Having a break…

I am gonna chill out with lots and lots of teh tarik for the rest of the year. No more politics. Just want to rest, cool down, enjoy my mugs of teh and get re-energised for 2008, which promises to be exciting indeed.

Happy New Year!

Another example of Indian marginalisation

Last year, Umno Youth’s number 2 Khairy J publicly insulted and humiliated Penang CM and the then Gerakan No 2 (now party acting president) Koh Tsu Koon by accusing the Penang Gerakan state government of “marginalising” the Malays in Penang.

No action was taken against KJ. Gerakan did not even ask for an explanation from the top Umno leadership over the breach of BN discipline. KJ was left of the hook. No one spoke about suspending him from Umno at all.

On Friday, Gerakan Youth chairperson S Paranjothy released a four-para statement listing down the various times Umno had played the racial cards and how the Indian community here has been “marginalized, oppressed and ignored”.

In fact, Paranjothy had dared to speak publicly what others only muttered privately.

And then came the rumbling noises - first Gerakan tried to do some damage control by disassociating itself from Paranjothy’s hard-hitting remarks, and then Umno joined in the fray, accusing Gerakan of breaching BN spirit and discipline and even suggesting that BN should severe ties with the party and finally the Gerakan leadership openly rebuked Paranjothy and contemplated suspending or even sacking him.

Why? All for telling the truth.

As mentioned above, KJ spoke about Malay marginalisation in Penang and got away with it. Paranjothy spoke about Indian marginalisation and would most probably have to end his political career.

Like Kit Siang quoted, it is a case of George Orwell’s Animal Farm dictum, that “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.

In the hands of the (Indian) voters

Suddenly the long forgotten Indian voters have become the flavour of the day.

MIC, the so-called community’s representative in the BN government, has been trying hard to regain the goodwill of the community after losing its stature following the recent new-found anger in the community over its continued marginalisation.

Just look at the Bernama stories in the past 48 hours (click on them to read):

Hardcore BN Indian Voters Will Not Switch To Opposition - Palanivel

Opposition Taking Advantage Of Situation - Vigneswaran

Samy Vellu To Go On The Air Again Over Indian Community Issues

Samy Vellu Vows To Fight On For Indian Community

There were other stories on the Indian community throughout the week as well. The charm-offensive campaign comes at a time when the party needs to regain its hold on the community.

The community itself, awakened from its slumber by Hindraf, is still angry with the manner the government has been treating it.

What good are mere words when it is not followed up with some concrete actions, they ask rightly.

And they know that they have done something right by backing or giving tacit approval to Hindraf as it has send the right message to the government.

With the general election to be announced within the next six months, the Indian community has never been in such a strong position to play kingmakers.

As mentioned by opposition leader Lim Kit Siang in his blog, the Indian voters can become a tsunami to send a strong message to the government.

The most recent electoral data shows that there are 50 parliamentary and 133 state assembly constituencies where Indian voters comprise more than 10 percent of the electorate and 21 parliamentary and 133 state assembly seats in Peninsular Malaysia where the Indian voters constitute more than 15 percent of the electorate.

[Of course this is much lower than the figures based on the 2004 general election electoral roll - 62 parliamentary seats and 138 state assembly seats where Indian voters comprise more than 10 percent of the electorate and 28 parliamentary and 78 state assembly seats where the Indian voters constitute more than 15 percent.]

Still these numbers are enough to ensure that the Indian voters in these areas can play the role of kingmaker in the electoral outcome.

To do that, the Indian voters should get out of the BN psyche, and do not let the MIC’s charm attacks to defeat them.

Time is running out and it is in the hands of the community to chart their future. The choice is theirs. The momentum has started, it is now up to them to continue it.

Going botak for a cause

Wire service AP called it ‘to show devotion to their beliefs’. The Hindu meanwhile labelled it as a ‘novel protest’. The mainstream media in Malaysia however ignored the event. Only the Tamil dailies gave any prominence, with photographs as well.

