DO DOGS IN MALAYSIA HAVE A BETTER LIFE THAN……

Tony (YewTube), Haris (Peoples Parliament) and I had prepared for the worst. A buddy had volunteered to baby-sit my notebook and I had packed a month’s supply of Norvasc. Whilst we prepared to set off for Ipoh to pick up Md. Noh, Tony asked: “How about a last beer?” None objected and savored post-haste, as we had an 8:00pm date with GMI’s ANTI-ISA VIGIL in Kamunting, Taiping.

Have we been paranoid? Yes and No. YES because having participated in various “walks and vigils”, the latest security risk like the lighting of one candle can get you (Haris, that is) arrested. But definitely not for arson. NO because caution is an innate survival instinct in all of us, so we take protective caution.

Tony had earlier at BlogHouse printed out the names of all the detainees on A4 sheets. I distributed these among our people. Mine was ABDUL HANIF MANSOR, alleged JI Member, detained since March 8, 2003. I will everyday add his name to my list in my daily prayers.

As an old Taiping boy, my companions expected me to point out where the Detention Center was. I had to be upfront and tell them that I don’t know its exact location because I don’t normally visit bad places. As such we had to ask for direction. As we were about to head forward a man ran up to the car and told us that everyvbody was meeting at the Mosque. To the Mosque we went and what I saw brought back to me the catchphrase that Barak Obama, US Democratic Candidate, based his Primaries campaign on:

"There's NOT a black America and white America … there's the United States of America"

Gathered on the Mosque grounds “There was not a Malay Malaysian, an Indian Malaysian nor a Chinese Malaysian…..there was only anak Bangsa Malaysia, coming from all over to make a stand for our 74 brothers CAGED by an elected Government sworn in Parliament to protect its citizenry.

Mahatma Gandhi was in London, an Englishman asked Gandhi 'Why do you Indians have different coloured skins?

Look at us, we all have the same colour'.
Gandhi replied 'Horses have different colours but all donkeys have
the same colour!'

Some 350 Malaysians who marched out of the Mosque on their 3 km walk to the Detention Centre gathered force as many hesitant onlookers inspired by this show of unity and singleness of purpose joined in. The pictures featured tell their own story.

Before the march, I took the opportunity to speak to Campaign Director Norlaila Othman, whose husband MAT SAB MAT SATRAY, 45 is a detainee for six years. She spoke to me about her failed efforts to get him freed. She has no other avenue of recourse except to immerse herself in anti-ISA activism. I ask her to volunteer Mat Sab’s routine in the centre. I learnt that he is allowed only three hours out of his cell per day. The rest he spends in solitary confinement in a windowless cell.

DON’T MALAYSIANS WHO OWN DOGS TREAT THEIR DOGS BETTER WITH WELL-VENTILATED KENNELS AND SCIENCE-DIET? IS THIS HOW THE BN GOVERNMENT TREAT ITS RAKYAT. SHOULDN’T THE RAKYAT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS INHUMANE TREATMENT OF OUR BROTHERS WHO ARE ONLY ALLEGED TO BE TERRORISTS. PUT THEM ON TRIAL AND PROVE THAT THEY ARE GUILTY. IF THEY ARE GUILTY OF THE ALLEGED TREASON, THEN THEY DESERVE THE RIGHTFUL PUNISHMENT. IF THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BRING THEM TO TRIAL, THE GOVERNMENT MUST SOMEHOW BE HIDING SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY.

Allow me to quote again from the man who crafted the ISA, Reginald H Hicklings:

"I could not imagine then that the time would come when the power of detention, carefully and deliberately interlocked with Article 149 of the Constitution, would be used against political opponents, welfare workers and others dedicated to non-violent, peaceful activities."

and

"Organised violence" was the key to the preamble of the ISA and that I had drafted to detain communist insurgents without trial, but in later years, a lot of people were being arrested who had nothing to do with organised violence (communist insurgencies) at all."

Read more

and

Release all, repeal ISA, close Kamunting

pics courtesy of Peoples Parliament and Malaysiakini