The ISA Again!

I once asked if they were really listening when it came to oppressive laws, back in Sept 16 this year when Najib promised to abolish the draconian Internal Security Act.

Back then I said, "To begin with, Najib's promises are not something I take very seriously. I believe this is basically posturing for the international scene."

So I was expecting some sort of stupidity but I was still disturbed when I heard that 10 activists were arrested under that very law!

TAWAU: Ten religious teachers and Islamic activists were arrested here under the Internal Security Act (ISA) by a team of police officers from federal police headquarters Bukit Aman.

The counter-terrorism operation by the Special Assignment Team was led by DSP Azman Omar. The police gave no information on the arrests.

The families of the detainees were informed on Tuesday that their relatives were being detained under the ISA which allows for detention without trial. They can be kept incommunicado for 60 days, after which the Home Minister can detain them for two years.

According to sources, those arrested were all PAS members or supporters, including respected religious teachers in the Tawau district.

Sabah PAS commissioner Mohd Aminuddin Aling questioned the arrests which he said were made without warrants, notice or any prior information. He also complained that the police operation was conducted in front of wives and children.

It is utterly bizarre that there would be arrests for no major reason.

Frankly, it seems to me like Muhyiddin is trying to sabotage Najib and make him look bad.

Are They Really Listening When It Comes To Oppressive Laws?

Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch once said, "It’s a fallacy to suggest Malaysia needs laws that violate basic rights in order to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society. Malaysians have time and again proven themselves capable of exercising the basic democratic rights to which they are entitled. It’s time their government listened."



For Hari Malaysia today, the PM Najib promised to "abolish" or "repeal" the Internal Security Act (ISA). The question is, was he listening to the citizens he serves?

Now the ISA is the most popular of Malaysia's draconian laws. Most of the detainees are high profile politicians and other opponents of the government, along with a sprinkle of genuine terrorists.

While the ISA may not be used anymore, nothing has been said about the Emergency Ordinance which has been abused far more than any other law.

It took at least 2 weeks of candlelight vigils around Kuala Lumpur to get the government's attention. The PSM6 were in custody for over a month.

To begin with, Najib's promises are not something I take very seriously. I believe this is basically posturing for the international scene. After all, the Sydney Morning Herald appears to have bought his claims in Malaysia to abandon its harshest laws.

What the SMH also has missed is the fact that two of the laws that are purportedly being repealed are merely being replaced by two other differently-worded laws but with potentially same consequences.

So did we really gain our basic democratic rights? Has the government listened?

Must Watch - Internal Security Act !

Selvach Held Under ISA??

We all know the BN government is stupid, but to put the witness who implicated police in the R Gunasegaran death-in-custody inquest under ISA?

I grow more and more in awe of BN stupidity each day.

First, the witness was arrested in a violent manner in full view of other witnesses. Then he was slammed with trumped up drug charges.

Evidently nothing could hold water.

And when all else fails, bring in the Internal Security Act.

Related:
Time to walk your talk, people. Selvach needs us now. Will you be there for him?

Another Excuse For Using The ISA

Just after the candlelight vigil protesting the use of the Internal Security Act, the BN government detains terror suspects.

I think terrorists should be arrested and put behind bars, though not detained under the ISA.

Everyone, regardless of race, religion and social standing, deserves justice.

Sufficient evidence should necessary to convict them, if they are indeed genuine terrorists, and not some fictional characters cooked up by the BN government to strike fear in the hearts of people.

Malaysia arrests 3 suspected militants possibly linked to Indonesian radical cleric

By The Associated Press (CP) – 9 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia arrested three suspected militants believed to have ties with a radical cleric in Indonesia who was charged this week with helping plan terrorist attacks, officials said Thursday.

The two Malaysians and an Indonesian were detained Wednesday for suspected involvement in activities that could jeopardize national security and for alleged links with foreign militants, national police chief Musa Hassan said in a statement.

Police identified the Malaysians as Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Junaid, a 70-year-old businessman, and contractor Samsul Hamidi, 34, while the Indonesian was listed as Mustawan Ahbab, a 34-year-old marketing executive. They were arrested separately on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and eastern Pahang state.

