Malayur News: 01/28/10

Thursday, 28 January 2010

MEDIA STATEMENT 28th January 2010 HINDRAF DISCLOSES ITS ACCOUNTS TO PUBLIC

Amidst the various unfounded and malicious allegations, HINDRAF is publishing its accounts to the public for their scrutiny.

Hindraf was formed in December 2005 and it only came to limelight…

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Amidst the various unfounded and malicious allegations, HINDRAF is publishing its accounts to the public for their scrutiny.

Hindraf was formed in December 2005 and it only came to limelight in August 2007 after I had filed a class action against the UK Government on Malaysia’s 50th Anniversary independence celebration on August 30th 2007 in pursuit of the systematic marginalized state of the Malaysian Indians.

The accounts prepared by an independent Public Accounting firm regulated in Malaysia for the funds that were collected is attached herewith The full accounts are also available at our website at www.hindraf.org , www.makkal.org , www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com and www.hindraf4you.blogspot.com.

A brief run down on the accounts are as follows -

a) Total funds received from Hindraf Enterprise and subsequently placed in the care of trusted individuals is RM 119,814.20

b) A further sum of RM110, 000.00 was cash collected through personal donations, which was initially placed in the hands of Paparaidu a/l Veeraman has been placed in interest bearing clients account of Messrs Kumar Hashimah & Co.

c) A sum of RM35,000.00 was banked into my credit card account by ASP Vasanthakumar whilst I was away from the country on 8th December 2007which is now placed in the hands of the accountancy firm.

d) Total fines paid for Hindraf supporters charged in court and for their travelling allowances, accommodation etc., is RM 111,706.60

e) A sum of RM 50,000.00 that was collected from members of the public to bail P.Uthayakumar was handed over to Ganapathi Rao a/l Veeraman, one of the ISA detainees who had nominated his brother Paparaidu a/l Veeraman to stand as bailor and deposit the said RM50,000.00 in court under the name of Paparaidu a/l Veeraman. Paparaidu and/or Ganapathi Rao had refused to return to HINDRAF the said bail sum of RM50, 000.00 vide his lawyer’s letter dated 14.12.2009.

f) The total amount collected by Hindraf from the account of Hindraf Enterprise is reflected in our accounts. This is only the sum that we are aware of the portion of the money that came into our possession to our trusted HINDRAF allies by the transfers made by ASP Vasanthakumar.

g) The total amount collected for and on behalf of Hindraf by Hindraf Enterprise has to be made public and accounted for by ASP Vasanthakumar. We are only accounting for that portion of the money that came into our possession by the transfers made by ASP Vasanthakumar.

h) The funds collected were for the purpose of dealing with the costs of the cases arising from the various arrests of HINDRAF activists. The funds were specifically never collected for the purpose of the civil suit filed in the British Court as some have alleged.

In summary therefore, the total amount that we have to account for is RM451,617.51. The expenses we have incurred so far is RM163,278.05. The balance is RM 288,339.46 which includes RM 82,182.28 nationwide fund raising dinners organised in 2008 to collect for Hindraf activities less RM61,090.00 receivables i.e. the sum of 227,249.46 is entrusted with the Public Accountant as of 31st December 2009.

I now wish to comment on the collected funds and on the various allegations on the misappropriation of the funds.

From the summary of the accounts above, one can see that none of the money received from the public by Hindraf has been used to finance any purpose other than what it had been collected for, least of all my stay here in the UK. These accounts show the lie, mala fide and mischief in their allegations.

When ASP Vasanthakumar first came to our attention about 3 months before the ISA detentions on 13th Dec 2007, he claimed he was a Bank Officer. We allowed him to handle all the Hindraf funds. He had sole responsibility for the funds before the detention. He collected the funds into HINDRAF Enterprise, a stationary business he registered in his personal name and made himself a Director.

