DanielYKL

No Malaysiakini, Malaysia Insider or Malaysia Today, let alone The Star, NST, or any major Chinese newspapers were there as Paula Khoo alias masterwordsmith reports to the Patani Road Police Headquarters today. But then there were a dozen or so faithful bloggers and friends and supporters were there to show their support to Paula.  Jarod came all the way from KL, and Jong and partner from Ipoh.

Penang bloggers Lucia Lai, Kansan and Richard, Howie and son Andrew were also there. My apology if I missed out some of the names.

 

Paula was arrested for being part of an “illegal assembly” and also as the organizer of the candle light vigil which was held on 15th Nov at the Esplanade, Penang.

 

What “illegal gathering?” I was there. Paula and her friend, Howie were just jamming on their guitars and bashing out songs like, “Blowing in the wind, Sing a song of freedom, You raise me up and Bridge over trouble water!”  The people, with a lighted candle in their hands, just sing along with them. What’s so wrong about that? And that got her into trouble!

 

What “illegal gathering?’ Member of Parliament YB Chong Eng was there too. And I don’t think YB Chong Eng would be involved in something “illegal.”  There were also a handful of lawyers there are the vigil that night too. Not that they were there with sticks and stones to create havoc! No they were just there to show their support against the ISA. And what’s wrong with that?

 

Anyway, the police came and gave the crowd 10 minutes to disperse. And disperse they did, peacefully. Then as Paula and friends were packing away the equipments, the police arrested Paula and took her in to the Police Headquarters for questioning.

And today, Paula was told that her bail has been extended to 28th January 2009 (smacked on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year), for whatever reasons only God knows.

 

We later adjourned to the mamak stall nearby for some teh tarik and roti canai. While we were there YB Chong Eng and Jagdeep Singh called up Paula to check on the progress. So very thoughtful of them. Paula said she really appreciate all the support and encouragement but what she really wish for is the word “Batalkan” on her police report. And forget about the whole “ordeal.” But as for now she has to just bear with all the anxiety and fear for the next two months not knowing what is going to happen.

  

For goodness sake, she is just a peace-loving teacher, mother and a wife. She is not a threat to anybody!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Paula Khoo and friends outside the Patani Road Police Headquarters

 

Paula Khoo and her lawyer, Cecil Rajendran leaving the police station.

 

 

Some of the supporters from left to right: Kansan, Jong, Paula’s hubby, Paula, Woon, Lucia, Ted, (Me), Jarod and Howie

 

A “LEGAL GATHERINGS” at the mamak stall! Thumbs up to Paula Khoo

 

 

 

Dewan Rakyat: Green light for large gatherings indoors 

NST- LARGE gatherings and demonstrations in Selangor are allowed as long as they are held indoors and prior notice is given to the police.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday police would not take action against gatherings held in enclosed areas such as multipurpose halls.

He has also given the green light to participants to extend their activities outdoors for 15 minutes.

“If there is a need to demonstrate outdoors, it shouldn’t be more than 15 minutes,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

He said Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar had agreed to these suggestions.

Khalid said all parties, including political parties and non-governmental organisations, should adhere to these rules.

*****************

Related article: TAN SRI, MILDLY PUT, YOU ARE PATHETIC.

Over the weekend my friend and his family from KL came down to Penang for a short vacation. He sent a text to me and told me to meet at Lorong Selamat for Char Koay Teow. This has been his ritual every time he visits Penang. By the way, what is so good about the Char Koay Teow there? It’s so expensive, like RM6 per plate with 3 medium size prawns. That’s it! I never think that the Char Koay Teow there is any good, at least for us Penangites. People who goes there are usually the tourists from the mainland. To the locals, this is a tourist trap. I can easily recommend you better Char Koay Teow here in Penang and much, much cheaper. Anyway, this is not what I wanted to write.

While waiting for my friend, I saw the news on the TV about a woman wanting to jump down from a 10-storey building. I am not too sure where this was, as I was not paying attention to the reader. I was concentrating on the image on the TV.  Anyway, the thing that caught my attention was this. I saw some firemen, policemen and civilians piling up some mattresses below where the woman was. I find it ironic. I mean the woman is like 10-story above and these people are piling mattresses below hoping that if she jumps she would land on it and maybe she will be saved.

Can you imagine, if she jumps. And even if she lands on the mattresses do you think she would survive that fall? A 10-storey high drop! They have good intention, no doubt about it! But!!!

While still waiting for my friend to arrive, I noticed an old lady sweeping the front of her house and the road in front and the neighbor’s side of the road too. Wow, I was thinking what a civic minded lady. But that’s it. To my horror, I saw that she swept all the rubbish and dried leaves into a container and just damped it all into the drain in front of her house! After all the sweeping, she just dumped it all into the drain, like the drain is the rubbish dump! Good neighbor? Errr!!! Civic minded?