Authorities were holding them under the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

An official familiar with the arrests said the men were believed to have worked with a terror cell in Indonesia's Aceh province that was allegedly set up by prominent radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Bashir was arrested in the world's most populous Muslim nation this week for allegedly setting up the cell and militant training camp in Aceh that was plotting high-profile assassinations and bloody attacks on foreigners in Jakarta.

Those arrested in Malaysia were trying to help the cell expand in this country, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements on this.

Malaysian human rights groups that have long campaigned against the Internal Security Act criticized the arrests, saying the three detainees were at "risk of torture and other ill-treatment." Activists said the detainees should either be charged in court or released.

Over the past decade, Malaysian authorities have detained more than 100 Islamic militant suspects without trial. Most were released in stages after officials said they had renounced extremist beliefs.

These are very subtle messages that the BN government is sending out to an Islamophobic world, telling them that the ISA puts terrorists away.

What they neglect to mention, however, is that they also silence political opponents and activists in the same way.

Anti-ISA Candlelight Vigil

It's almost been a year since last year's Anti-ISA protest.


Come and be part of a growing citizenry of Malaysians who want justice. This is a time for solidarity.

Date: August 1, 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Dataran MBPJ opposite Amcorp Mall/ Padang Timur

Terrorism Is The Latest Excuse For Having The ISA

The government is at it again.

It has come to the sinking knowledge that it has collectively lost most of its control over the Malaysian public.

Dictatorship governments severely detest the loss of control.

And thus, they resort to their favourite tactic to regain that control - fear-mongering.

For many years, the Internal Security Act or more popularly known as the ISA, has been bandied about to intimidate political opponents and challengers under the guise of 'national security'.

This time, the threat is Islamic terrorism.

Make no mistake - I am not a fan of terrorists by a long shot. For the most part I believe they are ignorant cowards who are manipulated by those smarter than them.

I am all for putting them away behind bars or deporting them if they have genuine intentions of bringing harm to the public.

But not when they are the collective figment of the government's imagination. And believe you me, this imagination has been spinning on overdrive.

It caught my attention when a report claimed that Middle East, African and local undergrads were ‘spreading religious views in campuses’.

In George Town, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said vice-chancellors of all public and private universities and colleges will meet the IGP and Higher Education Ministry officials on the matter.

The meeting would also look into the form of cooperation between police and the universities to curb the unhealthy trend which could affect national security.

“We view Musa’s statement seriously. We don’t want the matter to escalate into a problem which can threaten national security,” he said at a press conference after opening the St George’s Girls’ School International Students’ Conference 2010 at Universiti Sains Malaysia here.

This article, which I obtained from the NST deliberately mentions 'national security' twice for emphasis.

The phrase national security has always been the excuse for maintaining one particular draconian bit of law: the Internal Security Act.

It appears that I am not the only one concerned. Haris Ibrahim of The People's Parliament believes the government has cried wolf (or terrorism, in this case) once too many.

He asks, "The immediate question on my mind is where is all this ‘terrorist smear campaigning’ leading up to? Are we looking at a foundation being laid for an Ops Lalang repeat?"

Unfortunately, that is exactly what I unhappily anticipate.

Drop Sedition Charges Against Karpal Singh

Malaysia: Drop Sedition Charges Against Parliamentarian

(New York) - Malaysia's attorney general should immediately drop politically motivated sedition charges against Karpal Singh, a prominent lawyer and opposition member of parliament, Human Rights Watch said today. His trial is to begin on August 12, 2009. Human Rights Watch also urged the government to repeal without delay the colonial-era Sedition Act 1948, long used selectively against the government's political opponents.

On March 17, the government charged Karpal, national chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Sedition Act. He is accused of using "seditious words" in a February 6 comment to journalists that the legality of a decision to return control of Perak's state government to Malaysia's ruling coalition could be questioned in court. Karpal has pleaded not guilty and is free on bail. If found guilty, Karpal faces up to three years in prison or a fine of up to RM5,000 [US$1,400] or both. As of April, 45 prosecution witnesses were due to take the stand.

"These sedition charges against Karpal are utterly baseless," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Right Watch. "This is just an excuse to remove a powerful political opponent."

Perak was one of five states won, albeit by a razor-thin majority, by opposition candidates who worked in concert to defeat the ruling National Front (Barisan Nasional or BN) coalition in the March 2008 national elections. After several Perak assembly members crossed over to join the BN in January and February 2009, BN regained a majority. Rather than dissolve the state assembly and call for new elections, Sultan Azlan Shah decided in favor of BN, prompting Karpal's call for a court hearing. Suits related to the legitimacy of the newly constituted assembly are still in contention.

