In memory of Teoh Beng Hock

By
Teoh El Sen

July 16, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

SERI KEMBANGAN: The cute little toddler played and ran about, bringing a tinge of a smile to the crowd of serious-looking adults around him.

Clad in an orange shirt, the 17-month-old Teoh Er Jia’s cheerful disposition bore a stark contrast to the tears of his family and the sombre mood of some 400 people who gathered to commemorate the anniversary of his father’s death.

Today, marked the second year of Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

Last night, a memorial function in his honour was held at the Seri Kembangan multipurpose hall, attended by Teoh’s former employer, Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah and other DAP leaders.

Throughout the event, Er Jia was the centre of attention as his mother Soh Cher Wei received praises and support from the people.

At one point, the boy was seen reaching out to a photograph of Teoh, which was put beside his grandparents Teoh Leng Hwee and Cheong Siew Hwa.

Er Jia looked delighted when he was presented with a huge plush toy, shaped in a character from popular iPhone game Angry Birds, and was grabbing at the toy when presented to him on stage by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

The toy supposedly represented the “angry” feelings of the people towards Teoh’s death.

Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching earlier read out a heart-wrenching letter during which Teoh’s family was seen wiping away tears as Teo “told” the deceased of the latest developments that had taken place since his death.

“Er Jia is now almost two-years-old. He is a very active child, and he looks like you. It’s been two long years since we have seen you…

“These days it’s been very difficult. You were really good at choosing a wife. Soh is very good. She doesn’t like to talk much and she always tells us she is alright, but it’s not so easy. It’s been very very painful. She is not in very good health, and Lee Lan (Teoh’s youngest sister) is always worried.

“She always tells me that if you were still here it would be good because Soh would have someone to rely on. I’m sure Soh also feels the same way,” she said.

She also said that Teoh’s brother Meng Kee was now married with a child, but “in our happiness for him, we were also sad. Why were you not here then?”

Teo added that the nation had changed much since his death.

“If you look down from heaven do you feel that Malaysia has become better or worse? Have

Malaysians come together or grown further apart from each other? I don’ know.”

Referring to last Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 rally, the MP said Teoh would have definitely been a part of it if he was still alive.

“I remember how we use to discuss about changing the country. Last Saturday, we fought through tear gas. I was the cowardly one. If you were still here, you would be among them. You would have been those brave ones who uses action, rather than words. You would have seen on that day on the faces of these Malaysians, the future of the country. Please continue to guard us from above.”

Teo also sang a song in tribute to Teoh and recited a poem while a group of actors wearing black lay down on the floor to form the word “TRUTH”.

Sister: We need closure

During her speech, Lee Lan asked why the government had still failed to help the family find closure even after two years.

“Teoh are you here with us today? We all miss you very much. Time passes, it has already been two years. It feels just like yesterday that I saw you happily holding Soh’s hand when you went with her to find a wedding dress. Everyone was so happy and were looking forward to your wedding,” she said amidst sobs.

“I want to tell you today. I want truth… please help us point to the murderer. Why did you die? We all know you have been wronged. We are waiting for some justice.

“Why is it so hard (to get to the truth)? Tell me what should I do? What have I not done?” she cried.

In a message to the family of the late Selangor customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, who also died while in MACC custody, Lee Lan said: “If you step out, I will accompany you. I will walk the entire nation with you to help fight for the truth. To tell everyone how unjust the government is. Join me as I hope I’m not alone here.”

She asked why the Royal Commission of Inquiry had yet to reveal its report. “Why do they tell us that they’re doing this for the rakyat, but all we’re hearing is just deafening silence?”

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 July 2011, 5:43 pm and is filed under
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Wear Yellow to support Bersih 1Malaysia generation coming of age

"Yellow Saturday" at DAP National Retreat in Seremban

DAP MPs and Assemblymen representatives meeting in the Seremban National Retreat are wearing yellow today to support the “Yellow Saturday” campaign.

We call on Malaysians to wear yellow every Saturday to support the Bersih 1Malaysia generation which came of age on 709, when Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region, age or gender braved police threats, mass arrests, tear gas and chemically-laced water cannons to endorse Bersih 2.0 demand for free and fair elections.

Let today, 716 be the beginning of the long march to A Clean Malaysia, not only in elections but also in political system and national governance.

Instead of waking up to reality that has grossly mishandled the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally, the Barisan Nasional government is compounding its mistakes, demonstrating a deepening denial complex every other day.

The Barisan  Nasional’s double phobia of Bersihphobia and xanthophobia (irrational fear of yellow) has escalated to a double madness – Bersihmania and xanthomania.

The latest symptom of such worsening craziness is the statement by the Deputy Finance Minister, Awang Adek that Bank Negara could freeze the Bersih accounts – which evoked the instant response from millions of Malaysians in their homes and workplace why the accounts of the corrupt in tune of tens, hundreds of millions and even billions of ringgit have not been frozen!

Every day, the Najib administration and Barisan Nasional government become a greater laughing stock, in the country and worldwide.

The latest is over the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s latest concession that there could be  15,000 people who came out peacefully in support of Bersih 2.0 rally, after the Inspector-General of Police had first said there were only 6,000 people and later contradicted by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that at most there were 10,000 people!

Something is very wrong with a government when the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police are at odds about figures, showing they cannot even count!

Najib should return reality and end the double madness of Bersihmania and xanthomania.

Is there any brave and courageous Cabinet Minister who dare to stand and speak up in Cabinet to end such double madness?

All Malaysians should wear Yellow every Saturday to support Bersih 1Malaysia generation coming of age and to demand a Clean Malaysia, starting with immediate release of PSM6, the end of BN double Bersih/Xanthomania, lifting the ban on Bersih and establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry on free, fair and clean elections.

* Media Conference Statement on DAP MPs/SAs wearing yellow at the DAP National Retreat in Seremban

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 July 2011, 2:39 pm and is filed under
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Yes Mr PM, it’s ‘all about politics’

By
Jeswan Kaur

July 16, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT
The dust on the crackdown by the Barisan Nasional government against a rally seeking to reform the electoral system will never settle.

In exactly a week since election watchdog Bersih 2.0 held its “Walk for Democracy” last Saturday, much dirt has surfaced, all pointing in the direction of the BN leadership under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Not only did Najib try his very best to play out Bersih 2.0 or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections comprising 62 non-governmental organisations, he unwittingly ended up making the biggest mistake in his mere two-years of premiership, when he pitted the police force against the rakyat.

Whilst the rally succeeded in bringing together 50,000 concerned and worried Malaysians, it also made history when 1,600 participants were arrested, the largest haul in a day in the history of this country.

As far as the premier goes, he is the least interested in what the July 9, 2011, rally has to teach.

Instead, Najib has worsened matters by spewing lies after lies, ending up only to make a fool of himself. He is doing all he can to wipe off the July 9 rude awakening.

In an interview with the CNN in London a few days back, Najib foolishly lied to the station anchor John Defteriors, saying that no undue force was used on the rally participants. As far as Najib is capable of deducing, the July 9 rally was “all about politics”.

“Because there is democracy in Malaysia. And we are committed towards electoral reform,” he unashamedly lied during the interview.

Democracy? Commitment and electoral reforms? One doubts whether Najib even understands the meaning of these words.

If there is democracy in Malaysia, then the 1,600 participants would not have been arrested. If democracy is alive here, Bersih 2.0 would not have been bullied and threatened. Yes, if democracy exists in Malaysia, the rakyat would have been able to engage in the “Walk for Democracy” peacefully, without any fear.

But none of the above happened. To Najib, democracy is a carrot he thinks he can dangle to the rakyat anytime he wants, all to fulfill his own hidden agendas.

Najib’s bag of lies

To further lie that no force was used on the participants has only confirmed Najib’s status as a leader who will go to any length to manipulate and mislead. There is ample evidence of the police brutality and yet the premier could in a poker face manner claim no undue force was exerted on the participants.

No wonder Malaysians seem to be suffering from the third class mentality, having long ago caught the “virus” from the so-called leaders whom they had entrusted with power.

Najib knows the truth behind July 9, 2011. But his conviction is simply to weak stand up for the truth. His claim that the rally which Najib labelled as a street protest was “all about politics” is one big dangerous lie.

The truth which begs defence is that it is Najib who turned the Bersih 2.0 walk into a political charade, deploying cops in thousands. The Najib administration’s threats to detain the Bersih 2.0 leaders under the draconian Internal Security Act, that was “all about politics”.

Detaining activists and Parti Sosialis Malaysia members like Dr Michael D Jeyakumar under the Emergency Ordinance, that is “all about politics”. Not allowing relatives to visit the ailing doctor at the National Heart Institute is nothing but cruelty at its best.

Depriving the people of their right to assemble peacefully was “all about politics”. Misusing the police force is “all about politics”. In short, Najib’s sabotaging the “Walk for Democracy” was “all about politics”.

Stop demonising Bersih 2.0

When the taxi drivers association conspired against Bersih 2.0 and condemned the rally, little did they realise their bluff was “all about politics”. There was no lack of passengers on July 9, as revealed by some of the taxi drivers.

One of the cabbies shared with FMT that he and other fellow taxi drivers were overwhelmed by the demand for taxis and were unable to cope with it.

“Too many people are hailing taxis today; I wish I could cope and earn lots of money,” the cabbie who wanted to be identified only as “Abang Din” said.

“But the police are spoiling it by closing roads into the city centre. So I can only pick up passengers going to locations that are not blocked.”

When FMT told “Abang Din” of the claims made by the Kuala Lumpur Taxi Drivers’ Association that business would suffer on July 9, he said the spokesperson at best represented a mere two or three taxi drivers who were either unnecessarily perturbed or were pro-Umno supporters.

