Aristotle: What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.

SIEW HOON & MERINNE

SIEW HOON was seen every day last week at the Sedition Trial of RPK. As this goes to post Siew Hoon is on her flight back to New Zealand. She came into town because she wanted to attend Pete's trial. Merinne is her eyes during the week of the court-hearing.

Since Monday last, at sharp 7:30 each morning her car is outside Marina's house, ready to give Marina a ride to the PJ Sessions Court. What's with this blind lady. Hasn't she got better things to do than to attend court? I had the opportunity to ask her this on that Thursday when court was adjourned for the prosecution to amend their defective charges against RPK.

Tell me about your sight impairment, I asked Siew Hoon. Before delivery of her child she was faced with a chilling decision. The gyne put it very firmly and honestly to Siew Hoon: You have a choice. You child lives but you have to lose your sight. Siew Hoon gave life to her child and accepted this world of darkness.

So what's with you and Raja Petra? I asked.
Her story: We had all moved in to this new community in Sg. Buloh and the usual petty thefts were regular occurances. Raja Petra organized the Rukun Tetanga for our taman. We lived opposite each other. Raja was always thinking about the welfare of others. One night, a thief had got into my house through the roof. When the alarm was raided Raja Petra chased the thief down the road, giving little thought to his own safety. That was Raja Petra.....others before self. When news broke that he was to be brought to court, the least I could do for this champion of the people would be to lend my support by being there. I am grateful that my friend Merinne is my seeing eyes throught these four days. I thought the trial would be over by tomorrow (Friday) and I had booked my glight back to NZ on Sunday.....but I will be with you in spirit.

A SINGLE SOUL DWELLING IN TWO BODIES

THAT'S FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE.

But Siew Hoon left this at Malaysia Today before she departed:

Dear Malaysia Today family,

I am deeply touched and overwhelmed by the words of encouragement and would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. I would like to share with you these convictions which I shared with RPK when I hugged him;

RPK; 'today you and I are in the same world. You are under ISA and I am in my blind world. Though they have blindfolded you, handcuffed you and put you in solitary confinement and denied you basic human rights, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.'

As Marina has said, all those who visit Malaysia Today have become one large family of those under ISA. We all come from different walks of life, race, religion and culture. I assured RPK and Marina that we are now RPK's eyes, ears, mouth and legs and our hearts will carry his love for all Malaysians.

So let us in unity keep the Malaysia truly Asian and Malaysia Boleh Spirit alive!

Siew Hoon
Currently overseas

P.S. this is my first ever posting with the help of my good friend Malgal. Wow RPK's spirit is so powerful that even the Blind is Cyberly alive!

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In the little time we had together Siew Hoon shared with me some of the sayings from Helen Keller, her inspiration:

* Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose

* The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart

* Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.

* Is there anything worse than being blind? Yes, a man with sight and no vision.

*****
Until December then Siew Hoon, you take care.
from all the members of the MT family.