Not right

The facts speaks for itself. Something is not right.

Malaysia boleh!

Let us protect you!

This is priceless, i tell ya!

The reporter detained under section 73 of the ISA has been released less than 24 hours after her arrest - see here.

Now our Home Minister gave stupid reasons why she was arrested and detained under the ISA (emphasis mine). He said:-

Tan was detained under Section 73(1) of the Act in order to ensure her safety.

He added that police intelligence indicated that there were threats to her life after she reported on Bukit Bendera division Umno chairman Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s allegedly racist remarks.

“We have no intention of holding a reporter as after all she was just taking notes of the comments made by a certain party that led to a public debate."

(Read the report here).

So let's get some things straight.

1. He admits that she did not do anything wrong - she was just doing her job.
2. She was detained FOR HER OWN SAFETY!!!!!! What a load of crap! Does he expect us to believe that???

So the ISA is used to ARREST and DETAIN citizens of the country who did not do anything wrong!!!

Instead of putting her under protective custody as they alleged that there were threats to her life, they decided to ARREST and DETAIN her under ISA!!!!

Now, less than 24 hours later, she is released. Have the police successfully quell the threat to her life? Were those making those threats arrested and put away?

This is indeed brilliant - but not in the good way. i can imagine the reaction of me Human Rights' coursemates when they read about this!!!!

I have heard of situations when citizens are threatened and harassed but the police stand in one side and say they cannot do anything. But in this case, Tan was ARRESTED and DETAINED for her own safety!!!!!

Whoa! Malaysia boleh!

Don't talk about it

This is the way how our government works! When an issue arises, don't talk about it. If people want to talk about it, make them stop.

Blogger blogs against the Government and politicians. He is detained indefinitely without trial (see here).

Newspaper reports on racist politicians, corrupt practices etc. They receive a show cause letter from the government (see here).

Reported does her job (bravely) by reporting an incident where racist and seditious words were made in public by a politician. She is detained indefinitely without trial (see here).

Members of the cabinet disagrees on the timeline set by the PM to step down. PM tells them to stop talking about it (see here).

Malaysia boleh!

Turn the tables

I was almost impressed by how the government turned the tables against the media and the reporters - in a last ditch effort to cover their racism. or at the least, the racism of one of those in their ranks.

If you read the previous post - or if you have been following the local news in the past week or so - you would know that a certain politician made racist remarks against the Chinese community.

He then conveniently disappeared - so much so the cops and the PM could not contact him.

Apparently, he was overseas - in neighbouring Thailand. But in our day and age, do you expect us to believe that just because you are there, you cannot be contacted?

10 days after he made those racist remarks, he comes forward and say that he was misquoted out of context. The reporters were all behind it.

The PM quickly changed his tune and stood by his man and pushed the blame on the media and the reporters.

The reporter quickly stood by her story (see here).

So who do we believe?

I dun believe the politician. It is clearly an afterthought - his explanation. It took him so long to come up with this story. If it was indeed the truth, why wait til after 10 days?

Further, what was the purpose of him saying wat he said - he alleged he was making reference to history. Why did he suddenly make a historical observation in his speech? No explanation given.

The PM? He wasn't there so his view is worth nothing.

The reporter? Well, i believe her. Read her explanation - the context of when those words were actually spoken.

But i worry for her. In her bravery to do her job, the right thing, to stand up for the truth and expose contemptuous behavior, she could be made the scapegoat.

Malaysia boleh!

Emergency

Stae of Emergency has been declared in Thailand. This happened after

"...street fighting overnight between opponents and supporters of the government
left one man dead and dozens of people injured. The violence heightened a
national crisis brought on when anti-government protesters occupied the prime
minister’s office compound Aug 26 and vowed to hold it until Samak (the PM)
stepped down"

Read the report here.

So what does it mean? According to the news report linked earlier, it means this:-

• Bans gatherings of more than five people in Bangkok.
• Bars the media from disseminating any news that "causes panic, instigates
  violence or affects stability.''
• Allows security officials to close or block roads or deny citizens the right
  to use vehicles.
• Allows security forces to evacuate or close buildings and other areas as
  they see fit for maintaining public order.
• Under the constitution, emergency rule also allows security officials to
  hold suspects without charge for up to 30 days if they get permission from a
  court.

Hey, wait a minute? Doesn't this sound familiar? Isn't this happenning in our country now?

The Police Act 1967, section 27 provides that it is an illegal gathering in Malaysia if it consists of 3 (not 5) people or more.

Our media is not allowed to disseminate news that "causes panic, instigates violence or affects stability." Newspapers had been shutdown in the past because of this and a local blog was even blocked recently!

Roads had been closed and blocked in recent times to disallow members of the public to join peaceful demonstrations.

Buildings were evacuated - the forum in Bar Council had to be ended abruptly and those attending had to be evacuated (see post before this).

Hold suspects without charging them for up to 30 days with permission from the court? In our country, people can be held up to 2 years WITHOUT permission from the court!!!!

Are we under a state of emergency? Is there violence that threatens the safety of the country? Are we facing a national crisis?

No? But it appears like we are! At least the state of emergency in Thailand is supposed to be temporal. In our country, it is the status quo.

Proud to be a Malaysian?

Malaysia boleh!

Who's the boss?

WHO is the boss in Parliament? That is the question on many people's mind now.

No one seems to know who ordered the ban on media access to the Parliament lobby on Tuesday, which prompted print, TV and online media to immediately unite and boycott lobby news coverage.

The ban not only caught journalists off guard but also Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz, who is in charge of parliament affairs.

Both said they were in the dark about the ban.

Read the entire article here.

This took place last - in fact, it was one of the many incidents which prompted me to start this blog.

It is ridiculous! Reporters being banned from the Parliament lobby!!! Last week, it was allege that the reporters were apparently a threat to the security! What the...???

Now, no one wants to take the responsibility. There was a ban but no one is owning up to it. It is clear that on hindsight, it was a stupid decision. On top of that, it also caused embarrassment to the ruling party when its own members started bickering - very publicly, mind you - over it! The Minister-in-Charge of Parliament Affairs is having a war of words with the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BBC) chairman (read about it here).

Besides wondering whose brilliant idea it was to impose the ban, one wonders what prompted it in the first place. Is it because the press have not been too favourable in its reporting? It surely cannot be because they have been smuggling in weapons and bombs into the Parliament lobby.

As stated by Nanyang Siang Pau group chief editor Chong Tien Siong, “This restriction does not show respect for the work of journalists, especially in Parliament” (see here).

Malaysia boleh!