Based on the sums received from ASP Vasantha Kumar and that he was in control of , it creates an irrationality amongst HINDRAF supporters as to why ASP Vasanthakumar would lodge a police report against Uthayakumar on 7th January 2008 ie 3 weeks after his “ISA arrest” claiming that Uthayakumar and his family members had collected large sums of money which may total RM700,000.

The same ASP Vasanthakumar and his cohorts have over the last 6 months continuously defamed me although he was responsible for collected funds which he alleges totals up to RM700,000.00 and this sum was further inflated to Millions by Ganapathi Rao. At the material time I was not in the country nor had any access to the alleged funds as the signatory for the HINDRAF ENTERPRISE account is solely within the control of ASP Vasantha Kumar.

In the first week of January 2008 i.e. 3 weeks after the arrest of the Hindraf lawyers, I had issued media statements urging the public not to donate any money to any middlemen and to channel the funds directly to the affected families and my statements were carried by all the major mainstream Tamil papers and Malaysiakini. It was also posted in the official blog of Hindraf and many other independent Blogs.

As such, it defies logic and rationality as to why I am now subjected to continuous serious allegations of funds collection and misappropriation other than to seed unwarranted suspicion and doubts by ASP Vasantha Kumar as part of the government’s “operasi padam HINDRAF” conducted by the Police Special branch to permanently erase Hindraf and its struggle from the minds of the people and to cause confusion and mistrust.

HINDRAF is a movement of conscience and humanity to uplift the systematically marginalized Malaysian community in Malaysia. It only seeks to show up the truth and the reality that is faced by the deprived lot daily.

It is unfortunate that certain DAP leaders have fallen prey to the Special Branch ploy and had repeated the malicious allegations in their pursuit to defend their own political agenda based on hearsay and for their political benefits as opposed to the voice and need of the marginalized community.

HINDRAF’s enemy is the oppressive system led by UMNO. UMNO for its part seeks to permanently erase HINDRAF from the annals of Malaysia, using these and various other treacherous tactics. No matter how hard they try, we will try harder. Truth and justice is on our side. We are well equipped morally for this struggle.

Hindraf well-wishers must be prepared for the truth as the truth always prevails as we continue to be defiant for a humane and moral cause.

Thank you.

P. Waytha Moorthy.

Chairman

HINDRAF

Najib gets down to brass tacks

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak will this morning hope to stanch the flow of negative headlines in Malaysia, with a slew of moves to address crime,…

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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak will this morning hope to stanch the flow of negative headlines in Malaysia, with a slew of moves to address crime, corruption, public transportation and poverty.

The prime minister is scheduled to outline detailed initiatives, targets and the time frame for National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) at an event today. These plans will form the cornerstone of his government transformation project, a programme which Najib believes will help his administration ride through the storm of negative headlines and propel Barisan Nasional to victory at the next general elections.

Since November, the administration has been on the back foot following disclosures of the chauvinistic nature of Biro Tatanegara courses, the missing jet engines, and the controversy following a High Court decision allowing the Catholic Church’s Herald to use the word “Allah”.

The unabated flow of bad news has soured the political landscape, which had appeared to be becoming more accepting of Najib.

Before the “Allah” issue broke, the PM’s approval rating was around 65 per cent.

The Malaysian Insider has learnt that a pilot project conducted to reduce crime under the NKRA has proven successful and could be adopted to cut street crime in certain high risk areas.

1 Malaysia: many views but few alike. — file pic

A recent survey by the Merdeka Center showed that concern over the law and order situation in Malaysia was a main worry for Malaysians, surpassed only by the concern over the direction of the economy.

Aware of the cynicism on the ground over government programmes, Najib is likely to outline a timeline for the implementation of projects under the six areas of the NKRA. But missing will be a detailed roadmap of initiatives under the 1 Malaysia headline.

The Malaysia Insider has learnt that despite the efforts of Datuk Seri Idris Jala and his team, the objection by several Umno ministers have effectively scuttled wide-ranging and bold plans to improve race relations and remove some of the impediments to better ties among Malaysians of different races and religions.

