My Anthem

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Fibbish tale -- this one bytes them all!

RECENT MONTHS have witnessed fib after fib being shoved down the Malaysian-men-in the-street's throats so much so any foreigner based in NegaraKu -- like expatriate workers and foreign diplomats -- would think many of these fibbers take the audience as kindergarten kids.

* Saiful Bukhari meeting the DPM without any appointment at his residence to pour out his personal woes one evening, and soon after went back to one purported meet at a condo -- one last time for old times' sake?

* You swear using a Quran in a mosque -- and that means the swearer is innocent of any wrongdoing/crime? WoW, why do we need any courts -- all Malaysians need are Bibles in churches around every street corner, cockerels in all Chinese or other ethnic clans' temples down the street where criminals roam at every corner.

* Our petrol at the pump would have its price raised because of tremendous jumps in world oil prices, says the caring BN Government. But I thought Malaysia is a producer of oil, and it is a net exporter too, and also our exported crudes are sweeter and hence command premium prices.

* The 5o-odd members of Parliament went for a "study" trip when two days before departure, THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW THEIR DESTINATION. Yeah, nothing to do with 916! Yeah, the Leader said no RM50,000 given to every tripper. Mayhaps he was telling the truth for once. The figure should read with another ZERO! -- but that was a FIB created by Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Jeles wan! as Bloggers would shout.

***** But this latest FIB BY THE REMOTE HOME MINISTER must surely make the Said Hermit's nose beat Pinocchio's nose by a metre! No?/ Yes?/ Unmeasurable!

Desi is very democratic wan nowadays, so take your pick or pickle. Just don't slay the chicken out da way out from thy cell. And don't drop the cellphone, it may light up the C4! And Guy Fawkes Day is not due for another two months.

Oh! VVe don't celebrate colonial festivals -- vve are fully liberated from those British masters. VVe are so blessed with such caring UMNO masters of all they survey -- ah, this is DESI'S FIB.

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"Syed Hamid said the police had detained Tan because they had received information that her life was being threatened and there might be possible injury to her and the police wanted to get to the bottom of it."

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Tomorrow I must go to the CONfesional. It is quite fashionable nowadays. Place your hand over the Bible, and ...

The ham BUGGER told Malaysians up front, NO, he did not order Ms Tan's, Mr Kok's and RPK's arrests. The super efficient and super independent polis did it.

I must remember to tell this unique fib to Mindful and Ancient mariners!:):) I am marinating the lambs from the slaughter at Lingam's. The former Chief Justice may even deside to hop onto our SHIP/Sheep for a ride down Furong Ribber. Rib rimes well wit' Fib.

May the GOoD Lord save us from such caring and daring miniSTERS.

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Journalist freed, was held because her life threatened, cops tell Syed Hamid
2nd UPDATE

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 - Sin Chew journalist Tan Hoon Cheng was released at 2.30pm today.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said this at a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

"She made the first report so we had to get to the bottom of it and we received information that her life was under threat," he said.

He added that blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok would continue to be held for investigations and if there was no reason to hold them, that they would be released within the 60 days allowed for by the Internal Security Act.

He explained that RPK had been held after being given sufficient warning but continued to "create tension" while DAP's Kok had touched on sensitive issues, that is the azan call to prayer.

Kok has since denied this allegation that was originally put forward by Umno's former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo.

Syed Hamid insisted also that the move was not political and it was purely thedecision of the police.

"I can tell you that the police need not refer to me. Under Section 73(1) it is under their discretion but they will let me know.

"I think there has not been any malice on their part. We have acted within the law," he said, adding also that if he interfered in police action, people would say there is a political motive.

"Each one of us have our own logical explanation but none of us, whether we are reporters or editors, we are not above the law," he said when asked why Tan but not Datuk Ahmad Ismail, whose statement she had reported on, was picked up.

"Ahmad has been punished as a party member and suspended for three years. At the same time there is a report against him for sedition, so we are not treating politicians differently."


He, however, said that there was no logical link between the ISA action and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sept 16 plan to take over the federal government as claimed by some quarters.

When asked if there would be more arrests as it was reminiscent of 1987's Operasi Lalang, he quipped, "Is it? Let me know if there is," and insisted that "so far, there are no other arrests".

He also scoffed at suggestions that the country would be put under a state of emergency.

"The arrests are about public order. We do get information from members of the public who feel unsafe, so we have to take preventive measures."

