I agree with you that its important that there is evidence to make an allegation. Hence, would you agree with the reports other assertions that uses government statistics or other independent/third party information?
PEKIDA is a ‘fifth column’ founded soon after May 13, 1969. Its purpose is to form a front line or line of defence in the event a second race riot erupts — May 13 Version 2. All the Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, past and present, have links with PEKIDA — as do some in the army, police, UMNO leaders, civil servants, and whatnot.
It is like Ireland where Sinn Fein is the political party and the IRA is the militant wing. In Malaysia it is UMNO and PEKIDA respectively.
Dear DPM, how would you address the countless and sometimes unfounded criticism towards the National Front on the internet? I feel that fighting fire with fire will burn up our country. Regards from Tasmania.
Why do judges enforce 112 article strictly? It is not just Ah Khong’s case – recently there was a programmer who was arrested from the same reason(insulting). The judge attached a strong message why that person was not allowed being out on bail. Do they (judges) receive an order from anyone? Why do they act so strongly? It seems like they are not afraid of being damaged.
Hindraf would do well not to compare themselves with Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Dr. Martin Luther King. Each of these leaders were peaceful, open to negotiation on neutral terms and had nothing in their policies or structure that favoured family members.
The Hindraf movement has become irrelevant and incredulous with its far fetched claims and by their own contradictions and violations of their own stated principles and objectives.
Hindraf is a nepotistic organization that does not resile from using children as human shields to further their causes. And those children they have in the past used come from the very families of the same leaders whose claims to leadership are conveniently protected from public scrutiny by their refusal to become a registered political party which they are by any other name .
Waythamurthi must first allow the” movement” which is what he refers to Hindraf as to be more transparent, inclusive and accountable (especially for the funds that have not been accounted for, raised during the November 2007 march).
If Malaysia is a racist country it is not by UMNO alone in fact not at all by UMNO but by the caste and race divisions created by the MIC, its predecessors and the MCA. They bargained for the race based enclaves which they now wallow in uncomfortably. That’s neither the fault f UMNO or the Barisan but of the political leaders of each of the other two parties non UMNO.
Tun Sambanthan on behalf of the Goundars created a caste based hierarchy excluding all non Tamil talent from the party’s central committees. His successor Tan Sri Manickavasagam did no better. Both furthered their own adventures as did Samy Velu who it must be said for all his faults did better for Tamils in Malaysia than the other two.
Hindraf which courts the heat and the powerful political lobbies of organizations like the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) must understand the race and religious based fundamentals of the VHP before casting that first stone against UMNO. And that too in the US of all places which celebrates institutionalized racism as a virtue and political philosophy. Malaysia had democratic government long before the US embraced that concept. We had independent and democratic government whilst Martin Luther King and his people were fighting for the right to vote and to travel with their fellow citizens.
The VHP has been behind some of the most vile anti Indian violence in India. How could anyone forget their vandalism in the destruction of thee Babri Masjid (a 13th century mosque built by the emperor Babur), a national historic monument? The other act of infamy of the VHP being their support for the chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modhi a man who masterminded the massacre of over 2000 unarmed and helpless Indians simply because they happened to be Muslim. Modhi has been banned from travel to many parts of the civilized world including the US because of outstanding warrants for his warrant for that crime.
Hindraf would do well to learn to negotiate and become more inclusive, a part of the mainstream process of political discourse and activity. Rather it has been back bitten by Bersh’s leader Ambiga Sreenivasan in her off the record remark and on record policy of excluding them.
Ambiga is Brahmin the mainstream of Hindraf Shudras, Motheliars, Goundars and other castes. Now therein lies the problem with the problems of Indians mainly the Tamil Indians in Malaysia. Their continued practice of the caste system. Perhaps Waythamurthi would care to explain why the mainstream of Indian politics in Malaysia is so fractured with the educated supporting government, the opposition and the rest if they care Hindraf.
Government has not denied Hindraf a place at the table. It has simply demanded Hindraf become part of the mainstream. Syed Albar and Badawi are not all of UMNO. These two are an anachronism and maybe part of that diversity which is the Barisan and UMNO. Lets see some democratic examples of Hindraf’s policies and its actions through a diversity of leadership if it has such policies and structures.
If not Hindraf remains a rickety platform on which those who stand have a self tied noose around their weak necks.
He has set a simple proposition before us. Everyone is important. Everyone should be free.
р╕нр╕▓р╕Бр╕З Ah Khong
Jack Smith says that , “The purpose of this campaign should not focus on freeing Ah Kong but most importantly it should be a beginning of erasing this merciless article 112 completely.”
