It is such a sad state of affairs. You would have read in Malaysiakini our top police officers making allegations and counter allegations against each other, against the Deputy Minister of Internal Security and the Anti-Corruption Agency.You would also have read the news of police officers with automatic rifles charging at a 100 year old Hindu temple and its devotees to demolish the building. Many were injured as a result and one victim is apparently in a coma. Some 14 persons were arrested including a 15 year old boy.
Late last evening, 4 lawyers - P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganabathy and Vethamoorthy went to Shah Alam police station to lodge a police report over the above incident.
Unbelievably, based on witness statements, they were denied entry into the police station at the gates. Shouting began and a small fracas soon followed with one of the lawyers pushed to the ground.
Finally, the lawyers were allowed in to lodge their report over the afternoon temple demolition incident. However shockingly, the Deputy OCPD then appeared and had the four lawyers handcuffed and arrested!
As 2 of the lawyers are DAP lawyers, I received a call from one of the concerned Malaysian present and I arrived at the scene at about 12 midnight.
There was already a group of Indian Malaysians gathered outdside and a candlelight vigil was soon started, where we asked for the lawyers to be released.
We tried to get the police officers to let the parents of the 15 year old boy see their child but the police refused permission.
Calls were made and soon a team of lawyers from the bar council arrived, led by Edmund Bon. However, they too were denied access.
The OCPD then led a small team of police officers to confront us (who were at the gates) insisting that our peaceful vigil was illegal and insisted that we disperse. He however refused to entertain requests for his name made by Weng San (who joined me later), as well as others - clearly against police protocols.
The Bar Council lawyers took the opportunity to insist that they be allowed to see their clients which the OCPD initially refused. However with seeming pressure from the crowd and fluent recitations of the penal code, the OCPD relented to let the Bar Council lawyers into the police station.
We waited for more than an hour only to find out that they were not allowed to meet the lawyers who were detained. Edmund and co then proceed to file a police report that they were not allowed to see their clients. The police then attempt to "chase" the lawyers out of the police station, only to have the lawyers lodge another police report on the police attempting to do so.
Given the Prime Minister's rude and poorly explained snub on the Bar Council, this only goes to show the scant regard our government has for the rule of law. All these happenings, temple demolitions, police brutality and sheer governmental arrogance just makes you think that an "evil" government is running this country. The government has lost all moral authority over the population and anybody with a decent and clear conscious cannot possibly know the above and yet vote for Barisan Nasional.
And where's the much need Independent Police Complaints and Monitoring Commission (IPCMC) to restore the credibility of the force which Pak Lah promised (so long ago)?
I left the scene not too long after receiving the above news, knowing that the lawyers in custody are in good hands. ;) Tony Pua reporting from Shah Alam Police Station Headquarters, 2.45am. ;)
24 comments:
If the Police do not follow their own procedures and lawful rules, this country is in big trouble.
if what u have written above is true, then malaysia has surely gone to the dogs. this 1984ish man.
Is our government democratic? Or is it "pseudo democratic?"
I wonder if our dearest PM who is also the Internal Affairs minister knows about this?
The election this year should be very interesting!!
"The government has lost all moral authority over the population and anybody with a decent and clear conscious cannot possibly know the above and yet vote for Barisan Nasional."
Tony, don't overestimate the intelligence of Malaysian voters. The public has proven themselves to be credulous, myopic and easily swayed election after election. All BN has to do is to play the racial card and "sweeten" the deal for certain sections of the community. Malaysians in general have low political IQ.
"anybody with a decent and clear conscious cannot possibly know the above and yet vote for Barisan Nasional"
following nazri explanation, it takes 1% out of 25 million population disgust bn's way. 99% need to look after their rice bowl, and this "particular" incident not going to affect their live (mine too) anyway. and according to nazri, this is democracy.
no wonder the yb and aab so angry with bar council's antic, they have been lately seen siding with opposition.
and how would IPCMC helps in this case ?
we have ACA that can only bark but not bite, so what guarantees IPCMC will be not the same. they can always staff with BN goons like what they did in parliament (rahim ngah famous example), SPR and judiciary. sometimes i don understand why the SIL and AAB don just agree to please rakyat, and staff with all umno goons.
Oh Malaysia,
I cry for thee!!
I cry for the true fighters of Merdeka. who if they could have seen what is happening now know that they have fight in vain
you wont see this incident in the mainstream papers at best. at worst, it will be reported that the lawyers gatecrashed the police station and the police has to react accordingly to maintain law and order.
incidentally, go and read STAR Metro and it gives a gloring account of the removal of the squatters. nothing is mentioned about the demolition of the temple and the reaction from the devotees. That Mokhtar of the State Government has the cheek to thank the squatters for their cooperation. Wonder why I am still buying the STAR paper. Guess its time for me to chuck my bad habit of needing a paper during my breakfast.
tony, use this as an issue in the GE. I believe the Indians will vote DAP! Can provide the pictures for us about this matter??
We have had enough. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. 90%+ majority win is a bygone history. In the next GE, let's make it a historic revolution!
while I don't condone the violence and the high handedness of the authorities, I must ask why the same scenario was not the case with the demolition of the surau.
Is it a case of over-reacting by the indians? If it were illegal then it has to go...but then, Satayman's house did not receive the same treatment eh?
http://www.indianmalaysian.com/sound/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=709
http://www.indianmalaysian.com/sound/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=708
...for some pictures. Lawyers who went to protect citizens were instead handcuffed. This ain't democratic. It's called communism.
