My experience as a MAFREL election observer at Bagan Pinang

During the recently by-elections in Bagan Pinang, I had the privilege of volunteering as a MAFREL election observer. For someone whose only involvement with elections had been to vote once every 5 years, the experience was very enlightening and educational. Here is what happened:

I first read that MAFREL (Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections) needed volunteers to act as election observers in Zorro's blog, and decided to sign up. I emailed En. Arphan, who is the honorary secretary of MAFREL, and was sent a registration form to fill up and return. This was followed by a Elections Commission (SPR) form applying for observer status. I finally got to meet him when I delivered the form all signed and sealed.

En. Arphan is a gentleman of the old school, of whom there are very few left; he is the epitome of cordiality and good cheer, and always has time to spend with a friend, even one newly made. Here he is:

A gentleman through and through. Even an attack of gout did not prevent him from fulfilling his duty at Bagan Pinang!

Once the required pass was obtained, and we volunteers were instructed to report for a briefing at MAFREL's operations center in PD, on the morning of 10 October, the eve of the elections. I left home early, and managed to conduct a quick recce of the polling station I was assigned to, and made it to the briefing on time.

The operation centre was a modest single storey terrace house in Teluk Kemang (which I believe was lent by a well wisher). Soon, there assembled a very diverse group of Malaysians, with diverse (even opposing) political views, but all dedicated and united in the desire to see free and fair elections in Malaysia. Some even drove all the way from Kelantan!

Tuan Syed starting off the briefing

MAFREL Chairman Tuan Syed Ibrahim Alhabshi began his briefing by welcoming all the volunteers and introducing us to MAFREL's objectives, which are to:

1. Build confidence in democracy
2. Raise awareness and understanding of elections that are truly free and fair
3. Advocate for the adoption of better laws and procedures governing elections
4. Promote orderly elections free of corruption, abuse of power, violence, intimidation, harassment & fear
5. Help detect and report any breach of election regulations and procedure
   

In order for democracy to be meaningful, elections have to be free and fair (for a good definition of "Free and Fair Elections", see this declaration by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Read also their excellent book here). Independent, non-partisan observers can play a vital role in ensuring that, especially when the officials running the elections are civil servants beholden to one of the contesting parties.

Our Mission Leader, Kapt. (B) Maizon, being introduced

One more thing that he made clear was that as volunteers, we were "sukarela" as well as "dukarela", i.e. there were no funds for allowances, reimbursements etc., and we would have to bear our own expenses. However, those assigned to remote polling stations would be provided with a packed lunch. In practice, food was shared generously, and our leaders graciously took it upon themselves to bear the cost of meals together.

En. Arphan explaining the use (and abuse) of the SPR pass

As MAFREL election observers, our authority is of a moral rather than legal nature. Our effectiveness depends on how well we engage with the Presiding Officer (PO) and build credibility and trust.

En. Azmi, veteran MAFREL observer all the way from Kelantan. He shared with us his wealth of practical experience.

En. Azmi, who is a veteran of numerous MAFREL missions, gave us a rundown of the common issues we would face, and how to solve them. What was most interesting was the various tricks to watch out for; after listening to him, we felt qualified to be "Ghostbusters"!

Mission Coordinator Kol. (B) Shaharuddin showing us where our assigned polling stations were on the map

After the briefing was over we took a group photograph, then quickly got into our teams and organised ourselves for the journey to our respective polling stations the next day.

The Bagan Pinang Observers Team ready for action!

Our leaders: (from left) Tuan Syed, Kol. (B) Shaharuddin, Kapt. (B) Maizon, and En. Arphan

Over lunch, I took the opportunity to ask our seniors about their motivation for getting involved in MAFREL. What came through strongly was a common need to help the cause of democracy, without getting into partisan politics. I also perceived a shared realisation that democracy would be best served by a strong adherence to fairness and principles. Something that is being planned are voter registration/education activities. You can read more about MAFREL's plans here.

Having already recced my polling station in the morning, I had the rest of the afternoon free. I decided to trek up to the Tanjung Tuan lighthouse, which you can read about here.

As all campaigning was supposed to cease at midnight, there was the customary final surge of ceramahs that evening. We decided to attend the nearest one, which happened to be one where DSAI would be making a speech. The crowd was big and loud, and the speakers were even louder! One could see people from all walks of life amidst the carnival atmosphere. (Guess who was also there? Zorro, the doyen of the Barisan Rakyat bloggers, and members of the Special Bunch!)

The Grand Finale of PR's Bagan Pinang campaign - just before the 12.00 am deadline to stop!

After the ceramah was over, it was back to our "Markas", with the living room where the briefing was held earlier now doubling as a makeshift dormitory. Word to the wise: bring a tikar and bantal for the next mission!

Next morning, there was a rush for the bathroom, then get into our cars and drive to the polling station!

My partner and I got to the polling station in time, and introduced ourselves to the PO and police officers on duty. At 0800 hrs sharp, the polling began. It was humbling to see before us the exercising a human right that went all the way back to the dawn of democracy in Athens.

Outside the polling station, the excitement was palpable. All sides tried to get away with breaches of polling regulations and etiquette; my partner and I were kept quite busy!

Our final duty was to observe the counting. Once that was done, all that was left was to head back to op centre, and submit our reports for the day.

It was a long and tiring day, but it felt good to have done a little bit for Democracy. I'm looking forward to learning more about our elections, and to participating in the next ones. Let's never forget that "Vibrant Democracy Requires Eternal Vigilance!"

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Who I am, and why I blog

Recently, a young Malaysian, who is researching citizen journalism and citizen blogging in Malaysia, emailed me with some questions to answer. After sending him/her my reply, I realised that what I wrote was a statement of why I blog, and of who I am as a blogger. I reproduce here his/her questions and my responses to them, as a statement of principles.

1. What prompted you to start blogging?

Social and political developments in Malaysia. March 8 2008 gave me a lot of hope that Malaysia was on the right track as far as our social and political growth was concerned. However, by end of 2008, cracks began to appear in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, and Umno/BN began to make succesful attacks on the idea of a two party system, and on multiracial and multireligious cooperation in Malaysia. These attacks were also made through their Main Strean Media (MSM) and bloggers, often with dodgy evidence and very flimsy reasoning. I felt that I could do something to counter them, and to share with others my own opinions on how Malaysia should go forward.

Why is there a need to self-publish?

Before the advent of blogging, there were few economical avenues for ordinary citizens to get their views heard: letters to the editor in the MSM, or join (or form) an association and issue press statements (again to the MSM). At the end of the day, the MSM and their owners decide if your views are worthy of publication, and if your views are consistent with their agenda. Blogging allows me to avoid that "censorship", and to share my views quickly.

2. How would you categorize or describe your blog? (Is it a watchblog, political blog, community blog?)

I blog about the importance of human rights, freedom and justice in a democracy, and I blog about whenever these are threatened. The people and institutions whose actions I write about are politicians, government, MSM and other bloggers. So I guess that my blog is a socio-political watchblog.

3. Who/What are you sources of information?

1) What I personally observe and record at the events I attend, 2) tip-offs from friends and sources, which I verify first, 3) news from other bloggers and MSM, 4) the internet

Do you read news and blog about it afterwards?