Yes, that would be good too. But do not forget each persecuted individual and one of them is
р╕нр╕▓р╕Бр╕З Ah Khong
He should be free.
Free him and all the others but free him.
Pavin is asserting the right of an individual to exist.
I have just written his name on the wall outside my house. I hope someone notices and asks me what it means.
I will say if Ah Kong is not free, then neither am I.
I’d stop reading after the mention of 3 LINE. No evidence. No proof of allegations. What a joke. A secret society sanction by the goverment? Blatant lies.
[…] there are now suggestions that there might be more, even the one known case was investigated under the Abhisit Vejjajiva government. The cases of […]
The purpose of this campaign should not focus on freeing Ah Kong but most importantly it should be a beginning of erasing this merciless article 112 completely. Such an inhumane law should not exist in any society. If anyone think that this law is suitable for Thailand then those people should not be human being at all. As for those who support this law, they have not a drop of mercy in their heart. Ah Kong case will lighten up the whole country to stand up for their right.
The guy in the picture is Dr. Seri Wongmontha, who was also very active on PAD stages.
Today was another Siam Samakki event at the Pridi Statue in Thammasat university. Several hundred dressed in Pink Shirts gathered there, a jazz band on the stage, several well known singers, also the senator Rotsana Tositrakul, one of the group of 40 senators. Dr. Tul was there as well. Highlight was at the end singing the Royal anthem, and holding up candles (good pics).
“The above information, which is publicly available in company and stock exchange records, is quite enough for the MACC to issue a warrant for the arrest of Taib Mahmud. He and his family have not only done business in Sarawak, they have run Sarawak as a business along the lines of a family mafia, using his political power to extract virtually all the country’s wealth.”
In the wake of the sad case of Akong, I’m sorry to report the following to all friends and readers of New Mandala:
During the past two months, the police have laid LM charge and issued summoning paper to 2-3 persons in the academic/education circles.
This is not rumor; I’ve seen the summoning paper myself and talked to persons being charged.
The reason I’m not giving details of these new cases here is that I (in consultation with persons involved and friends) still have some hope the authorities would come to some sense and make effort to stop this madness before it goes any further.
The government has recently pass a resolution accepting the recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the indiscriminate use of LM during the past few years should stop. It even set up a committee to oversee the implementation of the Commission’s recommendation.
Recently too, in response to the UN report critical of LM, the Foreign Ministry has issued a statement admitting the mistake which it attributed to the previous government and reiterated its commitment to the Commission’s recommendation.
But what is happening? Why these new cases?
I really hope that everyone concerned with the future of Thailand will make their voice heard to the government that this is definitely not the way forward.
Recall that PPSMI policy was challenged in the High Court – lending credence to many Malay language activists’ (DSAI [Anwar Ibrahim] was in the 70s very vocally known for this) – assertion that it was unconstitutional.
Is that racist – no. Is that the only reasoning to why PR (Pakatan Rakyat) rejected PPSMI – no. The implementation of the policy was done without proper study or consultation.
As for Chua Jui Meng – whats wrong with what he said? Mr. Loh conveniently clipped his follow up statement which safeguarded the rights of non Malays -and the rest of Keadilan leadership – including me, who stressed on the multiracial identity of the party.
I am sure the remarks were made as alleged though the context is not Malay rights.
Pakatan Rakyat’s policy is against PPSMI (teaching of Science and Maths in English) because we believe education in mother tongue is more effective, as well as the wide gap in rural areas that will discriminate poor people. Anwar’s remarks were made in that context ie teaching in English condemns more rural Malays into perpetual poverty because the higher drop out rate at early secondary schools. I dont think there’s any racist tinge there.
Likewise Chua’s speech is in line with Pakatan’s policies to uphold constitutional rights (special positions of Malay/Bumiputra), what he (the guy who posted) missed out is Dato Chua’s equally strong pronouncement that he will defend the valid rights of the non-Malays.
Communists and Fascists are two sides of the same coin, eschewing centralized control of the serfs as the bureaucracy and government (i.e. the completely non-productive stratum of society) lord over them in the style of Kings.
As such Red Prince was probably quite a correct description.
All politicians are lizards though some are more reptilian than others. However it’s only common sense to address stated attacks on freedoms against the hypothetical ones down the road you warn against.
Logically the incumbent will be listening to the rightful howls of protest and factor those in to any decision making.
One might even conclude it’s killing two birds with one stone.
I hope this Q&A style of explaining the campaign would explain..a little bit.. Thank you:
1) Why the campaign?