This is the second time Karpal has been charged under the Sedition Act. During his 2001 defense of Anwar Ibrahim against corruption charges in 2001, Karpal stated that Anwar's failing health in detention was "due to a high-level conspiracy to poison him with arsenic." The police charged Karpal with sedition, though then-Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail later withdrew the charges.

The Sedition Act defines "seditious tendency" as, "a tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any ruler or against any government ... to raise discontent or disaffection among the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong [the Malaysian monarch] or of the ruler of any state ... (or) to question any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by" certain articles in the Federal Constitution.

Article 181 of the constitution provides that no ruler may be charged in his official capacity in a court of law. Karpal did not suggest that charges should be brought against the sultan but suggested that his decision was subject to judicial review. The Sedition Act states that it is not seditious to "show that any ruler has been misled or mistaken in any of his measures."

BN, which has ruled Malaysia since independence, relies on the Sedition Act as well as the Internal Security Act to repress free expression and assembly to silence and punish its critics.

Human Rights Watch urges that such laws be repealed or reviewed to conform to international standards.

"It's a fallacy to suggest Malaysia needs laws that violate basic rights in order to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society," said Pearson. "Malaysians have time and again proven themselves capable of exercising the basic democratic rights to which they are entitled. It's time their government listened."

If You Still Wonder Why

I tried so hard to read 'Because they did not care?' without rolling my eyes. I failed.

The writer comes off sounding so shallow and simple-minded after I read the original piece by Yeo Yang Poh which eloquently summed up the essence of what mobilises people to face-off with authorities who possess water cannons and tear-gas.

The points put forward by his/her detractor fell flat.

Are we not able to run errands, shop and hang out with friends every day except for the First of August??

Do we not have horrible traffic congestion every day after work, to the point that ambulances take ages to maneuver through traffic?

Bear in mind, that bad traffic everyday is due to poor town planning by the government.

The especially horrendous traffic on that particular day was caused by police roadblocks, not even by protestors.

I'm not going to dignify the rest of his opinions with a response. I think they speak for themselves and the man/woman who wrote them.

No wonder the writer didn't leave a name. I'd be ashamed to do so, too.

It is disturbing that people could be so stupid.

Al-Jazeera Covers The Protest And ISA Issue

Peeps, you might be interested in watching Al-Jazeera's interview with three Malaysians: Khairy Jamaluddin, Denison Jayasooria and Zaid Ibrahim.


This is covering the need and use of the Internal Security Act.

It was actually covered on Astro 513 last night, Aug 6 at 8.30pm. There will be repeats, but I don't subscribe to Astro.

If you're like me, fortunately, they are now available online at these youtube links:
Part 1
Part 2

Care To Vote?

The Home Ministry apparently wants your views on the ISA.

Go HERE to vote. Scroll down to the bottom right corner of the website.

You'd be surprised to find out what your fellow Malaysian thinks.

Of All Ethnic And Religious Backgrounds

In the midst of all the agitation and confrontation with the authorities during the anti-ISA protest, I had this warm, fuzzy feeling.

I caught sight of this banner that decries the murder of Teoh Beng Hock by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission or Suruhanjaya Pencegah Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).

On the banner it is written "SIAPA BUNUH BENG HOCK??? SPRM, JANGAN JADI SURUHANJAYA PEMBUNUH RAKYAT MALAYSIA".


Teoh was Chinese, but these demonstrators are Malays. At that point, his death no longer became a racial issue. People just came together as Malaysians and spoke out against what was obviously wrong.

A commenter named Eric left a note on my blog:

Yesterday Malaysians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, both genders and all skin colours, walked together on a matter of national policy. This was simply beautiful.

I was there. I saw black-clad Malaysian Chinese who shared light moments with tudung-clad Malaysian Malay ladies, brave Unit Amal members giving salt (against tear gas) to Hindraf supporters.

That's why BN is so enraged. Malaysians built history together yesterday, as they did in the Hartal and the PUTERA-AMCJA people's constitution days. Malaysians have a history together, though it has been hidden to them for decades. They just proved they will build a future together!

Yes, there is hope yet.