The same went for restaurant owners who made good money on July 9, all thanks to “a lot of hungry people today (July 9), much more than the usual Saturday crowd”, said a restaurant owner.

Najib’s attempt to save face

When PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang publicly thanked Najib’s government for taking good care of the detainees by filling up their stomachs with a buffet meal, the former at best was perhaps just being thankful for not being made to starve.

The buffet meals bear no justification to the actions of the police against the rally supporters, turning violent against the rakyat, beating and kicking them and firing tear gas and drenching them with sprays of water cannons.

To save face, Najib thought free food would do the trick and win him the people’s support. Getting the police to feed the detained rally participants and offer them a ride back home, now, that is “all about politics”.

Najib was wrong by assuming that “a hungry person is an angry person” as despite being hungry and their throats parched, the “Walk for Democracy” supporters were very proud of themselves for having had the courage to support an issue long being abused by the BN government.

For Najib, the whack in confidence that both BN and Umno received from the rally participants still scares him. Scrambling to undertake any form of damage control, he quickly dispatched Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai to the Tung Shin Hospital in Jalan Pudu, which was one of the sites where the tear gas was fired into.

After a hurried pow-wow, Liow on July 11 informed the press no tear gas was ever shot into the hospital premise. He instead blamed the rally participants for “ambushing” the hospital.

Sadly, the hospital management nodded, like little good children who are easily pleased with candies. Tung Shin board chairman was adamant that no tear gas was fired into the hospital ground. Such ‘conspiracy’, premier Najib, was “all about politics”.

But then no lie can remain hidden for long. On July 13, a group of doctors denounced Liow’s press remarks. Some of these doctors were either working or visiting the hospital on July 9 when the tear gas was fired.

Embarrassed, Liow scrambled like Najib to save face, telling the press a committee had been set up by the ministry to determine the truth.

Bersih 2.0 has left its mark

The “Walk for Democracy” will never be forgotten. Be it the rakyat or the BN government, the rally has left its mark on both, telling them why the many years of abuse of the electoral system will be tolerated no more.

An election free from manipulation and corruption, that is the vision of Bersih 2.0. That vision which kicked off on July 9, saw tremendous support being given by Malaysians residing in foreign lands including Australia, America, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Cambodia.

The show of solidarity given by Malaysians not just back home but abroad has said it all, that the days of abuse and manipulation of the electoral system is numbered.

What remains to be seen now is how Najib reacts to the verdict delivered by the “Walk for Democracy”. His actions so far have been nothing but a let down.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 July 2011, 1:06 pm and is filed under
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A lie has robbed their freedom

By
P. Ramakrishnan

July 16, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 16 — A lie has robbed six Malaysians of their precious freedom. For three weeks they have been locked up and put away unfairly and unjustly.

Not a shred of evidence has been unearthed so far to justify their detention. Not an iota of proof has been disclosed to date to convince sceptical Malaysians that the action of the police has been honourable.

A lie that robs innocent Malaysians of their human rights discredits the police beyond repair. A lie that denies access to lawyers for the detained six denigrates the rule of law and disgraces the Barisan Nasional government for not observing the principles of decency, truth and honesty.

With this kind of unethical behaviour, with this kind of human rights violations, does Malaysia deserve to occupy a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council? This is a question that has to be asked by all justice-respecting Malaysians. This question has to be raised by the international community that voted in Malaysia for a place in the Human Rights Council. Please search your conscience and demand an answer.

With each passing day, the BN’s crime becomes unpardonable; with each passing day, it loses its credibility. No one believes that the government has done the right thing; no one believes that the government has done this in the interest of the nation. The common consensus among Malaysians is that the BN government has acted in a selfish manner to safeguard its self interest.

When it comes to the preservation of the BN’s hold on power, it throws caution to the winds, it sacrifices ethics and resorts to brute strength to hold on to power. Recently we witnessed how it conducted itself with regard to the Bersih “Walk for Democracy” rally, deploying the police to act harshly and cruelly.

Even the sanctity of the grounds of a hospital was not spared or respected. The welfare of the hospital patients was callously ignored when the police went after the protesters seeking refuge in the hospital grounds.

Back to Jeyakumar Devaraj and his five companions. First they were charged with “waging war against the King”. This charge within seven days collapsed as sheer nonsense and evaporated into thin air — but they were deprived of seven days of freedom in isolation.

Then, they were released but in a show of mockery to the rule of law, they were immediately arrested and detained under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 and whisked off to Bukit Aman, where they are being kept in solitary confinement.

The intense interrogation and the long hours of questioning have taken a toll on Jeyakumar. For a person with a heart ailment, it is dangerously causing him a lot of stress and torment. He has had to be hospitalised twice within the span of two weeks.

Third, in spite of the fact that he was first charged with treason and later with being a threat to the nation, he wasn’t investigated for this. What they were interested in was to find out about the Bersih rally and related information. This irrevocably confirms the lie that Kumar and his companions were neither traitors to the nation nor a threat to the country.

There are no moral grounds whatsoever to justify their continued detention. The BN’s saving grace would be to release them unconditionally and immediately. Our plea is, don’t perpetuate the lie. — aliran.com

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 11:41 am and is filed under
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Ambushed Like Animals, I Had to Walk-Crawl

By
June Rubis

14 July 2011 | LoyarBurok

We were so close that I could wipe the sweat off his forehead if I had wanted to. Instead, I stood uncertainly in front of him, not wanting to push forward.

His expression on his face mirrored mine: which was of fear. After exchanging a glance with me, he looked away and determinedly stared into space, while in locked arms with few of his blue-clad colleagues.

I saw more police milling around and they did not stop us from entering KL Sentral. There were many chances to arrest the BERSIH leaders as soon as they had stepped outside the hotel. But it seemed to me that the police had a different plan: they wanted to ambush them, and pick them off one by one.

There was no sense of danger because the police had so far let us go ahead. Sure, we all knew that eventually they would arrest the BERSIH and political leaders but we had no clue of how inhumane it was going to be.

When we found ourselves maneuvered into the tunnel, we started running as fast as we could.

Even if we had never imagined that we would be tear-gassed in the tunnel, there was that imminent danger.

I was in the middle of the crowd when I reached the end of the tunnel, relieved to be out of the ominous place. But by then, there was screaming because the FRU had started shooting tear gas straight towards at us. I saw it with my own eyes, the FRU was aiming directly at the people, and not over our heads.

The message was clear to me: to hurt and maim as many as possible, even though these were peaceful demonstrators, many of whom are respected political leaders of our country. It was only after that I had heard that Anwar Ibrahim and his bodyguard were badly hurt for being shot at, along with another PAS politician who was in front of the crowd.

I stood in shock and confusion, not knowing what to do. By then, I had to start running back into the tunnel because the crowd had panicked and turned back away from the shooting. I had feared that if I did not run back into the tunnel, I would have been trampled on.

And so I ran into the tunnel which was the worst mistake to make.

Pain. So much pain. In my eyes, skin, and worst, my lungs. I could not breathe, I slowed down into a walk-crawl.

I knew instinctively that I was not going to die in the tunnel but every sense in my body was screaming otherwise. The pain was so immense that I wanted to crawl into a ball and sob but I knew I had to keep moving, but where?

There was tear gas coming from the other side of the tunnel, and as I stood in confusion, trying to breathe, I saw a tear gas canister roll beside me. It had a blinking light on, and more gas was streaming from it.

I panicked and ran away from it like it was a bomb.

People were screaming and shoving themselves into a bus company booth. They were pushing each other towards the wall because there was confusion on where to run. Where could we go? Tear gas emanated at both ends.

I felt a strange sensation of drowning because I was so disoriented with pain that I had no idea where both ends of the tunnel were. The tunnel was in darkness with smoke from the tear gas. I could not speak and so tugged on anybody close by, as an appeal for help, please help me get out of here. I was shaken off, and ignored.

I have heard of so many heart-warming stories coming out of the rally but I have to say, I did not see the best of humanity in the tunnel. Everybody was out to save themselves but how could I blame them?

We were ambushed like animals.

For the grace of God, I managed to stumble towards the opening of the tunnel. Each step towards the end was a physical relief because I could breathe a little better as fresh air mixed with tear gas. But I was still in immense pain and shock.

There was screaming by the police waiting for us at the end of the tunnel, and there was one who screamed at me, “Kenapa berani pakai baju tu? Kenapa berani??”

Confused, I tottered away from the yelling, but was dragged back towards the wall where I was told to stay put.

Ambiga and Maria Chin were already arrested and it took six men to pin down Ambiga’s bodyguard to the wall. I did not see him struggle, and was confused of the excessive violence towards him.

Ambiga, even after the tunnel tear gas attack, had so much presence of mind, to speak kindly and gracefully to the police to let up on her bodyguard, and to tell him how much she appreciated that he took such good care of her. He was the best of humanity in the tunnel that day, to put Ambiga’s safety over his, and to ensure she got out safely.

Another young man who was caught, was punched and kicked while trapped against the wall.

There was kindness only after, and I have to thank the employees of the bus company who kept giving us water.

I cannot tell you how incredibly impressed I am of Ambiga and Maria Chin who have shown so much strength and leadership throughout the day. I tell you this with much honesty, because I had spent the entire morning with them and saw how focused and strong they were.

Their thoughts were always of the people on ground zero, and of their safety. Their thoughts were of the rakyat.

Yes, Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, and Pak Haji were present in that Hilton room but they only came much later when everything else was decided upon. I saw clearly how the leadership of BERSIH 2.0 came from Ambiga, Maria Chin and the steering committee, and no one else.

Believe what you may about Pakatan Rakyat using BERSIH 2.0 – I would think it was the other way around, and by the rakyat.

And this is what we have to remember: for those of us who mobilised on that day, we now understand how important it is to come in solidarity, and to stand for something we believed in, even though we were so scared.

