I WAS ALWAYS PROUD OF MALAYSIA BUT NOT NOW BECAUSE

Election time is a-coming and those who are not so sure of being nominated are doing their usual stuff.....getting noticed. They are apple-polishing, ass-slurping, chest-thumping a la gorillas and some will go to the extent of not only selling their mothers but their souls too. How can I be proud of Malaysia (although I will still die for Malaysia but not for this government) when people we elected are looking after their own welfare and that of their parasites, rather than OURS. How can I be proud when after electing them we bestow on them the honorific YB and they dont live up to it. How can I be proud when crooks are absolved by just this stupid judicial declaration: we found his bank statements semua ok. Be proud of Malaysia where we have this information chief working overtime and shouting nonentities like "those 42 NGOs do not represent the people?" How can I be proud of Malaysia when it is a cruel Islamic(?) State: I need not elaborate, but just read what I plucked from Susan Loone:

Dear Malaysian Bloggers,

My name is Aris Oziar. For the past three months I have been working on a website project called FiftyRefugees. As the name implies, it chronicles the story of 50 refugees who currently call Malaysia their home.

This project is part of the 50-44 Merdeka Coalition (www.50-44.org ), a group of local NGOs who will conduct an alternative celebration of Merdeka in September after the official celebrations have died down. NGOs in their respective fields will touch on various issues, highlighting migrants, refugees, Orang Asli, the urban poor, race and religion etc.

Malaysia does not recognise the Geneva Refugee Convention, and partly as a result of this (we have other legal avenues to give them rights, such as IMM13 but the government has refused to act), Refugees in Malaysia who cross the border illegally or whose visa has lapsed are classified as Illegal Immigrants, subject to arrest and detention by the police, RELA and Immigration. They have restricted access to healthcare services and the children cannot go to government schools, effectively denying them education

As a Malaysian, I am outraged to hear their stories of Malaysia - 3 years of detention or living in makeshift jungle campsfear of arrest. Stories of a 6 year old girl whose last visit to town was 4 years ago (the mother is too afraid to bring her out), and her 55 year old father who eventually died because the police took all their money the one time they were desperate enough to go to the hospital to treat his illness. And of course, of the Malaysian immigration authorities dumping them across the border in Thailand, where they are rounded up by agents and either pay these agents to get back to Malaysia , or face slave labour - the men in fishing boats and the women, probably sold to the sex trade.

I want average Malaysians to know. To know that refugees do exist in Malaysia . To know that they braved a dangerous journey to Malaysia to escape atrocities in their own country. To know that most of them live a marginal life, often exploited, almost always in fear.

We have tasted independence for the past 50 years. And yet, today, there are still people in this country who have none.

Please, if you have time, write about this issue or perhaps mention www.fiftyrefugees.wordpress.com . Malaysians read your blogs. I want them to know.

Warmest regards
arisoziar@yahoo.com

Let's do this for Aris.........and to all you loud-mouth Barisan boys out there.....Zorro's grand-aunt, who said that your fart has more substance than what you guys are saying, has this message:

...look into this, have a heart (if you have one).Do something for these refugees. For once think of others. I just want to be proud of my country. Help me.