Happy Hour

FT Minister: Protest cost RM100mil in damage

KUALA LUMPUR: The anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) illegal rally has caused business losses and damage to property estimated to run into millions of ringgit, said Federal Territories Minister Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Damage worth millions eh? How charming.


Now this dude with the "Happy Hour" banner was not exactly devastated at the presence of the protestors. I'm guessing his business wasn't doing too badly, and his shop wasn't exactly empty.

In fact, he was quite obliging when it came to posing for photographs with errr... dodgy protestors. :)

Now I'll tell you why there may indeed have been plenty of damage on the 1st of August 2009 in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

When a huge truck with gallons and gallons of acid chemicals sprays its contents onto buildings, trees, street lamps, garbage cans and roads, there is bound to be corrosive damage. There wasn't just one truck, there were many.

When canister after canister of tear gas is released into the environment, the air is undoubtedly polluted. And the FRU was rather generous with its poisonous gases.

This polluted air isn't going to go away. It will return as acid rain the next time it pours. Cars will be corroded, and even drainage systems will corrode and collapse. Trust me, I'm an engineer - I know.

But none of this damage was caused by the protestors. It was caused by the authorities, the government.

So it's highly dubious and inconsistent for the FT minister (who, of course hails from the BN party) to blame the protestors for damage that was essentially caused by the government themselves.

But you and I know that there's nothing consistent about BN except the corruption.

Malaysian Evasion

The Prime Minister should abolish the ISA

From the Wall Street Journal

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak promised in April that his government would conduct a “comprehensive review” of the Internal Security Act, a colonial-era law that allows indefinite detention without trial. On Saturday, 10,000 Malaysians marched in the streets of Kuala Lumpur to hold him to his word, asking him to abolish the act. They were soon dispersed with tear gas and water cannons, and 589 people were arrested.


The confrontation marks a turning point for Mr. Najib’s administration, which until now has refrained from employing roughshod tactics against political opponents. Earlier he won praise for releasing 26 ISA detainees and using that law to detain terrorists, not politicians or journalists as his predecessor did.

But even given that restraint, Malaysians increasingly want a more transparent and freer society. Saturday’s protest was nominally about the ISA, and it was organized by Abolish the ISA Movement, a human-rights group, along with other NGOs. But it was also a larger vote of dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to press ahead with a show trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and the unexplained death last month of a young opposition political aide following several hours of interrogation by anti-corruption officials. Politicians from all three opposition parties were present at the protest, including Mr. Anwar.

Malaysia’s constitution guarantees the right to free speech and assembly. But police set up barricades and checkpoints on Friday to prevent crowds from gathering, and launched teargas Saturday before the march began. Under Malaysian law, street gatherings of more than five people are automatically illegal because they require a permit—which in practice is almost never granted. The prime minister’s office and the home office declined to comment to us yesterday, and the police didn’t return our calls.

Mr. Najib would be better served by embracing the protestors’ cause. Abolishing the ISA would not only benefit Malaysians—who would still be protected from terrorists by a host of other detention laws—but would also deny Mr. Anwar’s opposition coalition one of its key rallying points. Arresting opposition leaders, as police did Saturday, only augments their popularity.

Mr. Najib has so far proved to be a savvy leader and boosted his popularity ratings by introducing a series of reforms that begin to tackle Malaysia’s affirmative action polices. If he wants to demonstrate his reform bona fides he could start by listening to those protesters instead of chasing them away.

Quote Of The Day

I stumbled across this spectacular quote in Al-Jazeera, whose journalists evidently have a sardonic sense of humour.

The demonstrators had gathered in the Malaysian capital to protest against a security law that allows detention without trial, but were dispersed by police using water cannons and tear gas.

Omar denied that police action had been heavy handed, saying the authorities had used the "minimum amount of force".

"It was a standard procedure ... to disperse this crowd in Kuala Lumpur," he told Al Jazeera.

If this is "minimum amount of force", I would really hate to witness the "maximum" amount.

Arrests At Anti-ISA Demonstration

At last count it was 589.

Those who are arrested should have rights to a lawyer. The government is currently denying them this right.

The Demonstration At Masjid Jamek

By the time I arrived at Masjid Jamek, I expected that the crowd would have dispersed.

In fact, I think that the original protestors had left, and those that remained were merely curious onlookers.

But that didn't stop the FRU from going all out on the public.