Yes, but only if it is pertaining to what I write about: human rights, freedom and justice in a democracy

4. What do you understand about ‘citizen journalism’?

As I understand it, Citizen Journalism is ordinary citizens gathering news and presenting it along with their own views, using technology to reach a wide audience. IMHO, It's a democratisation of news (and views) gathering and dissemination.

5. Do you think you are practicing citizen journalism? Would you consider yourself a citizen journalist?

Yes, and yes

6. What do you hope to achieve through blogging? (Eg: To create awareness among the public?

1) persuade Malaysians as to the importance of human rights, freedom and justice in a democracy, and of the principles and values that underly them, 2) Create awareness about the ways in which MSM and other bloggers spin, lie and abuse logic to create inter-racial tension and fear for political purposes, 3) Motivate Malaysians to work together for a better future for our country

7. How would you define Malaysia’s current mainstream media?

Our MSM is 100% owned by either political parties or corporate interests. Therefore, the news they report reflects their owners' need for political and pro-corporate propaganda, not Malaysian's need for news and views on human rights, freedom, justice, good governance, transparency and democracy.

Do you still believe in their news reporting?

No. I always look for how they may be spinning the news in their interest. So should everyone else.

8. Bloggers are sometimes misunderstood for spreading non-objective (bias) commentaries. What is your take on that?

There is no misunderstanding there. There are bloggers who are very non-objective. Indeed, it may be questioned if true objectivity is even achievable. The key is for 1) Malaysians to be able to read everything critically, and 2) for all media (MSM and bloggers) to be transparent about what their position or slant is, and what they are advocating. I myself subscribe to the principles of Advocacy Journalism.

9. Are there topics/news that you choose not to blog about?

No. I believe that all topics that are in the citizens' interest can (and should) be written about responsibly.

Do you practice self-censorship?

If you define self censorship as "the act of censoring or classifying one's own work (blog, book(s), film(s), or other means of expression), out of fear or deference to the sensibilities of others", then my answer is no. However, I do subscribe to the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, and take pains to "Minimize Harm - Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect". I also choose to present my arguments in a way that (I believe) will be understood and accepted by my intended audience (Malaysians).

10. Some professional journalists do not approve citizen journalism because they believe that only trained journalists can write objectively and ethically. What do you think?

Looking at the way some professional journalists in Malaysia write, it's obvious that professional training is no assurance that a person will write objectively and ethically. IMHO, a citizen journalist can do just as well (if not better, because he/she has no editor to report to) as long as he/she is committed to ethical and objective writing and takes the trouble to learn and practice it.

p.s: Out of curiosity, is there a reason to remain anonymous? It would help me understand bloggers better.

I choose only to identify myself as Malaysian, because our current situation is one where people judge what one writes by one's religion, age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status etc. I would like my arguments to stand or fall on their own merits, not my identity. As an anonymous blogger, I feel more motivated to research and provide evidence for whatever I write, because being anonymous does not provide the automatic credibility (or incredibility) that some readers are content with.

I really hope that Malaysians will achieve a stage of maturity where they can read and evaluate arguments for what they are, and not be swayed by the name (and the religion, age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status) of who is saying it.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Murugiah's attempt to stifle legitimate political discourse (and give BN an edge in Bagan Pasir) must be opposed!

From the New Straits Times 4 days ago (bold emphasis mine):

Instant detention threat for talk on cow's head

2009/09/28

PORT DICKSON: Anyone bringing up the Shah Alam cow's head incident during the Bagan Pinang election campaign will be detained immediately and could face charges of inciting racial tensions.

The warning was made by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk T. Murugiah, who said that it applied to Barisan Nasional and the opposition.

"We will assign officers to keep tabs on all ceramah and other activities during the campaign and they will alert the police immediately if the issue is raised."

Murugiah is the deputy minister in charge of the National Unity and Integration Department.

"We want a clean and fair campaign and to ensure no racial or religious issues are raised to incite the people."

The real purpose of this threat is to protect Umno/BN from the political fallout resulting from the deep outrage Malaysians from all walks of life felt at the Umno/BN inspired cow's head incident. Futhermore, it is a pernicious attack on free speech in Malaysia and the right of Malaysians to freely discuss and exchange ideas on matters of national interest. If this threat is left unopposed, it will set a dangerous precedent for the future of political discourse in Malaysia: that the party in government can decide what we Malaysians can and cannot speak about.

To see that this threat has nothing whatsoever to do with preserving racial harmony in Malaysia, let's take a closer look at it, by examining some definitions first:

• Incite - to stir up or provoke to action
• Tension - a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness
• Racial - Arising from or based on differences among human racial groups

Put them together in this context, and "inciting racial tensions" means stirring up or provoking hostility, suspense or uneasiness between groups of Malaysians based on their race. The result of "inciting racial tensions" is that Malaysians would feel (and perhaps behave with) hostility, enmity and agression towards other Malaysians, just because they are from a particular other race.

Next, let's look at the cow's head incident. Was it a racial (or religious) incident, or was it a political one? Is it credible that the Malay/Muslim residents of Section 23 spontaneously decided to insult their Hindu neighbours? While there had been dissatisfaction over the temple for some time, the aggressive, thuggish behaviour only began after GE-12, when Pewaris, one of Umno/BN's "astroturf" organisations, got involved. After the incident itself, Hishamuddin and Mukhriz Mahathir provided justification and sympathy for the protesters, and Perkasa, another Umno/BN proxy, took up their case as a "jihad".

No, the cow head incident was not about race or religion per se, but Umno/BN would like it to have become one. It was just one of a series of activities inspired and encouraged by Umno/BN to destabilise Pakatan Rakyat led state governments, and in the longer term to polarise Malaysians racially and by religion. Although we Malaysians have not yet reached the stage of accepting and truly cherishing our diversity, we have been living and praying side by side and in relative peace and with mutual tolerance for centuries. Whenever there has been serious inter-racial conflict (e.g. 13 May 1969), it's easy to identify the political hands behind it.

However, this time it backfired badly on the perpetrators. Malaysians of all walks of life were horrified, and in a heartwarming demonstration of good values, principles and unity, civil society groups and opinion leaders of all races and religions rose as one to condemn the antics of the cow head protesters (and their backers). Unfortunately, Malaysia had already become a laughing stock in the world media.

Umno/BN were caught on the back foot, and realising how damaging the truth would be to them, they tried to expunge the evidence by getting the MCMC to go after Malaysiakini to remove the videos of the incident itself, and Hishamuddin's support for it, with the ridiculous excuse that the video was offensive to Hindus. In reality it was the spitting and stamping on the cow's head, as well as the threats of violence that was offensive to all Malaysians. All that the videos could do was to embarass Hishamuddin, and further damage Umno/BN's credibility as a party with values and principles for all Malaysians.

Now, is it important that Malaysians know what Umno/BN has been up to? Of course it is. We have the right to know how our government and politicians try to manipulate and divide us by race and religion so that they may hang on to power uninterrupted. We voters need to know the truth about the perfidy that pervades Umno/BN, so that we can boot them out in elections.

Would telling the truth about the cow head incident be "inciting racial tensions"? Only if the facts were twisted to imply that Malays and Muslims as a group are behind it, and meant to insult Hindus, and that Hindus should feel enmity towards all Malays and Muslims in turn. Given the fact that it was Umno/BN inspired, and that many Malay and Muslim Malaysians have strongly spoken out against it, this would be factually wrong. Anyone who argued so would be in the same category as the cow head protesters, their supporters, and people like Ridhuan Tee and Awang Selamat; they would certainly be inciting racial tension (whether all these people should be charged with sedition is another matter altogether).