Dont be a Moron lah you Morons ,,, when its a Malay problem ,, its a National problem.. when its a Chinese problem... its a racial problem .. when its an Indian problem .. its a ... Problem ?? what Problem ?? QUOTE : kita raakyat malaysia berbangsa india menyokong penuh ,, lu punya mak punya pucok pimpinan barisan craptional ... geez ,, when will they learn ...
Why is China and India still doing business with Malaysia when their overseas chinese and overseas indians are being discriminated there?
anon 8.24
the communist at least is better and in line with their beliefs fo autocracy.
here, this is a democratic country and the police is there to uphold law and order. Instead, they act outside the law.
Tony
The cleaners from the Municipal are corrupt. The people at the local council in charge of the cleaners are corrupt. The councilors, in charge of those in charge of the cleaners are corrupt. The Aduns in charge of the local councils are corrupt. The leadership of state governments in charge if the local councils are corrupt. The Federal Ministers in charge of the State Governments are corrupt. The agency charge to run the election, so that if we want to throw out a corrupt government, is corrupt.
The people whom are entrusted to catch those elected officials who practice corruption are corrupt. The police, who are supposed to enforce the law on those on the take, are corrupt. The Courts who are suppose to catch those who corrupt are corrupt.
My, my Tony. My only hope are the Opposition, the Bar council + the Rulers.
My only wish is the people, ourselves, please do not corrupt. To give 75% of Parliamentary seats, to a group of corrupt (for 50 yrs, from the smallest fly to the top dog of the mountain), that shows, we the people, also corrupt. Change now!!!
In corruption there usually involves two parties; the giver and the acceptor. Both parties are at fault. Please dont blame the culture of corruption developing in this country solely to one specific racial group. That culture of corruption was introduced by certain race groups previously. Just think...
"All BN has to do is to play the racial card and "sweeten" the deal for certain sections of the community. Malaysians in general have low political IQ." - Anonymous
True, how very true.
All it takes is for AAB to make some soothing statements and all will be forgotten and forgiven!
And AAB has been making a lot of soothing statements lately!
Most Malaysians are downright stupid when it comes to electing their representatives.
Even now, there are those who STILL believe that AAB's predecessor is a great man!
One even says that it would be difficult to find someone to replace him!
I think that it's not necessary to repeat what this "GREAT MAN" did to this country!
In fact, what we are having now is to a large extent a legacy of his GREATNESS!
To top it all, he handed his "legacy" to his successor who is an even "GREATER MAN" than himself!
So, the joke is on the voters.
I think that the opposition and in particular the DAP must capitalise on the sentiment of the public (voters) with regard to the goings-on to gain as much mileage as possible. The timing has never been better.
To convince the voters it must, above all, disseminate information of the misdeeds
of the BN to as wide a range of people as possible.
I have uploaded some pics on this incident to my blog.
Indian Temple Demolition
"The cleaners from the Municipal are corrupt. The people at the local council in charge of the cleaners are corrupt. The councilors, in charge of those in charge of the cleaners are corrupt. ....... The Federal Ministers in charge of the State Governments are corrupt. ..."
The people who voted the govt are corrupt. They will sell their souls and their future if you pay them RM 50-00. As the saying goes ..."you reap what you sow"
Tony,
I suggest that you start compiling an e-book that summarises all the wrongdoings/scandals/mistakes/abuse of the BN government right from 2004. Then we will help you to distribute it online and print them out for those with no Internet access. Do it fast, the GE will be called soon and Malaysians are very forgetful and forgiveful!
HI Tony,
You should really post more on your blogs. Since your christening as a DAP candidate, it seems like you have been very busy. Guess some of us just missed some normal, critical, analytical writing...
rather than just politics. :)
Keep up the good cause. See you on nov 10th perhaps.
I read with concern in a local paper of the increasing price of consumer essentials. On a dollar to dollar comparison with Singapore, our products are more expensive but our income is no where near them.We have been losing our human capital to our neighbour. Unless the government is interested to do something to arrest the decline of this situation, we will not likely to see the reverse of where we have four times the population than our neighbour but could only invite a quarter of the FDI value of what Singapore gets.
PEMBATALAN PASPORT MALAYSIA MILIK WAYTHA MOORTHY PONNUSAMY (PASSPORT NO A14915290) -MOST IMMEDIATE
Kepada : Ketua Canseri
Semua Perwakilan
Daripada : Nor Khuzaimah Supar
PSU Bahagian Konsular
Kehadapan Ketua Canseri,
RE: NOTIS PEMBATALAN PASPORT MALAYSIA WAYTHA MOORTHY PONNUSAMY
PASPORT MALAYSIA NO. A 14915290
Adalah saya dengan hormatnya diarah merujuk kepada e-mail Bahagian Konsular bertarikh Disember 2007 berhubung perkara diatas.
2. Pada bulan Disember 2007, Bahagian Konsular telah menghantar pemakluman berkenaan arahan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia untuk membatalkan pasport antarabangsa milik Encik Waytha Moorthy, pemimpin Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). Semua Perwakilan telah diminta untuk melaksanakan notis pembatalan ini. Walau bagaimanapun, Encik Waytha Moorthy didapati sehingga hari ini masih menggunakan passport antarabangsa beliau di luar negara. Isu ini telah dibangkitkan di dalam Mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri pada 2 Mei 2008 yang lalu.
3. Oleh yang demikian, kerjasama daripada semua Perwakilan adalah dipohon untuk memaklumkan kepada Bahagian apakah tindakan yang telah diambil sebaik sahaja menerima arahan notis pembatalan ini dan sekiranya Encik Waytha Moorthy pernah memasuki negara di mana Perwakilan di tauliahkan.
Sekian, terima kasih.
Salam hormat,
NOR KHUZAIMAH SUPAR
Penolong Setiausaha
Bahagian Konsular
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