I am talking about the Hindraf-sponsored ‘head-shaving ceremony’ at the Batu Caves temple yesterday morning. In all 16 supporters decided to sacrifice their locks as ‘a sign of protest against the ISA and to pray for their (leaders') freedom’.

The organisers have initially thought of having 50 people shaving off their tresses. However only the 16 had the guts to take on to the scissors - including six teenagers and a three-year-old girl, as opposed to about 100 who had gathered to witness the occasion.

I reckon this is as good as it gets to a symbolic protest. However it would have been better if it was not done by Hindraf, whose remaining main leaders just turned up to give speeches and turn it into a political affair.

Perhaps Hindraf should have just passed the word around on the ‘botak protest’ and let people do it on their own. Their supporters could have started it in a place, even Batu Caves, and then they should have let the others to follow suit.

Or if Hindraf had wanted to make a good start, it should have made sure that ALL its leaders, including those from PKR and DAP, started the protest by shaving off their own hairs first!

I think only one Hindraf leader - who is also a PKR man - shaved his hair yesterday. The other leaders there were only cheerleaders.

Come on Hindraf, if you want people to sacrifice for the community, on your behalf, then you too must take the lead. It is still not too late for these Hindraf leaders (and those with it from the opposition parties) to show their support for the ‘botak protest’ by taking the plunge themselves. And then, they have all the right to get their supporters to follow suit.

The many holes in great leader’s interview

Below is a Bernama report on the great leader’s RTM interview last night (with my comments in italics):

Samy Vellu Admits Illegal Assemblies Affect Indian Community's Loyalty

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Velly tonight admitted that the recent street demonstrations organised by an illegal group, to a certain extent had affected the loyalty of Indians towards the government.
(Illegal group? Why did it come up? What caused the resentment on the ground?)

He said based on feedback, there were Indians who began questioning why the issues raised by the community had not been resolved by the government.
(So we must thank the illegal group for being the catalyst, no?)

"There were those who questioned why their applications had not been entertained. So, I have asked the Prime Minister to give a bit more to the Indians (in development programmes) considering their history (in the country). The Prime Minister has agreed to consider this," he said.
(Only now he has asked? To give a bit more? How about giving what is deserving and being equal?)

Interviewed in the "60 Minit Bersama Menteri" (60 Minutes with the Minister) programme on RTM1 tonight, Samy Vellu said most of those who were involved in the illegal street demonstrations had regretted their actions.
(Where did he get this fact from? I know scores who are calling out for more such protests to drive home a stronger message to MIC and the government)

"I've met with many of them and I asked them why did they get themselves involved. They said they were a bit "hot" that day because there were people who made them "hot". But now they have cooled down and have come to realise that street demonstrations are not the best way to ask for something," he said.
(Is this what we say utter bollocks? Did he talk to the 20,000 people who had gathered there? OR how about thousands of others who were stopped from coming to KL that day)

The Works Minister said he had also explained to them that most of the issues raised had been discussed by the Cabinet over the last several months.
(Only in the last few months? So all this while MIC was just sleeping in the meetings and after 50 years, only now have been playing some pro-active role?)

In fact, he said, steps were being taken by the government to improve the lot of the Indians in this country.
(Steps taken only after thousands had poured onto the streets to show their disgust? So the community was taken for granted all this while then?)

"But we must remember that we will not get 100 per cent of what we asked for. Where can you find a government that fulfils 100 per cent of the people's requests?
(Ask this question to the privileged community in this country and they will tell you that if they don’t get 100 percent of what they asked, they will not think twice about ditching Umno.)

"The problems are not just faced by the Indians but also by the Chinese and Malays. They also make demands and they too don't get 100 per cent," he said.
(Malays have the full political backing and complete constitutional rights. Chinese have a strongly bonded community which controls a big chunk of the economy. Indians only have MIC which has been an utter failure, speeding up the community’s further marginalization.)

