ISA makeover: Old poison in new bottles

By Kua Kia Soong

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s recent announcement to repeal the much-loathed Internal Security Act (ISA) does not give us cause for celebration when he simultaneously says that it will be replaced by two anti-terrorism laws.

There is no doubt that these new anti-terrorism laws will again allow the government-of-the-day to detain people without charge. The entire function of the ISA since 1960 has been for the Alliance and then the Barisan Nasional government to deal with the opposition and other dissidents through detention without charge.

Before we look at the way in which other countries deal with terrorism, it may be worth our while to ask if an emergency situation exists in Malaysia to warrant such legislation. The US, UK and other western countries are the objects of terrorism mainly because of their support for Israel and their aggression against Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries.

Malaya bleeding us dry

By Zainal Ajamain

Malaysian Post l These words “we demand autonomy or Sabah Negeri, Merdeka” must be on the lips and hearts of all true leaders in Sabah.

On both sides of Sabah’s political divide, our leaders have long been incapacitated by their fear of their perceived Malaya masters.

They will not speak out against the daily injustices towards fellow Sabahans. And even when they do speak up it is just passive shouting – a token resistance, just to show they are saying something.

It is like a dog that is supposed to guard a house against a thief – while it barks it retreats to the back, easily allowing the thief into the house and all its belongings.

But now, for many of us, an awakening has come. We have been stirred from our slumber and now find ourselves thrust into a new political era .
We now must accept the challenge that we each have to safeguard our Sabah.

PSM 6: An unlawful detention

Dr D Michael Jeyakumar

Malaysian Post l Mariam Mokhtar : Most people would not have known him personally but they would have read of him and know that he comes from Sungei Siput. Few, especially those he has helped, will disagree that he is a champion of the poor and the forgotten.

To those whose lives he improved, he is a king among ordinary men. To the government, he stands accused of plotting to overthrow the King.

Today, as his health deteriorates, he is kept in isolation, under the draconian 1969 Emergency Ordinance (EO) of Malaysia.

If you thought it couldn’t happen to you, then you might wish to think again.

Photos and & Videos Bersih 2.0 

Silly and absurd to object Bersih rally

By R Kengadharan
In July 2005, Bersih started out as the Joint Action Committee for Electoral Reforms. The primary objective of the coalition was to push for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia.

Bersih is of the view that “only when elections are clean and fair, can citzens be real masters of their own destiny and expect holders of public office to act accountably and effectively”.

Tell me what’s wrong with this objective? Is this objective laced with a sinister motive or could it undermine our peculiar cradle of democracy in any way?

Evil stalks the brave and threatens the peace

From P Ramakrishnan, via e-mail

I received an sms from +601119732179. The message conveyed to me was in Bahasa Malaysia and read: Members of the Bersih steering committee at the launch of Bersih 2.0

Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia.

Puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu? DAP cina sial tu pulak lagi haram jahanam. dia tengok je melayu bertekak. hujung2 dia perintah negara ni dan kristiankan kita semua. aku nak kasi amaran kat korang semua.

Kalau perhimpunan ni jadi, aku dan org2 aku akan bunuh ambiga dan korang2 keliling dia satu persatu, termasuklah orang2 politik bangang yg bersekongkol ngan kafir laknat tu.. ini amaran aku. Korang tengokla nanti.

Lopsided articles that insult the intelligence of readers

Malaysian Post : From David CE Tneh, via e-mail

Recently a writer (Baradan Kuppusamy) with a leading English newspaper wrote an article saying that Chinese Malaysians “cannot have it both ways”, with reference to the just concluded Sarawak state polls which saw the DAP coming into power in 12 state seats.

According to him, Malaysians of Chinese descent can either support the opposition, or the government. This wouldn’t work both ways as the community can’t have their cake and eat it too. What strikes me as alarming and sad is that the Malaysian mainstream media has sunk so far down that any possibility to resuscitate it would prove futile if such articles written by writers like Baradan Kuppusamy on skewed, flawed, and fear-inducing perspectives are allowed to be published.