We saw that despite our fear, that our government of the day is more afraid of us than we of them hence the “worst campaign of oppression in many decades” as termed by Amnesty International.

We saw that as one person we can make a huge difference, especially when we come to stand together, and say, this is not right.

Can we now translate that into ensuring free and fair elections? As BERSIH 2.0 continues the push for electoral reform, can we not make our own individual choices by registering to vote, ensuring our friends and family are registered to vote, and to report any unfair discrepancies come next General Election?

Remember, it does not stop there, and we can continue to make our voices heard.

They may treat us like animals but we have shown them on that fine day, that we are not. I am so proud of my fellow Malaysians who came in the thousands, held peaceful assemblies throughout KL and looked out for each other.

Stand strong, and stay firm, Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 11:34 am and is filed under
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Can the police investigate itself?

By
The Malaysian Insider

July 16, 2011

JULY 16 — Just a week ago, the police took a no-nonsense approach in locking up the city and chasing Bersih 2.0 supporters from gathering and making their way to Stadium Merdeka for a rally calling for free and fair elections.

It resulted in one death, ostensibly from a heart attack, and a hospital clouded in teargas and drenched by water cannons fired by riot police.

The death and the incident at the Tung Shin Hospital are contentious. Putrajaya has ordered a series of probes, one by the Health Ministry and three by the police.

The question is simple. Can the police investigate themselves? And what is the high-level Health Ministry committee investigating?

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government already suffers from a trust deficit, with ever fewer putting their faith in it — especially after its waffling and later reneging on the offer of a stadium for the Bersih rally.

Does it need to further shoot itself in the foot by allowing the police to probe their own actions? Can the Health Ministry panel do a better job than a dedicated team of investigators?

Who can trust the police to do a good job when they were protagonists on July 9, throwing a security cordon around the city and arresting more than 1,600 that day? In contrast, fewer than 50 were arrested in Bersih 1.0 on November 10, 2007.

Who can trust the police when they said they did not tear-gas or use water cannon at the Tung Shin hospital when there are enough eyewitnesses and documentary proof of the incident taking place?

Who can trust the police when there are claims that they ignored the late Baharuddin Ahmad’s pleas to be sent to hospital after he collapsed when arrested in KLCC?

Perhaps the government should trot out its Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (Siap) to probe the complaints against the police. The recently-constituted body is a diluted version of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) recommended by a royal panel but ignored by Putrajaya.

There are many options other than getting the police to probe the possible wrongdoings of their colleagues. That is just not done.

And should not be done, as the people want a transparent investigation — not one conducted by those being probed themselves.

The Bersih supporters rallied for clean and fair elections. The least that can be done is to ensure investigations into incidents from that rally are also done the same way and not raise any suspicions.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 12:02 pm and is filed under
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Good cop, bad cop

By
June Rubis

July 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 17 — A few days ago, I had a conversation with a taxi driver who was excited about July 9th. While he had supported the rally, and could list out the points for free and fair elections, he was too scared to attend because of the heavy police presence.

He told me of a Vietnamese passenger he had that day, who was curious about the many roadblocks around the city.

“I explained to him about the rally, and how the police were there to stop the people from entering the city.”

The Vietnamese was so surprised at his explanation, he told me.

“He said that it should be the other way around. That the police should be impartial, be there to protect the people, and let them rally for a few hours. He told me Malaysia is not a democracy. It’s true, isn’t it? Malaysia isn’t a democracy?”

I have but mixed feelings about the police and FRU behaviour on that day myself.

In my opinion, the tear gas attack in the KL Sentral tunnel was heavy-handed and extremely dangerous. [See my first-hand account of what happened in the tunnel on
LoyarBurok
: While there were some injuries (Anwar Ibrahim was among those who was hurt when shot at with a tear gas canister), there were thankfully no other casualties in the tunnel that day.

However, it could have been a different story. We cannot forget how Baharuddin Ahmad had paid for his rally participation with his life. Currently there are accusations that the police had withheld immediate treatment for Baharuddin.

I ask this: is tear gas or chemical water the wisest way to disperse groups of peaceful, and unarmed rally participants? Especially when they have nowhere else to run but into a confined space?

It was cruel and unnecessary, especially since the FRU were apparently ordered to fire tear gas canisters directly towards the people. What I saw that day, seems to confirm this accusation.

Then there are accusations of police brutality towards men who were suffering from the effects of tear gas. Don’t just take my word for it, take a look at the many videos documenting such attacks. In my opinion, it is not very brave to tackle people who are already partly incapacitated.

And yet, when the dust was settled, and the police had captured the people that they wanted to capture, we were treated with kindness and decency.

The police kept offering us water, and food. All acts of intimidation were dropped — and why not? We were already caught like lambs to the slaughter.

One officer told me, “Saya hanya ikut arahan.”

“Ya, saya faham tapi polis juga harus adil dan tidak ikut arahan membuta-tuli.”

I wanted to explain more but felt tired and confused.

While I have some sympathy for the police who felt that they were just doing their jobs, I feel that they, and the rest of us, have to take personal responsibility for their own actions.

We do have a choice to take the extra step, whether to withhold treatment for a dying man, or to punch someone who is already gasping for air and on the ground.

We have a choice to be humane, and yet still do our job.

I hope for the day where the rakyat can fully trust the Malaysian police in being treated with fairness and decency. I hope for the day that when I, along with thousands of fellow countrymen, who decide once again to assemble peacefully as per our Constitutional right, will be protected by the police, instead of being harassed, shot at with tear gas, and chased down. I hope for the day where I see the Malaysian police as my protector, instead of my oppressor.

In the meantime, I will wear yellow every Saturday, in support for the on-going call for electoral reforms in my country.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 11:37 am and is filed under
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Kedah drops Ramadan bar closure plan

By
Hazland Zakaria

Jul 17, 11 | MalaysiaKini

The PAS-led Kedah government has dropped plans to enforce a 1997 state enactment that requires bars, discos and karaoke clubs to close during the coming Ramadhan, a state official told AFP today.

The northern state decided in May to enforce closure of all entertainment outlets during the holy month, as stipulated in the state law passed by the previous BN-led administration.

However, the plan drew criticism from entertainment outlet operators, as well as other Pakatan Rakyat components who feared that a blanket ban would alienate non-Muslim voters.

The most vocal has been from DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, who yesterday pressed for the ban be revoked.

Outlet operators have also warned that the ban may cause over 6,000 industry workers to get the axe.

The state official told AFP further that the controversy had been resolved after Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak met entertainment premise operators yesterday, and agreed to allow them to operate as long as they ensure no Muslims enter their premises during the fasting month.

“For Muslims, we have to make special allowances because nowadays too many youngsters are involved in hedonism… The state doesn’t want that,” he said, adding, “Entertainment during Ramadhan is only for non-Muslims.”

Ban not enforced

Meanwhile at a press conference in Ampang today, Azizan’s political secretary Mohd Sanusi Md Nor told reporters that the state has agreed not to enforce the shut down.

This, he said, was after entertainment operators voluntarily agreed to subject their licenses to being revoked should Muslims be found on their premises during Ramadhan.

Mohd Sanusi stressed that it would be up to the police and local governments to enforce this in the nearly 300 bars, discotheques, karaoke lounges and other clubs in the state, and not the state religious authorities.

He added that the actual number of affected businesses may be lower than quoted.

This is because in Kedah, bowling alleys and snooker centres are no longer classified as entertainment outlets, but as sports centres that will not be affected.

In the past spats between PAS and coalition partner DAP over pig rearing and alcohol bans – sensitive issues in Islam – have surfaced, threatening to derail Pakatan and its chances to unseat the BN, that has ruled the country for more than 50 years.

‘Unnecessary fire-fighting’

In an immediate reaction, political analyst and legal expert Abdul Aziz Bari chided PAS for its handling of the matter.

He pointed out that within a short period Kedah has had two to tackle two unnecessary fire fighting incidents: first the clampdown on student demonstrators at state college KUIN and now the Ramadhan ban against entertainment outlets.

“True they can argue on the technicalities such as the fact that the ban was just the putting into effect a provision from a law passed by the BN (and at the time with MCA and Gerakan’s support).

“However they missed the more important point; that Pakatan-led governments should be different from BN, particularly the top-bottom approach,” said the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer (left).

Abdul Aziz also doubted whether PAS had consulted its Pakatan partners on the matter, especially at the national level.

“What Kedah did may be good for the party in the state; especially their bid to stem Umno’s comeback.

“However, such moves may not be good for PAS – and Pakatan’s chances – in other states. It may also affect the party’s stature at the national level,” he said.

Abdul Aziz warned that as of now the Islamic party’s achievement on the issue of good governance, for example, has yet to match that of DAP.

He believe that such matters should have been given more attention prior to the hubbub that has played out in Kedah the past few days.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 5:04 pm and is filed under
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Kedah entertainment ban limited to Muslims, says Hadi

By
Syed Mu’az Syed Putra

July 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

AMPANG, July 17 — Kedah has revoked the outright ban on entertainment outlets during Ramadan and will instead bar only Muslims from patronising such establishments, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said today.

Hadi blamed the mainstream media’s inaccurate reports for causing confusion and sparking discontent among non-Muslims.

“The BN media is exploiting this issue. So only non-Muslims can enter (the entertainment outlets), but Muslims will not be allowed to enter,” Hadi told reporters here today.

He said the Kedah state government under Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak was merely enforcing laws enacted by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

Hadi said PR was now “fixing” such laws to protect the rights of non-Muslims.

According to him, Azizan’s political secretary, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, told the PAS national leadership at a meeting today that the state government will revoke the licenses of entertainment outlets visited by Muslims during Ramadan.