Samy Vellu also described the illegal group as "sightless" for not being able to see the progress achieved by the Indians in the last 50 years.
(Have we been successful? What progress? Our share in the national economy piece has shrunk. We top the crime rates. We are the biggest community with social issues. The list continues.)

"In the old days, 80 per cent of them worked in the estates, just to earn wages, and had no assets or savings. But 50 years later, many of them have become professionals and businessmen with high education, and they now have assets and savings," he said.
(Do we still have estates? People have been forced out of their livelihood and end up as squatters now. The successful ones did it on their own accord or through the tears and sweat of their parents. The government or MIC cannot take credit for their progress. At the same time, many others have been left behind. Responsibility for this is surely with the government and MIC.)

He also described the group's attempt to claim for compensation for the Indian community from the British government as unrealistic, because from his discussions with several lawyers, it would be impossible for the British to fulfill it.
(Will the great leader never understand that it was just an attempt to gain publicity to what’s happening to the Indian community in this country?)

"These lawyers told me that if their claim is fulfilled because the British brought their forefathers here to work in the estates, then there would be more claims from other countries such as India. The British government could become bankrupt," he said.
(Fair point Mr Minister. But look at the international publicity this group has now gained.)

On the question about unity among the multiracial society, Samy Velly said that it was a bit shaky at the moment and needed to be strengthened like the way it used to be when he was still a child.

"I suggest that we develop subjects on unity in schools and we teach our children on the repercussions of disunity, to remind them of history and about how the people could live together as Malaysians," he said.

Samy Vellu was also asked whether he was ready to let go his MIC presidency considering his many contributions during his 30 years of leading the party.

He said that he would do so "when the time comes".

"I shall let it go when the time comes. But I believe at the moment, I still need to settle many things. When I have settled them, I'd give up the post... another person with calibre can then take over," he said.
(When the time comes? I think the time came and left. It’s long overdue. He has never been so out of touch with the community now as he has ever been. He is under pressure. He can’t just leave; otherwise his party will just collapse, thanks to his style of leadership. He has the steady the ship but by then it might be too late – not for the community but for the party and its leader. The community, I reckon, has finally woken up)

Governing while sleeping

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang calls Pak Lah’s rule as a “somnambulant governance”.

What is somnambulant governance? Oxford Dictionary defines “somnambulism” as “sleepwalking”.

Merriam-Webster provides this definition:

1: walking or having the habit of walking while asleep
2: resembling or having the characteristics of a sleepwalker : sluggish

Wondering why Kit Siang is making such a drastic attack? Read his reasons in his blog entry here.

But I don’t think this is a somnambulant government for this reason alone.

Look at what’s happening in this country today. Listen to the grouses from the grassroots. And compare that to what the government is doing to solve these problems.

And you will know that we do have a somnambulant government.

Open your eyes and SEE

Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, “Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?”

The Lone Ranger replies, “I see millions of stars.”

“What that tell you?” asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says:

“Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.

Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.

Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.

Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

What's it tell you, Tonto?”

“You dumber than buffalo shit. It meant someone stole the tent.”

Moral: Open your eyes and see what is actually happening around you. Only then you know why there is an urgent need to seek reforms.

Lessons from the Hindraf 31 case

So the 31 Hindraf protesters were freed from the attempted murder charge today. Good for them.

What do we learn from this? Below is a list, which is inexhaustible.

1. The AG is so powerful that he can literally charge you with ANYTHING

2. The judiciary, especially the lower courts tend to listen to the AG and if he says no to bail, you will not get bail.

3. I personally know that there was wheeling and dealing behind the scenes involving MIC, though the party did not deal the matter directly. So at the end of the day, it is your Indian-based party in power that can come to your aid, IF it wants to.

4. You will get opposition lawyers to handle the case for you but there is a risk of the matter being turned political, and in most cases, not heading anywhere.

5. Being a minority race in this country is really dangerous. You can become a political pawn for all parties and you might not have the financial strength to fight for yourself.