Would it be in PR's interest to incite racial tensions in this way? They would have to be stupid to do so. The PR candidate in Bagan Pinang is a Malay from the Muslim party PAS. How would PR best explain the incident to the voters? By exposing Umno/BN's hand in the incident, and making it clear that it was about politics, not about race. Report the truth and let the facts speak for themselves; res ipsa loquitor, and the only ones who would deserve the rakyat's enmity would be Umno/BN dalang behind the incident.

Would doing this incite racial tension? Not in the least, but it would effectively kill off support for Umno/BN amongst reasonable peace loving Malaysians, including the Indian community who form 20% of the voters in Bagan Pinang. That is what Umno/BN is afraid of, and that is why they sent Murugiah to issue the threat. The last thing they want is a "clean and fair campaign", where Umno/BN's shenanigans can be laid bare for voters to see, and they have no qualms about abusing their position in government to threaten the rakyat.

So, how should we respond to this politically inspired "order" that is masquerading as concern for racial harmony? IMHO, we have to expose it. We need to organise ourselves so that the facts about the cow head incident are as widely known to every voter in Bagan Pinang, by all means possible. We must take great pains to show why it has nothing to do with race and religion per se, and everything to do with Umno/BN using racial and religious issues for political gain; i.e. politics as usual, Umno/BN style.

One more thing we must do. We must never let the idea, that the party in government can dictate political discourse, become accepted practice here. IMHO, we must call their bluff and challenge it by peacefully disobeying such an unjust order. We need a large multiracial and multireligious group of Malaysians who are willing to speak the truth and give the voters of Bagan Pinang the facts about the cow's head incident. These people must be prepared to be detained; and there must be sufficient others ready to take their place and be arrested in turn. Let's see how many of us Najib's 1Malaysia can arrest, and if it is willing to face the acute embarassment that will result once the free newsmedia start exposing it for the two-faced scam that it is.

Sincerely ,
Malaysian Heart

If our politicians are working only for their own interests, it is because we do not make them work for ours!

Dear Readers,

Hope you all had happy and meaningful Hari Raya holidays, because now it's time to get back to the work we must all do: bringing change to our country, beginning with ourselves.

Raja Petra wrote an excellent article, "Me serve the rakyat? Nah!", published on Malaysia Today yesterday. While I can't vouch for the factuality of the specifics RPK reported as going on behind the scene of Pakatan Rakyat Selangor, on the whole it seems plausible to me. However, what struck me the most were these words (bold emphasis mine):

It is therefore not difficult to understand why there is so much chaos in Pakatan Rakyat Selangor. Not only are PKR, DAP and PAS trying to outmanoeuvre each other. Internally, within PKR, DAP and PAS, there are many factions and each is trying to kill off the other.

We have inter-party and we have intra-party wars going on. And it is all because no one is interested in bringing changes or to serve the rakyat. They are only interested in seeking power because politicians naturally lust for power.

So we, the people, need to keep them in check. If power goes to their heads they will very quickly forget that it was the people who put them there. They will forget that they are supposed to work for the rakyat. They will become just like Barisan Nasional in thinking that the rakyat are the slaves while they are the masters.

Never trust politicians. They will use us when it best suits them. Then they will turn on us and betray the trust we gave them. And that is why the need for some of us to remain as political activists and not become politicians. This is so that we can whack the politicians when they forget themselves, which will be as soon as they win the election and form the new government.

Please read the entire article here. I feel that RPK has put it in the best way possible: if we elect a particular set of politicians, and expect that they will automatically do what is right and good for our country because (we hope) that they are good people, then we are in for a big disappointment. While I believe that there are individual politicians who are principled, the prevailing political culture and system, compounded by we Malaysians' apparent apathy to values and good governance, make it difficult for them to make their voices heard over the shrill cacophony of self-interest. As Franklin D. Roosevelt told A. Philip Randolph, who had just given FDR an earful on what direction America should be taking (my bold emphasis):

"I agree with everything that you've said, including my capacity to be able to right many of these wrongs and to use my power and the bully pulpit. ... But I would ask one thing of you, Mr. Randolph, and that is go out and make me do it."

If we want our government and politicians to listen to us, and act to promote our interests and aspirations, we have to make them do it. We have to have press freedom so that what they do behind closed doors is exposed in the open. We need to tell them what we want, keep track of their promises, and hold them accountable when they don't deliver. We need to fight for what is right whenever it is right, not just when it suits us or ours. We need to unite our voices so that when we speak, they sit up and listen. We cannot do this as long as we identify ourselves by our race and religion, as Umno/BN wants us to.

Our end goal must be to establish a new political culture in Malaysia: one where the rakyat's interests come first, and one where only principled leaders have a chance of being elected to office.

I believe that the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative is an excellent platform from which to make our politicians work for us instead of the other way around. Please read their charter here, read the SABM powerpoint presentation here and see Haris Ibrahim's speech here.

Whatever we want Malaysia to be, it's not going to happen if we just watch from the sidelines. It's time to get involved, people! ARE YOU, YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS REGISTERED VOTERS?

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

The Charter of the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Initiative

ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA

PREAMBLE:
Recognising that our beloved Malaysia is:

• A sovereign and independent member of the global community of nations;
• A polity founded on the principles of a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy;
• A multi-ethnic, multi-faith and multi-cultural society formed on the basis of a shared choice of membership;
• A country built and nurtured by the immeasurable efforts and invaluable contributions of all her people, past and present;
• A nation where her people are inextricably bound by a shared history, heritage, a common interest and destiny;
• A land blessed with rich natural and human resources.

And fully subscribing to the immutable and universal principle that we are all of a single human race and born equal;

DECLARATION
We, Anak Bangsa Malaysia, hereby declare that we are first and foremost Malaysians and Malaysia is our Home. We aspire to be the conscience of the nation and therefore pledge to:

1. Nurture the spirit of 'Unity is Strength' as enunciated in our Merdeka and Malaysia Day proclamations;
2. Honour and Uphold the Federal Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land;
3. Defend the constitutional provisions of fundamental liberties and equal rights for all citizens;
4. Respect our fellow citizens irrespective of ethnicity, faith, colour, class or gender;
5. Oppose all forms of prejudice, discrimination, oppression, persecution and injustice;
6. Cherish our multi-cultural heritage and celebrate our rich diversity; and
7. Respect and safeguard our natural and built environment;
   

COMMITMENT
We, Anak Bangsa Malaysia, herewith undertake to:

1. Engender a National Mindset to think and act first and foremost as Malaysians;
2. Engage the Hearts and Minds of our people to rise above the social constructs and divisive forces of ethnicity, faith, colour, class or gender;
3. Promote the humanitarian Values of inclusiveness, equality and justice for all;
4. Advance the principles of Good Governance, namely, stewardship, integrity, accountability and transparency;
5. Educate our people to be responsible and caring Global Citizens contributing to peace, prosperity and sustainable development.
   

We are committed to actualising the spirit and substance of Anak Bangsa Malaysia —
"One People, One Nation".

Towards this end, we are determined to take this message to the PEOPLE.

25th April 2009


Note: I photographed and OCRed this; please excuse any errors. You can read more about the SABM initiative here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. BM Version here.

