Crime Rate Soars in Perak

The Perak police have announced that crime rate has soared in Perak over the first 6 months. Now, why am I not surprised?

...cases involving robbery increased by 197 cases from 541 cases in the first six months of last year to 739 cases this year, a 36 per cent hike.

Car theft from January to June this year went up from 55 for the whole of last year to 138 cases in the first six months alone this year, a jump of 150.91 per cent.

...snatching theft rose from 195 cases to 268 in the first half of the year, up 37.44 per cent.

With the Perak police being more interested to become the security forces for Barisan Nasional in protecting the power grab in Perak, as well as suppressing all forms of civil and peaceful actions by Pakatan Rakyat, it is unfortunate that the ultimate victims are the rakyat who are robbed twice over - once by BN, and another by free-roaming criminals.

And as usual, the Perak Chief Police Officer (CPO), Datuk Zulkefli Abdullah lays the blame on the people:

He was upset with the attitude of the people in the state, who did not provide information to the police about crimes in their area. He said the meet-the-people programmes at police stations held each Tuesday were not well received by the public.

How about the fact that he has diverted thousands of police personnel to conduct unnecessary road blocks, to disrupt peaceful political dinners, to confiscate video recordings of police brutality, to shut down restaurants with patrons wearing black?

No, of course arresting men (and women) in black is of utmost importance compared to fighting rampant crime.

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Police Should Stop Attending Vigils!

The Royal Malaysian Police to stop attending candlelight vigils and focus on fighting rampant crime!

Last night when 11 persons, including DAP Assistant National Publicity Secretary and MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching, and state assemblywoman for Teratai, Selangor, Jenice Lee Ying Ha was arrested for holding a candlelight vigil serves only to remind the public how obtuse the Royal Malaysian Police have become.

It was a low-key candlelight vigil mourning the death of democracy in Perak attended by less than 20 party members and supporters on private property below the office of MP for Seputeh, Teresa Kok. And yet in a remarkable show of force, a nearly 100-strong Police team swooped the gathering complete with helicopter support before any speeches were even made!

While we fully appreciate the effort by the Police to grant some of our low profile activities instantaneous nationwide publicity by arresting innocent unarmed and peaceful civilians, we strongly condemn Police intimidation and oppression who acts on behalf of Barisan Nasional to stifle dissent and suppress the truth.

The Royal Malaysian Police should instead focus on its job at hand to fight rampant crime across the country which in the past 3 weeks have reached an incredulous state when victims have included MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and political secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister himself, Syahrin Jamaluddin. The police force has even suffered its greatest ignominy in recent years when the Johor Bahru OCPD, ACP Zainuddin Yaakob was tied up and robbed at knife point in his very own house in Johore Baru.

We deplore the high-handed and completely unnecessary actions of the police in detaining harmless concerned citizens. We call upon the Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan to apologise to the detainees and all Malaysians for wrongful detention and for acting against the Prime Minister's call for "One Malaysia".

In addition, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak must carry out his promise of "People First, Performance Now" by finally fulfilling Barisan Nasional's promise to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as proposed by the Royal Police Commission nearly 4 years ago.

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'Opprobrium'

I learnt a new word today - "opprobrium", after reading a Straits Times article on The Malaysian Insider entitled "Call for fresh Perak elections hard to ignore".

... There is also the question of personal pride. Najib personally led the campaign to wrest power in Perak in early February, just weeks before being installed as premier.

To back down now could be interpreted as political weakness by his followers in his embattled party.

But as the crisis worsens, many analysts and senior politicians say that his government's determination to cling on to power amid growing public opprobrium will only enhance the franchise of the opposition coalition.

According to Dictionary.com, opprobrium isn't an element of the Periodic Table we learnt during chemistry classes:

op⋅pro⋅bri⋅um  [uh-proh-bree-uhm]
–noun

1. the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy.
   
   
2. a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach.
   

Origin:
1650–60; < L: reproach, equiv. to op- op- + probr(um) infamy, disgrace + -ium -ium

Well, we learn something new everyday ;-)

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Gandhi, Mandela or Megalomaniac?