Please add to the list if you wish.

ISA for not following procedures

"I am duty-bound to act because the people want the government to take action. The people don't want to see this country in chaos... between the freedom of expression and public safety, I will give importance to public safety. If you want to speak up, you must follow procedures.”

(-Prime Minister Abdullah justifying the use to ISA on the Hindraf 5.)

______________________________________________________________

You must follow procedures then?

What if your letters are not replied? What if the police do not give you permit to gather peacefully? What is your memorandums are not even read? What if the PM or any other top politicians refuse to meet you?

What choice have you got then apart from venting your frustrations by making noise?

This is precisely what Hindraf did (although I have my reservations on their exact manner and choice of words in making that noise).

So the PM should first look at how his government deals with complaints from the grassroots before trying to silence the dissent.

p/s: Would a petition have worked in telling the PM that things were not right on the ground? I doubt it but someone has set up a petition last night seeking the release of the five arrested under ISA.

Do check it out. When I last saw it, some 8,000 people have signed it. DO LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMMENTS.

The petition.

Are we surprised?

First came the criticisms.

Then the condemnations.

Soon a mysterious link to terrorism emerged, no less from the Inspector General of Police, without any evidence.

This was followed calls from political parties and politicians for the use of the ISA.

Ministers then said we should love peace and put troublemakers ‘inside’.

IGP followed up by adding that there was enough evidence to use the ISA.

PM finally weighed in to say public safety was more important than public freedom.

And today they (the Hindraf 5) were all sent directly to Kamunting for two years.

Well, this was coming. So why are we surprised?

Police in parliament

Lim Kit Siang who had a brief conversation with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when the latter came out of the Dewan Rakyat, said that he had asked Abdullah on the arrests.

"He (Abdullah) said arrests cannot be made in the Dewan, but is allowed outside the Dewan," he said.

(media reports: here and here)

___________________________________________________________________

Can you believe this? How can the PM simply downplay the sanctity of the parliament? The parliament is the main institution that gives legitimacy to the politicians alike to rule/administer/govern the country.

If the PM’s argument is to be followed, why then such tight security at the main entrance of the parliament? They could just put up security blocks at the entrance of the chambers.

Likewise, if we allow the politicians to start redrawing the boundaries and interpret certain principles, soon don’t be surprised if the PM says that only the area where the BN members sit are protected by privilege and is considered sacred!

The (allegedly) seditious letter

Hindraf legal adviser P Uthayakumar was charged with sedition in KL today over this letter.

Read and decide for yourself if the charge is warranted - Hindraf memorandum to UK Prime Minister.

p/s: The link is to a Bernama site which reproduced the said letter. This way, if they come after me for ‘publishing seditious materal’, I can always fall back on Bernama for first publishing it!

(Also just heard that Uthayakumar has been granted bail at RM50,000, with one surety.)

A mess called Rela

Read more about how Rela’s reputation takes a battering (correctly, I should add) in this International Herald Tribune report.

Foreign workers face campaign of brutality in Malaysia


Some excerpts:

When his turn comes to stand watch, Kang Long posts himself at a window, peering into the dark streets outside the tiny apartment where his fellow migrant workers sleep 10 to a room.

"We always fear, especially at night," he said. "Maybe there will be a raid. Where will we run? I worry for my wife and children. I've been thinking of moving to the jungle."

____________


"They shouted at me, 'Where's the money?' " she said. "I got down on my knees and begged them. 'I don't have any money.' But they wanted money. They pulled stuff from under the bed. They looked here, they looked there. They opened all our bags."

Her documents were in order, she said, and the search party left her alone.

But when it departed, she said, "Everything was a mess."

___________


"They break into migrant lodgings in the middle of the night without warrants, brutalize inhabitants, extort money and confiscate cellphones, clothing, jewelry and household goods, before handcuffing migrants and transporting them to detention camps for illegal immigrants," Human Rights Watch said in a report in May.