Anyway, after the so-so-only-Char Koay Teow, we went to the Prangin Mall as his wife wanted to get her hair cut. So while waiting for her wife, we decided to go for a foot massage (foot reflexology). We had two elderly men doing that for us. And while massaging our dirty feet, the masseurs  started talking about politics! And man, these people can talk. I was so surprise by their political knowledge. For one hour they talked about, fuel prices, inflation, corruptions, etc. They even talked about Abdul Razak Baginda, Najib, Altantuya, Bala, - you name it and they can talk about it. So both of us were enlightened by their coffee shop politics while getting our feet massaged.  Isn’t that what politic is all about? The mind of the everyday people on the street.

So what is the moral of these stories and why I’m writing all these? No idea. Just thought it might be interesting. Maybe you can tell me.

 

The two leading ladies of ruling party Umno have declared war over the influential post of head of the women’s wing, after the grassroots turned against incumbent Rafidah Aziz.

Rafidah, a fearsome character who made a splash on the international stage during her years as Malaysia’s trade chief, immediately accepted the challenge and said she would stay on for another three years if successful.

“We will meet in the arena in March,” said the “Iron Lady” of Malaysian politics, according to the New Straits Times newspaper.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is not involved in the Altantuya murder case, claimed former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda today.Speaking to the media for the first time since his acquittal from the case on Oct 31, Abdul Razak said that neither Najib nor his wife, Rosmah Mansor, had met Altantuya.”I know that Najib and his wife had never met the deceased, Altantuya. So much ‘fitnah’ (lies) have been thrown towards the DPM and his wife.”Those who have spread such lies can never produce any authentic evidence because there are none.”

He also said that Altantuya was never involved in any arms deal as was mentioned by various quarters for the reason of her killing.

The former Najib aide said that the arms deal took place in 2002, and he met Altantuya two years after that.

He added that he could do nothing about the public perception on the matter, urging everyone to stop linking Najib and Rosmah to the murder.

Abdul Razak also said that Najib would make a good prime minister.

More here from Malaysiakini

************

This is a joke, right? No? Yea right!

Did we expect him to come out and call for a press conference and shout to the world ”Yes. Najib is involved in the Altantuya murder!” “Najib and Rosmah are buddy buddy with Altantuya!” No! So why need to speak out for Najib and Rosmah? Why this PR work?

One point though. How did he know that the Deputy Prime Minister is not involved in the Altantuya murder case? I find this statement strange.  How can someone who had just been acquitted from the murder case, claimed that Najib was not involved in it? What gives him the right to ask everyone to stop linking Najib and Rosmah to the murder? Does he know something that we don’t?  Or else how can he speak out for them that they are innocent. If someone was accused to have robbed a bank and I said “No, he was not involved.” Does it mean that my word can stand assure that he did not rob the bank? How did I know he didn’t?

When Wee Meng Chee, aka Namewee, did a rap on Negaraku, he was investigated under the Sedition Act. Now the case is refered to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review and see what action should be taken (here).Even the cabinet rejected an apology from the rapper, citing that they were not in the position to forgive him and that “the law would have to take its course”.“The offence was not against the Prime Minister or ministers concerned but against the nation,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

“To not prosecute him is not ‘on’ at all because he has committed an offence against the nation and no one, not the Cabinet or political parties, are in the position to forgive him,” he said.

Wee could be charged under the Sedition Act because he had insulted the symbol of the nation, he said (here)

Now when the the police moved in on participants at a candlelight vigil at Petaling Jaya while they were singing the national anthem, the Negaraku - what do you call that? Did the police show any respect for the national anthem? Can’t they just wait until the participants finished singing the national anthem as a respect for our nation before they moved in and asked  then to disperse?

This is a grave offence on the part of the police. They are the ones who should have more respect than others for the symbol of our nation. Yet they just moved in and disrupted the citizen of Malaysia from singing our national anthem. Is this forgivable? Will the police be investigated under the Sedition act? We sure like to hear from Nazri and Syed Hamid Albar. No double-standard please!

Err! By the way, despite video evidence, Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has denied that the police moved in on participants at a candlelight vigil last night while they were singing the national anthem. Even with evidence, and mind you not just one video but several, he can still denied it! Where is the integrity and honor of the police force? Shame! Shame! And more Shame!

Watch this video and tell me who is lying? The police or the participants?

I’m sure we are all very happy and encouraged now that RPK is freed! But do we stop here. No, heaven forbids! We are to continue to call on the government to release every ISA detainees and give them a fair trial and abolish the ISA. We are not done yet!

THE ISA IS STILL A HEINOUS WEAPON USED BY THE GOVERNMENT!
WE WILL CONTINUE AND SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT, OR A NEW GOVERNMENT
ABOLISH THE ISA.

WE WANT CHANGE.
THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT CHANGE
SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WAY
OF THOSE
WHO WANT CHANGE.

(Qoute from Zorro-Unmasked)

*******************************************************************

 Raja Petra said: “Not many people have challenged the act (ISA) so much and I did not have much high hopes (of being released).

“This application allowed under Section 8 is a special prize. I am tired.”

“This showed ISA cannot be used. I hope this is not a political decision. I don’t want to be the prime minister. I want Anwar to be the PM,” he said.

“We have to fight all-out and get the ISA abolished,” he told reporters.

Source: Malaysiakini