During a retreat in December, several ministers including Datuk Rais Yatim and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin objected to several ideas, including a mediation council to resolves disputes between religions.

As a result, the document on 1 Malaysia initiatives today will be heavy on flowery rhetoric and thin on real mechanism and plans to improve race relations. For example, there is an acknowledgement that conversion cases and disagreements on the location of places of worship are incendiary points but no strategy or mechanism on how to deal with these issues.

Still, government officials believe that Najib will be able to win over doubting Malaysia with plans to combat crime, tackle corruption, widen access to education, raise th

GMI claims 12, not 10, held under ISA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — The Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) today claimed that 12 people, including a Malaysian, were being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) as opposed to…

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Hisham cancels ISA reforms briefing for opposition, activists

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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has just cancelled today’s briefing for opposition leaders and activists on reforms for the tough Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960, which he said yesterday was used recently to detain 10 in an international terror plot.

His aides did not give a reason for the cancellation in a text message to reporters. However, they apologised for the inconvenience.

DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang yesterday confirmed the 2pm meeting at the Home Ministry, to discuss the amendments which are expected to be tabled in the next parliamentary session beginning March 15.

“It’s three from each of our parties in the Pakatan Rakyat,” the Ipoh Timur MP had told The Malaysian Insider, adding other activists are also expected to attend the meeting.

Lim, a former ISA detainee, had earlier said in a statement that Hishammuddin should clarify at the meeting the latest round of ISA detentions. The home minister said he could not provide further details except to say the nine foreign nationals and one Malaysian were arrested with help from foreign intelligence agencies.

Hishammuddin also said the detainees were picked up recently under the law that allows for detention without trial.

The act came about when the British used preventive detention in then Malaya in 1948 to combat an armed insurgency carried out by the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency. The Emergency Regulations Ordinance 1948 was made, following the proclamation of an emergency, by the British High Commissioner Sir Edward Gent.

It allowed the detention of persons for a period not exceeding one year. The 1948 ordinance was primarily made to counter acts of violence, and conceivably, preventive detention was meant to be temporary in application. The emergency ended in 1960 and, with it, ended the powers contained in that ordinance as it was repealed.

The power of preventive detention remained a feature when, in 1960, the government passed the Internal Security Act under Article 149 of the Federal Constitution.

It permitted the detention, at the discretion of the home minister, without charge or trial of any person in respect of whom the home minister was satisfied that such detention was necessary to prevent him or her from acting in any manner prejudicial to national security or to the maintenance of essential services or to the economic life in Malaysia.

The government is in now the final stages of revising the ISA, with amendments that will revolve around five areas: the length of detention; rights and treatment of detainees and their families; the power of the home minister; the use of ISA for political reasons; and detention without trial.

On Aug 1, 2009, about 20,000 people took part in anti-ISA protests in Kuala Lumpur. The protesters had planned to march to the national palace to submit a petition to the Yang diPertuan Agong denouncing the security law. Reports said there were up to 15,000 to 20,000 demonstrators facing 5,000 police.

On the previous day, the police set up roadblocks in order to control the protests. During the march, police fired tear gas and water cannons when confronted by protestors and made numerous detentions.

Trouble maker at mosques, Could it be Arson Plan B??

The issue died down. So why and how come the mosques are now under attack? Why a pig’s head? And not burnings like the first series of attacks?

By avancc…

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The issue died down. So why and how come the mosques are now under attack? Why a pig’s head? And not burnings like the first series of attacks?

By avancc

First and foremost, I would like to express my disappointment with the attackers, who showed disrespect to places of worship. Such actions are lowly, unethical, and are works of loser.

Besides that, lets take a look at the recent series of attacks on mosques, and the mode of attack. It does suggest that this could be another plot by certain individuals/groups to create unrest among us.

