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Malaysiakini :: Surat

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 10:11 PM PDT

Baru-baru ini Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengumumkan pemansuhan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan ramai yang menyokong pengumuman tersebut.

Kalau benar akta ISA dimansuhkan sepatutnya tahanan ISA yang ada sekarang juga patut dibebaskan dengan segera atau dibicarakan di mahkamah terbuka. Apa erti akta ISA dimansuhkan sedangkan tahanan ISA masih lagi meringkuk dalam penjara.

Kita minta semua tahanan ISA dibebaskan dengan segera dan jangan pula selepas ini ada lagi akta yang lebih kejam dan zalim dari akta ISA.

Sepatutnya akta ini sudah lama dihapuskan setelah komunis menyerah diri dan meninggalkan perjuangan mereka.

Oleh kerana akta ISA selama ini telah disalahgunakan untuk menangkap pemimpin pembangkang yang bersuara lantang menentang pemerintah dan mereka yang dituduh tanpa bukti maka, sebab itulah kita mendesak agar akta ISA dimansuhkan atau dihapuskan sama sekali tanpa prejudis.

Akta ISA juga tidak memberi peluang kepada tertuduh untuk dibicarakan di mahkamah terbuka maka memang patut dihapuskan dari dulu lagi.

Sekiranya ada akta baru yang akan menganti akta ISA nanti janganlah ia lebih teruk atau zalim dari yang ada sekarang.

Kita akan menyokong setiap perkara yang baik untuk semua rakyat tanpa mengira fahaman politik.

Jangan larang dengar penjelasan

Merujuk kepada kenyataan Datuk Peter Chin di Miri baru-baru ini dan mengingatkan penduduk kampung supaya jangan menerima kedatangan orang luar (pembangkang) ini suatu perbuatan yang diluar amalan demokrasi.

Negara ini mengamal dasar demokrasi bukan bersifat seperti dasar komunis yang mana hanya suatu pihak saja yang berhak bersuara sedangkan yang lain dilarang mengeluarkan sebarang kenyataan atau
memberi penerangan kepada rakyat.

Kita yakin Miri akan jatuh kepada Pakatan Rakyat dalam pilihan raya umum nanti sekiranya rakyat dapat menerima maklumat yang jelas dan tepat tentang dasar dan perjuangan PR dari pimpinan PR sendiri.

Mungkin disebabkan takut kepada pemimpin Pakatan yang akan memberi penerangan dan penjelasan kepada rakyat maka dengan sebab itu kita selalu mendengar pemimpin BN mengeluarkan kenyataan kepada rakyat supaya jangan menerima kedatangan pemimpin Pakatan.

Kita minta pemimpin BN bersikap 'gentleman' dan jangan takut menghadapi rakyat biar rakyat
yang menentukan siapa yang layak untuk memimpin mereka bukan hanya BN saja.

Kalau BN takut menghadapi rakyat secara demokrasi lebih baik jangan masuk politik dan bertanding dalam pilihan raya umum nanti dan biarkan orang yang berani dan layak saja yang akan memimpin negara ini dimasa hadapan demi kebajikan rakyat semua.

Kredit: www.malaysiakini.com

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Malaysiakini :: Letters

Critics should serve the community instead

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 03:42 AM PDT

I refer to a letter written by Mr MK Periasamy in Malaysiakini dated Sept 13, 2011 entitled 'Indian Forum, all talk and no action'.

I beg to differ with his views. While I affirm human rights principles and the right of expression, however wild and baseless accusations is unbecoming in the context of human rights culture and democracy.

Exercising my right to reply I am writing a short note to clarify amongst others three key points which are clearly libellous:-

First, Mr MK Periasamy implies that there are financial matters pertaining to funds received that "have not been cleared up". This is completely untrue and without any basis whatsoever.

Periasamy only has to visit YSS or contact the current leadership of YSS to examine the audited statement of accounts and the reports submitted to relevant government agencies including independent assessment reports.

Second, Mr MK Periasamy's allegations concerning my resignation from YSS, a position I held from the founding of YSS till May 2008 is again untrue and without any merit whatsoever. One of my conditions in accepting the appointment as YSS Executive Director was on the basis that my appointment was not a political position but a professional one.

I was employed as an MIC staff and seconded to YSS as its executive director. If I really desired a political position I would have entrenched myself at the branch, division and central working committee level. I had the opportunity but choose not to.