MUST READ: What does Umno value? Another GREAT article from The Nut Graph

Dear Readers,

The folks at The Nut Graph have done it again! I reproduce here part of another powerful article from there, this time by Ding Jo-Ann. This article is sharp and incisive; it gets to the heart of the matter and drives a stake through it. It lays bare what our ruling party is all about:

"Since the March 2008 general election, calls have been growing for the BN to rethink the race-based politics that has kept them in government for more than 50 years. In the past, Umno has let its partners in the coalition, such as the MCA and MIC, speak up on Chinese and Indian Malaysian issues. This formula is not just lacking in terms of ensuring national unity; it's myopic in protecting the legitimate rights of all Malaysians.

The responses of Umno leaders to recent events prove just as much. They tell us that Umno's main priority is in ensuring that particular interests are protected. These interests, however, don't include those of minority communities such as non-Muslims and the indigenous people.

Additionally, there are many other ethnic groups that are not directly represented in the BN formula such as the Penan. There is no Penan-based party in the BN. With the current model, who then is supposed to speak up for them? Should the Penan have to set up a National Penan Party and win seats in Parliament before their plight is taken seriously by the government?"

If we find Umno/BN's values and priorities grotesque, let us remember that WE are the ones who are keeping them in power! Are we and our families registered voters? Did we vote in the last elections?

Please, please read the entire article here: http://www.thenutgraph.com/what-does-umno-value

If you like the quality of journalism practiced by The Nut Graph, please consider supporting them. Their investors cannot continue funding them, and they will have to close down if they cannot find adequate support.

As far as I know, The Nut Graph is the only Malaysian news organisation to have published a statement of their journalistic principles, that you can hold them to. If we do not support good journalism when we have it, then we have only ourselves to blame when we are left with the likes of Azmi Anshar and the mainstream media telling us what to think.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

The Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative: launched on Hari Malaysia!

On the 46th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia, another endeavour of hope has been launched: the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative, the goal of which is to actualise the spirit and substance of "One People, One Nation".

It is an initiative by a group of Malaysians who believe that we can, and need to, do better as a nation. The difference between this particular effort and the others that have gone before and that continue to suck our precious resources, is that these folk believe in, and know, what they are doing. They:

• Have identified the things (attitudes, mindsets, policies) that are holding us back as a nation
• Suggested a set of values and guiding principles that (I strongly believe) our nation needs
• Proposed a programme of specific actions to address those needs
• Suggested many ways how we as individuals can help realise the goals, starting with things we can practically do
  

Why is there a need for such an initiative? Because, as events post GE-12 have clearly shown, our political parties (on both sides) have not been able to effectively address our nation's need for a national identity and consciousness; for justice, human rights, freedom and democracy. Even though DS Najib is promoting his One Malaysia, it is vague and undefined beyond platitudes, and seems to be designed to present different faces to Malaysians from different communities. Furthermore, even as our PM goes around the nation promoting it, his cabinet and their mainstream media are working hard to divide Malaysians by race and religion, just so they stand a chance of winning GE-13.

PR on the other hand, have fared no better. As Kg. Buah Pala has shown, they have made election promises which they have seen fit to break, resulting in injustice being done to poor Malaysians.

It's clear (to me) that we need civil society groups to be the voice of the rakyat. We need to educate and empower ourselves to hold our elected representatives and our public servants to account. We need to decide how our nation is going to move forward and progress as a diverse democracy. We have to do this ourselves, for the political parties have let us down.

Who are leading this initiative? A small group of Malaysians led by civil rights lawyer Haris Ibrahim, of the People's Parliament. They are the folks who came up with the groundbreaking People's Voice and the People's Declaration way back in February 2008. Here they are during the launch of the SABM on 16/9/09:

And here is Haris presenting the SABM initiative:

This is a video where he talks about discrimination, social justice, inclusiveness and diversity (apologies for the poor video quality):

Please do visit the SABM website here and please do read the SABM Charter if you can (note: I've also posted it here) . I believe that if we want a Malaysia that is free from all forms of racism, discrimination and inequality, we need to seriously practise its principles in our daily lives.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

New Nationalism: Freedom with Empowering Peace

Dear Readers,

This is a joint statement made by more than fifty civil society organizations, where they spelt out a framework for a new national discourse which embodies diversity and dissent and the rejection of political violence as the true signs of nationhood.

New Nationalism: Freedom with Empowering Peace

We the undersigned civil society organizations believe that Malaysia must renew our national independence after Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak were brought together to become a new nation 46 years ago.

Following a series of saddening and outraging developments since the last Malaysia Day, we feel strongly the need for a new discourse of nationalism that denounces political violence and pursues empowering peace.

Diversity and dissent are signs of real independence.

We fully appreciate the complexity of Malaysia in ethnic, religious, linguistic, cultural, regional, socio-economical, gender, lifestyle and physical terms. We therefore do not pretend that there is a single Malaysia that would meet the expectation and aspiration of every Malaysian. We are proud with our own vision for the nation and at the same time respect those of others.

We see the differences in preferences and opinion of how this country should move forward as both inevitable and desirable - inevitable because we are free to choose; and desirable because we have plenty alternatives to consider. Diversity and dissent in public opinion are beautiful signs of real independence.

We believe, however, every Malaysian, politician and voter alike, must sign up to one common position: the elimination of political violence.

Political violence threatens our independence

Political violence refers to actions that aim to achieve certain political goals by causing harm to others or subduing them with violence. This must not be confused with legitimate exercise of freedom of speech, assembly and association where violence is not preached, threatened and executed.

More than violation of peace, political violence is exploitation of the physically weak and outnumbered. It deprives the victims of political violence their right to participate in public affairs and prevents the emergence of an inclusive outcome through the use of reason.

In fact, political violence is at the core of colonialism as it was the very means how colonial rule was imposed on us. National liberation is in this sense meaningful only when all citizens are free from further colonization of violence and may exercise freedom and reason in running their public life.

Four principles of Empowering Peace

In this regard, peace associated with fear that inhibits us from full participation in public affairs is but pseudo peace.

True peace must be empowering and inclusive to allow all Malaysians to contribute to and enjoy the national life. True peace requires rule of law and protection of human rights. It is therefore political, but in no way partisan.

We call upon every Malaysian citizen and organization, especially the politicians and political parties, to sign up to the following principles:

1. Zero tolerance for violence as a political means

Civilized life requires restrain and self-control. Conflicts should be solved through dialogues, deliberation, debates or litigation. There must be zero tolerance for the use, threat or incitement of violence as a political means, regardless of circumstances or subject matters.

In this sense, the perpetrators of the cow-head protest should be charged for incitement of violence, not sedition or illegal assembly. The thugs who threatened to rape Rodziah Ismail and to murder Khalid Samad, the elected representatives in Shah Alam, must be investigated and prosecuted for criminal intimidation. The threat of sexual violence, a common trait in many communal conflicts, is especially alarming and absolutely intolerable.

2. Fighting Hatred with Reason

Hatred exists in every society and can only be effectively eliminated by reason, not law. Given a vibrant public sphere, the flaws of hate speeches can be exposed and the perpetrators shamed. Legal suppression only weakens the society’s resistance to hatred by removing the need for intellectual rigour and moral courage to confront bigotry.

The latest harassment of Malaysiakini by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for featuring video-clips of the cow-head protest and the Home Minister’s press conference justifying the act is not only violating freedom of expression, but also protecting violence from public shaming.