Sanusi had insisted yesterday that the ruling would remain, saying the state government was just enforcing a 1997 law.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang had urged Kedah to withdraw the ban on 13 types of entertainment outlets from operating in the state during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

MCA had accused the Islamist party of violating human rights with the ban, which covered businesses such as karaoke centres and discos, as well as live performances in easily accessible locations such as bars, hotels and restaurants.

Only cybercafés, bowling alleys and snooker centres were exempted from the ruling.

Hadi pointed out today that the laws under BN allowed the opening of entertainment outlets, and did not prohibit Muslims from patronising them.

The Marang MP stressed that PAS was not bowing to pressure from other parties.

Sanusi also said entertainment outlet operators had promised not to allow Muslims to enter their premises during Ramadan.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 4:34 pm and is filed under
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Let’s expose the ministers

—
Spyman

The Malaysian Insider

Jul 17, 2011

JULY 17 — Enough is enough lah. Even after seeing the rakyat shout for change, the ministers continue to insult us and treat us like kids.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak tries to sound brave in London and challenges Pakatan Rakyat to a fight in the next elections. Hello, the polls will be rigged and election fraud will be widespread. That is why there was Bersih 2.0: to have clean and fair elections.

And now we have Ahmad Shabery Chik saying that Opposition will use Bersih as an excuse for poor performance in the coming polls. Here is where his reasoning shows him up: if BN is so confident of winning the polls, why are they so resistant to clean and fair elections?

Because they know they can only win when there is election fraud. But judging by the statements of all the ministers, it is clear that the government will not push for any change. They don’t want to move out of their comfort zone.

Therefore it must be the rakyat who make them move out of the comfort zone. This can be done by exposing the corruption and abuse of power in ministeries, or by the ministers themselves or their family members.

Everyone knows that all the ministers are living beyond their means. So how about exposing it. For a start, can someone tell me why there is no official probe on the RM24 million ring which was imported into Malaysia for the wife of a cabinet minister?

Or about the son-in-law of a senior minister whose company has the biometric contract for the Causeway and to check illegals during this amnesty period.

I am sure the list will make every minister squirm. Who owns what and where?

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 7:49 pm and is filed under
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Negara kita

 —
Michelle Chan

The Malaysian Insider

Jul 17, 2011

JULY 17 — At the not-actually-ripe-yet age of 20, I may have not experienced first-hand or seen with my own eyes how bad WWII or May 13 were, but I recognise the face of right and wrong.

Being politically inclined since school days, it was not easy to stay passionate about this Bolehland. There is too much contradiction and ignorance or even denial from the previous generations and also my own.

Raised in a middle-income family, my parents work hard to make sure I grow up to have the good things in life — a good education, leading to a good job, marriage, kids, life. The whole point of these ideals is about progressing towards betterment. No? Development is about achieving the better things in life, right?

Leading up to the Bersih rally, I thought thoroughly about the validity of this event. The objective: clean and fair elections. I sure hope that when I’m eligible to vote, my vote really counts.

I was unsure because I did not want to side any political party in this chaos, but I believe in democracy, I believe in choices; I believe in Bersih.

When I told my parents that I was going to rally for Bersih, they were already plotting how to roadblock me at home on that very morning. The same parents who taught me to stand up for what I believe in were going to stop me from… standing up for what I believe in? Are you freaking kidding me?

I thought a lot that night. I understand perfectly what they are worrying about. For many decades, the ruling government was so comfortable with censoring what’s not politically-friendly to them (ISA, Printing Presses & Publications Act, et cetera). My parents’ generation was raised by the authorities to be afraid of authority — “expressing opinions” is futile. My parents are worried only because they know what corrupted governance is in place.

The Bersih rally had a 50,000 turnout and for me, it was a time for Malaysians to stand up for what we believe in — that is clean and fair elections. Merdeka Day pun tak seramai! I believe we are preparing for another stage of merdeka; one that leads us to real democracy.

July 9 2011, this historic day, will forever be etched in my heart. My mentor, also one of Bersih’s steering committee, Wong Chin Huat led the crowd to sing Negaraku — that was the highlight of my day. I have never sung the national anthem so wholeheartedly. It was like the first time I was introduced to the song but I knew the lyrics already. And I meant every word this time. “rakyat hidup, bersama dan maju”

I cried so hard.

No introduction needed for the injustice and brutality, you can see it for yourself on Twitter or Facebook.

The aftermath of the rally was an eye-opener of the ruling government. The lies and mocking was hurtful and respect was nowhere to be seen.

Even bystanders, who were ignorant or reluctant to be involved, cannot goyang kaki only any more. People will stand firmly to make their choice to progress towards betterment. My parents’ generation will not need to be afraid of being right anymore. Malaysia has lot of hope, I promise you. I saw it myself!

I am often told not to discuss political matters because “I’m too young” for it. But exercising democratic rights in my own country should not be an age matter. It is either right or wrong.

I can’t vote yet but I hope all those who are eligible will.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 7:40 pm and is filed under
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On toothless tigers

By
Hafidz Baharom

July 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 17 — Barisan Nasional has proven to this nation and its citizenry time and again, if not just rather blatantly in the recent days through their denials and openly disproven lies, that it is arrogant, relentlessly hostile and even, and you may quote me on this, downright stupid.

Let’s begin by stating the obvious for those who read my piece on LoyarBurok. Yes, I did join the Bersih 2.0 rally, wearing pink. Unfortunately I didn’t brandish a gigantic yellow umbrella as promised, so for that I apologise.

That aside, the experience was an eye-opener on two levels. One was very obviously the crackdown by the police force and the government. Second was the charity and compassion of those who took part in the Bersih 2.0 rally themselves.

For the first point, I wish to submit a request to our government. If you truly want to lie to the public and control the spin of what really happened during the Bersih 2.0 rally, then I suggest you take out the national 50 per cent broadband penetration agenda from your agenda for Malaysia.

Because, dear members of my government who I did not vote for, increasing Internet access, and being a stupid liar while there are videos and photos emblazoned all over cyberspace to prove that you are in fact a stupid liar is like having you coming to my doorstep, pissing on my foot and telling me to vote for you.

As for the second point, it was on this day that I truly saw charity, unity and compassion at its best. True, people were screaming political slogans and even religious doctrine as well, but it didn’t matter.

Those who didn’t adhere to either religious or even political views kept chanting slogans in line with Bersih. This was also the day where mineral water, isotonic beverages and salt were shared among the people, regardless of race or religion.

Barisan Nasional used to be the party of unity for all races, with each single component party taking care of their own groups based on the racial divide. This all took place historically during an era where there was racial segregation of every single aspect of life within the nation, from economic to housing. It was the way the British worked, and the establishment of all these parties — Umno, MCA and MIC — were to look out for the interests of their specific racial communities.

Sincerely speaking, after some 50 odd years, Malaysians have moved past that. Unfortunately, for some odd reason, Umno has not. And MCA, once a conservative Chinese lobby group for the economic interests of the Chinese which evolved to support the rights of the Chinese people in the nation, is nothing more than a shadow of its true self. And as for the MIC, they’ve become irrelevant.

I was truly surprised to hear that the MCA did not come out to condemn the tear gas bombing and water cannon spraying of two truly Chinese medical institutions, Tung Shin Hospital and also the Chinese Maternity Hospital. That in itself just shows how the MCA, once speaking out for the Chinese community, has become a toothless tiger.

As a closing, I have two questions for our prime minister.

Umno hosted a gathering of 6,000 members after Bersih 2.0 as a show of force. In fact, in his speech, the party president and our prime minister stated that Umno can gather 6,000 people in under a day, and, with three million members, can “conquer” Kuala Lumpur at any given time.

So, my first question would be; in 2008, where were these three million members when you lost all but one seat in Kuala Lumpur?

And secondly, if you truly preach 1 Malaysia, why weren’t MCA and MIC invited to this event at PWTC?

After all, Bersih 2.0 was a gathering of people from every state, religion, race and political identity. That being said, it is my humble opinion that Bersih 2.0 has proven the prime minister to be one of the worst leaders since Bush 2.0.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 11:45 am and is filed under
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Planking or ‘pok kai’ in Hong Kong

By
Anita Anandarajah

July 17, 2011

JULY 17 — So it seems planking has caught on in Hong Kong. Making like a plank of wood, practitioners like to shock their audiences by remaining utterly stiff and horizontal in the most inappropriate places.

The Planking Hong Kong Facebook page has chalked up 156 likes, a long way off from Planking Australia which has received 175,271 likes where the craze has taken its strongest hold.

What is said to have originated in North East England in 1997 involves lying face down with arms by the side, touching the body. A photograph of the participant must then be posted on the Internet as part of the game.

The Cantonese expression for planking is “pok kai” (literally meaning “falling on the street”), commonly used as a curse — “may you drop dead.”

My favourite column in the weekly HK Magazine, Street Talk, featured one such planker (sounds rude, doesn’t it?) who takes great pride in stunning people by lying face down on a busy road in Central.

It came as no surprise that among the FAQs the planker receives are “Isn’t it dirty to plank on the floor?” and “Are you really touching your face to the ground?” This is after all germaphobia central. It surprises me that none of the photos posted on the Planking — Hong Kong Facebook page features any face masks. But I’d be willing to bet there will be a bottle of alcohol gel or wet wipes tucked in the bag.

While most of us may be quick to judge the game as a waste of time, allow me to highlight some of the skill required: Daring — it takes a pretty thick hide to throw yourself to the ground and lay still in a busy place. There is the risk of being trampled, robbed or insulted. I prefer my behind to be shoe-print-free. Abs of steel – there was the guy who planked atop a street light. I haven’t been able to find my abdominal muscles in over 10 years. Ok, maybe more. Could not perform sit-ups even in primary school. The ability to ignore the smaller details — when lying face down for a period of time, one tends to notice things we would otherwise prefer to ignore. Like the smell of pee emanating from the wall nearby or the cockroach creeping closer. Agility — plankers have been known to scale lamp posts, police vans and roof tops. All those muscles working together just to stay still. And then the same muscles would likely have to work very quickly again when the authorities close in.