Third, Mr MK Periasamy also made allegations in respect of my resignation as secretary of the Special Implementation Taskforce which is unfounded and untrue. My interest always has been in policy research and advocacy and that is the role I will play serving the community and nation.
I would encourage Mr MK Periasamy to dwell on substantive aspects of political thought and refrain from wild personal accusations. Mr Periasamy is of course also welcome to serve the community and nation without the necessity of making wild allegations against others.

He does no service to enhancing democracy, human rights and good governance in Malaysia

Denison Jayasooria is principal research fellow, Institute of Ethnic Studies, UKM and exco member of Persatuan Promosi Hak Asasi Manusia (Proham).

Controversies of history - look at the fact please

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 01:14 AM PDT

I refer to the current controversy arising from the alleged statement made by Mohamad Sabu on the Bukit Kepong incident of Feb 23, 1950. Allow me to put the incident and the history of the Malayan Communist Party and left-wing nationalism in its proper perspective.

First, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was formed in 1930 to establish a communist republic in Malaya. One cannot deny the historical fact that the communists too fought for independence. Indeed, this fact is even acknowledged by our first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Second, it is also historically accurate to state that the communists played a major role in our nation's independence. According to internationally renowned historian, Cheah Boon Kheng, "Not much recognition has been accorded the communist insurgents for the important role as a catalyst to Malaya's independence."

It is an undeniable fact that the communist insurrection speeded up the independence of Malaya. In the words of Tunku Abdul Rahman, "Baling led straight to Merdeka."

Third, our current history textbooks (as compared to the earlier editions) have downplayed the role of left-wing nationalism in securing our country's independence. For example, the earlier Form Three textbook (1990 edition) provided a fairly detailed account about AMCJA-Putera and the hartal organised in 1947.

The current Form Three textbook makes no mention at all about these facts which are only scantily covered in the current Form Five history textbook. The AMCJA-Putera coalition marks an important development in our nation's history. As stated by Cheah Boon Kheng, "The AMCJA-Putera 1946-1948 anti-federation campaign marked the first efforts at a non-communal approach to Malayan politics." This fact has been downplayed in our current secondary history textbooks.

Fourth, it is a little known historical fact that Chin Peng was indeed granted an Order of the British Empire for his contribution as a liaison officer between Force 136 and the MPAJA in his fight against the Japanese. Only later after the emergency was declared in 1948, did Chin Peng become Public Enemy No 1.

Nevertheless, it is improper for anyone to belittle the bravery of the policemen who lost their lives in defending the Bukit Kepong police station for at least two reasons. First, the struggle of the communists did not reflect the popular will of the people of Malaya at that time.

A vast majority of the people detested the armed struggle of the communists which by end July 1960 had resulted in the killing of 1,346 policemen, 519 of military forces and 2,473 civilians.

Second, the policemen fought bravely against the communist insurgents to defend their homeland. To my mind, they were heroes who fought bravely to uphold their honour and that of their country.

Merdeka or not?

According to press reports, an academician from the National Professors' Council has commented that Malaya (with the exception of the Straits Settlements) was never a British colony. In a similar vein, a leading Malaysian historian has commented that the British never ruled our country; they had merely taken over the administration of our country. How valid are these statements? Who really ruled Malaya – the Malay rulers or the British?

It is true that pre-war Malaya was divided into three distinct groups of states: the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore which were British colonies and administered directly by the Colonial Office in London; the Federated Malay States (FMS) of Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan (with British Residents) which were protectorates and strictly speaking not colonies; and the Unfederated Malay States (UMS) of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johore (with British Advisers) which too were protectorates.

Under the Residential System (a system of indirect rule) introduced by the British in Malaya, the Resident's advice "must be acted upon on all questions other than those touching Malay religion and customs."

However, as aptly stated by LA Mills (a highly regarded historian), "In actual practice there was little difference between the administration of the crown colony and the protectorates. British authority was much the same in both.

"The real rulers of Malaya were the British although legally every act of the government was done in the name of the ruler."

Indeed, according to JM Gullick, "The administrative structure in the Federated Malay States was that of a crown colony." The executive head of the state government was the British Resident. Federal departments were dominated by British officers.

The Malay rulers (particularly in the FMS) had lost most of their political and economic power to the British-dominated bureaucracy. Furthermore, the final authority for the whole of Malaya lay with the Colonial Office in London.

To conclude, the British were indeed the de facto rulers of Malaya. How else can one explain the necessity for us to seek independence from Britain in 1957 and the annual celebration of Hari Kemerdekaan. Let's not muddle up our history by playing with semantics and stretching the truth.

Kredit: www.malaysiakini.com

Ahad, 18 September 2011