3. The State’s Duty to Protect Political Participation

The state which monopolizes the legitimate use of violence should exist only to protect citizens from private violence, not to inflict more violence than necessary. The state’s coercive power therefore must never be used against peaceful political activities. Instead, the state has the duty to protect political participation.

Instead of arbitrarily arresting over 160 1BLACKMalaysia protesters, lawyers on duty, 589 Anti-ISA protestors and bystanders, the anti-PPSMI, Kampung Buah Pala and Hindraf protesters, and using unnecessary violence, the police should have only controlled traffic and maintained order. After all, the validity of the protesters’ causes should be judged by the citizen, not the police or the Executive.

4. Upholding Elected Government

The threat of political violence is greatest when political elites resort to means other than elections to attain power. Democracy is the only guarantee for political stability and peace. Politicians and political parties must therefore do their best to win elections honestly, not usurping power after elections. Otherwise, democratic breakdown may lead to coups or revolutions.

The Perak coup has seen an elected government being overthrown by a host of unelected institutions including but not limited to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Election Commission (EC), the Judiciary, the bureaucracy and the police. The partisan investigation of MACC in Selangor amidst the Barisan Nasional’s express wish to takeover the state had led to the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the first of a state official in the custody of a federal agency. If there is no firmed commitment from both sides of the political divide to democracy, the next election may see the military being the next unelected institution dragged into political struggle.

On the auspicious birthday of Malaysia, which should have been made a national holiday 46 years ago, let us all vow to make empowering peace the basis of public life of our nation so that all of us may enjoy real freedom.

The signatories:

1. 1BLACKMalaysia Facebook Page and Group

2. Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)

3. All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (AWAM)

4. Amnesty International Malaysia

5. Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

6. Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI)

7. Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS)

8. Civil Rights Committee, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH)

9. Civil Society Committee, LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLG-CSC)

10. Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI@Parliament)

11. Council of Churches of Malaysia Youth Network

12. Durham Malaysian Scholars

13. Gabungan Bertindak Mahasiswa Utara(GBMU)

14. Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC)

15. Institut Kajian Dasar (IKD)

16. Institute for Development of Alternative Living (IDEAL), Sibu

17. Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)

18. Jaringan Orang Asal Semalaysia (JOAS)

19. Jawatankuasa Penduduk Zon 23 MPSJ

20. Justice for Beng Hock Facebook Page and Group

21. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section (KLSCAH-YS)

22. Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (KAMI)

23. Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (DEMA)

24. Malaysian AIDS Council

25. Malaysian Indian Development Association

26. Middle Eastern Graduate Centre (Magc)

27. Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN)

28. Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)

29. National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI)

30. Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI)

31. Pahlawan Volunteers

32. Partners of Community Organisations, Sabah (PACOS)

33. Penang Du Zhong Education Society

34. Penggerak Belia Zon 23 MPSJ

35. Persatuan Alumni PBTUSM Selangor

36. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)

37. Persatuan Meditasi Projan KL & Selangor

38. Persatuan Penduduk Taman Muhibbah Seri Kembangan

39. Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)

40. Sarawak Central Region Friendship Association

41. Semparuthi Iyakkam

42. Sisters in Islam (SIS)

43. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)

44. Tenaganita

45. The Micah Mandate (TMM)

46. The People’s Parliament

47. TONIBUNG (Friends for Village Development), Sabah

48. Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)

49. Women's Candidacy Initiative (WCI)

50. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

51. Awal Nahdah Resources

Five ISA detainees released - THANK GOODNESS!!! Nine more to go!

(Mat Sah Satray with his son Shuaib. Photograph taken from here)

Mat Sah Mohamad Satray, Dr Abdullah Daud, Mohd Nasir Ismail @ Hassan, Ahmad Kamil Md Hanapiah and Muhammad Amir Md Hanapiah will be released from detention without trial under the Internal Security Act today. En. Mat Sah, who had been detained without trial since April 2002, is the husband of anti-ISA activist Pn. Norlaila Othman, or Kak Laila. She has worked tirelessly with the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA for the freedom of ALL ISA detainees. I'm really happy that Kak Laila and her family, and the families of all those released, will be able to celebrate Aidil Fitri with their loved one after so long.

But her work (and our work too) is far from over. There are nine people still detained under ISA: four Malaysians and one each from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Detention without trial is inherently unjust, and there exist enough laws to allow our law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest, charge, try in an open court and (if guilty) punish anyone who threatens our national security. If our law enforcement claim to be unable to protect Malaysia's security with the just powers they have been given, I say it is time for their leaders to step down and allow those more capable and committed to do the job.

Furthermore, our ISA has been abused to improperly clamp down on legitimate political activity and expression, even to torture and brainwash detainees into providing false testimony for politically motivated trials. This travesty must be eliminated.

(Kak Laila and son Shuaib, after being arrested during the anti-ISA protest, 1/8/09. Photo from here)

Please support Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA. Here are their principles:

GMI berpegang kepada prinsip bahawa tiada sesiapa pun yang berhak ditahan tanpa bicara. Seseorang itu perlulah di bawa ke mahkamah untuk pengadilan atau dibebaskan. Seseorang itu perlulah dianggap tidak bersalah sebelum dibuktikan bersalah (innocent until proven guilty).

GMI memperjuangkan prinsip-prinsip hak asasi manusia seperti yang termaktub dalam Arktikel 5 dan 10, Perlembagaan Persekutuan

GMI berpegang kepada prinsip bahawa penglibatan dan penggemblengan masyarakat adalah penting untuk melaksanakan perubahan

Repeal the ISA! Justice for all detainees! Close down the Kamunting Detention Camp!

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

UPDATE: Please read Kak Laila's blog post on their family's Aidil Fitri together here.

Would a British politician stand on stage with a weapon in hand? - Response to an anon

In response to my previous post "MUST READ: Would a British politician stand on stage with a weapon in hand? - Article by Dr Farish A Noor, from the Nut Graph", an anonymous commenter replied as follows:

No need to imagine, violent anti-islam demonstration did happen in Britain
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1205263/Police-arrest-31-demonstration-Islamic-fundamentalism.html

This is my response to him:
@ anon 3:02 pm,

Good of you to bring that to our attention, because it demonstrates the very obvious differences with our cow head incident, and our Malaysian political culture in general. Let's revisit what Dr. Farish wrote:

"Can anyone of us imagine a British politician standing on stage with a weapon in hand? Can anyone imagine a demonstration in Europe against a mosque or a Hindu temple where a pig's or cow's head is dragged out into the streets?

Can we imagine those involved not being arrested on the spot? Can anyone imagine a press conference in any European city where a politician is publicly threatened with rape — and the police do nothing?"

The protesters who claimed to be anti "Islamic extremism" were the so-called "English Defence League". They are the UK version of Pekida and Pewaris: thugs who threaten their fellow (minority) citizens with violence if they do not "toe the line". Just like Pekida, Pewaris and their UMNO inspired friends, the EDL were protesting against a place of worship.

Questions to consider:
1) Even with their disgusting fascist agenda, did the EDL protestors carry the head of any dead animal to insult any religion? No.

2) Did the police stand idly by while the violence went on? No. "A "significant number" of people have been arrested during clashes between right-wing protesters and anti-fascist campaigners in Birmingham." The UK police chief would have been sacked for incompetence if he had stood by and done nothing.