Well, I am a simple citizen and I don’t go very deep into each event of local politics; but here’s what came to my mind about the new attacks.

1) The burning of churches was not handled properly. And the government and police were inactive over it. Causing displeasure nationwide WITH THE GOVERNMENT. AND LITTLE WAS KNOWN ABOUT THE ARSONISTS, AND NO ONE KNOWS IF THEY ARE MUSLIMS OR NOT. SO NO ONE DID ANYTHING AGAINST MUSLIMS.

2) However, rakyat did not retaliate. The Christians have been forgiving. The issue died down. So why and how come the mosques are now under attack? Why a pig’s head? And not burnings like the first series of attacks?

It appears to me that the attackers, whomever they may be, are not worried about Churches getting burnt down but are worried about mosques being burnt down; so only two SURAUS were treated with Molotovs. Some even mentioned that the pig heads were covered in a plastic bag. Why so “Kind” if one really wished to do damage to the Muslims when they were so determined when treating the Christians Churches? And does anyone notice that the attack started BIG (with burnings, etc), then toned down to harassing? It doesn’t really make much sense, right? If one gets upset over an issue and could not get over it, the actions will only get worse, and gets bigger. And if one’s anger subsided, he wouldn’t even bother to attack anymore as he’s done enough with the last arson attack. Well, that would be logical, wouldn't it?

And we all know that here in Malaysia, many treatments are one-sided. So would any normal citizen even dare to try anything drastic towards the one majority race? Knowing well what the payback would be?? And if someone dared take such action, would he/them just put something as simple as a pig’s head?

It seems to suggest that certain individuals/groups, with the support of some “powers” at the back, masterminded the first arson attack and overconfidently believed it would be successful. But they failed, and failed miserably. Not succumbing to their failure, they had to come up with Plan B and make it look like revenge. But, after being warned by “higher powers”, and concerned over the loss of their own “properties”, they pulled off a milder mode of attack. Knowing well that Muslims are very sensitive with pigs, they expected the retaliation will be great. And with that, they would manage to push the courts to rule in favor of them as well as pulling in Malay-Muslim support. For Muslims may have different views on the use of the word “Allah” but would probably agree undoubtedly on the Haram-ness of Pigs.

As Malays are “Pantang Dicabar”, they now try to use the Malay force as the tool and force, after failing to put the blame on the non-Malay’s anger. Someone is trying to cause retaliation and major erruption of anger. After failing to invoke the Christians, they now turn to the Malays as the means to achieve that. So my dear brothers and sisters of Malaysia, let us not panic, not retaliate, and not run amok over such issues. Tackle it the positive way, the progressive way. Let us FAIL their PLAN B as well; and ALL SUBSEQUENT PLANS.

Here's what I think ...

To me, it would be useless if we go to the streets screaming in a display of outrage against the attacks. It will do more harm than good. Peaceful gathering is fine, but only allow renowned religious leaders to give speeches. Stop the gathering if the speech begins to turn into an incitement of hate (well, aren’t the police famous for stopping ceramahs with the reasons of “out of topic”? This would be a very good chance for them to show their capabilities). Show displeasure, but in a peaceful way. For the event is not fatal enough to require rampaging the streets with screams and threats. Furthermore, HOW RELIGIOUS WOULD AN ACTION OF VIOLENCE BE?

Write articles, but not to incite hate like the writer who, although the name indicates “safety”, writes hateful and vengeful articles. Instead, give insight, knowledge and wisdom over issues, to help people to reason, to think wisely.

Conduct forums, TV programs, and discussions, but don’t keep quoting someone else. Quote the religious books, but provide more insights into the written verses. Not by “Because it says so”, attitude.

Overcome disputes by instilling wisdom, by understanding, by reasoning. Not by fighting, conquering, overpowering, suppressing, or forcing. For the latter will only cause more tension, and awaits time for explosion.

