Wahai Kawan-Kawan, Bukalah Minda Sikit

Post ini ditujukan kepada kawan-kawan saya yang dari Muslim Consumers’ Association of Malaysia (PPIM) dan Pewaris. Berikut adalah keratan akhbar yang dipetik dari The Malaysian Insider:

2 groups lodge report against ISA detainee Teresa

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 ~ The Muslim Consumers” Association of Malaysia (PPIM) and the Islamic NGOs, Heritage Associations, Malay Cultural Organisations and Related Bodies Cooperation Network (Pewaris) today lodged police reports against Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok over her alleged act to prohibit the “azan” call to prayer at mosques and surau in Kota Damansara, Sri Serdang and Puchong Jaya.

The reports were made by Pewaris advisor Rahimuddin Md Harun and PPIM complaints officer Mohd Nor Imran Yusuf at the Sentul district police headquarters at 11am.

Rahimuddin told reporters later the police reports were lodged because Kok’s statements could allegedly hurt the feelings of the Muslim community.

“We have made the reports so that the police can carry out the investigations on her because it is feared that the statements can spark racial animosity in Malaysia,” he said.

PPIM secretary-general Datuk Dr Ma’amor Osman said in a statement that PPIM supported the government’s detention of Kok, Malaysia Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Friday.

Tan was released yesterday.

“The detentions are proof that the government does not remain silent in matters involving racial sensitivities and the Federal Constitution.

“Matters such as these should be viewed seriously because, if ignored, they could incite hatred in the people, especially the Malays, because their special position has often been disputed by certain quarters,” he said.

Nasihat saya kepada kumpulan-kumpulan berikut adalah supaya jangan membuta-buta nak buat repot polis tanpa membuat penilaian atau mencari bukti yang secukupnya. Bacalah akhbar lain atau media lain selain daripada akhbar Utusan Malaysia. Akhbar inilah yang paling handal dalam taktik mengapikan isu-isu perkauman demi menghangatkan berita dan meningkatkan jualan. Ini sebenarnya sejenis taktik bodoh (lame) yang sering digunakan oleh segelintir penulis blog untuk menambah ‘hit count’ atau meningkatkan populariti mereka.

Kalau malas nak cari, saya telah carikan artikel-artikel yang berikut (Kesemua dipetik dari Malaysiakini). Bagi muka, baca baik-baik, boleh tak. My comments in bold red.?

Masjid Kinrara guna pembesar suara seperti biasa

Masjid Kinrara meneruskan amalan menggunakan pembesar suara seperti biasa kerana reaksi masyarakat bukan Islam di situ nampak tiada masalah, kata Pengerusi jawatankuasa masjid tersebut, Abdul Rahman Nasir.

“Penduduk Cina yang kita jumpa, banyak tidak ada masalah. Ada yang suka sebab boleh bangun awal,” katanya ketika ditemui Malaysiakini selepas solat Jumaat hari ini.

Dalam petisyen mereka, penduduk  yang menandatangani petisyen tersebut, meminta memohon supaya diperlahankan penggunaan pembesar suara untuk majlis ceramah, kuliah Subuh, kuliah Maghrib serta bacaan ayat al-Quran yang menggunakan kaset dan CD sebelum sembahyang Subuh di masjid tersebut. (Klaw: Adakah ini berkaitan dengan azan?)

Selepas berbincang dengan Satim yang juga wakil rakyat kawasan tersebut, Abdul Rahman berkata, Satim berkata ia merupakan perkara yang sensitif dan jika perlu, dibuat laporan polis.

Bagaimanapun, kata Abdul Rahman, sehingga ini, pihaknya tidak membuat sebarang laporan polis berhubung petisyen tersebut.

Beliau juga berkata, tidak ada ahli politik, termasuk Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kinrara, Teresa Kok yang datang ke masjid tersebut berhubung petisyen penduduk berkenaan. (Klaw: Adakah Teresa Kok terbabit dalam petisyen ini?)

Penduduk bukan Islam tidak bantah laungan azan

Penduduk bukan Islam di Seksyen 5 Bandar Kinrara, Puchong tidak pernah membantah penggunaan pembesar suara untuk laungan azan di Masjid Bandar Kinrara di situ.

Sebaliknya, mereka hanya memohon supaya diperlahankan penggunaan pembesar suara untuk majlis ceramah, kuliah Subuh, kuliah Maghrib serta bacaan ayat al-Quran yang menggunakan kaset dan CD sebelum sembahyang Subuh di masjid tersebut.

Menurut mereka, ini kerana ia mengganggu mereka untuk berehat atau bangun lewat, terutama pada hari Ahad dan juga untuk mengajar anak-anak mereka belajar pada sebelah malam.