3) Did any UK government minister meet/sympathize with the EDL protesters and/or provide support and justification for their actions, like Hishammudin and Mukhriz did? No, the exact opposite happened. John Denham, the UK Communities Minister unequivocally condemned the EDL. This is what he said (extracted from here):

Right-wing groups who claim to oppose Islamic extremism are trying to provoke violence on Britain's streets, the communities minister has said.

Mr Denham said such right-wing protesters were trying to provoke an "overreaction" from the Asian community.

"Then people blame the people who overreact and the situation gets out of control," he said.

"We know from the recent past that provocation can lead to community division and overreaction unless we nip it in the bud very quickly."

The minister singled out the EDL in particular: "If you look at the types of demonstrations they have organised, the language used and the targets chosen, it looks pretty clear that it's a tactic designed to provoke, to get a response and create violence

John Denham has so accurately described what Umno/BN are trying to do in Malaysia, with their cow-head protest, Utusan headlines and blogger stories. Any UK minister who did what our Hishamuddin and Mukhriz have done would have been sacked.

4) The group which opposed the EDL were the UAF (Unite Against Fascism). As you can see in the video here, and the report here, UAF consists of Britons from various communities and religions, even white people. Their chant is "We are black, we are white, together we are dynamite". The UAF Chairman is Ken Livingstone, a white man. These people there fight for what is right regardless of their race, religion etc. In Malaysia, if a person speaks for justice regardless of race, he is called a "pengkhianat bangsa" by our racist politicians and their newspapers.

We in Malaysia too need to fight for what is right and just regardless of our own race, religion, gender, age, social status, class, selfish interests, etc. For 52 years we have not been able to learn how. I believe that with the "Saya Anak bangsa Malaysia initiative", we can.

Well done. Please provide more such examples, thanks.
mh

MUST READ: Would a British politician stand on stage with a weapon in hand? - Article by Dr Farish A Noor, from the Nut Graph

Dear Readers,

This is a short excerpt from a powerful article titled "Power, politicians and brutality", by Dr Farish A Noor, which was published in The Nut Graph today (bold emphasis mine):

"Southeast Asians tend to adopt a dismissive view of the West. And there are far too many right-wing ethno-nationalist leaders in our part of the world who cannot evolve any further than to continue in their nasty polemics against anything and everything Western.

But let us ask ourselves this simple question, and answer it honestly if we can: Can anyone of us imagine a British politician standing on stage with a weapon in hand? Can anyone imagine a demonstration in Europe against a mosque or a Hindu temple where a pig's or cow's head is dragged out into the streets?

Can we imagine those involved not being arrested on the spot? Can anyone imagine a press conference in any European city where a politician is publicly threatened with rape — and the police do nothing? Perchance, therein lies the difference between us Asians and the so-called secular, decadent, materialistic West."

Perchance we Malaysians have a lot of soul-searching to do?

Please read the entire article here: http://www.thenutgraph.com/power-politicians-brutality

If you like the quality of journalism practiced by The Nut Graph, please consider supporting them. Their investors cannot continue funding them, and they will have to close down if they cannot find adequate support.

As far as I know, the Nut Graph is the only Malaysian news organisation to have published a statement of their journalistic principles, that you can hold them to. If we do not support good journalism when we have it, then we have only ourselves to blame when we are left with the likes of Azmi Anshar and the mainstream media telling us what to think.

Sincerely,

Malaysian Heart

Is this what Rocky's Bru has turned into? How to read partisan blogs 4

(Updated Below)

The testimony of Sivanesan Tanggavelu that he was hit with a metal rod, punched, kicked, slapped all over and even caned on his genitals and the soles of his feet until he passed out from the pain, while in the custody of the ACA, should be cause for serious concern for all Malaysians. After all, we have been plagued with a series of suspicious deaths in custody, and we have seen many complaints against the high-handed tactics that Malaysian law enforcement agencies allegedly use. In the context of Teoh Beng Hock's mysterious death while in custody of the MACC (the ACA's new name), it raises an extremely serious question about the circumstances surrounding Teoh's death: did he also experience such abuse before he died?

Given the seriousness of the issue, what does Ahirudin Attan, editor-in-chief of The Malay Mail have to say about it? Here is his blog post of 9/9/09, charmingly titled "S'pender at Inquest":

NST 09/09: Beng Hock's inquest: Witness T. Sivanesan alleges he was slapped, kicked and caned on penis by MACC officer, showed underwear as proof

After all these years, many of us still can't get images of the mattress during the Sodomy Part I trial. And now we have this - a torn s'pender* at the Teoh Beng Hock inquest!

I don't know why the Coroner allowed Sivanesan's spender to the hearing. The MACC official who had caned his prick could be a rogue officer. If it's true, Sivanesan's bad experience should be brought to the Royal Commission that the
Government has set up in connection with TBH to look into the procedures at the MACC.

The Coroner must now allow for witnesses who were NOT tortured by the MACC interrogation to share their experience with the Inquest. Just a week ago, a GLC head told me of his experience. I'm sure he still has his untorn s'pender/boxer/underwear to prove his point.

* S'pender is an old slang, believed to be short for suspender, to describe underwear. It's like gostan, which is derived from go a stern, which we still use to mean reverse.

(Please read the Rocky's entire, updated post here)

Instead of being outraged and disgusted at the revelations, Rocky seems to be modeling behavour as if beating up suspects is something we shouldn't be too worried about. He seems to be more concerned about being offended by Sivanesan's torn underwear, than he is about (what is prima facie) evidence of abuse suffered by a fellow Malaysian, and serious misconduct by MACC officers, including one who was involved in Teoh Beng Hock's interrogation, done in our name.

Without offering any supporting evidence, Rocky is quick to rationalise and justify Sivanesan's ordeal as possibly the actions of a rogue officer. He makes light of Sivanesan's humiliation at the ACA hands, and to add insult to injury, he mocks Sivanesan's testimony by expecting us to believe that a GLC head would be treated the same as how someone like Sivanesan would be. Finally, Rocky chooses to enlighten us on the Malaysian slang for underwear; what an impeccable sense of priority and proportion he has!

What Rocky did is to divert our attention from the horrific implications about TBH's death which arise from Sivanesan's testimony. He did this by making fun of Sivanesan's alleged torture and humiliation by ACA officers, and focusing our attention on his torn "spender" instead. This is a common propaganda technique, namely dehumanising the victim to make their testimony carry less weight. Rocky's message is: Sivanesan's story is a laughing matter and a joke, we should all laugh at it and not take him seriously.

I'd like to know just who, or what, is Rocky spinning for this time?

From "The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect", (bold emphasis mine):

1. Journalism's first obligation is to the truth.
2. Its first loyalty is to citizens.
3. Its essence is a discipline of verification.
4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

There was a time when Rocky used to speak out against torture, police states and abuses of the weak by the powerful. When two Malaysians were detained at Guantanamo Bay, Rocky called upon the Abdullah administration to "demand that they are sent back here to be fairly dealt with", because (in Rocky's words), "Human rights does not exist in Guantanamo Bay". Rocky also remarked, in a post titled "torture for two", that Bush could "keep the two Malaysians - and everyone else - detained at Guantanamo Bay for as long as he wishes and also resorts to the harshest means - including torture - to get them to confess to their crimes and terror links." He also reported how Al-Jazeera accuses "the US of resorting to methods usually applied in 'police states'."

