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Friday, 12 September 2008 16:23 |
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 Aliran strongly condemns the detention of Malaysia Today's Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the draconian Internal Security Act and the issuance of show-cause letters to Suara Keadilan, theSun and Sin Chew Jit Poh today as something totally unjustified and unwarranted.
The government’s atrocious action against RPK and the three newspapers is completely undemocratic and violates universal press freedom, which is the bedrock of democracy.
RPK’s detention is unjust as it denies him his democratic right to defend himself. He should have been charged in open court in relation to the earlier charges made against him under the Sedition Act. By resorting to the ISA, his innocence can no longer be proven. This is indeed undemocratic, unjust and un-Islamic. That is why we, other civil society groups and concerned Malaysians have opposed the use of undemocratic and unjust laws such as the ISA and the Sedition Act. Even individuals who express and do things that may cause anxiety and pain among the people and possibly inflame ethnic and religious sentiments should be accorded their right to natural justice and be allowed to defend themselves in an open court. They deserve this in any democratic society.
Moreover, the government’s drastic action makes us wonder whether this is a politically motivated prelude to a 1987-type of political clampdown, which involved mass detentions of innocent individuals most of whom were not even remotely involved in creating the supposed ethnic tension at that time.
The government’s latest moves reinforce the suspicion that these are desperate measures taken to undermine what is seen as the unstoppable Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Rakyat mounting a real challenge to the Barisan Nasional..
Whatever the case may be, we urge the government to release Raja Petra unconditionally and also retract the show cause letters issued to the three brave newspapers so that democracy can flourish and justice be served.
Aliran Executive Committee
12 September 2008
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No words left to describe the latest moves by our honourable and beloved leaders who are so deeply revered by the rakyat that it bleeds the heart just to hear them proclaim their actions stem from their concern for the people\'s welfare and safety.
Using the thesaurus to find synonyms for dirty politicians one would still be totally lost for words to describe these fellows. The innocent get arrested while the *^%#$@#* (no words la ! ) are still free to pore over their account books estimating their $ and c losses from the aftermath of March 8th 2008.
A travesty of justice honed to perfection by a regime afflicted with dementia (a disease caused by gradual death of brain cells leading to....... insanity ? )
Didn\'t someone once say : \"Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad\" ?
We hope sincerely hope Hospital Bahagia in Tanjong Rambutan has enough beds after 916 or is it 920 ?
another peter
flaneur
in space & time