5 posts tagged “malaysian insider”

OCT 7 — I actually wanted to avoid saying or writing anything about Bagan Pinang because, to be honestly truthful, I’ve run out of vodka.

Giving the corrupt a chance

Seriously, how else can you make sense of the statements coming out from Umno politicians justifying this and remain sober?

First off, we had our very own “esteemed” Home Minister come out and say that Tan Sri Isa Samad was “a loyal servant of the party”, regardless of the fact that he was found guilty of vote buying during the Umno elections.

Our Home Minister even added that Isa is the “people’s choice”.

Well, here’s a history lesson. Adolf Hitler was the “people’s choice”.

So was George Bush 2.0.

And we all know how well those two turned out.

In addition to that, it’s just the description of how exactly Isa is a party loyalist that gets to me.

Apparently, if you get a bad deal from the party called Umno and shut up about it, you’re considered a loyalist. But make enough noise, invite enough supporters into your home to listen to your side of the story, and you can expect balaclava-clad Special Branch members to break in and take you away.

Seriously, how does one make sense of any of this?

You can’t.

And people wonder why I drink?

Giving the guilty a chance

Fine, since we’re giving guilty people a chance, I think I would have liked to have given Mona Fandey a chance, because she highlighted to us just how dumb a Malaysian politician can truly be.

Just how exactly could an assemblyman, who studied in the United States, fall for a scam by an ex-pop singer promising a boost in his political career for the price of RM2.5 million?

And, of course, he just had to be an Umno assemblyman.

From Pahang, even.

This brings me to my next point.

If we’re letting corrupt representatives run for office, guilty of vote buying, then perhaps the government would also like to step in for other guilty parties by allowing “the people” to choose.

Heck, if that were the case, the Home Ministry wouldn’t have sabotaged its online poll on the Internal Security Act, which was basically what caused the swing to my now anti-ISA stance.

Not because I don’t agree with the law, it’s because I agree with one fact.

It is “the people’s choice”.

Giving entertainment a chance

This is the same stance I take when dealing with entertainment as well, especially against religious people.

Personally, I don’t see why they’re so against Beyonce coming to Malaysia. For those who may not know this, Beyonce is actually a conservative Christian and a registered Republican.

And even then, if the religious people have a problem with seeing Beyonce, why don’t they just look away or ban their kids from going?

What’s this need to stop me from watching her perform “Single Ladies”?

I’m not going to get turned on by it.

If anything, I’d probably just want to recall the dance routine.

Similarly, I don’t actually see why we need to be so harsh on underage club goers, especially since all they do is dance around getting high on music or sugar from Coke or Sprite.

Heck, some of these guys and gals may dress up rather provocatively, but then these are the ones you find drinking RM10 bottles of mineral water and dancing from 10.30pm to 3am the next day.

Contrary to popular belief, most teenage club goers and those in their early and mid-20s would actually sit at the nearest mamak and sober up over chai before driving home.

And if they haven’t sobered up, they’re fine enough to let someone else do the driving.

And for those thinking that this leads to promiscuity, think again.

They’re too tired dancing to Lady Gaga or the Pussy Cat Dolls or even Ciara to even think of having sex.

If this government or any political representative insists that we need to give corrupt people a chance to run a state for being a “loyal servant for the party”, then I’d like to put forth a better idea.

What about this. Let’s give the rakyat a chance.

Let’s give Perak a second chance to determine just who they really want to run their state by giving them a statewide election.

Let’s give Muslims a chance to determine whether they want to be charged under civil or syariah law.

Let’s give the people a say in whether or not they want the ISA to be repealed, amended or maintained without sabotage.

And, of course, let’s give people a chance to decide whether or not they want to try beer, clubbing, smoking and watching Beyonce, without having the religious right decide what’s good for them.

AUG 5 — Let me first point out for those who may not have noticed just yet that I’m neither anti-ISA nor pro-ISA entirely.

I’m pro-amendment of the ISA to become strictly an anti-terrorist law with oversight from the opposition, the judiciary and human rights groups.

I don’t support any political entity in this nation that insists on using the ISA as a battle cry.

Similarly, I don’t support the need for illegal gatherings that cause such a ruckus with the involvement of minors and the loss of income for certain quarters.

Though I seriously doubt that the businesses lost a total of RM100 million to RM200 million on that day, I do believe that there was some loss, particularly by stores in two of the malls in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur — Pertama Complex and Sogo.

I do agree with the need to allow expression of public opinion. However, I fully disagree with the notion that such freedoms should be allowed on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

If anything, the best place to hold such gatherings would be similar to holding the rally for the late DAP political secretary in a stadium in Petaling Jaya.

Subsequently, I would think that whosoever that took part in the protest knowingly did so and therefore they knew what to expect when the police and the Home Ministry announced that strong measures would be taken to deter such a rally.