It was certainly commendable of Rocky to speak for human rights then. It is sad to see him change his tune now that his circumstances have changed. Does his criteria for what constitutes torture and abuse depend on who is signing his paycheck? Can The Malay Mail still claim to be "the paper that cares" when it's editor-in-chief does not even pretend to anymore?

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

UPDATED: Ong Hock Chuan from Indonesia, who blogs at Unspun, had this to say about Rocky today:

"... Rocky's Bru, a blog that used to speaks its mind, but now seems to be channeling the UMNO establishment. "

Looks like others have noticed Rocky's metamorphosis too.

What was Hindraf singing during their vigil?

Those of us who have seen the video of Hindraf's candle light vigil on 5/9/09, and the subsequent arrests by our police, would have heard the vigillers singing a song in Tamil, as they tried unsuccessfully to get to Dataran Merdeka. For the benefit of those of us who would like to understand what they were singing, and why, here is some info.

The title of the song is Tholvi nilayena ninaithaal, and it is from the 1986 movie Oomai Vizhigal. In the movie, politically connected thugs (who had earlier killed a journalist), destroy the printing press of a newspaper, in order to silence their investigative reporting. This song is what the editor sings to motivate his team after the attack. Here is a translation in English:

If we only dwell on on our defeated condition, how can we even hope of living?
If we consider this life a burden, isn't that trampling upon our mothers' dreams?

Having lost our rights, having lost our belongings, shall we give up our humanity too?
Being human, and still alive, how can we forget our dreams?

When dawn is about to break, why should our hearts be heavy?
When our hearts are full of courage, why should our eyes have tears?

Even if they oppose us, even if they spill our blood, can we ever change our path?
Our blood will only drive our fear away, then can our principles ever die?


Here is the song in full, as sung in the movie by P.B. Srinivas and Abavaanan:

Tholvi nilayena ninaithaal from Oomai Vizhigal

Some people find that anything which is unfamiliar to them makes them uncomfortable; hence they become intolerant towards it. This is especially true if there are negative stereotypes and prejudices already associated with that particular community. People like blogger Dnightcaller even go so far as to call Hindraf "biadap" simply for choosing to sing a Tamil song.

I believe that if we take the trouble to understand our fellow humans better, we will find that they feel exactly what we feel, and that what they want for their children is exactly what we want for ours. However, we first need to get over our own prejudices and speak (and act) against the subtle (and often not so subtle) racism that our fellow Malaysians still suffer in our midst.

If you would like to join them in singing this song, here are the lyrics in Romanised Tamil.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

My gratitude to M.A. for providing the translation, and explaining its meaning to me.

"I am an individual" - excellent post by Hussein Abdul Hamid

Blogger Hussein Abdul Hamid, who blogs at Steadyaku47, writes this excellent entry, part of which I reproduce here:

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

I am an individual.

The state of affairs now seen on our country leaves us with no other conclusion then that UMNO has failed. It has failed in its effort to justify their demand that we Malaysian should allow them to continue for another fifty years with their tinkering of our democratic values and principals as a trade off to the ongoing development of our country and the yet to be achieved uplifting of the Malay race to be a developed ethnic community. Two remarkable and truly laudable goals -- economic development and the rise and rise of the Malays - but arguments that are fundamentally flawed.

The Government insists that the particularity of Malaysian Politics, its multi ethnic divides and its religious enclaves make a need for the ISA to be enforced arbitrarily over its people. It continues to dominate over its people who live defenseless under its shadows. And in all this there is no political accountability in what they do.

I say that the Politics of Barisan Nasional is no longer appropriate for our people, for our country. I say that a multi ethnic, multi party democracy is what we need. We no longer want a trade-off between democracy and development. Between freedoms to demonstrate responsibly as against what the Government perceives as our inability to do so without causing riot and chaos in the streets.

Please read his entire post here: http://steadyaku-steadyaku-husseinhamid.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-am-individual.html

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Y.B. Sivarasa on DSAI's prosecution - videos from Media Rakyat

Dear Readers,

This is a must see from the folks at Media Rakyat!

Sivarasa Rasiah: You The Rakyat Be The Jury (Pt 1)

Sivarasa Rasiah: You The Rakyat Be The Jury (Pt 2)

Sivarasa Rasiah: You The Rakyat Be The Jury (Pt 3)

These videos (and lots more like them) are available at Media Rakyat. In their own words:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights indicates: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”

Mediarakyat is dedicated to improve the freedom of information in Malaysia.

At Mediarakyat, you will find plenty of informative & interesting video clips concerning current events & speeches that the mainstream newspapers & TV stations may not be able to cover or reluctant to cover.

Please consider supporting them so that they may bring us the news and views that BN does not want us to know about.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Democracy, according to Rocky

In Rocky's latest post, "Seksyen 23 residents prevail", he writes (bold emphasis mine):

Temple relocation shelved. Not a good day for Khalid Ibrahim. The Menteri Besar's dialogue with the Section 23 residents this morning went awfully awry.
Lessons for the govt:
1. Unilateral decisions don't pay, especially with a weak government/leadership
2. Democracy is alive (especially after a demonstration)

Is this is what he is referring to as Democracy?

Hindraf's candle light vigil 5/9/09 - what I observed

Map of Dataran Merdeka and its environs

As I crossed Jalan Kinabalu to get to Dataran Merdeka, it was 6 pm. In front of St. Mary's church (A on the map), I could see police officers walking towards Jalan Raja, adjusting their uniforms and berets. Ahead, there was a police "balai bergerak", and a van. An assortment of uniformed officers stood by, while about 25 - 30 people dressed in plain clothes milled about.

There were a few tourists and photographers along Jalan Raja, but nowhere near it's usual Saturday evening crowd. A group of press photographers were there too; I heard them joke that they would outnumber the protesters.

Media photographers. Anyone else?

The police began to place metal barricades at the entrances to Jalan Raja in front of Dataran Merdeka. Traffic policemen on their big bikes rode to and fro. At one corner of Dataran Merdeka (B), the people in plainclothes formed into rows, and a uniformed officer spoke to them.

Briefing?

At about 6.20 pm, officers approached the people along Jalan Raja, and asked them to leave the area. The reason given was that the police had declared the area a "restricted area", and that they were about to begin "operations" there. I did not see any notices or signs to that effect anywhere.

As I made my way out across the barricade, I noticed that the officers manning it diverted all motor and pedestrian traffic away.

The barricade

Interestingly, there were a number of scruffy looking people scattered about the area. One could easily have taken them for Dataran Merdeka groundskeepers or similar, until one noticed the walkie-talkies they were carrying.

The entry onto the flag platform (C) from the Selangor Club was not barricaded. As I walked onto the area, at 7 pm, I saw that some who had come to attend the vigil were already there. They were waiting for the vigil to start.

At about 7.15 pm, two uniformed policewomen approached some of the people there and (it seemed to me) politely asked them to leave the area. The people there did not leave. Later, someone said that the main group of Hindraf vigillers were on their way from Jalan Tun Perak. We waited for them to appear.

Two policewomen asking people to leave

At 7.45 pm, I noticed that there were lots of blue flashing lights at the junction of Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja (D). At 8 pm a siren sounded, and someone said that the vigillers had been arrested. I followed a small group that made its way across the field and towards the flashing lights at the Jln. Tun Perak junction. There, I saw a police lorry and a van with lots of police milling around, including ones in riot gear.