Picture courtesy of The Malaysian Insider

meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a [měg'ə-lō-mā'nē-ə, -mān'yə]

1. A psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.
2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.

meg'a·lo·ma'ni·ac' n.,
meg'a·lo·ma·ni'a·cal [-mə-nī'ə-kəl],
meg'a·lo·man'ic [-mān'ĭk] adj.

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Zambry Rendered Me Speechless

I've really got nothing to add after reading Zambry's blog post today. Yes, he compared himself to Mandela and Gandhi, as a truth and freedom fighter. I must thank The Star for highlighting this noble story.

[...] Bagaimanapun saya dan rakan-rakan akan meneruskan perjuangan kami menegakkan keadilan dan membela rakyat. Ini adalah tradisi dan intipati perjuangan Barisan Nasional.

Menegakkan kebenaran bukanlah satu tanggungjawab yang mudah. Ia memerlukan pengorbanan dan kegigihan.

Nelson Mandela misalnya mengorbankan kebebasannya selama 27 tahun demi membebaskan rakyat Afrika Selatan dari cengkaman “apartheid”.

Mahatma Ghandi pula mengorbankan nyawanya untuk memastikan kemerdekaan India serta rakyatnya dapat hidup aman tanpa sempadan kasta dan agama.

Perjuangan menegakkan keberanian ini memerlukan “keberanian”. Mandela pernah berkata : “Saya mempelajari bahawa keberanian bukanlah bermakna tidak punya perasaan takut, tetapi Berjaya mengatasinya. Mereka yang berani bukanlah mereka yang tidak punya perasaan takut tetapi mereka yang mampu menakluki rasa takut itu. (I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. )

Pinch me please.

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Shakespearean Play in Progress III

Here are some choice quotes from our favourite Barisan Nasional politicians today.

From Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Minister of Home Affairs, yes, the one charge of the fashion police in Perak, as reported in The Malaysian Insider:

“It was my responsibility to ensure there were no chaos on the streets which could threaten public safety. So in this context, I am happy with the action taken,” he told reporters here today.

And again here:

“What happened in the assembly was a mockery of the Malaysian democratic system,” Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters in Putrajaya.

And from UMNO Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin as reported in The Nutgraph:

Terming the entire episode as a "tragedy for democracy", Khairy said he was disappointed that "jungle culture" had been brought into the state assembly today.

Are they from a different world from ordinary Malaysians? Expect the sequel, Tsunami II come the next general elections.

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Shakespearean Play In Progress II

Shakespeare couldn't have written this! (Well, Malaysiakini reported it)

9.15am: The police have moved in to arrest people gathered at the restaurant, including people having their breakfast. Many people have been arrested. Exact number of those arrested is uncertain.

The police first allowed those having their breakfast to do so but then soon changed their mind and started arresting them as well.

One man who was having tea lashed out at the police for their actions. He was allowed to have his tea and then was arrested.

The restaurant has decided to close its shutters for the day.

Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak certainly does it better than Tun Abdullah Badawi ;-)

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Shakespearean Play In Progress

Here's what The Star (mStar) says:

8.50 pagi: Ahli Parlimen Ampang dari PKR, Zuraida Kamaruddin dan ADUN Teratai dari DAP, Jenice Lee adalah antara 11 individu yang ditahan polis kerana menimbulkan kekecohan menjelang perasmian sidang DUN Perak.

Here's what Malaysiakini says:

8.50am: More arrests by the police. This time four people, including a Pakatan elected representative from Negeri Sembilan and Teratai state representative Jenice Lee (centre in photo), were arrested while having breakfast in a mamak stall.

Who do you trust? Who do you believe? Embrace Change (BN Style).

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1BLACKMalaysia: Wong Chin Huat Arrested

What media freedom? What tolerance? What reforms??!

Wong Chin Huat has been arrested for launching the 1BLACKMalaysia campaign on behalf of BERSiH this morning, asking all to wear black to mark the Thursday, 7th May when the illegal ursurper of the Perak Menteri Besar attempts to legitimise the Barisan Nasional government with an improper state assembly sitting.

We want "DEMOCRACY FIRST, ELECTIONS NOW!"

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