When asked if similar action would be taken if members of the public came forward to say they felt they were under threat due to the statements by Ahmad or Khir or any other politician, he called the question one that was racial in nature.

"At present everything we are doing, we are looking at it from an ethnic angle. Khir Toyo is a Malay, Ahmad Ismail is a Malay, we arrest Chinese...We should start to think as Malaysians. Even me, if I'm considered a threat, the police are free to take action against me."

Bernama adds that in BUKIT MERTAJAM, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan defended her report on alleged racist remarks made by Ahmad.

Tan, 33, said the report was done in a professional manner and was based on what she heard on the night the remarks were made.

"I just write what I heard," she told reporters at her house here after being released today.

Yesterday, Tan was detained under the ISA at her home in Taman Alma about 8.40pm over the controversial report.

Tan said she was treated well by the police during the 17 hours in custody.

"My thanks to everybody including the police who treated me in a very good and professional way," she said.

"I could not sleep but the police treated me well, no problem," she said, adding that the incident will not deter her from carrying out her duties.

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From thestar.com.my:


Saturday September 13, 2008

'Order to arrest did not come from me'


By SHAHANAAZ HABIB and ANDREW SAGAYAM



KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid said he did not order the arrests of the three people under the Internal Security Act (ISA.

He said the action was taken by the police themselves under Section 73(1) based on their assessment of the current situation as they had “strong and good reason” to believe that conflict could happen and public order could be jeopardised.

“Under this action, the police need not refer to me. It’s their discretion and their assessment of what happened. There has been no malice on their part,” he said Saturday at a press conference at Bukit Aman here.

As Home Minister he said he was informed of the police decision but did not interfere with it.

Asked if he thought the police action was justified, Syed Hamid said: “If I start to interfere with the administration of enforcement then it’s difficult.”

“I am a minister. I am a politician. If I start to interfere, then people will say I have a political motive. It will send the wrong signals. I cannot interfere. This has to be done in accordance with the police exercise of their powers,” he said.

Syed Hamid said the police had taken strong notice that there was concern on the ground among the public who felt not so safe as the race issue might result in open conflict and racial fights and some people were even stocking up food.

“People may agree or disagree with the police position but they are in the best position to judge and I think they have done exactly that,” he said denying that the ISA arrests had nothing to do with the Sept 16 date set by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over the government.

He said the current move was not a political move but due to a national threat.

On Friday, the police arrested Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA.

Tan was released Saturday afternoon.

Syed Hamid said the police had detained Tan because they had received information that her life was being threatened and there might be possible injury to her and the police wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Tan was the reporter who first reported on Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s allegedly racist comments during the Permatang Pauh by-election in which he said the Chinese were “squatters” in the country.

This caused a furore among the non-Malays and led to Umno giving him a three-year suspension for his comments and actions.

Syed Hamid said the police thought it was best to get first-hand information from Tan and thus took her in under the ISA and released her a day later after they got the necessary information and found no reason to hold her.

“I don’t think we are being unfair or that we mistreated her in any way. We acted professionally and after a day released her,” he said, when asked if Tan had posed a security threat in any way.

Asked why the police did not just ask Tan to come in for questioning instead of arresting her, Syed Hamid said it was always difficult when it came to the police when dealing with reporters.

“All of us are subject to the law. When the police feel it is best to bring the person in under ISA, they do so. I think the most important thing is not to exercise unfairness. When they got what they wanted and found they had no reason to hold her and that she’s not a security threat and not disturbing public order, they released her immediately,” he said.

On Raja Petra, he said, the blogger had been given numerous warnings as well as been charged but he continued to create tension.

As for Kok, he said, she had supposedly questioned the sensitive issues such as the azan (call for prayers for Muslims) to be stopped and that could cause ill will and disharmony.

“Based on police work, they have found there has been real fear on the ground because people are worried of what can possibly happen,” he said.

On why Ahmad was not detained for making racist comments, he explained that Umno had already punished him by suspending him for three years and stripping him from the party post while the police was also still investigating a sedition report against him.

When asked why action was not taken against other politicians like Datuk Seri Khir Toyo for racist remarks made, he said people should stop looking at things from an ethnic angle and start thinking as Malaysians.

To a question, Syed Hamid said he did not believe the Government would call a state of emergency because the country was well under control and “we have taken all sorts of preventive measures.”

Related stories:
No more arrests: Syed Hamid

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