For the reasons above, I dare say planking could be a sport even. This is definitely one game/sport I’d like to play with my son on a lazy afternoon. For five minutes. Except that I’ll do it on my back. No photography necessary.

Now where in this uber-busy city would be a good spot to plank? The busier the better, right? So the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, Times Square and in front of the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay, Mongkok and Yau Ma Tei. All are places I avoid on weekends.

While searching for information on the “sport” in Hong Kong, I noticed there really isn’t much out there, not in English anyway. The Planking — Hong Kong FB page caught my interest because of the photographs posted — several featured familiar sights around the city, including a grainy image of a male planking on top of a stationary 103 mini bus to Clearwater Bay. That one is a keeper.

Planking has garnered its share of negative publicity for dangerous stunts. Tragically, a 20-year-old Australian man plunged seven floors to his death in May while planking on a balcony. As a result, planking sites now feature reminders to be safe. With residential apartment blocks towering at 40-plus storeys, planking could become a dangerous past-time here.

Planking is not necessarily a solo “sport.” Since attention-seeking is the name of the game, it makes sense that group planking is catching on. One of the more interesting group plank locations took place at sky100, the highest observation deck in Hong Kong on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre or 393m above sea level.

Planking has done its part to spread social messages. A pair of Taiwanese females who call themselves Pu Jie (Falling on the street) Girls have used planking to promote causes that have included planking with stray dogs to draw attention to the plight of the animals as well as promoting tourism in Taiwan.

The game has taken on political tones too with Malaysia’s own Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa lying horizontal on top of a red plastic stool in front of the TNB office in Muar to protest the hike in electricity tariffs back in June.

Readers condemned him for his method of protest but I give him props for a safe and peaceful protest, not to mention being bang on trend. What next? Planking for Bersih 3.0?

Check out Papan Malaysia, Planking Malaysia (Official Unites) and Planking Extreme Malaysia on Facebook to view photos of both young and old planking to promote tourism (five foot way in front of Pertama Complex, trishaw in Malacca, Temerloh highway). Yes, there are some dodgy takes that give new meaning to sleeping on the job but generally all seem to be in good fun. Most importantly, Papan Malaysia reminds to keep it safe. Selamat papan (memapan)! plank

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 12:40 pm and is filed under
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Press statement for the immediate release of Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj

The Malaysian Insider

Jul 17, 2011

17 JULY — We, the undersigned doctors, including members of the Malaysian Medical Association (Perak Branch), and/or the Perak Medical Practitioners Society

1. are very concerned and troubled over the prolonged ‘illegal’ detention of our colleague Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj.

2. are concerned for Dr Jeyakumar’s health, which seems to be deteriorating under detention.

3. are deeply saddened, hurt and disillusioned by the action of the Judiciary (which is supposed to be to be independent) which on 13/07/2011 delayed the hearing date of habeas corpus application of Dr Jeyakumar and five others by a month.

We urge the immediate release of our colleague, who is also the Member of Parliament Sungai Siput, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj.

Dr Jeyakumar and five other Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) members were ‘illegally’ detained under the Emergency Ordinance recently. They have been placed in a cruel and unjust situation. They were first accused of waging war against the King and now of being a threat to national security, allegedly trying to revive communist ideology. They are subjected to interrogation and solitary confinement, denied proper visitation rights with their lawyers and close family members. This is of course unacceptable in a civil and democratic society.

We say that the detention is ‘illegal’ because till today, there is no solid and substantiated basis for the continued detention of Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj and five of his PSM colleagues.

We scarcely need reminding that Article 5 (1) of our Federal Constitution says no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with the law.

Malaysia sits on the Human Rights Council. The Malaysian government must do justice to its position on this council by according and recognising the human rights of Dr. Jeyakumar and his team who are under ‘illegal’ detention. The least that the Malaysian government can do is to live up to the ideals of Human Rights Council ─ and not violate the very rights that the government has been charged to defend steadfastly.

In view of this obligation, it will be totally unjustified to continue the ‘illegal’ detention of Dr Jeyakumar and his team without giving them a fair trial in court. The Government should do justice to its position on this Council and convince Malaysians that there is no malice on their part. Denying Dr Jeyakumar and his team the right to defend themselves is denying them justice.

Therefore, we urge the Government, especially the home minister, to release Dr. Jeyakumar and his team immediately.

It is pertinent to emphasise that we are strictly apolitical and are acting as colleagues of Dr Jeayakumar, who is also an active and much respected member of the MMA, whose family is much respected for the outstanding social work it does. Dr Jeyakumar family has contributed enormously towards the development of the healthcare services in our country.

The Government has rightly spoken much about transformation and change, and this is something every loyal citizen endorses. But what appear to be the deployment of Cold War tactics by resurrecting the “communist” and “foreign” bogeyman on political rivals in these days only serves to dissuade the public that the government is earnest in its efforts to bring about civil changes that would be in line with first world societies.

Those who know Dr Jeyakumar personally will readily vouch for his integrity, his passion for the poor and his principled, patient and peaceful approach. He is neither a communist nor a violent man who could be a serious threat to the country. For the record, Dr Jeyakumar is a highly dedicated physician who has had excellent service record while he was working in the Ministry of Health and a tireless social advocate and activist who has worked throughout his life to help and protect the rights of the poor, the marginalised and the forgotten communities in the society. All those who know Dr. Jeyakumar speak highly of his work and commitment to the people. How could someone with such immaculate professional standing and exemplary be an enemy to the country! The home minister must make every effort to secure the immediate release of Dr Jeyakumar and do justice to both his ministerial duties and to Dr Jeyakumar.

Undersigned,

1. Dr N Prasad                                Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

2. Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar           Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