The van

Press photographers were snapping away at the vehicles, but I was unable to make out who was in it. Both vehicles left soon after.

The lorry leaving

At about 8.15 pm, someone said that the remaining members of the Hindraf vigillers were near the Masjid Jamek LRT station (E), and we walked there. On the way, I saw the trampled remains of roses, and candles, on the sidewalk.

"Weapons" of mass liberation

The Hindraf folk were standing together on the sidewalk, talking in hushed tones. They were calm, but their concern for their arrested colleagues was clear. They related how some of them were arrested even as they were walking away from the police, trying to comply with the order to disperse. I heard some of them try to account for those who had been arrested. Standing in the station and observing the group, were two gentlemen in plainclothes, each with a small bag slung across his shoulder.

A few of them still had some candles left, which they lit as they stood together silently on the sidewalk. As I took a photograph, one of them said something barely audible. Translated it meant "what a cruel country".

Are we a cruel country?

Suddenly, someone said that there were police officers on the way to arrest more people. The small group dispersed, leaving only a few behind. I saw a group of approximately 5 uniformed officers walking towards us from Jalan Raja. Some of them stationed themselves at the sidewalk, while the others seemed to be looking for the vigillers along the riverbank opposite the Masjid Jamek (F).

Back at the LRT station, I noticed 2 women vigillers standing at the corner, busy with their cellphone, with the uniformed officers standing not far away, and the plainclothes people still keeping watch from above.

That was the situation at the Masjid Jamek station when I left at 8.35 pm.

Please read these news reports here and here, see the video here, and read Hindraf's statement here. (UPDATED: Please also see photos taken by Hindraf here.)

Have we done right by our brothers?

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Y.B. Khalid Samad - a principled Malaysian leader (UPDATED)

(Photo of Y.B. Ir. Khalid Samad from here)

Never let it be said that there are no principled politicians in Malaysia. There is at least ONE, and his name is Y.B. Khalid Samad, M.P. for Shah Alam, and a member of PAS Central Political Bureau.

In the wake of the BN inspired cow's head incident, when our government ministers have chosen to defend bigots who threatened violence on their fellow Malaysians, our law enforcement has chosen to practice double standards, and BN's propaganda machine is working overtime to spin the story in their favour, Y.B. Khalid has chosen to stay true to his principles and values, even if it means losing in the next election.

Instead of doing what politicians do to stay "popular", i.e. pander to their "base", dog-whistling and engage in populist demagoguery, he has become (along with some very principled non-politicians and politicians) the voice of reason in a sea of intolerance and hate.

Here is his letter to the residents of Section 23, in full (from here):

Friday, September 4, 2009

Surat Terbuka Untuk Penduduk Seksyen 23

2hb September 2009 M
13 Ramadan 1430 H

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Kehadapan penduduk Seksyen 23 yang dihormati,

Semoga surat ini menemui tuan-tuan dalam keadaan sihat wal afiat serta keimanan yang teguh dan jitu berkat bulan Ramadhan ini.

Saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengingatkan diri saya serta tuan-tuan akan Firman Allah, Surah Al Maaidah ayat 8 yang bermaksud;

“Bertindak adil! Ianya lebih rapat dengan keTaqwaan.”

Semoga dalam usaha kita membina keTaqwaan dalam bulan Ramadhan ini, kita mengingati hakikat bahawa ‘keTaqwaan’ yang diusahakan itu mempunyai hubungan rapat dengan keadilan. Keadilan ini pula perlu dilaksanakan terhadap semua, walaupun terhadap yang tidak disenangi. Ini ditegaskan di dalam ayat yang sama yang bermaksud,

“dan jangan oleh kerana kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum menyebabkan kamu tidak berlaku adil…”

Kalau terhadap kaum yang dibenci sekalipun dituntut keadilan, apatah lagi terhadap jiran sekampung dan warga sekota? Walaupun mereka tidak sebangsa dan seagama, hakikatnya mereka tidak memusuhi kita atau memusuhi Islam. Maka, mereka layak mendapat layanan yang adil. Adakah adil sekiranya kita menafikan mereka hak tempat beribadat yang berhampiran dan sebaliknya memaksa mereka ke seksyen 22, di tengah-tengah kawasan Industri berat, jauh dari kawasan kediaman? Tiada apa di sana kecuali kilang-kilang.

Saya hanyalah seorang wakil rakyat yang dipilih oleh tuan-tuan melalui pilihan raya yang diadakan pada masa-masa tertentu. Saya tidak berhak memaksa apa-apa pandangan atau keputusan ke atas tuan-tuan semua. Saya hanya mengharapkan keputusan yang tuan-tuan rumuskan sendiri berhubung cadangan pemindahan kuil ke Seksyen 23 mengambil kira persoalan keTaqwaan dan keAdilan seperti di atas.

Islam adalah agama yang adil. Keadilannya mampu menawan hati semua manusia. Yang paling saya takuti adalah tindakan yang memberikan gambaran bahawa Islam adalah sebaliknya. Allah murka terhadap mereka yang bertindak dengan cara yang merosakkan imej Islam sehingga menyebabkan manusia terhalang untuk mengenali keadilannya. Allah berfirman ayat 94 Surah An-Nahl yang bermaksud:-

“Dan kamu ditimpa kehinaan kerana menjadi penghalang kepada jalan Allah (disebabkan tindakan buruk kamu) dan untuk kamu azab yang amat dahsyat (pada hari akhirat kelak)”

Ada yang bertanya kepada saya, tidakkah saya khuatir saya kalah dalam Pilihan Raya yang bakal tiba oleh kerana isu ini. Bagi saya sekiranya itulah kehendak pengundi, apakan daya? Yang penting sejarah akan menjadi saksi bahawa ada Ahli Parlimen dari parti Islam yang memperjuangkan keadilan untuk semua walaupun orang Hindu. Seperti kisah seorang raja Islam di Mysore, Bangalore, India pada abad ke 18 yang bernama Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Tippu (Tippu Sultan). Rakyatnya terdiri daripada orang Islam, Hindu dan Sikh. Hingga ke hari ini rakyat India masih menceritakan mengenai pemerintahan beliau yang berasaskan Islam sebagai sebuah pemerintahan yang adil.

Semoga Allah memberkati kita semua dan memimpin kita ke jalan yang diRedhaiNya.

وسلام عليكم و السلام على من التبع الهدى
YB KHALID BIN ABDUL SAMAD
Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam


Reading his letter, what are the principles and values that we can see him hold dear? I can see him uphold justice, fairness, equality, inclusiveness and acceptance of diversity, civility, good neighbourliness, empathy and humility. These are the very values that we need if we are going to rid Malaysia of racism, bigotry, corruption, oppression, bad governance and tainted judiciary.

Y.B. Khalid has shown himself to be one person who is truly worthy of the title "Yang Berhormat". Such people are more than mere politicians; they are leaders, and statesmen. Long may he lead us, and may Malaysia be blessed with more citizens such as he. If you appreciate his principled stand, and would like to encourage and support him, please consider sending him a message at his blog here.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

UPDATED: Please read this excellent article on Y.B. Khalid at "Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia". He/she writes: "Inilah bakal pemimpin Malaysia yang akan membawa Malaysia ke arah perpaduan." I concur.