Menurutnya, petisyen tersebut dihantar kepada Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Sri Serdang, Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman, pada pertengahan bulan Februari lalu.

Salinan petisyen itu, jelasnya, turut diserahkan kepada pihak masjid berkenaan, juga pada pertengahan bulan Februari lalu.

Bagaimanapun, kata Ee, salinan petisyen itu dihantar ke pejabat Teresa Kok yang juga Adun Kinrara dan exco kerajaan negeri Selangor, selepas pilihanraya umum Mac lalu.

Beliau menjelaskan, pihaknya turut menghantar salinan petisyen itu kepada Teresa kerana beliau merupakan Adun yang terdekat dengan kawasan itu, selain Satim (Klaw: Kalau saya hantar petisyen Hindraf ke Jabatan Perdana Menteri, adakah Perdana Menteri kita wajar dikurungkan dalam kem ISA Kamunting kerana terlibat dengan aktiviti Hindraf?).

“Kita di peringkat bawahan ini tidak senang untuk berjumpa dengan pemimpin atasan. Saya harap pemimpin di peringkat atasan dapat berbincang mengenai perkara ini,” katanya.

Faulty PA system the cause of ’silent’ azan

Masjid Kota Damansara officials have denied that their mosque had ceased sounding the azan from its loudspeakers due to pressure from non-Muslims.

They clarified that it was a damaged amplifier that resulted in the calls to prayers to be made without the aid of a PA system. (Klaw: Wahai kawan-kawan, adakah terbaca penjelasan ini dari Utusan Malaysia?)

Secretary of the three-week-old mosque Ahmad Redzuan Samsudin said a police report was lodged on Wednesday against former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo for claiming pressure from non-Muslims and a state exco-backed petition had forced them to stop making the azan through the loudspeaker.

“Last Saturday (Aug 30), lightning during a thunderstorm had struck and damaged the PA system. Thereafter, we borrowed equipment from the SMK Kota Damansara in Section 10, but problems with the wiring further delayed us from sounding the azans through the loudspeaker.
“There was no pressure from non-Muslims,” said Redzuan when contacted. (Klaw: Baikilah cepat sikit, jangan diperalatkan oleh Khir Toyo.)

The police report, lodged by mosque head Hassan Basri alias Basri Mohd at the Kota Damansara police station, quotes the latter as saying: “I see all of this as slander and an attempt to give rise to prejudice among the various races in Kota Damansara, an act of provocation to divide the community.”

In a Sept 9 Utusan Malaysia report, Khir was reported to have urged the opposition Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government not to concede to purported moves by “a certain party” to issue directions against azan made from loudspeakers of mosques in Kota Damansara and Puchong.

Dr Mariah dakwa isu kaum ‘permainan politik Umno’

Ahli jawatankuasa pusat PAS, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud mendakwa, isu perkauman yang ditimbulkan sejak akhir-akhir ini adalah “permainan politik Umno kerana kehilangan sokongan daripada rakyat bukan Melayu”.

“Sekarang mereka berusaha untuk mendapatkan balik sokongan Melayu Islam, kononnya dengan memperjuangkan Islam,” kata Dr Siti Mariah yang juga ahli Parlimen Kota Raja di Selangor.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas membuat laporan polis terhadap Datuk Seri Khir Toyo yang mendakwa ada usaha untuk menghalang laungan azan di Selangor.

“Kami tidak sekali-kali membenarkan pihak-pihak begini, untuk membangkitkan rasa tidak puas hati di kalangan rakyat Malaysia,” kata Dr Mariah.

Sehubungan itu beliau menyarankan, jika timbul perkara-perkara yang tidak menyenangkan agama lain, maka ia boleh dibawa berbincang di kalangan pemimpin pakatan terutama di negeri-negeri yang diperintahnya.

Beliau menafikan isu azan telah dibahaskan oleh (Ahli Dewan Undangan Sri Serdang), Datuk Satim Diman dalam sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Selangor.

“Pagi ini saya telah terima satu hansard dari Speaker - muka surat 44 hingga 49 iaitu catatan perbahasan Datuk Satim - tidak ada langsung timbul mengenai laungan azan, sedangkan dalam kenyataan Dr Khir, beliau mengatakan PKR dan PAS tidak berbuat apa-apa bila perkara itu timbul,” katanya.

Katanya, beliau menyemak hansard tersebut berikutan tulisan blog pembelamelayu.com yang mendakwa Ahli Parlimen Seputeh, Teresa Kok,  menyokong petisyen penduduk membantah azan di Puchong yang diserahkan kepada Satim Diman dan dibawa ke sidang DUN.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, beliau mendapati tidak ada petisyen yang dibawa ke dalam sidang DUN.