For anyone to cry foul over the police taking a strong stance against an illegal gathering is therefore irrelevant and ludicrous.

The ISA and real security threats

Let us face facts then.

The Internal Security Act, while draconian, is not without justification in the handling of cases involving terrorism.

However, the Act itself is being abused by the Executive and the police in quelling the voices of those who oppose the government in power, not the nation itself.

This can be seen by the use of the Act in the silencing of political voices which I do not agree with, particularly in the detention of reporters apparently “for their safety”, politicians for “funding a mosque” or even a well-known three-initialled royal-cum-blogger who listens to “little birds” and can prove their innocence if they only turned up in a court of law instead of turning tail.

These are not considered “internal security threats”.

People throwing Molotov cocktails at buildings, the family homes of politicians and even ATMs, however, are security threats.

People who somehow influenced forex trading of the ringgit without the knowledge of the Executive, thus putting the nation at economic risk, are security threats.

People who abuse both physically and emotionally those under detainment, without proof of guilt, are security threats.

People who keep information from the public simply because it shows their negligence in serving the public are a security threat. This includes the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on wasted white elephant projects that have yet to be released to the taxpayers themselves.

People who generate political sensationalism and incite the masses with racial or religious hatred are a security threat.

All these people, I honestly think, include both sides of the political spectrum.

The ISA, UDHR and hypocrisy

To claim that the ISA is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is in fact very true.

Similarly, laws that justify the arrests of those who take part in anal sex otherwise known as carnal intercourse, i.e. Penal Code 377 and the institution of Sharia law, are also against the UDHR.

Laws that discriminate against the showing of public affection are also against the UDHR.

Laws that stop transsexuals from getting their identity cards changed are also against the UDHR.

Also, the UDHR allows the freedom of conversion of religion.

The UDHR also protects the right to inter-religious marriages.

The UDHR also allows the right for employment, regardless of an individual’s sexuality or belief.

Do PAS and other members of the GMI support this as well?

So I would think that if we seriously want to adhere to the UDHR, then religious authorities would have to undo that law as well, correct?

Or are we going to be hypocritical about what we wish to take from the UDHR as well?

For anyone to point out that the ISA is inhumane yet still allow other laws to be in place to discriminate others of differing stances on sexual orientation, gender policy or even religious conversion reeks of hypocrisy.

So please.

Don’t even think of using the UDHR to justify your actions, because you’re being equally hypocritical in not accepting it in its entirety. And I think a lot of Malaysians have been misled by those who insist on this; among them religious-based political parties and their supporters.

Let me just be very open about my opinion of you, so we can get that out of the way.

I would think a nation’s leader has to have an image of a statesman, and not have enough excess baggage to give AirAsia a profitable smile.

That aside, I would like to lay down some challenges that I’m sure you could address, especially since you have at least 40 years of experience in Malaysian politics.

First Challenge: Amend the ISA

In your appointment speech, you undid the ban on two news publications, released 13 ISA detainees and, most importantly, started a comprehensive review of the Internal Security Act. I would like to address the third item.

I challenge you to actually amend the ISA in line with the standards of the West, which adhere to the principles of human rights. This would include shorter detention time, supervision of the detainees against abuse as well as the need to address the abuses of this law.

This is not an easy challenge because it would include reaching out to the Opposition to fulfil the need for unbiased supervision, as well as checks and balances.

Second Challenge: Reform the police force

Similarly, it is time to change the Inspector General of Police, for his failure to address the continued increase in crime rates.

Crimes that need addressing, of course, do not include illegal gatherings and your political oppositions’ events, particularly vigils with ‘highly flammable candles’, party dinners with ‘dangerous audio equipment’ and hunger strikes with ‘deadly balloons’.

Focus instead on crimes that threaten the livelihood of the people and put them in mortal danger.

Third Challenge: Media liberalisation

Dearest Prime Minister, the media can be for you or against you, and as Lord Jeffrey Archer mentions, the power of the Fourth Estate is absolute and important.

The media now consists of not only the newspapers, but also the online communities and portals that bring to light issues the traditional media does not.

Try as you may, you cannot control the Internet. The Internet controls you. As such, it is time to liberalise not only the news media, but the entirety of media.

This includes the Internet, television, movies and publications. For too long, Malaysians have been sheltered by the government from issues that exist; issues that have been denied and misunderstood by the rakyat due to the lack of information available, besides what’s obtainable on the Internet.

That needs to change.

Open, formal discussions of such issues in the media will encourage the growth of Malaysian intellect and cater to a more open Malaysian society, regardless of race, religion, politics and even sexual orientation.

