How many more must die?

Received this from SUARAM today. Our detention centres are famous now – for being dungeons of death?

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On 3 September 2009, it was reported that a Burmese detainee at KLIA Immigration Detention Centre died on 29 August 2009 due to an unknown illness and six other detainees with similar symptoms were hospitalised at Putrajaya General Hospital.

Today, 25 September 2009, it was reported that six Burmese detainees have died at an undisclosed detention centre allegedly due to Leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that occurs due to water or food contaminated by animal urine.

Last month, it was reported that a Togolese detainee died in the same detention centre due to Influenza A(H1N1).

Should our priority be safeguarding secrets or exposing corruption?

ALIRAN asks: is this why the Official Secrets Acts was legislated – to protect the corrupt and the guilty? Read the below press statement from ALIRAN president P Ramakrishnan:

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Malaysia is perceived to be one screwed up nation. There is no doubt about it. It is difficult to fathom what is our priority and what we should be concerned about. Should our priority be safeguarding secrets or exposing corruption?

We are taken aback by the NST report yesterday – ‘Probe into expose of port govt secrets’ – that investigations are underway to determine who was responsible for leaking the cabinet papers on the PKFZ that were posted on the Malaysia Today website.

[Again, shooting the messenger!]

Eid Mubarak to all Muslims

(image)

Including the likes of the cow head protestors and all their supporters.

To others, thank you for making Malaysia a beautiful place to live in.

Happy holidays and drive carefully.

Which is worse: slippers or the keris?

I wonder which is worse: suggesting a garland of slippers or brandishing a keris.

Both were done in public. The garland of slippers seem to have hurt only one man’s feelings – Mahathir Mohammad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia – a civil servant – who says he is unfazed by this lack of manners.

The keris on the other hand created havoc and insulted many people, and worst still, put to shame the keris’ culture as the symbol of our heritage.

The MIC man gets reprimanded and the UMNO man who brandished the keris has been promoted to be the Home Minister.

Fair? In Malaysia, you can only find that in skin colour. Never when it comes to what is right or wrong.

No Malaysia day for Sarawak’s Indigenous

(Update 17/9) – The 15 arrested have been released on bail of RM3,000 each. The police made a lot of money today! The 15 have to be back in court on 29 September.

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This URGENT ALERT is from Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS). Time and again it’s proven that 1Malaysia is just a sham. It ought to be NONEMalaysian.

It’s also a shame because yesterday was Malaysia Day – the day we came together as one – Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak. At least give the Indigenous some RESPECT. But RESPECT is not a norm in 1Malaysia.

Please do the needful, my friends, and show our sisters and brothers in Sarawak that we are anak bangsa Malaysia.

Dear Friends,

As Malaysia commemorates its 46th anniversary, 15 indigenous Sarawakians have been detained by Kuching police at 2:45 today for trying to send a memorandum of protest to the Sarawak Chief Minister.

Among those arrested are Mark Bujang (BRIMAS), Raymond Abin (BRIMAS) and Hellan Empaing (WADESA), all leaders of the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia) as well as representatives from the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities of Sarawak.

The contingent, consisting of 6 Penan, 4 Iban, 2 Kayan and 3 Kenyah are all representatives of communities who will be affected by two major dams which are being built in their areas.

If you are ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA

Then September 16 is your day. It is the day that the Federation of Malaysia was formed – Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.

So this is the day you should actually cry “Happy Birthday Malaysia”.

Support this good initiative by Haris Ibrahim and friends here.

It promises to be “THE MOVEMENT for CHANGE”. It’s also long overdue.

Haris and friends will unveil their plans at the Anak Bangsa Malaysia Centre @ 66, Lorong Setiabistari 1, Bukit Damansara. More details at the website.

Looks like it will be an exciting event. Good luck!

Is there a place in 1Malaysia for Altantuya’s special child?

In the Altantuya Shariibuu case, the Attorney General gets away scott free AGAIN. There is indeed too much power in one man’s hands.

Altantuya’s dad, Stev filed for a judicial review to compel the AG to appeal against the acquittal of Abdul Razak Baginda.

But he has withdrawn the case today (Malaysiakini). Too tedious and too costly for an old man who has two grandchildren to feed, and too heavy a burden to carry the memory of his daughter blown to bits on Malaysian soil.

Imagine, having the sole discretion whether to prosecute or not or file an appeal or not. That’s how powerful the AG is in this country.

Join the protest against MCMC infront of Malaysiakini’s office

Dear everyone!

Readers and supporters of Malaysiakini will gather infront of the online news office in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur to show their support for the embattled journalists.

Be there at 10.00am on Monday, September 14.

You can join others protest against MCMC’s continued harassment of the paper just because they feature videos of the cow head incident on August 28.

The Home Minister, who flip-flopped on his decision to take action against the disrespectful protestors, has abused his power and used MCMC as a tool to pressure Malaysiakini to take down those videos. Cowards.

So please find time to be there if you are around Bangsar. Good luck!

Soi Lek has 2 faces and 1 evil agenda?

I receive this article in my mail box from “I LOVE MALAYSIA”. Does it make sense?

1) Face 1 – Who were those behind the “Topple Ong Ka Ting” group? Theng Bok and Wong Leong were key leaders. Who was the mastermind of the group? It was the same person who hated Ong Ka Ting, and blamed OKT for being the one behind the DVD secret recording

Face 2 – Who are those behind the “Topple Ong Tee Keat” group now? Also Theng Bok and Wong Leong- the same group, now with help from Tan Chai Ho, Loh Seng Kok, etc. Will the “Topple MCA president ” stop only when CSL himself becomes the president?

Arrest All Rapists of Penan women!

The story of rape of Penan girls and women is most appalling, but worse still is the government’s delayed response and police inaction.

Are we becoming a nation without conscience nor humanity? I believe you know the answer to that.

The perpetrators must be brought to court at once, the victims need to be rehabilitated and the human and development conditions of the Penan community needs to be immediately investigated.

Please read FORUM-ASIA’s statement here and give your support to this issue in any way you can.