We are coming to the end of the road when it comes to justice in Thailand. The lese majeste law has been increasingly used as a political weapon to undermine opponents. Sadly the judges have not been on the side of the people. This campaign has been inspired by Burma’s Fearlessness project, endorsed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to give a courageous support for many Burmese political prisonners. it’s a peaceful campaign. We would like to make a statement by writing the name “Akong” on our palm as a support and campaign for his freedom.
2) Why just Amphon & not other prisoners of conscience?
Amphon is the ultimate victim in this game of political revenge. A perfect victim indeed–in a sense that, this is an old Thai-Chinese man, who perhaps knows nothing about lese-majeste law, someone who might not even be able to speak Thai very well, someone who perhaps are not well versed at all in using handphone and sending text messages, someone who has not been politically active–yet all these do not prevent him from being accused and arrested. What I find the most atrocious is the length of the sentence–4 SMSs = 20 years? Is this Thailand? This is the country where most peoples claim that the King is much loved and respected by all Thais; yet it is the country that has the most severe punishment of all.
3) What’s your expectation of the campaign?
I hope this could send a strong message to the royalists to see the rationale behind the sentence against Akong, how they have exploited the lese majeste law and more importantly how they could actually weaken the institution they love. My argument is that, the more the law has been used, the more the much revered institution will be in a much more difficult position.
4) Who first came up with the idea?
I came up with the idea, as I said, as inspired by Burma’s Fearlessness campaign. The Burmese are brave in their fight against injustice and their support for political prisonners. Why cant the Thais be like them?
5) How many (roughly) have joined the campaign?
They are many people on Facebook who express their interest to join the campaign–not bad, considering that it was just started yesterday… Almost 150 people sending in their photos with the word Akong on their palm… as part of the campaign.
I didn’t direct my discussion to the Democrats. This entire thread, in case you didn’t notice, is about their deputy spokesperson, Mallika with the opening article written by Pavin on a site hosted by the ANU.
Strange as it may seem to you but all of that is nothing to do with me.
In the last months I’ve been compared to Stalin, Goebbels and the Nazis, called a communist, terrorist and an extremist.
Now I’m being called a “liberal”?
What’s next? A Tory????
God forbid.
I would also say that I would welcome and support a Thai Democrat Party which outflanked PTP from a social democrat position. They choose not to, instead going for an extreme rightwing and even more anti-democratic position than PTP.
Abhisit managed to achieve the impossible a long time ago in making Thaksin look like a progressive, justice-loving democrat.
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Evidence of racism in Malaysia?
Hi Fadhli,
I agree with you that its important that there is evidence to make an allegation. Hence, would you agree with the reports other assertions that uses government statistics or other independent/third party information?
This is from Raja Petra Kamaruddin on PEKIDA/3 LINE
Evidence of racism in Malaysia?
Fadhli, how about the stuff before mention of 3LINE?
Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister @ ANU
Dear DPM, how would you address the countless and sometimes unfounded criticism towards the National Front on the internet? I feel that fighting fire with fire will burn up our country. Regards from Tasmania.
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
Why do judges enforce 112 article strictly? It is not just Ah Khong’s case – recently there was a programmer who was arrested from the same reason(insulting). The judge attached a strong message why that person was not allowed being out on bail. Do they (judges) receive an order from anyone? Why do they act so strongly? It seems like they are not afraid of being damaged.
Evidence of racism in Malaysia?
Hindraf would do well not to compare themselves with Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Dr. Martin Luther King. Each of these leaders were peaceful, open to negotiation on neutral terms and had nothing in their policies or structure that favoured family members.
The Hindraf movement has become irrelevant and incredulous with its far fetched claims and by their own contradictions and violations of their own stated principles and objectives.
Hindraf is a nepotistic organization that does not resile from using children as human shields to further their causes. And those children they have in the past used come from the very families of the same leaders whose claims to leadership are conveniently protected from public scrutiny by their refusal to become a registered political party which they are by any other name .
Waythamurthi must first allow the” movement” which is what he refers to Hindraf as to be more transparent, inclusive and accountable (especially for the funds that have not been accounted for, raised during the November 2007 march).
If Malaysia is a racist country it is not by UMNO alone in fact not at all by UMNO but by the caste and race divisions created by the MIC, its predecessors and the MCA. They bargained for the race based enclaves which they now wallow in uncomfortably. That’s neither the fault f UMNO or the Barisan but of the political leaders of each of the other two parties non UMNO.
Tun Sambanthan on behalf of the Goundars created a caste based hierarchy excluding all non Tamil talent from the party’s central committees. His successor Tan Sri Manickavasagam did no better. Both furthered their own adventures as did Samy Velu who it must be said for all his faults did better for Tamils in Malaysia than the other two.
