threaten the return of the May 13, 1969, racial riots.

In labelling such extremists as “traitors”, the veteran politician said no right thinking person who loved the country would want the return of the racial riots.

“We need Malaysians to come forward to take a stand and say, ‘you are traitors, we have no time for you’,” he said.

He stated that the majority of those in the country only wanted peace, harmony and progress instead of racial chaos or religious conflagration.

In a protest last week, an alliance of Muslim groups named “Council of Islamic NGOs” slaughtered two chickens and offered a RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as a sign of anger towards opposition leaders for allegedly insulting the country’s Malay leadership and Islam.

They also smeared the blood of the slaughtered chickens on a banner featuring pictures of Kok, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kit Siang and Machang Bubuk PKR assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.

The group’s focus was Kok and her Chinese New Year greeting video, “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014”.

Group leader Zulkifli Sharif had said that the slaughtering of chickens and smearing of blood ritual harks back to the “bloody” May 13, 1969, racial riots.

“It is symbolic of the bloody incident. This means we are sending a serious warning to Teresa Kok not to provoke and create something that threatens the peace and feelings of the Malays,” he had said.

A worried Kok and six others had lodged police reports over the threat and she had urged the police to take action against the group because it involved her safety. However, the threat was dismissed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

This latest episode was among a series of racially charged incidents in Malaysia.

Last month, Penang Umno members warned of another racial riot when protesting against PKR assemblyman Lee for organising a kangkung flash mob which featured an effigy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with its mouth stuffed with the vegetable.

Tension reached a new high when two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the compound of the Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar, Penang, in late January.

One of the bombs exploded while the other fell on the grass and failed to explode in the incident which occurred early in the morning.

Initial police investigation revealed two men on a motorcycle committed the crime.

The day before, a number of banners, which read “Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah”, were hung outside five churches in Penang – the Victory Lutheran Church, St John Britto Catholic Church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Church of the Assumption on the island and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Butterworth.

The churches have denied they put up the banners and have lodged police reports over the matter.

Ties between Muslims and Christians have been tense since 2009, after the Home Ministry banned the Catholic weekly Herald from using the word “Allah” in its Bahasa Malaysia section.

In 2010, several churches nationwide and a Catholic school were attacked at the height of the “Allah” controversy, following the High Court’s ruling which overturned the ministry’s ban on the use of the word “Allah” by the Herald.

The Metro Tabernacle church in Kuala Lumpur suffered the worst damage after arsonists torched its premises in Desa Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, leaving its ground floor destroyed.

The church subsequently moved to a new building in Batu Caves.

In August 2010, the Sessions Court found siblings Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim and Raja Muhammad Idzham Raja Ibrahim guilty of the arson attack. – February 11, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 7:32 am and is filed under
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Malaysia’s impotent, useless police force

The Malaysian Insider

February 11, 2014

Lord Bobo

Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered. Free Your Mind!

Lord Bobo, why is our police force so impotent and useless? Some thugs can get together and do the most vile and inciteful things towards Teresa Kok because of a silly satire video, and our police are nowhere to be seen. What’s going on? Do you think her video deserves this reaction? (Duit Kopi, via email.)

We’ll deal with the second question first – whether Teresa Kok’s video deserves the outrage some people have expressed towards it.

Lord Bobo is a fan of satire and comedy, and as you may have noticed, we are also strong advocates for freedom of expression. Satire, as a form of political protest, is naturally aimed to provoke and agitate. Teresa Kok has successfully done so and Lord Bobo congratulates her for achieving the intended result.

The Malaysian public may be unfamiliar with this, but the right to freedom of expression allows citizens to criticise politicians. Levelling criticisms against politicians is crucial in any healthy, liberal, democracy – what more when Malaysia the best democracy in the world.

Some people may not have enjoyed the video. Some people may have found it not at all entertaining or funny. That’s their right, of course. They also have the right to express what they think about the video.

However, that does not mean that Teresa Kok loses her right to make and distribute that video, or that the government or the police should step in to censor it or punish her.

It also most certainly does not mean that people should be allowed to incite violence against her by making death threats, spreading vile and untrue propaganda and images of her, throwing around deeply offensive and inciteful, racist remarks, and offering rewards for violent acts against her.

The infamous Papagomo has also been going to town online spreading all sorts of hate propaganda against Teresa Kok. His Twitter profile photo is currently an image of her superimposed with the snout of a pig. He has repeatedly made extremely racist remarks inciting violence against her, and tweeting photos of dead pigs and dead people and asking whether these could be Teresa Kok.

Papagomo’s actions surprise no one anymore. But the question is how come he gets away with it? Despite being a man of obviously questionable intelligence, Papagomo is obviously someone of unquestionable importance.

How did the organisers and participants of the demonstration against Teresa Kok get away with it? Organisers of rallies calling for free and fair elections get hauled up to the police station numerous times, and participants get sprayed with chemical water, boxed-in with tear gas, and then beaten up for good measure.

In the meantime, Papagomo and the like are left to roam undisturbed. And your home minister of course even infamously declared some of the biggest gangsters in KL as his “friends” though he later said he was misquoted.

The Home Minister now says that those offering rewards to slap Teresa Kok did not commit an offence – this statement flies in the face of logic and the law, which of course makes it par for the course for your home minister. If this is not lawlessness and sheer incompetence, His Supreme Eminenceness doesn’t know what is.

However, it would be wrong to say that the police are impotent and useless. Lord Bobo knows many people would be upset with that statement. “How dare you insult our hardworking and loyal police officers!” – They would wail, get their underthings in knots, accuse you of being ungrateful, and of course of being a traitor to the nation.

Yes, the police are neither impotent nor useless. Free your mind. They have proven their extreme potency and utility many times over in the most serious of cases.

They were very swift to act in the Alvivi scandal of great national importance. The case was opened, investigated, tried, and closed in as little time as it takes Alvin to spring into action.

When some people of incomprehensible moral fibre and ethics decided to step on images of the prime minister, who else but your brave men and women stepped in to locate the scumbags responsible. They were rounded up and even handcuffed – and this great threat to the fabric of your nation was immediately quelled.

More recently, when some irresponsible parties decided to organise flash mobs and make videos making fun of the “kangkung” episode, Malaysia was yet again put in grave danger. But all the way, your police were there, making statements, calling people in for questioning.

Yes dear Duit Kopi, cease your insolent remarks about the great Royal Malaysian Police Force. Be grateful, for goodness sake.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 11:03 am and is filed under
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