To all Malaysians, my fellow brothers and sisters. Forgive my shallow view. Forgive my unfancy words. Forgive my unenthusiastic writings. But let us all join hands and resolve issues the peaceful way. And foil evil plans by “devils” disguising themselves among us.

May peace prevail in Malaysia, and May Allah guide us all.

Vandals Strike at Malaysia Mosques With Boar Heads

Malaysia's simmering religious and racial conflicts could worsen after worshippers Wednesday found the severed heads of wild boars at two mosques, amid a dispute over whether Christians can use the…

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By James Hookway (WSJ)

Muslims consider pigs unclean, and leaving boar heads at a mosque is a potentially inflammatory insult, mirroring an incident last year when Muslim activists flung a severed cow head on a proposed site for a Hindu temple near Kuala Lumpur.

Wednesday's incident is considered the most offensive case of sacrilege against a Muslim place of worship since a storm erupted over the use of the Arabic word "Allah." It threatens to further upset this resource-rich, racially diverse country and complicate Prime Minister Najib Razak's efforts to build a multiracial support base before national elections, which must be held by 2013.

Adding to tensions, the trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges—the second he has faced in little more than a decade—is scheduled to begin next week. Mr. Anwar leads a multiracial opposition alliance trying to replace Malaysia's government after 57 years in power. Prosecutors accuse him of sodomizing a young male aide in 2008—an illegal act in Malaysia. Mr. Anwar, 62 years old, says the story was fabricated to destroy him.

EPA Malaysian forensic police place a pig's head into a plastic bag at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia's High Court ruled on Dec. 31 that the Malay-language pages of the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper could use the term "Allah" as a translation for "God."

That decision—which the government is appealing—triggered protests among Muslims who say the Arabic word should be reserved solely for Islam. They say they worry that the Christian use of the term could inadvertently trick Muslims into converting. The newspaper said it was the most appropriate local translation.

Since the ruling, 11 churches have been attacked around Malaysia, and the administration office of one church in Kuala Lumpur was burned to the ground. A Sikh temple also has been attacked, as have two Muslim prayer rooms.

Khalid Abu Bakar, chief of police in Selangor state near Kuala Lumpur, where one of Wednesday's incidents occurred, said a group of men who went to Sri Sentosa Mosque to perform morning prayers at 5:30 a.m. found the two animal heads in plastic bags on the grounds. Their mouths were stuffed with bank notes. Authorities reported a similar incident nearby.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said the government would find the perpetrators. "We are dead serious about this," he told a news conference. "We will bring them to justice."

Mr. Khalid said police hadn't identified any suspects and were continuing their investigation. He urged people to remain calm, as did Zulkifli Mohamad, the top official at the Sri Sentosa mosque.

The attacks this month have rocked the fragile racial and religious balance in this predominantly Muslim country of 28 million people, where relations between Muslim ethnic-Malays, who make up 60% of the population, and Malaysia's ethnic-Chinese and Indian minorities are generally amicable.

Since taking office in April 2009, the prime minister, Mr. Najib, has set out to win over the support of Malaysia's ethnic minorities, but the High Court ruling has complicated his efforts. Political analysts say that to maintain the ruling National Front coalition's strength in Malaysia's Muslim-Malay heartland, his government needs to be seen visibly defending the Islamic faith from perceived threats.

That stance, however, unsettles many of Malaysia's non-Muslim minorities, who fear the country has adopted an increasingly politicized form of Islam in recent years.

Opposition leaders, including Mr. Ibrahim, a Muslim, have said there is no theological argument against non-Muslims using the word "Allah," and that the term is commonly used by minority Christian communities in Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East. Many Malay-speaking Christians in eastern Malaysia also use the term for "God."

Separately, the Associated Press reported that Malaysia has arrested 10 terror suspects under its Internal Security Act, including nine foreigners allegedly with ties to an international network of militants. Authorities declined to give the suspects' nationalities, their organization or their objectives. Over the past decade, Malaysian authorities have held more than 100 militant suspects, most of whom have been members of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network, which has its headquarters in neighboring Indonesia.

