it has finally happened. the government under Mr Clean PM Adullah Badawi has used the ISA to detain the 5 hindu lawyers of Hindraf. read bobjots' write-up:
http://www.bobjots.org/2007/12/hindraf_5_charged_under_the_is.php
i have argued in earlier posts on the ISA that it must be abolished. see the below:
http://oldtestamentpassion.blogspot.com/search/label/ISA
http://oldtestamentpassion.blogspot.com/2007/10/eve-to-20th-anniversary-of-op-lalang.html
if you have not viewed the suaram video on the ISA at their recent seminar, go to the above link. my video on the ISA in the above link is meant to be informative, so that readers understand what exactly is the ISA, its origins, its impact in the 1987 Operation Lalang, and why it must be abolished today!
the original use of the ISA has long been forgotten. today the ISA is used indiscriminately for all sorts of cases. it is clear that in this case of the Hindraf lawyers, when the charges cannot stick, use the ISA!
while i do not agree with the overt racial overtones of the Hindraf lawyers nor do i think their charge of ethnic cleansing is true nor do i support open street demonstrations, nevertheless i agree that true freedom of speech cannot be denied to every Malaysian citizen. it is our right to speak up what are obvious deficiencies in the system and the neglect for the Indian community in the past. one cannot ignore the voices of 30,000 Indians who wants a 'fair deal'.
statements made by the PM about the 'balanced' racial composition of the Cabinet is a laughing stock:
"At the IMT-CT SME conference and Expo 2007 the PM went on record to say,"Half of the cabinet is non-malays,non UMNO members and non-muslims". If we refer to the Prime Minister Office web-site we will find that 69% or 22 out of the 32 cabinet Ministers are from UMNO, 23 out of 32 cabinet Ministers are Malays, 25 out of 32 ministers are bumiputra and 23 cabinet Ministers are muslims."
maybe the PM counted everyone in, incuding Parlimentary secretaries etc, so that number is more balanced out among the races. but it is clear that the ratio of cabinet ministers is not balanced! one only wonders what else is correctly understood by the PM.
Comments
The PM was either lying or was ignorant. Both are equally disturbing.