Bacalah sendiri. Masyarakat Malaysia telah dipermainkan dan diperalatkan oleh Khir Toyo dan akhbar Utusan Malaysia dalam usaha oleh UMNO untuk mewujudkan keadaan tegang dimana umat-umat Islam di Malaysia mempunyai syak wasangka terhadap masyarakat bukan Islam. Ini juga merupakan usaha Khir Toyo, yang hendak menjadi Ketua Pemuda UMNO dan akhbar Utusan Malaysia untuk digelarkan pembela bangsa Melayu dan Islam.

Pada pandangan saya, seorang pembela bangsa yang jati adalah seseorang yang berupaya meningkatkan masyarakatnya dari segi ekonomi dan rohani. Bukan meningkatkan cara hidup orang-orang yang telah kaya-raya (seperti polisi kerajaan kita) tetapi orang-orang yang miskin dan ditindas.

Khir Toyo, Utusan Malaysia, dan penulis blog PembelaMelayu merupakan pembela bangsa yang palsu dan patut dikritik, terutamanya dari masyarakat berbangsa Melayu sendiri. Adakah tugas seorang pembela bangsa untuk menanam benih kebencian terhadap bangsa, masyarakat, atau individu yang lain? Adakah ini sesuatu yang akan membawakan kebaikan kepada masyarakat tersebut, terutamanya dalam negara yang bermasyarakat majmuk seperti Malaysia? Fikirkan baik-baik. Adakah masyarakat yang bertindak kasar terhadap masyarakat yang lain merupakan sejenis masyarakat yang maju dan berhemah dan akan dihormati oleh masyarakat lain?

Sebenarnya, saya berasa sangat bimbang terhadap masa hadapan negara kita. Terdapat banyak ahli-ahli politik yang hanya mementingkan bangsa sendiri, tanpa memikirkan kepentingan bangsa-bangsa yang lain. Ini terutamanya dari parti politik UMNO, MCA, dan MIC. Walaupun terdapat segelintir rakyat yang mengutamakan negara dahulu sebelum bangsa, ini hanya merupakan minoriti. Sehingga kesemua rakyat, tidak kira kaum atau bangsa, boleh bergabung sebagai orang Malaysia untuk menghadapi dunia dan fenomena globalisasi, negara kita akan tetap mundur dan akhirnya akan dipintas oleh negara lain seperti Indonesia dan Vietnam. Pada masa itu, kitalah yang akan menjadi bahan ketawa negara lain dan mungkin akan menjadi sumber ekspot tenaga buruh kasar yang termurah di kalangan negara-negara ASEAN.

Saya sedar bahawa Bahasa Melayu saya agak lemah, dan kalau saya telah mengelirukan saudara atau saudari, saya hendak memohon maaf. Tujuan utama post ini adalah supaya kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia akan cuba berfikir sendiri dan tidak dipengaruhi oleh pihak-pihak yang suka melihat petelingkahan antara kaum. Dalam kes Khir Toyo, dia hanya berbuat begitu semata-mata untuk memenangi posisi Ketua Pemuda UMNO, yang dalam sejarah parti tersebut akan menyokong pemimpin-pemimpin yang agresif terhadap kaum lain. Saya tidak malu untuk memberitahu seluruh dunia bahawa saya hanya mendapat C5 dalam SPM tetapi masih tidak terlewat untuk saya memperbaiki cara penulisan saya, dan kalau ada saudara atau saudari yang sanggup memberi tunjuk ajar, sila emel saya (Guna link Contact di atas blog ini).

Hiduplah rakyat, tak kira apa bangsa.

Syed Hamid Introduces A Unique Way To Seek Protection

I’m glad. The Sin Chew reporter who was detained under the ISA yesterday has now been released, after 16 hours in custody. From the mouth of Syed Hamid Albar, our Home Minister, it was indicated that Tan Hoon Cheng would probably be released today.

However, I think there is a special Malaysian lesson to learn today. Let’s look at Syed Hamid’s words for some inspiration:

Speaking from Johor Baru this morning, Syed Hamid justified Tan’s detention under the ISA with a rare reason that it was as part of the government’s preventive measure ‘to ensure her safety’.
The minister claimed police intelligence have indicated that the journalist’s life came under threat after she reported an Umno division leader’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.
“She maybe released as soon as today after police have obtained all information needed,” Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by Star Online.

The lesson to be learned is clear. The next time you feel that your life is in danger, don’t file a police report, as that will not get you the protection you might need. They might just decide to throw you into the ISA for your protection.

