Washington Post On Anwar And Democracy In Malaysia

An editorial opinion by the Washington Post on Anwar Ibrahim's ludicrous case.

ON MONDAY a struggle over human rights and democracy will come to a head in an important Muslim country.

The site is not Egypt or Turkey but Malaysia, a country of 28 million that, as it has prospered economically, has grown an opposition movement that is pressing an authoritarian regime to share power.

The opposition’s leader is Anwar Ibrahim, whose multiethnic alliance shocked the ruling party in several state elections in 2008 and who has a chance to oust Prime Minister Najib Razak in national elections expected in the next few months, if the vote is free and fair.

All that explains why on Monday Mr. Anwar will find himself not on the campaign trail but in a courtroom, where he is likely to be given a lengthy prison sentence. The charge is homosexual sodomy, which Malaysia shamefully still treats as a crime.

Read the rest online: A ‘test’ of democracy Malaysia might fail

Withdraw Disciplinary Charges Against Adam Adli

To:
PROFESOR DR. ZAKARIA BIN KASA
Naib Canselor UPSI
Pejabat Naib Canselor
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak

Tel : +605-4506777 / +605-450 6380
Faks : +605-4582773
Email : ncupsi@upsi.edu.my

Withdraw Disciplinary Charges Against Adam Adli Abdul Halim Immediately

Malaysians oppose the action of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris authority on Adam Adli Abdul Halim as he was merely practising his right to freedom of expression by lowering Najib’s flag on 23rd December 2011.

2. We strongly feel that the disciplinary charge should be withdrawn because:

a) Adam Adli Abdul Halim was exercising his right to freedom of expression which is guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and Article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
b) He has not endangered public order as alleged by UPSI’s disciplinary body -- if so, Royal Police Malaysia is the body to take action -- but he has not broken any law in the country.
c) The disciplinary action against university autonomy and democracy which was allowed by Section 4, 15 and 16 of University and University College Act. UPSI has utterly disgraced itself, by toeing the government line and choosing to persecute Adam.

3. We urge UPSI authorities to:

a) Withdraw all pending disciplinary charges against Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
b) Preserve freedom of expression and academics of students as universities play a central role in the development of humanity and modern society.

Yours faithfully,

Crankshaft and like-minded readers

Send Them Off The Pitch!

5000 Perverts Ready To Be Deployed

Be afraid, Malaysia. Be very afraid.

History often repeats itself.

Check out another youth squad a few years ago.

The Gall Of UMNO

Click on image to enlarge

The irony of those who try to portray themselves as being Islamic -- in fact more Islamic than PAS!

UMNO has shown its true colours by seeking the help of astrologers to know if this would be their good year in going for elections.

The verdict? The political elite will be favoured, say the astrologers.

Certainly something the politicians want to hear.

As for me, I have no intention of making any predictions. Time will tell.

Read the whole story here.

UPSI Students Beaten Up By Police

I blogged some time back about Adam Adli, a student activist from UPSI who had lowered a flag bearing the likeness of Najib Razak at the UMNO headquarters.

That did not go down too well with the powers that be, especially after emotional blackmail and calls for apology yielded no results.

There was an interesting excerpt from The Malaysian Insider, just a few days ago:

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said the authorities are keeping a close watch on Adam and advised him to exercise caution when going about his activities.

This prompted the feisty student to respond confidently that he does not feel threatened by such statements.

“I’m not going to give up. How can they restrict me? I don’t see why must they do so,” Adam Adli said.

“I believe, and I know, I’m not doing anything wrong … I’m just voicing out my rights to protest over government policies and actions,” he added.

Adam Adli is quite right -- he has fully exercised his lawful rights to protest.

It's just that the Malaysian government does not very much like any form of dissent from its people.

In fact, Adam Adli was warned, in no subtle terms, that the authorities would be likely to take action.

And take action they did, in the wee hours of the morning when the undergraduates had held a sit-down demonstration in the UPSI campus to protest the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

A lot of them were beaten up.

It was a completely peaceful protest. There was absolutely no reason for violence.

Certainly no reason for violence that led to Muhammad Safwan Anang, the president of undergraduate movement Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademic (Bebas), being sent to a hospital in Slim River after he lost consciousness.

He was beaten up so badly that he even lost some teeth.

The police are so brazen to beat up this young man for a peaceful protest, without caring about what the rest of the nation thought about this incident.

Were they relying on the mainstream media to keep mum? Or for the politicians to whitewash their actions so it seems reasonable to beat up a young student for his political views?

UPDATE: Apparently, they have asked Muhammad Safwan Anang to sign a document saying that he had sustained his injuries during a fall. There were witnesses who saw the beating -- did they think they could cover it up??!!

New Year Message For Malaysian-Indians

I have blogged a great deal on the plight of Indians in Malaysia. But I thought another message would also come in handy.

Indians must rid dependency syndrome

From R Kengadharan, via e-mail

Is it true that Malaysian Indians have been caught in a trap from which they are finding it difficult to extricate themselves? Or is it true that the government has its own priorities and not keen to resolve the socio-economic conditions and problems of the community? Or is a community left to fend for it self?

Read the rest online.

Using Religious Mambo-Jumbo

I always find it amusing when politicians use religious rhetoric to get their propaganda across to the uneducated fanatics.

Najib is certainly not unique in his approach to Pekida.

But I thought this editorial was spot-on in its analysis of Najib: The pact with the devil

It's a little old, but still worthy of a reread.

Occupy on the 31st!

To mark the end of 2011 and the inception of the 2012 New Year, we are calling ALL to Occupy Dataran Merdeka with us on December 31st, 2011, at 11pm.

This will be a participatory MASS FLASHMOB, symbolically expressing our common indignation against the many injustices and anti-democratic events that happened in Malaysia in 2011, in contrast to the positive significance of 2011 for the rest of the world.

We want to collectively say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH; TIME FOR REAL DEMOCRACY NOW, in 2012!

The objectives for this CALL TO ACTION ON DECEMBER 31st are:

1) To reclaim our public spaces and reclaim Dataran Merdeka as an open and democratic space for all peoples to assemble freely and peacefully;

2) To defend and reclaim the fundamental right to assemble peacefully, protest and to occupy our public spaces;

3) To protest against the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011;

4) To show solidarity with all those who have suffered injustices and violation of their basic rights in 2011;

5) To show our resolve in making 2012 the year of real democratic changes in Malaysia, in all aspects, political, social and economic.

Jom Occupy!

On cow heads and easily-cowed Malaysians

One very Malaysian trait, besides bringing tupperware to government open houses, is passivity. It has served us well in one regard, though: racial and religious violence.

Rather than participate in civil disobedience, the average Malaysian would prefer to sit at home and complain about poor Astro reception. With the newly-introduced free Astro packages, now everyone can complain.

You see, as a nation, we have become so cowed by our oppressive laws that the very idea of riots like the ones in London would make most Malaysians shudder.

I am sure Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would take that as the proof of the ISA’s effectiveness and its important role in ensuring Malaysians are good, biddable citizens.

Read the rest HERE.