3. Dr Ko Chung Sen                         Consultant CardioThoracic Surgeon

4. Dr T. Vesvanathan                        Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

5. Dr Loh Choong Sing                Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

6. Dr Wong Choon Heng            Consultant Gastroenterologist

7. Dr Foo Chang Ling                Consultant Surgeon

8. Dr Goh Guan Chai                Consultant Surgeon

9. Dr Goh Phaik Kee                Consultant Anaesthetist

10. Dr Lee Mun Toong                Consultant Ophthalmologist

11. Dr Leong Chin Leng            Consultant Otho Surgeon

12. Dr Ting Cheh Sing                Consultant General Surgeon

13. Dr Chin Yow Wen                Respiratory Physician

14. Dr Dev Teo Chin Nee            Consultant Geriatrician

15. Dr Usha Devi Balaguru            Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

16. Dr Chakr Sri Na Nagara            Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

17. Dr Teoh Soong Kee                Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

18. Dr Jasmine Lau                Consultant Paediatrician

19. Dr Adeline Tan Ai Leen            Consultant Paediatrician

20. Dr David Manickam                Consultant Paediatrician

21. Dr Giritharan                Consultant Physician

22. Dr Yeoh Thiam Long            Consultant Physician

23. Dr Hasral bin Mohd Hasni            Consultant Cardiologist

24. Dr Liew San Foi                Consultant Paediatrician

25. Dr Go Kuan Weng                Consultant Nephrologist

26. Dr Divakaran TG                Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

27. Dr Lam Fook Shin                Consultant Eye Surgeon

28. Dr Lee Boon Chye                Consultant Cardiologist

29. Dr Meor Ahmad                Consultant Radiologist

30. Dr Ong Teong Onn                Consultant Radiologist

31. Dr Mahendra Mano                Consultant Surgeon

32. Dr A. Naidu                    Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

33. Datuk Dr S Jenagaratnam            Consultant Anaesthetist

34. Dr Lu Luan                    Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

35. Dr Fauziah Khairudin            Consultant Nephrologist

36. Dr Susan King                Consultant Paediatrician

37. Dr Lee Kim Seng                Consultant Paediatrician

38. Dr Ranjoth Singh                Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

39. Dr Yap Foo Ngan                Consultant Family Physician

40. Dr Esther Gunaserali            Consultant Psychiatrist

41. Dr Chan Chee Hoe                Consultant Physician

42. Dr P. Moganarajoo                Consultant O & G

43. Datuk (Dr ) K.S Sivananthan        Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

44. Dr Yeap Yean Lian                Consultant Surgeon

45. Dr William Tan Kah Wee            Consultant Physician

46. Dr Wong Chong Yuan            Consultant Physician

47. Dr Yeat Siew Eng                Consultant ENT Surgeon

48. Dr Choong Choon Hooi            Consultant Physician & Cardiologist

49. Dr Chong Swee Woon            Consultant Psychiatrist

50. Dr Koh Wai Keat                Consultant Geriatrician

51. Dr Surinderjit Singh Gill            Consultant Ophthalmologist

52. Dr Kumar Thiyagarajah            Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

53. Dr Raveendran Kandiah            Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

54. Dr Minseh Kimin                Consultant Radiologist

55. Dr Ishak Abu Bakar                Consultant Radiologist

56. Dr Ng Yew Sang                Consultant Nephrologist

57. Dr Tan Huat Chai                Consultant Cardiologist

58. Dr Mok Chung                Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

59. Dr Shaidan Sulaiman            Consultant Anaesthetist

60. Dr Hj Ahmad Adlan Nuruddin        Consultant O & G

61. Dr Sumathi Anandaraj            Senior Medical Officer

62. Dr Ooi Tian Su                Consultant O&G

63. Dr Yeak Siew Tin                Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

64. Dr Loo Kok Lim                Consultant Rheumatologist

65. Dr Ruslan Razak                Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

66. Dr Philip Ho                Consultant Cardiologist

67. Dr Leow Aik Ming                Consultant Plastic Surgeon

68. Dr Katheleen Yap                Consultant Neurologist

69. Dr Kevin Joseph                Consultant Cardiologist

70. D Sumithra                    Consultant Surgeon

71. Dr Inderjit Singh                Consultant Cardiologist

72. Dr Uma Karthigasu                Consultant Radiologist

73. Dr Jevan Gunaselan                Senior Medical Officer

74. Datuk Dr SK Rathi                Consultant Dermatologist

75. Dr Koh Chan Sing                Consultant Cardiologist

76. Dr Aznan                    Radiologist

77. Datuk Dr Andrew Chua Seng Boon        Consultant Gastroenterologist

78. Dr Michael Joseph                Consultant Cardiologist

79. Dr Teh Hiok Seng                Consultant Haematologist

80. Dr Lee Boon Ping                Consultant General Surgeon

81. Dr Lee Haik Teong                Consultant Paediatrician

82. Dr Kuldeep Singh                Consultant Paediatrician

83. Dr Jeyabalan                Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

84. Dr Cheong Soo Tow                Consultant Paediatrician

85. Dr Lim Wee Yoong                Consultant Paediatrician

86. Dr Suppramaniam                Consultant Ortho-Surgeon

87. Dr Harvinder Singh                Consultant ENT

88. Dr Loo Chin Sum                Consultant Nephrologist

89. Dr Thomas Haris                Consultant Anaesthetist

90. Dr Ng Seng Lew                Consultant General Surgeon

91. Dr Anandaraj                Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

92. Dr N. Jeevaraj                Consultant General Surgeon

93. Dr V. Mannimanan                Consultant Urologist

94. Dr Loke Yee Peng                Consultant Anaesthetist

95. Dr Vinod Kumar                Senior Medical Officer

96. Dr Azhar                    Senior Medical Officer

97. Dr Lam Kuan Kin                General Practioner

98. Dr Tan Kim Khian                General Practioner

99. Dr Lim Boon Pin                General Practioner

100. Dr Lian Chin Chew            General Practioner

101. Dr Chan Yee Ming                General Practioner

102. Dr Kok Yuan Sing                General Practioner

103. Dr Chee See Choke            General Practioner

104. Dr Soo Kam Chiew            General Practioner

105. Dr Abdul Malik                General Practioner

106. Dr Leong Poh Nam            General Practioner

107. Dr Lau Sau Khuen                General Practioner

109. Dr Chin Kit Kong                General Practioner

110. Dr Doong Hock Yuen            General Practioner

111. Dr Khairuddin                General Practioner

112. Dr Lee Nik Hooi                General Practioner

113. Dr Cheah Saw Imm            General Practioner

114. Dr Kamalanathan                General Practioner

115. DR Arunash                General Practioner

116. Dr Kwok Hou Phin                General Practioner

117. Dr Rita Leow                General Practioner

118. Dr Paizah Ramli                General Practioner

119. Dr Uma Devi Arunasalam            General Practioner

120. Datuk Dr Sarjeet Singh Sidhu        Ob Gyn Specialist

121. Datuk Dr Subramaniam            Consultant Plastic Surgeon

122. Dr Lai Thian Seong            GP

123. Dr Chew Teik Chye            GP

124. Dr Lim Tee Jin                GP

125. Dr Teoh Lee Yong                GP

126. Dr Ho Kok Hin                GP

127. Dr Hoo Thoun Ting            GP

128. Dr P. Raghavan                GP

129. Prof. Dr Jackie Ho                Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist

130. Dr Seet Chee Lin                GP

131. Dr Kek Kim Huat                GP

132. Dr P F Gill                    GP

133. Dr T. M. Ong                GP

134. Dr C W Ong                GP

135. Dr Nagara                    GP

136. Dr S Subramaniam                GP

137. Dr Chew Keat Eng                GP

138. Dr Ting Seo Leong                GP & President, Perak Medical Practitioners’ Society

139. Dr Ling Hee Huong            GP

140. Dr Lee See Chee                GP

141. Dr Diong Ko Ing                GP

142. Dr Ling Yok King                GP

143. Dr V.Gurunathan                GP

144. Dr Ching Lee Kee                GP

145. Dr Suresh Sammanathamurthy        Orthopaedic Surgeon

146. Dr Gurdep Singh                GP

147. Dr Teoh S K                GP

148. Dr Harbaskg Singh                GP

149. Dr Suppaiyah                GP

150. Dr Wong Ai Fook                GP

151. Dr S Y Chan                GP

152. Dr Bhajan Singh                GP

153. Dr Ramesh                    GP

154. Dr Yek Sing Chee                GP

155. Dr K. Skanthadevan            GP

156. Dr Nasri                    GP

157. Dr Yusof                    GP

158. Datuk Dr Gurdeep Prakash Singh        Consultant Physician

159. Datuk Dr. Gunasegaran            Consultant Plastic Surgeon

160. Dr Jaspal Kaur Malhi            GP

161. Datuk Dr Sharil Che Mat            GP

162. Dr Rajeswaran Paramjothy            GP

163. Dr Chan Kai Soon                Consultant Pathology

164. Dr Harry Louise D’Cruz            GP

165. Datuk Dr Palanicawnder            GP

166. Dr George Thavarajah            GP

167. Datuk Dr Aris Chandran            Consultant Physician

168. Dr Tan Ooi Hong                Consultant Physician

169. Dr Tan Boon Chye                GP

170. Datuk Dr Ranjoth Singh             Consultant O & G

171. Dr Rahmantulnisha                GP

172. Dr Hu Wen Shing                Consultant Radiologist

173. Dr K Muruhadas                GP

174. Dr Thomas Arul                GP

175. Dr Ong Chew Wui                GP

176. Dr Ong Tee Meng                GP

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 7:55 pm and is filed under
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Proud to be a Malaysian

—
T. Gopal

The Malaysian Insider

Jul 17, 2011

JULY 17 — This was not my first (illegal) rally. Therefore, the usual intimidation using roadblocks and arrests did not stop my plan for the day.

I come from a poor family. Way back in the early 1980s, when the Seremban-KL Highway was being built, my parents worked there as labourers. Their combined income was less than RM600 per month.

Therefore, it was not a surprise when they opposed my plan to enter one of the local universities simply because they couldn’t afford to pay the first semester fees of RM1,600. Fast-forward to today; I am living a comfortable life, with a good income and stable job. So, why did I join the rally?

I know exactly how it feels when you don’t have enough money to buy groceries and give pocket money to your kids towards the end of the month. The fact that almost one-third of the working population is earning less than RM750 a month is simply ridiculous, given the fact that we are an oil-producing nation and one of the major exporters of palm oil in the world.

The alternative media opened my eyes and I was shocked to find the billions (or shall I say trillions) of money wasted by the corrupt government over the last few decades, which could have been easily used to raise the socio-economic standard of the poor.

In order to make my fellow countrymen receive the wealth which rightfully belongs to them, the government of the day must listen to the rakyat. In order to make that happen, the rakyat must have access to free and fair elections so that they can choose their leaders without fear or favour. Bersih 2.0 is spot on with regards to this issue.

On that day, I entered the city, despite multiple roadblocks and parked my car at Brickfields around 2.15pm. I waited for a crowd that I could be a part of as it was definitely not a safe option to march alone.

Soon, a predominantly Malay group started to march towards the stadium, shouting “Takbir” and “Allahuakbhar.” I quickly joined the group but suddenly, it started to rain very heavily. None of us were prepared but we had a more important agenda. We continued to march and along the way, a few smaller groups, which were reluctant to make a move initially, also joined us. We reached the front of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall around 2.45pm and couldn’t pass through the police and FRU as they had blocked the road with barbed wire.

The rain eventually stopped and the crowd swelled to more than 5,000 people around 3.30pm. The police continued to warn the crowd to disperse but we just didn’t give a damn. At one point, the FRU truck moved forward and tried to spray chemical-laced water, but for some strange reason, it didn’t quite work.

Deputy President of PAS Datuk Husam Musa and National laureate A Samad Said also joined the crowd and addressed the ever-increasing and decent crowd. Although the majority of participants were Malay, there were many Chinese and Indian friends present to make their point.

All of a sudden, the crowd sang “Negaraku” and honestly, I never felt so emotional singing the song in my entire life. This is our country and we are now fighting a corrupt government with one voice, without fear and full of patriotism.

Around 4.15pm, one of Bersih’s steering committee members, Haris Ibrahim, addressed the crowd and informed us that the gathering was already a success and as we promised the Agung, we should disperse peacefully at 4pm.

The decent crowd obeyed his advice and dispersed peacefully with so many of us imbued with a sense of pride, after realising that we had managed to make our point to the whole world. This was one of the days when I have felt so proud to call myself a Malaysian. I love you Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 17 July 2011, 7:32 pm and is filed under
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A decent gov’t will not fear Jeyakumar

Malaysiakini Your Sa
y | Jul 18, 11

‘If we Malaysians stand up against those cowards in power, we can, once again, call ourselves a decent society.’

How did my friend become a violent subversive?

Ferdtan:
 We all know the arrests of Dr D Jeyakumar and five other PSM members are collateral damage of the Bersih rally.

It is obvious that they are completely innocent of all the allegations made by the police. We, the rakyat, are not fooled. They were arrested on the onset, before the actual Bersih on July 9, hoping to check mate the Bersih committee and spook them into calling off the march.

For now, we can’t see the PSM 6 being released too easily. The police just cannot lose ‘face’ as their ‘credibility’ would be affected (as if they have one in the first place).

The lawyers must put more pressure on the police with legal actions, such as habeas corpus – you will never know, they may be allowed to ‘win’ the case in court.

