malaysia’s dirty politics – a short documentary

Yesterday was the 1st anniversary of the HINDRAF demonstrations; arguably the turning point and catalyst for the political tsunami of March 8th.

Visit my previous blog to revisit that wild and wicked day – 25/11/07 and the aftermath 26/11/07

Anyway, yesterday too, Le Grande Madame Irene Fernandez was acquitted after a 13-year travesty of justice – will link KeADILan’s [very well written] press statement as soon as its available.

KeADILan’s Kongres 2008 is on this weekend [click here for details].

In the meantime here’s a ‘delightful’ documentary from Australian TV, which pretty much recaps the ‘major dramas’ of this year viz Anwar-Najib-Altantuya-Saiful-Petra-Teresa-Badawi-etc-etc-etc (*phew*)

(If you’ve a slow connection, let the video play one round then click replay)

Part I

Part II

Part III

 

1st anniversary bersih rally 10 Nov 07

It was one year ago today, 40,000 of us took over KL city centre and marched to the Istana to demand a free and fair upcoming election.

Check out my blogpost that day: Nov 10th 2007 – the day the people rose…

Last night, 300 people held a candle light vigil at the PJ Civic Centre to commemorate the anniversary: they were chased away by almost the same number of cops, were threatened by a looming water cannon and 24 were arrested including [according to my usually reliable source] Shah Alam church parish priest Fr. Paulinho Miranda and [according to Malaysiakini] PJ Utara member of parliament and DAP leader Tony Pua, Kampung Tunku state representative Lau Weng San and 22 others. Also arrested was Malaysiakini videographer Shukri Mohamad.

According to another usually reliable source, Fr. Miranda [and others] were released on police bail and will be charged on 24th November.

The group had tried to hold the vigil at the field opposite Amcorp Mall [where anti-ISA candlelight vigils were held for the past four weeks] but were chased off by cops, and so decided to walk to the Civic Centre nearby and hold it there.

Antares was on the scene and reported in Anil Netto’s blog:

… when I got to the Civic Centre, the Red Helmets were already lined up and beating their shields to scare people. Police sirens were wailing just for effect and it was so clear they had been instructed to intimidate and terrorise…

More eye-witness accounts on Anil Netto’s blog.

Malaysiakini video

 

rpk bebas!!! anwar wins round 1!!!

After almost 2 months, the High Court ordered Raja Petra’s release from ISA detention.

According to Malaysiakini, Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad said that Raja Petra’s detention was unconstitutional.

He said the home minister had not followed proper procedure under Section 8 of the ISA to issue the detention order against Raja Petra.

He said Section 8(b) of the ISA indicated that those issued with the detention order by the minister might not be allowed for judicial review. However, the court could hear such an application if there were instances of possible abuse of powers.

Upon leaving the courthouse, Petra was whisked off in a ruby red Rolls Royce.
[THAT"S the way to show 'em who da man!]

Visit RPK’s blog at http://mt.m2day.org/2008/

Watch video here:

pic from magikriver

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini also reports that Anwar Ibrahim won Round 1 of his court battle when Sessions Judge S.M. Komathy shot down the prosecution’s argument that the case must be transferred to the High Court [where, presumably, a more BN-friendly judge presides].

Judge Komathy ruled the transfer order signed by Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail was invalid.

(Gani Patail is also an invalid, but that’s a matter of opinion)

Today, my faith in the Judiciary has gone up a few notches. (Just a few, though.)

anyone? like obama? yo’ mama!

“In electing Senator Obama, the US had lived up to Martin Luther King’s famous speech in which men and women would be judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality.” – Aussie PM Kevin Rudd

When will our turn come?

Anytime, any day according to Badawi:

“It is possible for anyone, regardless of race and religion, to be the nation’s leader.”

Which Aliran promptly labeled: “RIDICULOUS”

It will be possible for anyone, regardless of race and religion, to be the nation’s leader IF we abolish UMNO firstly, followed by MCA and MIC.

abang nak beli heli

Although the Public Accounts Committee [PAC] was concerned that there was no physical examination on the 12 Eurocopter helicopters which the government wanted to purchase, it found no procedural abuse in the Eurocopter tender process. – Malaysiakini 3 Nov.

Lim Kit Siang on 4th Nov [Malaysiakini]:

“Azmi cleared the government of grave procedural abuse in the tender process. However, in the next breath he admitted there was grave procedural abuse as no physical evaluation and test flights of the helicopters concerned,”

Najib [in same report]:

Najib … claimed that ‘joyrides’ of the Couger EC725 helicopter by RMAF pilots at the Lima Airshow in Langkawi were adequate as physical evaluation and test-flights.

Here’s how I suppose it went:

Najib [picks up phone]: Eh-helo, RMAF? Boleh saya becakap ngan mana-mana pilot yang saya nampak kat Lima Airshow hagi tu?

Pilot: Ya chief! Boleh saya tolong?

Najib: Hagi tu you ada bawak heli-kop-ter Cougar pegi pusing-pusing kan? Amacam? Best tak?

Pilot: Ya ya! Best giler chief!

Najib: Kalu saya beli a few bijik untuk you all, orait ke?

Pilot: Okey jugak, chief. Nanti bila order sampai, I jemput chief pegi pusing-pusing terbang joyride, okey?

Najib: Orait, pass! Cun bredder! [Puts down phone].

Najib [calls out to secretary]: Ahh … Kak Long? Tolong bikin satu cek RM1.604 BILLION - abang nak sign beli heli-kop-terrr.”

 

________________________________________________________________________________________

LATEST: Badawi says “anyone, regrdless of race and religion can be” PM