Smart hoh.

Syed Hamid Albar says the darndest things hoh?

The Sassy MP Kena ISA

Newsflash, according to TheStar.
Teresa Kok just arrested under ISA. I believe this might be due to the allegation that she had submitted a petition to a mosque in Puchong to lower down the volume of the ‘azan’. However, the petition was not submitted by her, and it was not calling for the lowering of the volume of the ‘azan’, but calling for the lowering of the speaker during the ceramah.

Click here for a copy of the actual petition.

Fuck. They. Just. Arrested. My. Favorite. Politician.

Sassy MP, we will stand by you.

And people, I think this is the gambit. They are trying to get people out onto the streets. Then they will crackdown. Don’t fall into that trap.

The Messenger Gets Shot, The Guilty Gets Suspended

Sorry for the lack of updates the entire week, I was in Penang for work. My apologies for not making the time to post my thoughts.

As I settled down after the long drive home, I decided to pop the laptop open to read some news before heading to bed. Unfortunately, the news I read is causing my blood to boil, and in this current state of mind, I cannot sleep. (In fact, I debated whether I should be blogging with the emotional maelstrom I am facing, but I elect not to keep silent.)

Personally, I think Ahmad Ismail got off lucky. 3 years suspension from UMNO for putting the country at the mercy of Malay and Chinese racists? Fuck that. Gerakan and MCA might claim some sort of victory for this, but once again, they do not have the necessary courage (read: balls) to stand up when it REALLY matters. What is the use of filing police reports and calling Ahmad Ismail a racist, when in the end, they decided to let UMNO handle it instead of the collective ‘wisdom’ of the BN? It’s idiotic to think what Ahmad Ismail did is an ‘internal UMNO matter’. What he did was create a minor issue that got blown up to national proportions because he refused to keep his fucking trap shut.

Ahmad Ismail then held a press conference and still insisted he was right. Talk about fucking remorseless. To show how ’serious’ UMNO was in their ‘punishment’, they even had their secretary-general Tengku Adnan as part of the press conference. What kind of message does that send?

There have been calls by many, especially the voices from within BN (non-UMNO obviously) to put Ahmad Ismail in Kamunting Prison under the Internal Security Act. That is something that I will not agree on. For someone who blogs about hypocritical politicians, I cannot follow their footsteps by opposing ISA for the Hindraf leaders, while supporting ISA for Ahmad Ismail.

I want to make it clear that I think ISA is an evil law, in fact, there is no other law as evil as this in the country. A law that does not require one to be proven guilty to be jailed indefinitely violates the basic human right of the freedom to move and the freedom of a fair trial. And to be subject to detention under the whims of one person is just too much. How can a single person deny the freedom of another person, with the stroke of a pen? Is that person playing God?

Detaining Raja Petra for 60 days under the ISA is just pure tyranny. If he is guilty, then charge him. Don’t deny him his rights. Sometimes I wonder why our country keeps on producing politicians who are drunk with power, and will do ANYTHING, no matter how disgusting, to stay in power. Mahathir is a tyrant, and will always be remembered as a tyrant, amongst other things. Abdullah will be remembered not only as a weak leader, but a tyrant as well for using the ISA. Syed Hamid Albar will now join the ranks of these ‘distinguished’ leaders.

The straw that broke the camel’s back really came in the form of the following Malaysiakini news flash:

Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng has been arrested today under the Internal Security Act at 8.30pm at her home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

She is the second person to be arrested today under the tough security law which allows for detention without trial.
It is learnt that she has been taken by the police to the Penang police headquarters.

Tan (right) had reported that local Umno chieftain Ahmad Ismail had allegedly said that Chinese Malaysians are “squatters” in the country.

Her report sparked a nationwide outcry, resulting in Ahmad being suspended by Umno for three years after an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

Sin Chew had three days ago came out strongly to defend Tan, who was accused by Ahmad for misreporting his comments.

Tan, who holds a mass communications degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia, has been a journalist for nine years.

It is unclear whether Ahmad, who remained defiant despite being slapped with the suspension, has also been detained.

The asshole that said the words is not arrested. The asshole that asked for the journalist to be shot is not arrested. The journalist that reported what she heard, and whose version of events were corroborated by 2 other journalists, is now arrested.

A case of shooting the messenger, while the person who wrote the message gets of scot-free.

This is what Pak Lah calls judicial reforms for our country. How the hell are we going to fix our corrupt justice system when the police are applying the law selectively?

I am sick. I am seriously sick to the stomach with how our country is being run. This is a country that is being abused to the core. Will we start to see more mass arrests? Will there be unrest on the streets? I wish the answers to those questions were no. Unfortunately, I don’t know.