Hindraf which courts the heat and the powerful political lobbies of organizations like the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) must understand the race and religious based fundamentals of the VHP before casting that first stone against UMNO. And that too in the US of all places which celebrates institutionalized racism as a virtue and political philosophy. Malaysia had democratic government long before the US embraced that concept. We had independent and democratic government whilst Martin Luther King and his people were fighting for the right to vote and to travel with their fellow citizens.
The VHP has been behind some of the most vile anti Indian violence in India. How could anyone forget their vandalism in the destruction of thee Babri Masjid (a 13th century mosque built by the emperor Babur), a national historic monument? The other act of infamy of the VHP being their support for the chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modhi a man who masterminded the massacre of over 2000 unarmed and helpless Indians simply because they happened to be Muslim. Modhi has been banned from travel to many parts of the civilized world including the US because of outstanding warrants for his warrant for that crime.
Hindraf would do well to learn to negotiate and become more inclusive, a part of the mainstream process of political discourse and activity. Rather it has been back bitten by Bersh’s leader Ambiga Sreenivasan in her off the record remark and on record policy of excluding them.
Ambiga is Brahmin the mainstream of Hindraf Shudras, Motheliars, Goundars and other castes. Now therein lies the problem with the problems of Indians mainly the Tamil Indians in Malaysia. Their continued practice of the caste system. Perhaps Waythamurthi would care to explain why the mainstream of Indian politics in Malaysia is so fractured with the educated supporting government, the opposition and the rest if they care Hindraf.
Government has not denied Hindraf a place at the table. It has simply demanded Hindraf become part of the mainstream. Syed Albar and Badawi are not all of UMNO. These two are an anachronism and maybe part of that diversity which is the Barisan and UMNO. Lets see some democratic examples of Hindraf’s policies and its actions through a diversity of leadership if it has such policies and structures.
If not Hindraf remains a rickety platform on which those who stand have a self tied noose around their weak necks.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Worth looking at an interview conducted with Mallika (aka “Cyber Warrior 001” – her term) that appears in today’s Bangkok Post: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/269157/cyber-warrior-001-says-free-speech-a-hostage-to-nefarious-net-movement
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
Thanks to Pavin
He has set a simple proposition before us. Everyone is important. Everyone should be free.
р╕нр╕▓р╕Бр╕З Ah Khong
Jack Smith says that , “The purpose of this campaign should not focus on freeing Ah Kong but most importantly it should be a beginning of erasing this merciless article 112 completely.”
Yes, that would be good too. But do not forget each persecuted individual and one of them is
р╕нр╕▓р╕Бр╕З Ah Khong
He should be free.
Free him and all the others but free him.
Pavin is asserting the right of an individual to exist.
I have just written his name on the wall outside my house. I hope someone notices and asks me what it means.
I will say if Ah Kong is not free, then neither am I.
Evidence of racism in Malaysia?
I’d stop reading after the mention of 3 LINE. No evidence. No proof of allegations. What a joke. A secret society sanction by the goverment? Blatant lies.
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
[…] there are now suggestions that there might be more, even the one known case was investigated under the Abhisit Vejjajiva government. The cases of […]
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
The purpose of this campaign should not focus on freeing Ah Kong but most importantly it should be a beginning of erasing this merciless article 112 completely. Such an inhumane law should not exist in any society. If anyone think that this law is suitable for Thailand then those people should not be human being at all. As for those who support this law, they have not a drop of mercy in their heart. Ah Kong case will lighten up the whole country to stand up for their right.
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
“Somsak Jeamteerasakul”
I am sorry to hear this.
I do expect the situation to get worse in the near future, unfortunately.
Siam Samakki
“johninbkk”:
The spelling is to be blamed on me 😉
The guy in the picture is Dr. Seri Wongmontha, who was also very active on PAD stages.
Today was another Siam Samakki event at the Pridi Statue in Thammasat university. Several hundred dressed in Pink Shirts gathered there, a jazz band on the stage, several well known singers, also the senator Rotsana Tositrakul, one of the group of 40 senators. Dr. Tul was there as well. Highlight was at the end singing the Royal anthem, and holding up candles (good pics).
The Sarawak Revolution!
Enough info for MACC to arrest Taib Mahmud now!
http://www.sarawakreport.org/2011/12/keeping-it-in-the-family-how-taib-the-godfather-corruptly-controls-cms/
“The above information, which is publicly available in company and stock exchange records, is quite enough for the MACC to issue a warrant for the arrest of Taib Mahmud. He and his family have not only done business in Sarawak, they have run Sarawak as a business along the lines of a family mafia, using his political power to extract virtually all the country’s wealth.”