David Dass:
 This article by James V Jesudason eloquently and with great insight captures the state of the Malaysian nation.

When we arrest and detain people like Dr Jeyakumar as subversives then there is something fundamentally wrong with institutions that are there to protect the public from the actions of evil men.

Dr Jeyakumar is a well-known personality. He is well-known for the dedicated and selfless work that he has done among poor communities. He is a socialist. And a member of a lawfully registered socialist party.

There is no confusion as to what socialism is. Socialism is not communism. It is not anti-God or opposed to democracy. In fact, Dr Jeyakumar is a democrat.

Why has the government been driven to such a desperate act? How can the work of good men threaten a democratically elected government? Enough people have given testimonials as to the character and nobility of this man. Let him and the five others detained with him go free.

Sathiavany:
 I do not know Dr Jeyakumar personally. However, I never forgot him from the day I saw him collecting donations for the poor, including the Orang Asli, when I was at Universiti Malaya. Students noticed him as it was unusual to see medical undergraduates being involved in activities other than what was relevant to their studies.

As described by many, he is a gentle person. In later years, when I went to Sungai Siput, many people told me of the wonderful work he was doing. Even people in Kuala Kangsar spoke of him.

People who know him and people who have heard of his work are of course angry and upset with what the police and government are doing. Let us hope they will come to their senses and realise how much harm they have already done.

Lone_star: Malaysia is at a stage where one can say we are in the best of times and in the worst of times. We have Pakatan Rakyat at the verge of taking over Putrajaya and BN of losing it.

It is the silly season and the BN is looking up the ‘commie’ bogeyman to keep the natives in line. Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that the BN, which is experiencing the worst of times, has conveniently labeled Dr Jeyakumar a commie wannabe.

It is so unfortunate that Dr Jeyakumar has to be caught in such times. Civil society will need to act to free him and his friends.

Oh My God:
 It is so easy to get yourself in deep trouble. What you need to do is to make a little wrong move, someone with authority then make a negative assumption of your move either purposely or mistakenly, then make a police report, and next thing you know, you end up in solitary confinement for a long time.

Malaysian Born:
 I am confident that the vast majority of the urban sector can make a fairly educated judgement of the situation. My concern is for the poor without regular access to the Internet, being bombarded by the official line.

Dr Jeyakumar is gift to our society in the form of a socialist doctor who has dedicated his entire life to the betterment of the poor and down trodden. The politicians in power should be honoured to be in his presence. The ones who are prosecuting him do not even qualify to polish his shoes.

If the poor get the true story, these leaders will lose their deposits at the next general election.

Paul Warren:
 What is the point of writing all these? This narrative should be addressed to the ordinary kampong folks whose vote and whose thinking is what Umno is working on.

The ordinary folks need to feel a sense of urgency and fear. After all, they know in their minds that what they have is thanks to Umno. And if Umno is threatened, then they are threatened. Aren’t they told this all the time? Even in mosques?

What they know is a non-Malay, possibly a communist is waging war against the Agong. And all that has been written about Kumar by his various friends has not reached them. So they don’t know any better.

Who is the culprit really? Umno? No. It is their business to stay alive and they will do anything and everything to do just that.

I would suggest that it is the mainstream media. It is they who are abdicating their universal remit and delivering propaganda and lies. It is they who are sustaining these lies.

Onyourtoes
: This nincompoop government does not know what it is doing. If Dr Kumar is arrested for his socialist ideals, may I know why only now?

Dr Kumar has manifested his ‘socialism’ all his life and why was there no action taken earlier? It is not like the authorities do not know his commitment towards the marginalised groups of the society.

It is the Bersih thing, isn’t it? It is an attempt to intimidate, to impose coercion and to threaten citizens with arbitrary arrest, isn’t it? What else can it be?

Lexicon:
 ‘No decent society’ would incarcerate someone like Kumar – this addresses the crux of our political problem.

If we Malaysians stand up against the cowards in power and remove them, we can, once again, call ourselves a decent society. We have the avenues to improve our governance.

But our government can only be as good as those who elect it. We must persuade all our colleagues and families to support reform, to register and to vote, and restore decency to our society.

Black Mamba:
 If socialism, communism and Christianity are such obnoxious words, why is Malaysia engaging them in trade and bilateral relationship? We trade with China, buy Airbuses from France and now seek diplomatic relationship with the Vatican.

The world changes, so will Malaysia in time. Jailing of Dr Jeya is the most unforgivable thing BN has done.

Kyrios:
 James, thank you for article. Our beautiful country Malaysia has become blind to justice. I am praying for the release of Kumar and other detainees. People like you must come back to Malaysia and fight for the rights of all Malaysians. I am doing my part here.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 12:09 pm and is filed under
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Another case of police probing themselves

Malaysiakini Your Say
 | Jul 17, 11

‘Expecting the police to investigate the police assault on Tung Shin Hospital is like asking a robber to testify to the honesty and kindness of another robber.’

Two special police teams to probe Tung Shin claims

Sarajun Hoda:
 How stupid does the police think Malaysians are? The people do not trust the police anymore, so why would they trust their investigations?

It is like asking Ali Baba to investigate his 40 thieves. People do not trust Najib’s government. People do not trust the police. People do not trust the judiciary. The Agong perhaps is their last hope, and who should call for a royal commission of inquiry.

Saengch:
 I hope the police team sent to interrogate the doctors is not there to intimidate them into changing their words.

Anonymous_3dba:
 These two special teams will intimidate the doctors and whoever to rebut their statements and eventually they will even claim that nothing serious took place and the tear gas was just “flying on their own” in front of these doctors.

Gandhi:
 This is like the proverbial allowing a fox to guard the chicken coop.

AnakBangsaMalaysia:
 Expecting the police to investigate the police assault on Tung Shin Hospital is like asking an armed robber to testify to the honesty and kindness of another armed robber.

As long as there is no Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the Malaysian police will be out of control. The police have essentially degenerated into nothing more than thugs in uniform who bully their way through Malaysian society.

DannyLoHH:
 The image of the police is one that serve the ruling elites interest rather than upholding rule of law. Therefore anything short of an IPCMC being set up is unacceptable. We are fast descending into a police state if we’re not already one.

Cinaputra:
 IGP (inspector-general of police), if you need two teams and the health minister to look into this open-and-shut case, you are only showing the people the level of your incompetency.

You are too arrogant to own up and apologise. Instead you choose to cover up, lie and threaten those who were witnesses to the incident. Now the health minister is saying some party or parties are trying to do him in – boo hoo hoo.

DMY:
 Why is it not Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who is making this announcement? And where are the IGP as well as the KL acting chief police officer, who were the first to deny that such an incident did happen? This is indeed the culture of “passing the buck” at its finest.

Kuduka:
 Now they are looking for non-Malays to be the scapegoat – CID chief Ku Chin Wah and acting IGP Amar Singh kena taichi (have been shafted) already.

Sabahan:
 Sheer rubbish. Police investigating police misconduct. The police have lost their credibility. I won’t be surprised if those investigating are the same ones who gave orders to assault the demonstrators at any cost.

Unfortunately, the police at the Tung Shin Hospital were ignorant and not aware that they cannot attack a hospital. My guess at the outcome of the inquiry: a few low-ranking police officers will be made scapegoats to satisfy the angry public.

Kangaroo:
 You can have any amount of special teams; it is not going to help. Just call the people who took the videos of the incident – the evidence is overwhelming.

Simon Lee 3ed5: Another public relations exercise in futility. With kangaroo courts, ostrich ministers, a corrupt force and the collapse of every public institution, the outcome is expected.

Who are you trying to fool? All this big talk about investigating the people’s movement Bersih and the doctors-witnesses, while the corrupt continue to rule and wreak havoc against the people.

Go instead to investigate the $24 million diamond ring, the $100,000 handbags, the $500 million commission, the $200 billion plundered, countless deaths in police lockup, A Kugan’s death, Teoh Beng Hock’s death, the 1.5 million illegal immigrants, escalating crime rate, snatch thieves, mat rempits, millions of illegal Ah Longs and so on, and an incompetent home minister.

For A Better Malaysia: My 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter can solve this confusion in less than five minutes. It is joke how the government needs a high-powered committee to sit for God-knows-how-long. It is a total waste of resources and pure wayang kulit, BN government-style.

Oh My God:
 They must be joking. I suggest we save the taxpayers’ money and get on with our lives because we are 100 percent sure the outcome of the investigation. There are tonnes of videos and photographs that we can view, and aren’t those good enough?

Maybe we need Datuk T again to convince the nation.

Artchan:
 The police should just collect all the YouTube videos. Don’t waste the doctors’ time. They are looking after patients and have work to do, unlike the cops hiding behind trees (to book vehicles) when the ‘need’ arises.

Stories:
 We are all liars, and the videos and photos are faked. Let’s start a ‘Hisham should resign Facebook page’.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 12:06 pm and is filed under
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DAP downplays Pakatan split rumours

By
Clara Chooi

July 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang today shrugged off talk that his party may split from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) due to recurring conflicts with PAS, saying the idea had “not seriously occurred” to party leaders.

The senior politician also rejected the notion that PAS had kowtowed to DAP when the former revoked the Kedah entertainment outlet ban yesterday, insisting instead that the state government had shown tolerance and their willingness to resolve conflicts through consultation.

“The issue has shown the preparedness of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership to discuss and resolve problems, a glaring contrast with Umno,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

“The misunderstanding is really about the enactment in 1997 passed by Barisan Nasional (BN). That enactment affects the rights and sensitivities of the non-Muslims but now it has been rectified.”

Lim acknowledged, however, that the issue had irked many members from PAS and DAP but stressed that the problem had been resolved amicably through a win-win solution for both parties.