Fourth Challenge: Protection of minorities

While I may not be labelled nor label myself as a representative of a certain group, as how Karpal Singh brands himself the representative of the “orang kurang upaya”, I challenge you to work towards the protection of the social minority.

This minority consists of gays, bisexuals, lesbians, transvestites and transsexuals in this nation, who face constant harassment by the authorities via the existence of Penal Code 377 and the Syariah law.

You, dearest Prime Minister, have the power to undo the former, and suggest a need to address the latter.

It is with this knowledge that I put forth the call to repeal Penal Code 377, which is a breach of human rights as well as the right to privacy, in its entirety.

With India now officially repealing laws against consensual same-sex intercourse, the West now allowing gay marriage and even Korea acknowledging the success of its transvestite community, it is about time that Malaysia steps up to the plate.

Conclusion

What you have done in 100 days is to basically undo your political opposition’s memorandum piecemeal, by removing the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity requirement, liberalising the multitude of industries and, even now, looking at lowering the toll rates.

These are all economic issues to ensure the nation’s growth on an economic scale. These, however, do not encourage the growth of human intellect and the evolution of a Malaysian society towards unity.

I believe all of these challenges are in line with your 1Malaysia, a concept which should be defined by a people governed by those who strive towards an inclusive nation, one that does not discriminate against a person’s gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, politics and class.

JULY 15 — I don’t make snap judgments on any party without first trying to get whatever information I can through whatever sources I can find. Such sources include most notoriously the World Wide Web.

Recently I was asked to look up statistics for blackmail cases in Malaysia that were reported to the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP). One would think that these statistics, at least the number of reported cases, would be available for public viewing.

They’re not. Neither are statistics on rape, murder, snatch theft, Rempits, or even robbery.

Well, maybe to the RMP such information is not worth sharing with the public.

Instead, our admirable police force finds it a necessity to only disseminate the data on traffic issues via continuous reports on Ops Sikap (congratulations to the traffic division then), narcotics and commercial crimes.

And, of course, missing person’s statistics that have yet to be updated since August 2008.

You would think that a police force with a vision promoted on its website to be “the main enforcement agency with integrity, competence and commitment”, it could actually prove it with solid evidence in the form of statistics.

So, in an effort to highlight just how inept our police are in this day and age, in a nation priding itself as the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), let’s compare our royal police force’s website with a number of its peers, or even subordinates for that matter.

In the Asean region, I managed to find a few websites to compare with. These include the Singapore Police Force (SPF)and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

It is rather shameful to admit that our neighbours down south can come up with a statistical annual report and analysis made public via its website since 2005.

It is even sadder to note that the Philippine police force actually uploads PDF’s of its newsletter (Police Digest) and journals, albeit irregularly and out of date. Their last newsletter upload is dated December 2008.

However, the PNP website does have a link which plots out the national crime map, which details the crime statistics by month since October 2007 up to March 2009.

The SPF, while lacking such detail, instead has a presence on social networking website Facebook, a Youtube channel as well as an online show available at its website called “Crimewatch”.

I guess the Malaysian police can always take pride with their “Gerak Khas” episodes available on RTM.

Now perhaps it’s a bit too much to compare the Malaysian police with two Asean countries with probably greater expenditure on their police forces.

So let’s go to a place that recently received a budget cut after its governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, recently announced that the state has no cash to spend. Welcome to California.

The Los Angeles Police Department website has a crime summary report dating back to 1996, its most recent one being a summary report for 2008.

What’s really interesting about the LAPD website is that it also has a blog with a podcast of a recent police station inspection. Its latest post, of course, is its official statement on the death of Michael Jackson.

Oh, and did I mention that its website is available in 10 different languages?

Still sticking to California, I would also like to highlight the existence of the Automated Regional Justice Information System, or ARJIS. ARJIS is an information sharing website that allows its browsers to generate crime statistics reports for the police within the counties of San Diego and Imperial City, California.

Now close to 600 words down the line, I’m just wondering if the head of our RMP, Inspector-General Tan Sri Musa Hassan, is ashamed enough to admit that its website is inadequate and totally lacks whatever standards of achievement our police currently adhere to.

In March 2007, while the police force was celebrating its bicentennial anniversary, the IGP stated that the police must undergo a rebranding exercise in order to regain their credibility in the eyes of the public. The theme then was “Royal Malaysia Police towards Global Distinction”.

In lieu of the comparisons with the police websites from the Philippines, Singapore and even bankrupt Los Angeles, California, I ask the IGP and even anyone reading this:

Is the RMP moving towards “global distinction” in the wrong direction, regressing towards global infamy as perhaps one of the most backwards police forces in terms of information dissemination and transparency?

So I got another freelance writing job here in Malaysia. Here's the link:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/hafidz-baharom/30171-just-what-exactly-is-1-malaysia

Enjoy reading, everyone.