"This is a very serious threat to the security of our country," the AP quoted Mr. Hishamuddin as saying.

—Celine Fernandez
contributed to this article.

Pig heads catch international attention, Hisham slammed

Although 15 youths have since been detained, none have yet been charged. Instead their seven-day remand have been extended, stirring fears that they may be subject to coercive interrogation methods…

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Ahli UMNO terlibat dalam insiden menyerang Gereja kata Azmin

"Maklumat awal yang saya dapat, sekurang kurangnya empat atau lima orang ahli Umno, malah cawangan mana pun saya sudah perolehi," katanya yang juga Ahli Parlimen Gombak.

Harakah Daily

By Nazri…

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Will you do your part to make PKR Zul-free?

Received the following e-mail from Lil’ Hummingbird this morning.

_____________________________________

“Much sound and fury from you and your readers on this Zul idiot. Is that all you are good for?…

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Received the following e-mail from Lil’ Hummingbird this morning.

_____________________________________

“Much sound and fury from you and your readers on this Zul idiot. Is that all you are good for? Noise and little else?

Much confusion has been generated over this idiot’s antics.

He has tried to frame the debate over his alleged attempts to protect Islam and Allah. In other words, he is trying to project himself as an Islamic warrior and hero.

Truth is, the issue is not about defending Islam.

The issue is not about defending Allah.

The sheer arrogance on the part of this idiot to suggest that Allah, The Almighty, would require defending by a mere mortal?

And by the likes of this idiot?

Wouldn’t such a declaration in itself constitute an insult to Allah?

The real issue is politics.

The issue is about gross indiscipline.

The issue is about a cumulative pattern of openly defying the party leadership’s directives to Zulkifli to cease and desist.

The issue is about putting the party to public ridicule and contempt.

The issue is about jeopardizing the party’s relationship with PAS by lodging a police report against Khalid Samad and demanding that he be arrested under the Sedition Act.

The other idiot in the party, Azmin Ali, has tried to defend Zulkifli by asking why action is being taken against a Muslim and not against a Christian, in reference to Dato Jeffrey Kitingan.

That is the wrong question.

And asking the wrong question gives you the wrong answer!

If you feel as I do about the need to sack this idiot immediately, let his defender, Azmin Ali, know your feelings, especially if you are voting in his constituency - ukay64@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, you can contact your ADUN or MP or Senator as listed below to let them know that you will only support a Zul-free PKR.

Tell them not to @#$% around with you anymore if they want to continue to be relevant after GE13.

This is important as there is an important meeting to make a decision on Zulkifli Nordin in PKR this Sunday, 31st Jan 2010 involving all of them.

Or are you only good at bitching and griping in blogosphere and, otherwise, quite impotent to do anything else ?”

___________________________________________________

The contact details of your PKR MP / ADUN / Senator :

MPs & Senators

Kedah: Senator Zamri Yusof , Kuala kedah hj ahmad kassim , Kulim Zulkifli Nordin , Merbok Rashid Din , Padang Serai Gobalakrishnan a/l Nagapan , Sg Petani Dr Dato Johari Abdul <johariabdul55@yahoo.com>

Kelantan: machang saifuddin nasution , Tanah Merah Amran Ab Ghani , Ketereh Ab Aziz Ab Kadir azkaketereh@gmail.com

KL: Ampang Zuraida Kamaruddin , Bandar Tun Razak Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim , Batu Caves Chua Tian Chang , Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar , Wangsa Maju Wee Choo Keong weechookeong@gmail.com

Negri Sembilan: Telok Kemang yb dato kamarul baharin abbas <kam_1011@yahoo.com>

Pahang: Indra Mahkota Azan Ismail , kuantan fuziah salleh <fuziah99@yahoo.com>

Penang: Balik Pulau Mohd. Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff , Bayan Baru yb dato zahrain mohamed hashim , Nibong Tebal Tan Tee Beng , Permatang Pauh anwar ibrahim , Senator pak mus mustafa kamal mohd yusoff <mkmy_penang@yahoo.com>