However, I do know one thing. If there is something that I learned about Malaysians since I started blogging, is that since March 8th, more and more people are speaking up. I hope that continues. The price for keeping quiet is to give the government of the day your silent approval. If the Internet goes silent, then there goes our final bastion of free speech. Fellow netizens, I urge you to speak up, and speak up loud. We must not tolerate tyranny.

By the way, on the rumors that there will be unrest on the streets soon, I urge you to take precautions. Don’t spread these rumors. You will be arrested. However, please take care of yourselves. Look after your neighbors. Don’t think our government is not capable. If the Sodomy 2 case can be used to prevent Anwar from taking power, the pre-conditions for May 13th Number 2 could be created as well to prevent Anwar from taking power.

Peace, and stay safe.

RPK Kena ISA


Newsflash! The evil law has been used again. Malaysiakini reports that Raja Petra Kamaruddin has been detained under the Internal Security Act at 1.10pm today.

I wouldn’t wish the ISA on anyone, but I would certainly think there’s a certain candidate in Bukit Bendera that deserves to be in there more.

I guess the only one who is capable of releasing him now is Anwar Ibrahim. So when will that be, I wonder…

It’s Official: Pussy Minister Backs Ahmad Ismail

Ahmad Ismail refusal to be taken down by anyone is pretty impressive. Like a wounded animal beaten and cornered, he has come out with drawn claws and attacked all his detractors. Among those that came under the fire of Ahmad Ismail is the reporter of Sin Chew Jit Poh who reported that Ahmad had said Chinese are just squatters in this country, and therefore will never have equal rights in this country.

Ahmad is insisting that his comments were taken out of context, and the statement that Chinese were squatters was based on historical fact, because he was referring to the pre-Merdeka period. This ‘historical fact’ has been given much more credibility after our country’s Pussy Mi….I mean, PM, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi agreed with Ahmad’s explanation, and defended Ahmad Ismail.

PM: Don’t create tension among races

KEPALA BATAS: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reminded all quarters, including the media, not to blow out of proportion or sensationalise issues to the extent of creating uneasiness or tension among the races in this country.

The Prime Minister said all parties needed to know their responsibilities to avoid doing things that could hurt racial sensitivities.

“It is important for us to control ourselves. I am saying this to the non-governmental organisations, associations, media, bloggers and SMS (short messaging service) users, that they must not create news which can arouse anger. This will not bring good to anybody,” he told reporters Saturday after chairing the Penang Umno Liaison Committee meeting, here. (Klaw: Apparently, when he refers to ‘all parties’, he left out politicians. Very sneaky, Abdullah. Very sneaky.)

Abdullah was referring to the alleged racist statement made by Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail at a ceramah (talk) during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election.

He said Ahmad had explained that he had made a statement based on historical facts and that it was not a racist statement as reported by a local newspaper.

“He (Ahmad) regrets that it has come to this and is upset that what he had said were historical facts, but were misinterpreted by the particular newspaper while the other newspapers did not do so.”

Abdullah, who is also Umno president, said of late the raising of racial issues had caused uneasiness to the various races in the country.

“People should not be raising issues that touch on racial sensitivities like religion and the social contract that can cause anger and disquiet. Unfortunately, this has happened.

“There are those who feel that their rights and sensitivities are not being considered, ignored or sidelined,” he said. - Bernama

So was Ahmad Ismail misquoted, and comments taken out of context? Two other reporters have came out and defended the Sin Chew reporter, because they had heard the same thing in the ceramah. The reporters agreed that he said it.

So what do other people think about Ahmad Ismail? I leave you with our good friend, Nazri Aziz’s viewpoint:

“There is no harm in saying sorry. Even if anyone from the other communities (Chinese or Indians) had in the past gone overboard, two wrongs do not make one right,” he said Saturday when referring to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement in his blog www.chedet.com titled Pohon Maaf and Pohon Maaf (2) over the last two days.

Nazri, however, agreed with Dr Mahathir that Datuk Ahmad Ismail must be responsible for the racial remarks he made in public when canvassing votes during the Permatang Pauh by-election and should face the Umno disciplinary board if he refused to do so.

“It is sad that he had dragged the whole Penang Umno into his own personal problem.

Ahmad is not a history teacher and yet he says in the country’s history the non-Malays were squatters?” he questioned, adding that he would be bringing up the matter with the Umno Supreme Council.

Wow. Funny how Nazri Aziz sounds more like Prime Minister material than Dollah. Sometimes, I wonder if I can take another 2 years of weak leadership under Abdullah.



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