When fools rule

“[Our brilliant] Information minister Zainuddin Maidin also said that the report on the website on the seven Minnal FM deejays was of a seditious and racial nature and could incite anger in the people and create suspicion towards the government.”

This was what was reported in Bernama yesterday.

This is a follow up to a previous report that the Info Ministry has lodged a report against three media organisations over the Minnal FM reports.

I wrote two reports on Minnal FM and I now reproduce them here to see if Zam’s wild accusation of the original report being “seditious and racial nature and could incite anger in the people and create suspicion towards the government” stands.

____________________________________________________________________

Radio DJs punished for supporting Hindraf
K Kabilan | Dec 3, 07 5:54pm

State-owned Tamil radio station Minnal FM has sacked several presenters - including some popular ones - for supporting the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

Sources said that others have been suspended.

It is learnt that seven presenters were affected in the exercise, including two presenters working on contract. The station has 20 full-time presenters.

The severe action was for either taking part in the Hindraf-organised rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 or for giving prominence for the rally and Hindraf on air, added the sources.

Among those sacked or suspended are popular DJs K Meenakumari, K Sillalee (left) and V Jamuna (right). The latter was a hugely popular contract presenter.

Minnal FM’s director Raja Sekaran was not available for comment while queries to the station remain unanswered.

Restructuring exercise

However, a source close to the station said that the dismissal was a staff-restructuring exercise undertaken by the radio station which is increasingly losing out to private Tamil radio station THR Raga.

“There are talks within Minnal to hire fresh faces to revamp the station. Maybe that’s why some of the contractual presenters were let go,” said the source.

Another source said the station was in the midst of offering a different category of employment to the terminated presenters, and as such would need to give them new contractual terms.

A former Minnal FM presenter, however, said the station director has been unhappy with the work of the seven presenters and finally decided to terminate them on the grounds of their involvement with Hindraf.

Hindraf has been under fire recently over its demands for the upliftment of the Indian community which the organisation claims is sidelined by the government, a charge denied by the government and the Indian-based MIC.

On Nov 25, the organisation managed to gather a crowd of 30,000 at Jalan Ampang to march to the British High Commission to deliver a memorandum seeking the assistance of the Queen of England.

The gathering was denied a permit and the police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd.


'Lift suspension of Tamil radio deejays'

Dec 4, 07 5:32pm
State-owned Tamil radio station Minnal FM has been urged to lift the suspension imposed on several presenters over their alleged involvement in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally.

Media watchdogs Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) said they were concerned that suspected involvement in the rally has been used as a basis to suspend the presenters.

“The action taken against the presenters only creates the perception that the government is intolerant (of) the democratic rights of its employees,” they said in a joint statement today.

The groups said the suspension indicated that Minnal FM viewed as an offence, the involvement of its staff in their personal capacity in public assemblies.

“CIJ and WAMI would like to stress that freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and the radio presenters should not be discriminated against the right due to their professional relation to the government,” they said.

“We call upon Minnal FM to suspend the investigation and reinstate the presenters immediately.”

When contacted by CIJ for comment, station director M Raja Sekaran declined to confirm the matter and answer questions, according to the statement.

Allegation by SMS

Yesterday [we] reported that seven Minnal FM presenters have been taken off the air over alleged involvement in the Nov 25 rally and for their support for Hindraf.

Sources said several of the presenters, some of whom are hugely popular, were sacked while others were suspended pending investigations.

Attempts to contact Raja Sekaran have proved futile. However Tamil-language daily Makkal Osai today quoted popular presenter K Meenakumari as confirming the suspension of the seven presenters, including herself.

The daily also named the remaining six presenters: K Sillalee (left), V Jamuna (right), Mahendran Veluplay, Kavirajan Jagarajan, Vijayan Muruti and Dhayalan Sharmugan.

“We have been accused of taking part in the Hindraf rally, which is not true. We have been asked not to enter the broadcast room until the probe is completed,” she was quoted as saying.