Perak: Bagan Serai Mohsin Fadzli Haji Samsuri , Gopeng Dr. Lee Boon Chye ,

Selangor: Kuala Langat abdullah sani abd hamid ,

Gombak azmin ali , Hulu Selangor Zainal Abidin Ahmad , Kapar Manikavasagam a/l Sundaram , Kelana Jaya Loh Gwo-Burne , PJS hee loy sian , Selayang William Leong , Subang R Sivarasa , senator dr syed husin

ADUNs

Kedah: “Bakar Arang Tan Wei Shu” , “Bt Selambau S Manikumar” , “Kulim Lim Soo Nee” , “Sidam Tan Joon Long @ Tan Chow Kang” ,

Kelantan: “Gucil Tuan Zamri Ariff Tuan Zakaria” ,

Negri Sembilan: “Ampangan Rashid Latiff” , “Chuah Chai Tong Chai” , “Port Dickson Ravi a/l Munusamy” , Sikamat “Aminuddin Harun” ,

Penang: “Balik Pulau Abdul Halim Hussain” , “Batu Maung Abdul Malik Kassim” , “Batu Uban Raveentharan a/l Subramaniam” , “Bt Tambun Law Choo Kiang” , “Bt Tengah Ong Chin Wen” , “Kebun Bunga Jason Ong Khan Lee” , “Machang Bubuk Tan Hock Leong” , “Pantai Jerejak sim tze tzin” , “Penanti Dr Mansor Othman” , “Sungai Bakap Makhtar Shapee” ,

Perak: ” Kuala Sepetang Tai Sing Ng” , “Simpang Pulai Chan Ming Kai” , “Teja chang lih kang” , “Parit Buntar S. Kesavan” , ” Abdul Yunus b Jamahri” ,

Sarawak: “Dominique Ng Kim Ho” ng_dominique@yahoo.com

Selangor: “Batu Caves amirudin shari” , ”Batu Tiga Rodziah Ismail” , “Bt Lanjan Elizabeth Wong” , “Bt Melawati muthiah m pillay” , “Ijok Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim” , “Kg Medan Haniza Mohd Taha” , “Kota Anggerik Yaakop Sapari” , ”Rawang gan pei nei” , ”Sri Andalas Dr Xavier Jayakumar” , ” Seri Setia Nik Nazmi” , kajang cikgu lee kim sin” , “Sri Muda Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei” ,

Obituarising the Sultan of Johor

thenutgraph.com

SULTAN Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, one of Malaysia's most controversial rulers, passed away…

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thenutgraph.com

SULTAN Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, one of Malaysia's most controversial rulers, passed away on 22 Jan 2010 at the age of 77. The late Johor Sultan will be remembered for many things, one of which would be when he got off his podium during a Merdeka Day parade in the 1980s to take a spin on a participant's superbike.

In reporting on the late sultan, the traditional press wrote of his "closeness" to his subjects, his "care and generosity", and his love for sports and sports cars. Unlike the international media however, Malaysian newspapers glaringly omitted any mention of the "Gomez incident" where the sultan allegedly assaulted a Johor hockey coach at his palace. Indeed, this incident was widely reported in the media when it occurred in 1992 and is recorded in Constitutional Landmarks in Malaysia: The First 50 Years, published by LexisNexis. Among others, the Asia Sentinel also reported about the charge against the sultan for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in 1971 and his subsequent pardon after his father intervened.

A painting of Pulau Batu Puteh by John
Turnbull Thompson, 1851 (public
domain | Wiki Commons)So who was the late Sultan of Johor? The man portrayed in the Malaysian traditional media or in the international media? The defender of Pulau Batu Puteh and Malaysian rights or an unpredictable man who had reports of violence lodged against him? And more importantly, why did our Malaysian media fail to ask these questions when reporting on the death of a Malaysian personality, one whose royal house and functions are funded by Malaysian tax payers?