Time for stop work & street protest to begin!
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
P.S. The latest case of police making LM charge and issuing summoning paper happened just a few days ago.
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
In the wake of the sad case of Akong, I’m sorry to report the following to all friends and readers of New Mandala:
During the past two months, the police have laid LM charge and issued summoning paper to 2-3 persons in the academic/education circles.
This is not rumor; I’ve seen the summoning paper myself and talked to persons being charged.
The reason I’m not giving details of these new cases here is that I (in consultation with persons involved and friends) still have some hope the authorities would come to some sense and make effort to stop this madness before it goes any further.
The government has recently pass a resolution accepting the recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the indiscriminate use of LM during the past few years should stop. It even set up a committee to oversee the implementation of the Commission’s recommendation.
Recently too, in response to the UN report critical of LM, the Foreign Ministry has issued a statement admitting the mistake which it attributed to the previous government and reiterated its commitment to the Commission’s recommendation.
But what is happening? Why these new cases?
I really hope that everyone concerned with the future of Thailand will make their voice heard to the government that this is definitely not the way forward.
We’re not racists!
I had asked Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to clarify Goh WL #12 comments.
The following responses were received from YB Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli.
From YB Nurul Izzah, Member of Parliament, PKR.
From Rafizi Ramli, Director of Strategies, PKR.
The Red Prince
Communists and Fascists are two sides of the same coin, eschewing centralized control of the serfs as the bureaucracy and government (i.e. the completely non-productive stratum of society) lord over them in the style of Kings.
As such Red Prince was probably quite a correct description.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
John Smith.
All politicians are lizards though some are more reptilian than others. However it’s only common sense to address stated attacks on freedoms against the hypothetical ones down the road you warn against.
Logically the incumbent will be listening to the rightful howls of protest and factor those in to any decision making.
One might even conclude it’s killing two birds with one stone.
Thailand’s Fearlessness: Free Akong
I hope this Q&A style of explaining the campaign would explain..a little bit.. Thank you:
1) Why the campaign?
We are coming to the end of the road when it comes to justice in Thailand. The lese majeste law has been increasingly used as a political weapon to undermine opponents. Sadly the judges have not been on the side of the people. This campaign has been inspired by Burma’s Fearlessness project, endorsed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to give a courageous support for many Burmese political prisonners. it’s a peaceful campaign. We would like to make a statement by writing the name “Akong” on our palm as a support and campaign for his freedom.
2) Why just Amphon & not other prisoners of conscience?
Amphon is the ultimate victim in this game of political revenge. A perfect victim indeed–in a sense that, this is an old Thai-Chinese man, who perhaps knows nothing about lese-majeste law, someone who might not even be able to speak Thai very well, someone who perhaps are not well versed at all in using handphone and sending text messages, someone who has not been politically active–yet all these do not prevent him from being accused and arrested. What I find the most atrocious is the length of the sentence–4 SMSs = 20 years? Is this Thailand? This is the country where most peoples claim that the King is much loved and respected by all Thais; yet it is the country that has the most severe punishment of all.
3) What’s your expectation of the campaign?
I hope this could send a strong message to the royalists to see the rationale behind the sentence against Akong, how they have exploited the lese majeste law and more importantly how they could actually weaken the institution they love. My argument is that, the more the law has been used, the more the much revered institution will be in a much more difficult position.
4) Who first came up with the idea?
I came up with the idea, as I said, as inspired by Burma’s Fearlessness campaign. The Burmese are brave in their fight against injustice and their support for political prisonners. Why cant the Thais be like them?
5) How many (roughly) have joined the campaign?
They are many people on Facebook who express their interest to join the campaign–not bad, considering that it was just started yesterday… Almost 150 people sending in their photos with the word Akong on their palm… as part of the campaign.
Info: http://www.facebook.com/pavinchachavalpongpun.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
“John Smith”
I didn’t direct my discussion to the Democrats. This entire thread, in case you didn’t notice, is about their deputy spokesperson, Mallika with the opening article written by Pavin on a site hosted by the ANU.
Strange as it may seem to you but all of that is nothing to do with me.
In the last months I’ve been compared to Stalin, Goebbels and the Nazis, called a communist, terrorist and an extremist.
Now I’m being called a “liberal”?
What’s next? A Tory????
God forbid.
I would also say that I would welcome and support a Thai Democrat Party which outflanked PTP from a social democrat position. They choose not to, instead going for an extreme rightwing and even more anti-democratic position than PTP.
Abhisit managed to achieve the impossible a long time ago in making Thaksin look like a progressive, justice-loving democrat.