The Kedah state government raised eyebrows recently when it said it would enforce the Entertainment and Entertainment Outlets Enactment 1997, which prohibits 13 types of entertainment outlets from operating during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

DAP leaders, including Lim, had spoken out against the ban, saying it infringed on the rights of non-Muslims and would be bad for business. Despite this, an aide close to the Kedah mentri besar said the ban would remain.

On his Twitter account last Saturday, DAP MP Tony Pua (left) expressed frustration, saying that he “is of the view that we shouldn’t be part of a coalition if our concerns are not heard or heeded. Don’t want to become like MCA or Gerakan in BN”.

When contacted by The Malaysian Insider later, Pua declined at first to elaborate on his tweet but admitted that the subject of cutting off ties with its political allies had been raised at the party’s retreat in Seremban and will be discussed further when the PR leadership meets tomorrow for its strategy session.

This would not be the first time DAP has broken off ties with its political allies. In 2001, the Chinese-majority party withdrew from Barisan Alternatif, after a similar falling out with PAS over the latter’s insistence on setting up an Islamic state in then PAS-ruled Terengganu.

“But I do not think Tony (Pua) meant what was put out on Twitter… it was not to be read in that manner, that DAP should split from PR… in fact, it (splitting) has not really occurred to us and I am sure, not even to him,” said Lim.

PAS’s national leadership moved to defuse the mounting tension over the issue and announced yesterday that the ban would be revoked and replaced by operational guidelines to stop Muslims from patronising entertainment outlets.

“Look on the positive side… this decision, this development is most welcome. It shows in particular, the PAS’s leadership as well as the Kedah state government’s readiness to correct the misunderstanding,” said Lim.

On MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s claim in the newspapers today that the entire debacle was a “sandiwara” (play) between PAS and DAP, Lim brushed off the former health minister’s words as trivial.

“The more he speaks, the lesser his credibility. In fact, it would be quite an achievement for him to go any lower than he is today,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 5:17 pm and is filed under
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Doctored 709 photo — who’s responsible?

All top journalists as well as management personnel in New Sunday Times and Berita Minggu responsible for the photographic falsification of a PAS Unit Amal volunteer as a violent 709 protestor armed with knife when he was holding a Malaysian flag and not throwing rocks at police should step out and own up.

It is a violation of all the basic tenets of journalism of truth, fair play and responsibility for New Straits Times through the New Sunday Times and Berita Minggua to commit such a blatant and flagrant breach of journalistic ethics – a base and lowly act of irresponsibility not only to the profession of journalism but also a great disservice to the plural Malaysian nation-building.

The Malay daily Berita Minggu had on July 10 front-paged the picture of a heavily-built man in a white T-shirt with a black cloth wrapped around his face.

The man, shrouded in smoke, was depicted hurling an object with his left hand while in his right was what appeared to be a knife handle.

The caption read: “Seorang perusuh membawa pisau dalam perhimpunan haram” (A rioter brings a knife to illegal rally) and another subheadline read: “Perusuh guna senjata, batu, lawan polis” (Rioters use weapons, rocks to fight police).

The same image was also featured on New Sunday Times’ front page with the title: “Peaceful?”.

The person concerned, Abdul Razak Endut, has surfaced to rebut and expose what must be one of the most irresponsible and despicable case of journalistic chicanery in the history of Malaysian journalism.

A PAS Unit Amal volunteer, Abdul Razak denied he had a knife and that he was in fact holding a Malaysian flag and he was not throwing rocks at police.

Abdul Razak said: “When the FRU fired tear gas, I saw the wind blowing towards the demonstrators… I picked up the canister and tossed it to a grass field with the hope that the demonstrators would be safe.”

Abdul Razak explained that earlier, he had joined others in forming a human shield to prevent police advances on demonstrators.

“However, that did not happen. Instead, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) brought in water cannons and fired on us. What should I do to stop the FRU truck? I asked for a (Malaysian) flag from a fellow demonstrator, he gave it to me and I held it against the FRU’s water cannon barrage.

“I had hoped… these people behind are Malaysians, your people, why are you doing this?” he said in an emotional voice in a PAS ceramah over the weekend.

What has the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein got to say for this blatant and flagrant violation of journalistic ethics to serve the political agenda of UMNO and Barisan Nasional?

Last Tuesday, the Home Ministry hauled up top editors of three Chinese newspapers as the Barisan Nasional Government was irked by their coverage of the 709 rally as allegedly favourable to the Bersih 2.0 organisers.

The Chinese newspapers covered the 709 factually, truthfully and responsibly unlike New Sunday Times, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia which either doctored photographs or reports or carried tendentious and biased one-sided account of the 709 rally.

It was been reported that the Home Ministry is following up with “show cause” letters to the three Chinese newspapers.

Has the Home Ministry “hauled up” New Sunday Times and Berita Minggu for their “doctored” false photograph on the front page of “a violent protestor” at the 709 rally? Has the Home Ministry hauled up Utusan Malaysia for its daily staple of lies and falsehoods to poison and undermine inter-racial and inter-religious harmony in Malaysia? Will show-cause letters follow suit?

Are all printed news media required to publish doctored photographs and print biased reports turning them as “lies-paper” rather than newspapers under Najib’s 1Malaysia’s Transformation Programme?

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 4:47 pm and is filed under
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I did not bring knife to demo, says protester

Malaysiakini
 | Jul 18, 11

The man behind the image of an alleged ‘violent protester’ that was splashed on the front pages of the country’s major newspapers after the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 has stepped forward.

Speaking at a PAS ceramah in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Abdul Razak Endut said that the alleged knife he was holding was a Malaysian flag and he was not throwing rocks at police.

“When the FRU fired tear gas, I saw the wind blowing towards the demonstrators… I picked up the canister and tossed it to a grass field with the hope that the demonstrators would be safe,” said Abdul Razak.

 Previously referred to by his nickname Ajak in the media, he was part of PAS’s Unit Amal volunteer corp responsible for crowd control near Menara Maybank on that day.

Malay daily Berita Minggu had on July 10 front-paged the picture of a heavily-built man in a white T-shirt with a black cloth wrapped around his face.

The man, shrouded in smoke, was depicted hurling an object with his left hand while in his right was what appeared to be a knife handle.

The caption read: “Seorang perusuh membawa pisau dalam perhimpunan haram” (A rioter brings a knife to illegal rally) and another subheadline read: “Perusuh guna senjata, batu, lawan polis” (Rioters use weapons, rocks to fight police).

The same image was also featured on New Sunday Times’ front page with the title: “Peaceful?”.

Sporting the exact outfit in the picture, Abdul Razak unwrapped the black cloth, revealing his face to the cheers of those in attendance.

Abdul Razak explained that earlier, he had joined others in forming a human shield to prevent police advances on demonstrators.

‘Used flag to resist water cannon’

“However, that did not happen. Instead, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) brought in water cannons and fired on us. What should I do to stop the FRU truck? I asked for a (Malaysian) flag from a fellow demonstrator, he gave it to me and I held it against the FRU’s water cannon barrage.

“I had hoped… these people behind are Malaysians, your people, why are you doing this?” he said in an emotional voice.

The image of Abdul Razak resisting the water cannon spray with the national flag was
captured by Reuters
 and has been used to dimiss claims that it was a knife.

“At that moment (when I tossed the tear gas canister away), my picture was manipulated, showing I brought a knife. How can it be logical for me to bring a knife from Temerloh? I had to go through three roadblocks (to get into the city),” he said.

On July 12, Penang PKR Youth had claimed the image was doctored.

New Straits Times Press Berhad (NSTP), which is responsible for the Berita Harian and New Straits Times publications (Sunday versions are Berita Minggu and New Sunday Times) has denied such claims.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 12:15 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang: Teoh’s ghost will linger after release of RCI report

By
Clara Chooi
 | July 18, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today lauded the  Cabinet’s decision to make public the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s (RCI) findings on Teoh Beng Hock’s death but warned that its release might not lay the two-year controversy to rest.

The senior politician reminded the government that it was still yet to be determined if the RCI had successfully unearthed the mysterious circumstances that led to Teoh’s fatal fall in 2009.

“We do not know if the RCI was able to get to that depth, to the root of the matter . . . to determine the details behind Teoh’s death and whether it is acceptable. We will still need to study it,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

On the announcement by Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz that the report would be made public, Lim said that while this was a positive development, the report should have been released simultaneously to the public when it was presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin last month.

“If this (announcement) is true, it is a positive step,” he said. “There is no justification for withholding the report from the public.

“But they should have a practice whereby arrangements are made when RCI reports are presented to the Agong, they are also released simultaneously to the public.”

Lim, along with numerous opposition leaders, has been pressuring the Cabinet to release the report by the RCI, which was tasked to unravel the mysterious circumstances behind Teoh’s death and to look into the investigation methods of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“This is for the principles of accountability and good governance,” said Lim. “It is the people’s right to know what belongs to them.

“This delay, it reflects the efficiency and competency of the government . . . after more than three weeks, the matter is still shrouded in uncertainty.”

Federal Court Judge Tan Sri James Foong, who headed the five-man panel on the RCI, presented the 124-page report to the King on June 22.

The report documents the proceedings of the inquiry, including testimonies from 70 witnesses and recommendations to the MACC.

The Star newspaper today quoted Nazri, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, as saying that he presented the report to the Cabinet on July 6 and it had decided to release it to the public.

Thirty-year-old DAP political aide Teoh was found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth-floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight by MACC officers at their then Selangor headquarters on the 14th floor.

The coroner’s inquest in January returned an “open verdict”, ruling out both suicide and homicide.

The government was then forced to establish the RCI, which first met in February, with two terms of reference: to probe how Teoh fell to his death, and to look into MACC’s investigative methods.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 July 2011, 1:44 pm and is filed under
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