The lion and the coward

Writing obituaries has become an art in journalism. The best obituaries are the ones which capture the essence of the deceased while detailing their main contributions and life's milestones.

official portrait
Edward Kennedy (public domain
| Wiki Commons)Take US Senator Edward Kennedy who died in 2009, also at the age of 77. Many Americans will recall how he brought them to tears during a rousing 2008 speech in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

And yet, this once presidential hopeful was also involved in the Chappaquiddick affair in 1969 where a 28-year-old aide drowned in his car following an accident. Despite his formidable reputation in the US Senate, Kennedy never managed to live down the appalling manner in which he behaved following the accident, not even in death.

A writer described him thus: "The drunk who crashed his car into a river, saved himself, left a girl behind, waited until morning to call the police. A coward. The statesman who eulogized his brother, reigned in the Senate for forty years, fought for progress. Lion of the Senate."

Whether lion or coward, no honest obituary celebrating Ted Kennedy's senatorial achievements would have left out the Chappaquiddick incident, no matter how shameful to his reputation.

Deng Xiaoping (public domain
| Wiki Commons)

Otherwise, what kind of obituary would it be?

Here's another example: would an obituary on Diana, Princess of Wales be worth reading if it didn't mention her unhappy marriage, her affairs, and the subsequent divorce to the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles? Additionally, can we imagine any respectable British media writing Prince Charles's obituary one day without mentioning his long-term affair with Camilla Parker Bowles?

Or any obituary on China's Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping without a paragraph on his role in ordering tanks on the Tiananmen Square demonstrators in 1989?

Would an obituary on Saddam Hussein which doesn't acknowledge his role in the Iran-Iraq war or his invasion of Kuwait in 1990 be worth a second glance?

Saddam Hussein (public domain
| Wiki Commons)

Even when Pope John Paul II died, obituaries acknowledged some views of him as an arch-conservative and an autocrat whose views on abortion and contraception adversely affected women.

For what kind of obituary would it be if it only gave a one-sided view of the deceased? Whether they are royalty, politicians or saints, are they not human?

Do they not have flaws and contradictions, as do we all? Is it not demeaning to them if we reduce their lives to mere platitudes and perpetuate dishonesty by portraying a skewered account of their lives?

Trusting the media

In reporting on a public personality's life, it is not the media's function to only report the positive aspects of their life or to make them look good. The media's function is to provide accurate information on matters of public interest and to act as a watchdog on the activities of government or any other institution of power. This is the media's role as the "fourth estate" in a democracy — to scrutinise and act as a check and balance on institutions of power.

The traditional media, however, have completely failed in this task in their obituary of Sultan Iskandar by their glaring omissions of his eventful life. If the traditional media cannot perform the simple task of recounting the salient facts of a public personality's life, how can we then expect them to be able to perform their democratic task of holding the government or any other public institution accountable?

Respecting the dead

Orson Scott Card (© Nihonjoe
| Wiki Commons)Author Orson Scott Card writes of how we tend to revise the life of the dead and give them a story so different from their actual life. "We erase them, we edit them, we make them into a person much easier to live with than the person who actually lived," Card says.

In his science fiction novel Speaker for the Dead, Card explores what it would be like to speak honestly of who the deceased was; what that person did; and to examine their "self-story" — "what they meant to do, what they actually did, what they regretted, what they rejoiced in. That's the story that we never know, the story that we can never know — and yet, at the time of death, it's the only story truly worth telling."

Perhaps in their one-sided telling of Sultan Iskandar's life, the traditional media were trying to respect the dead and the monarchy, while trying to also ensure the media's own survivability.

But in doing so, perhaps they were being more disrespectful by telling the story of a different man than the one who lived, and thereby not telling his story at all.