A quick one, folks.
There has been a call for Malaysians to observe a moment of silence in reflection of what has happened in our nation.
It is held tomorrow and details are as follows:
Date: 15.9.2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 11pm
Venue: KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
Attire: A black shirt/T-Shirt
The silence is going to last for 47 minutes - to mark the number of years Malaysia has come into being.
To avoid the temptation to talk, please bring along material for reading/writing/drawing etc. It is after all going to be 47 minutes.
Do encourage family members and friends to attend.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The UMNO-Perkasa Relationship
There was an interesting page on Malaysiakini about the relationship between UMNO and Perkasa where the whole good cop/bad cop routine was exposed.
Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised that there are a few people in Malaysia who are not entirely clueless as to how UMNO and Perkasa operate.
The good cop/bad cop routine is usually used when questioning suspects in the interrogation room.
Usually the bad cop enters first. He proceeds to scare the living hell out of the suspect or witness.
Be it throwing tables around, bellowing in rage, or roughing up the witness, he certainly does a good job of intimidating.
But not all witnesses succumb to the bad cop. That's why we have the good cop, who shows up when the witness is still reeling from the experience with bad cop.
He speaks in soothing tones, perhaps even apologises for the behaviour of the bad cop. "Talk to me," he urges gently, "you can trust me."
A lot of witnesses fall for that routine.
In Malaysian politics, UMNO is the good cop, while Perkasa is the bad cop.
Perkasa goes all out to unnerve the citizens, especially the Chinese and Indians. Then UMNO comes in to soothe those frayed nerves.
It is a very effective tag team. Until it is unmasked, that is.
Previously, UMNO used to go out and do the fear-mongering on their own. The old routine of May 13 was rehashed so many times, it's a miracle that people are still falling for it.
But then again, most Malaysians are afraid of their own shadows, so I shouldn't be surprised.
UMNO has discovered that the cow-head protests, the burning of churches and other hate-crime is a blight on its reputation.
So these days they get Perkasa to do their dirty work for them.
Oh yes, you can't have one without the other. You can't have UMNO without Perkasa.
The good cop/bad cop routine is usually used when questioning suspects in the interrogation room.
Usually the bad cop enters first. He proceeds to scare the living hell out of the suspect or witness.
Be it throwing tables around, bellowing in rage, or roughing up the witness, he certainly does a good job of intimidating.
But not all witnesses succumb to the bad cop. That's why we have the good cop, who shows up when the witness is still reeling from the experience with bad cop.
He speaks in soothing tones, perhaps even apologises for the behaviour of the bad cop. "Talk to me," he urges gently, "you can trust me."
A lot of witnesses fall for that routine.
Perkasa goes all out to unnerve the citizens, especially the Chinese and Indians. Then UMNO comes in to soothe those frayed nerves.
It is a very effective tag team. Until it is unmasked, that is.
Previously, UMNO used to go out and do the fear-mongering on their own. The old routine of May 13 was rehashed so many times, it's a miracle that people are still falling for it.
But then again, most Malaysians are afraid of their own shadows, so I shouldn't be surprised.
UMNO has discovered that the cow-head protests, the burning of churches and other hate-crime is a blight on its reputation.
So these days they get Perkasa to do their dirty work for them.
Oh yes, you can't have one without the other. You can't have UMNO without Perkasa.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Sunday, 5 September 2010
BN Govt Coming Down Hard On Freedom Of Expression
You and I know how that went.
A mirror site popped up almost immediately, and Malaysians, being the busybodies that they naturally are, forwarded the link for the new site to everyone they knew.
I received the link to that mirror site at least 5 times via email.
And then they put the Malaysia Today blog owner Raja Petra Kamarudin behind bars using the draconian Internal Security Act as a tool. RPK has since wisely left the country, but is still running the blog from abroad.
Now they are coming down hard on individuals who speak out against the injustices of the BN government.
Journalist Helen Ang was one of them - for her superb article posted on the CPI website regarding NEP and minority religions.
Then Wee Meng Chee (better known as Namewee), was questioned for more than 7 hours over his rap song criticising a blatantly racist headmistress.
The irony of the situation is that the headmistress went scot-free with her statements.
Malaysia to monitor Internet for 'harmful' blogs (from AFP)
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has formed a task force to scour the Internet for blog postings deemed harmful to national unity, authorities said on Friday in the latest of a series of actions against new media.The government, bound by its pledge not to censor online content is now clamping down on individuals who rightfully speak their mind by posting material online.
Home ministry deputy secretary general for security Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi said the unit would involve the police, Internet regulators, the information ministry and the attorney general's chambers.
"It is a mechanism that will coordinate these various agencies to help monitor what is being said in cyberspace and to take action against those that are trying to stoke racial tensions and disunity," he told AFP.
Abdul Rahim said the group would also monitor alternative and mainstream media for similar content.
"There is a disturbing trend now appearing on the Internet where some people are inciting racial unrest and causing confusion and this will damage the peace we have in the country," he added.
Abdul Rahim cited the recent case of a Facebook page that insulted Muslim Malays. They make up the majority of Malaysia's multicultural population, alongside large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Police are also investigating ethnic Chinese rapper Wee Meng Chee for sedition, after he posted a three-minute rap on YouTube criticising a Malay headmistress accused of making racial slurs against minority students.
The government has ordered a probe into the case which caused anger among Malaysia's minorities, who complain their rights are being eroded as the country becomes increasingly "Islamised".
In another case, Malaysian journalist Irwan Abdul Rahman was charged this week over a satirical blog which made fun of the state power firm Tenaga, and faces a year's jail if convicted.
The prosecution caused a stir because unlike the mainstream press, the web and online media in Malaysia have remained relatively free, despite occasional raids, bans and government criticism.
Major newspapers and broadcasters are closely linked with the ruling coalition, so the Internet has become a lively forum for dissent and debate.
The government in 1996 pledged not to censor online content as part of a campaign to promote its information technology sector.
It would be amusing were it not so tragic, that the intention is portrayed as so noble - protecting the peace in the country.
The only problem for BN is that the Malaysian citizen of average intelligence knows that it is the grandmaster of racial unrest and disunity.
But the frequency and intensity of these events has me worried. I believe something really big is coming - and very soon.
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