The second habeas corpus application is scheduled to be heard at 9.00 am on 22nd October 2008 at the Shah Alam High Court before Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy bin Syed Ahmad.
Showing posts with label Human Rights Defenders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human Rights Defenders. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Free RPK: 2nd Habeas (Update)
The second habeas corpus application is scheduled to be heard at 9.00 am on 22nd October 2008 at the Shah Alam High Court before Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy bin Syed Ahmad.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Willing Conspirators
Looking around, it seems that so much fear permeates through Malaysian society at so many levels.
The average Malaysian lives in a world defined by fear. Fear that the ‘authorities’ will take action at even a single expression of discontent. Fear that he/she is going to be ‘black-listed’ by employers, by ‘those in power’. Fear that he/she is going to be singled out, vilified.
These fears are largely unsubstantiated and self-serving. The average Malaysian lives in a state of paralysis largely of his/her own contrivance, allowing him/her to not have to do anything.
The question is why? I accept that there are laws that allow the State to control us. But laws are laws and leadership is leadership. The latter uses the former to control only where it is absolutely essential to ensure continuity. The legitimacy of any government is undermined when draconian laws are brought into play because the average person knows that the laws are not being used for any true or legitimate purpose but rather to preserve the status quo. In the Malaysian context, they seem to be applied only where there is a consequence beneficial to the powers that be. And while these laws exist – ISA, OSA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Sedition Act – the Administration appears to have applied them only where it believed it could do so without suffering too much of a political consequence.
I believe that the Administration has only acted in these situations when it knew that the rakyat would not react or that such reaction that might occur would be negligible in its effect or could be controlled.
The painful reality is that Malaysians, perhaps too comfortable, have not reacted or have not reacted sufficiently. This might have been out of fear, or apathy, or a lack of sensitivity or even a total lack of concern. The truth is that the resounding silence of Malaysians in the face of unacceptable actions or decisions on the part of the Administration has had little to do with a rational, objectively founded fear. Instead, it has had almost everything to do with vested interest.
It is this state of affairs that has allowed the Administration to believe that Malaysians can be bullied or coerced or duped into submission. In turn, it is these factors that have led to most Malaysians thinking they should not speak out. More crucially, it is these factors that have led to the isolation and marginalizing of those few that do speak out and to the Administration constantly undermining civil society.
The adage that there is strength in numbers cannot be more true where Malaysia is concerned. It is easy to house a few in Kamunting, it is not so easy to house thousands.
Malaysians not speaking out allowed for the victimization of Lim Guan Eng and Irene Fernandez. Malaysians not speaking out have allowed the Malaysian Government, a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to not agree to the request by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to carry out her functions in Malaysia. To carry on violating basic human rights in one form or the other. How else can one justify the decision of the Administration not to ratify the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Economic, Social and Cultural Covenant. Is it because Malaysians accept that they are not legitimately entitled to these rights?
Worse, Malaysians appear to support racial discrimination. Why else has the Administration taken the position that it does not have to ratify the Convention Against Racial Discrimination (CERD)? Does the Malaysian Government believe that Malaysians support discrimination? Can the NEP, in one manifestation or the other, be seen as a Malaysian (as opposed to Malay) policy of racial discrimination? If it is not one or the other, if we truly believe in ‘Bangsa Malaysia’, then should we not be reacting enough to ensure that the Government ratifies CERD and brings it into force at the national level.
We are as much to blame for the pitiful state of affairs that we are in. Malaysians through their silence have encouraged the dismantling of the rule of law and democracy in this nation.
We are to blame. The government is a government of the people. Its decisions are those of the people. Our claims to fear are hollow. Self-censorship is an excuse for inaction. In our silence we have become willing conspirators with those we condemn.
MIS
The average Malaysian lives in a world defined by fear. Fear that the ‘authorities’ will take action at even a single expression of discontent. Fear that he/she is going to be ‘black-listed’ by employers, by ‘those in power’. Fear that he/she is going to be singled out, vilified.
These fears are largely unsubstantiated and self-serving. The average Malaysian lives in a state of paralysis largely of his/her own contrivance, allowing him/her to not have to do anything.
The question is why? I accept that there are laws that allow the State to control us. But laws are laws and leadership is leadership. The latter uses the former to control only where it is absolutely essential to ensure continuity. The legitimacy of any government is undermined when draconian laws are brought into play because the average person knows that the laws are not being used for any true or legitimate purpose but rather to preserve the status quo. In the Malaysian context, they seem to be applied only where there is a consequence beneficial to the powers that be. And while these laws exist – ISA, OSA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Sedition Act – the Administration appears to have applied them only where it believed it could do so without suffering too much of a political consequence.
I believe that the Administration has only acted in these situations when it knew that the rakyat would not react or that such reaction that might occur would be negligible in its effect or could be controlled.
The painful reality is that Malaysians, perhaps too comfortable, have not reacted or have not reacted sufficiently. This might have been out of fear, or apathy, or a lack of sensitivity or even a total lack of concern. The truth is that the resounding silence of Malaysians in the face of unacceptable actions or decisions on the part of the Administration has had little to do with a rational, objectively founded fear. Instead, it has had almost everything to do with vested interest.
It is this state of affairs that has allowed the Administration to believe that Malaysians can be bullied or coerced or duped into submission. In turn, it is these factors that have led to most Malaysians thinking they should not speak out. More crucially, it is these factors that have led to the isolation and marginalizing of those few that do speak out and to the Administration constantly undermining civil society.
The adage that there is strength in numbers cannot be more true where Malaysia is concerned. It is easy to house a few in Kamunting, it is not so easy to house thousands.
Malaysians not speaking out allowed for the victimization of Lim Guan Eng and Irene Fernandez. Malaysians not speaking out have allowed the Malaysian Government, a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to not agree to the request by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to carry out her functions in Malaysia. To carry on violating basic human rights in one form or the other. How else can one justify the decision of the Administration not to ratify the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Economic, Social and Cultural Covenant. Is it because Malaysians accept that they are not legitimately entitled to these rights?
Worse, Malaysians appear to support racial discrimination. Why else has the Administration taken the position that it does not have to ratify the Convention Against Racial Discrimination (CERD)? Does the Malaysian Government believe that Malaysians support discrimination? Can the NEP, in one manifestation or the other, be seen as a Malaysian (as opposed to Malay) policy of racial discrimination? If it is not one or the other, if we truly believe in ‘Bangsa Malaysia’, then should we not be reacting enough to ensure that the Government ratifies CERD and brings it into force at the national level.
We are as much to blame for the pitiful state of affairs that we are in. Malaysians through their silence have encouraged the dismantling of the rule of law and democracy in this nation.
We are to blame. The government is a government of the people. Its decisions are those of the people. Our claims to fear are hollow. Self-censorship is an excuse for inaction. In our silence we have become willing conspirators with those we condemn.
MIS
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