She added that Minnal FM decided to take action against them based on a short message service (SMS) which claimed that the seven presenters were supportive of Hindraf and were at the rally.

The Hindraf rally attracted about 30,000 people, who marched to the British High Commission to submit a petition claiming they have been marginalised since being brought into Malaya as indentured labours.

The government has condemned the rally as illegal and dismissed claims that the community is marginalised.

___________________________________________________________________

And it is based on this second report that Zam is threatening to lodge a police report against Wami and CIJ for supporting the 7 presenters!

Hmm! What can I say? Only fools will start attacking shadows for fear of life, or only total idiots will get to say whatever they want and get away with it!

It is a sad day...

Boy! What a day!

It has been a busy Sunday. I have been working from home from early morning to upload stories on the nationwide arrests of people who participated in so-called illegal assemblies.

The lawyers, activists and then opposition leaders and finally Bersih supporters, one-by-one were taken in and all are now expected to be charged tomorrow.

I heard the AG himself would be prosecuting. Must be rather important these fellows. Otherwise why should the AG himself come down from Putrajaya to persecute (sorry, should be prosecute) them?

Anyway, I think this AP news gives a good round up of what happened today. As said by the Bar Council chairperson Ambiga, it is indeed a sad day!

Malaysian police detain 21 people for illegal rallies

By EILEEN NG,Associated Press Writer AP - 35 minutes ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian police detained 21 opposition members, lawyers and activists Sunday, including nine people who joined a banned human rights march, officials said, in a widening crackdown following a series of anti-government protests.

Twelve members of an opposition coalition were among those rounded up in nationwide raids for taking part in a banned rally on Nov. 10 demanding electoral reforms, coalition spokesman Syed Azman Syed Ahmad told The Associated Press. The coalition plans to hold a second demonstration on Tuesday outside Parliament.

The arrests are part of a growing crackdown on disgruntled Malaysians who have held a slew of anti-government protests and demonstrations, jolting the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ahead of elections expected soon.

The Nov. 10 rally _ which drew some 30,000 people _ was followed by an equally large street protest by minority ethnic Indians on Nov. 25 to complain of racial discrimination and economic deprivation from government policies.

Earlier Sunday, eight people, including four lawyers, were detained for taking part in a march for human rights by about 40 people in downtown Kuala Lumpur, defying a ban on assembly and an order to disperse, local police chief Che Hamzah Che Ismail said.

Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters another lawyer was detained later after he tried to stop police from tearing down banners marking International Human Rights Day.

"I am in a state of utter disbelief at the heavy-handedness of the police ... these tactics are bullying tactics," Sreenevasan said. "This is a sad day for human rights in Malaysia."

Prime Minister Abdullah defended the arrests.

"They ignored the law and still wanted to protest ... of course police have to take action. This (protest) is not our culture," Abdullah was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama.

Among those arrested for the Nov. 10 rally were Tian Chua, a senior official of the opposition People's Justice Party, and 10 members of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The two parties are the main groups in the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, known by its Malay acronym Bersih, which organized the rally.

Despite the arrests, Bersih will go ahead with its second demonstration on Tuesday outside Parliament to hand over a memorandum to the speaker to demand free and fair elections, Syed Azman said.

He said the 12 are likely to be formally charged in court on Monday. Also Monday, ethnic Indian leader P. Uthayakumar, who organized the Nov. 25 rally, will appear in court where prosecutors will seek permission to charge him with sedition.

The government has also charged 31 Indians with attempted murder after a policeman was injured during the rally.

Sunday's arrests came amid complaints by Uthayakumar that the charges were racially motivated because police did not arrest anyone from the Nov. 10 rally, which was mostly participated by Malays.

Syed Azman said by arresting Bersih activists, the government "is trying to balance it out so that it won't look racially biased."

"The heat is on the government because of the (Indian) issue. The government is under tremendous pressure because the whole world is watching now, so they are trying to divert attention," he said.