The trucks rolled in carrying their arsenal. A siren sounded and I think that must have been the warning that the water cannons were going to be released on anyone who was close enough to take a hit.

The crowd ran upon hearing it.


For a while nothing happened. Then a group of people came out of the Putra LRT station. The look of alarm on their faces upon seeing the FRU truck was evident even from a distance.

They were given a warning by the authorities (presumably to vacate the area) and they complied with haste. :)

Those who didn't were sprayed.


That was some really potent acid they used. I'm sure it will corrode the tiles and road. Not to mention the windows and premises of outlets in that region.

FRU At Anti-ISA Rally Behind Sogo

If you were there downtown, you'd be a first hand witness to how the authorities violated the people's freedom of expression.

There were numerous locations where the public gathered to march. One was at Batu Road. The other was at Jalan Raja Laut.


The FRU were deployed to break up the huge but organised crowd behind the Sogo complex that marched very peacefully.


I was right down where the action was, so I couldn't get an aerial shot that shows exactly how many protestors were milling about in that area. I think Malaysiakini has some good pictures that could give an estimate.


But take my word for it, it was a huge crowd, and it shows people are not going to take it lying down anymore.

The draconian and often abused Internal Security Act has to go, and soon. The Wall Street Journal gives a reasonably accurate account of just how the authorities (the ruling coalition) have used it for their personal interests.

Yet, the crowd was well-behaved and resolute in their protest.

So why it was necessary to break up that crowd in such a brutal manner is a mystery known only to the authorities in their infinite wisdom.


It still amazes me that we need so many members of the riot squad to break up peaceful demonstrations when there are thousands of unsolved crimes out there; missing children, which to date have not been found.

It only goes to show how skewed the priorities of the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional really are.


This red truck is the water cannon. It was being filled with water from the fire hydrant. The water was mixed with acid chemicals. I was sprayed, and let me tell you, it hurts a b!tch.


It wasn't the only truck there. There were plenty on stand by.


And they were sent out to wreak havoc on the protestors, who knew what was coming and eventually had to disperse.


Gallons and gallons of stinging acid water was sprayed carelessly onto human beings. People dashed for cover as the searing pain engulfed their skin and eyes.

I guess this must be the Malaysian sense of compassion exhibited by the Malaysian authorities in their eagerness to protect public security.

Anti ISA Protestors At Batu Road

With all the roadblocks set up, we figured we'd be spending more time trying to navigate out of a traffic jam caused by multiple detours.

So Shar, Kallie and I took a train into town and got off at the Dang Wangi station. On the way, we noticed the unusual traffic congestion.

But nothing prepared me for the crowd at Batu Road. It was phenomenal - Batu Road is generally a busy road, but there was a crowd thronging in every direction that I turned.


The protestors chanted slogans like "Reformasi" and "Demokrasi" as they marched down the road, heading towards Masjid Jamek.


They attracted a lot of curious onlookers.


But their march didn't last for very long and they didn't get very far as the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) or what others refer to as the "anti-riot squad" stepped in to try and disperse them.


The FRU had batons in their hands and even at that point, before 2.30pm, a few arrests had already been made.

We later discovered Sivarasa Rasiah, MP for Subang was one of them.


The crowd dispersed when the arrests were made, but quickly regrouped again behind Masjid India.

Some protestors were spluttering and had tears streaming down their eyes - an unpleasant encounter with tear gas.


The speed at which they regrouped was pretty impressive, especially how everything was planned and communicated between the people at HQ and those at ground.

Unit Amal PAS and Gerakan Mansuh ISA did an excellent job at coordinating the rally.

Last Minute Details

Alright peeps, just a few hours to go.

There is a checklist before heading out. I expect there will be police brutality, so bring your cameras along. We'd like to document all these.

I'm bringing mine, so come back and visit this blog later this evening for reports on the rally.

And if you have some good pics, please email them to me with comments (if any) using the email listed on my profile. I will post them all here.

If you have goggles, bring them along. This is to protect your eyes when the riot police spray chemical-laced water and fire off tear gas to disperse protestors. Also bring towels and water in a container.

They will be trying to provoke us. Ignore them all. These are the fools who deliberately set up roadblocks to rile up the public against us. It hasn't worked, so why humour these village idiots?

For all other tips I may have missed, go HERE.

See you guys in a bit.