(source)

'Shocked’ minister in denial

This was reported in the Star today:

Shocked by ‘apartheid’ report

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz was shocked during a recent work trip to India to find a newspaper there carrying a front page article that claimed that Malaysia was practising apartheid against Hindus.

Holding up the DNA newspaper of Nov 28, the International Trade and Industry Minister said that the article quoted a 22-year-old Sri Lankan-born poet who had spent 17 years in Malaysia, as saying that she fled Malaysia last month to escape "systematic racial harassment."

"Fleeing Malaysia? Oh my goodness gracious. Can you imagine? This is really telling lies," Rafidah told reporters yesterday after chairing a Wanita Umno meeting.

The Wanita Umno chief said that the poet, Sharanya Manivannan, had also claimed in the article that there had been cases in Malaysia of "body-snatching" of Hindu corpses by the authorities so that the deceased could be buried according to Muslim rites.

She said that the poet, however, had never mentioned that these men had converted to Islam.

Rafidah added that Sharanya had said in the article that "countless (Hindu) temples have been demolished and idols smashed – often times in the middle of prayer sessions and devotees attacked".

"What a lie. Words like this are terrible. The article really hurts," she said.

Rafidah was heading a trade mission to India from Nov 26 to Dec 1 when she came across the newspaper article at one of the five-star hotels there.

"I was shocked. Obviously there is already an international network set up," she said, adding that she believed that this was politically motivated....

(The Star, Dec 05, 07, pg 12)
___________________________________________________________________

Why is the minister shocked? Could it be because the truth hurts?

Or perhaps she has been ignorant of all these due to the sanitised reporting of the local mainstream media?

Can the minister honestly say there is no systematic racial harassment in this country? If she can, then she shouldn’t be shocked or hurt.

Mission impossible: missionary position

I don’t know if there is any truth in this claim which I saw in an old Guardian report.

Apparently, according to a book by a respected French writer, sex research was conducted in space in 1996.

The mission of two chosen astronauts was to explore sexual positions possible in a weightless atmosphere.

It seems the two ‘guinea pig’ astronauts tested out 10 positions in zero-gravity conditions.

And the outcome was this:

• Four positions were found possible without "mechanical assistance"
• Six others needed a special elastic belt and inflatable tunnel, like an open-ended sleeping bag.

And the most damaging finding is that:

"The so-called missionary position, which is so easy on earth when gravity pushes one downwards, is simply not possible."

Read more on this in this Guardian report.

Lightning strikes Minnal FM

It is amazing how suddenly everyone wants to get onto the government bandwagon to condemn something.

Just look at the Hindraf rally. First the police condemned it. Soon MIC followed suit. Then the government (read: Umno) pursued.

There were warnings that teachers caught taking part in the rally would be sacked. Students too were issued similar warnings. It looks like everyone wanted a bit of action in this spree of persecution.

Over the weekend there was an SMS saying that some Indian Muslim association calling for the action against Hindraf.

And then today, to my utter shock and dismay, there were reports that the state-owned Tamil radio station Minnal FM has suspended and sacked seven of its DJs - almost one-third of its radio presenters.

Why? Apparently these deejays supported the Hindraf movement and some even participated in the Sunday rally.

Things are definitely going crazy over here.

Double standards at work

Someone must correct this government attitude.

First it was minister in the pm’s dept Nazri that said India, especially Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi, should keep out from commenting on Malaysian matters.

Today foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar says the same, saying that "other nations should respect the sovereignty of the country".

These ministers must have short-term memory loss. Or they are just pretending to suffer from one.

What about the time our ministers were making noise, and even sending a ministerial envoy, to Thailand to convey our concern over the plight of the Southern Thai muslims?

Or how about when someone from Umno Youth protested over the atrocities against the Palestinian muslims?

So it is okay for us to butt in other nation’s matter but when it comes for others to show concern, we get all worked up?

One thing is clear. Double-standards are not just practised internally. It also applies to the external relations.