Who says our authorities are not carrying out their duties?

From left: Salmah Mohd Ali, Michael Lawrence De Silva and his brother Charles. On the right is a customer buying tissue paper from Salmah Mohd Ali.


NST: Saturday August 11 2007 by K. Harinderen and Adeline Lau.

To summarize: Malaysia TRULY Asia.

Four blind persons selling tissue paper were arrested by the police, City Hall and the Immigration Department.

It was of course part of the City Hall's, Immigration Department's and PDRM's effort to rid the city of beggars. ( Beggars? What? In Malaysia? We cannot allow tourists to know that we do have beggars! )

According to one of them, Salmah Mohd Ali, 46, she was seated in front of the 7-Eleven outlet in Bagsar Baru when she was asked by two policemen to follow them to the police station without giving any reason.

The police were acting on a complaint from the Bangsar Baru Resident's Association on the problem of beggars in the area. ( Welcome to Malaysia where everyone is friendly and helpful )

Razak Hashim,55, was arrested by police in front of the McDonald's restaurant in Bangsar Baru.

Both of them have been 'working' in the same area for more than 12 years. ( It took our men in blue to act on this after 12 years )

Salmah who is from Kuala Lipis, is afraid to leave her home now as she fears being arrested again. ( Salmah is not alone in her fear of the police force )

"I sell tissue paper, I do not beg," said Salmah.

Salmah was taken away by a police van that night and in the vehicle, she met two other blind persons, Abu Zarif Maarof and Azhar Omar, whom she knew. They told her that they too were areested for the same offence - selling Tissue paper.

Salmah was detained overnight in a temporary cell at the Travers police station while the others were held at the Brickfields police station. They will be accused of begging. ( Viva la NEP )

1. The big question: Is selling tissue paper by the blind to earn a living an offence under the Destitute Persons Act? No one involved seemed to have an answer.

2. The bigger question: Why on earth would innocent blind people be arrested for selling tissue papers? PDRM could have shown its gentle side as the Act is still being scrutinized as to what it actually means. I do hope they come up with a proper and humane interpretation.

3. Why are the helpless blind people targets of the police force? They are trying to earn a living for God's sake.

Turn your attention to the real criminals.

According to the paper, it said, it's up to the their ( police ) discretion whether to arrest a blind person for selling tissue papers.

"the police will investigate such cases as there are beggars who disguise their activities by selling tissue paper."

4. Strange but from what I know, the NEP is after all, meant for the welfare of the Malays, right?

"The act is not clear on the matter," said Welfare Department elderly and family division director Nik Omar Nik Ab Rahman. ( The act is not clear on the matter or the matter is not clear on the act?" )

He also said that there was some confusion over selling tissues could be considered begging.

However he was uncertain about this. ( and he is the Director )

"Discussions are still going to resolve this matter."


So, no one seems to know about the Act but some were quick to act. I always considered Malaysians a compassionate lot. That includes PDRM.

To arrest innocent blind people for an act that they are not sure about is regrettable. Blatant criminal acts are being committed on the streets and these criminals seem to get away with it.

What next?

Investigate and interrogate the people in the welfare homes?
Or perhaps the next target will be pensioners? Pensioners know quite a bit and might spill the beans. Pensioners from all government sectors. We have to protect our Vision 2020 at all cost.

Que sera sera.

MERDEKA

anon

04/08: Betraying the Malay cause by opposing the NEP?

by Farouk A. Peru

http://www.peru.name/

Today, a rather interesting statement was in the Star. Encik Khairi Jamaluddin, the UMNO Youth deputy chief called the former deputy PM, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a ‘traitor to the Malay cause’. His reason for doing so was that Anwar voices opposition to the NEP.

This news report should be analysed for the implicit equations emerging from Khairi’s vocabulary and phraseology. Khairi branded Anwar a ‘traitor to the Malay cause’. The ‘Malay cause’ therefore must have a set ideology in order for Anwar to betray it. If the ‘Malay cause’ has no set ideology, whatever Anwar would do wouldn’t matter to it because it has no inherent values.

The ‘Malay cause’ in this case is betrayed because Anwar now opposes the NEP. The NEP is a policy that favours anyone by virtue of them being born or co-opted into a racial construct called ‘the Malays’ or by virtue of being indigenous to Malaysia. It fails to take into account that the definition of a ‘Malay’ is porous or that being indigenous is a virtue of time. At one point, even Parameswara’s descendants weren’t indigenous to Malaysia. So the even the beneficiaries of the ‘Malay cause’ may be also subject to change given time and racial interactions.

Anwar has betrayed the ‘Malay cause’, says Khairi. This means that the ‘Malay cause’ holds the NEP as a pivotal element because to reject it, one would be termed a ‘traitor’ to the ‘Malay cause’, a strong term indeed. No time limit was given to this equation so we can conclude the NEP is forever be inextricable to ‘the Malay cause’.

Questions we must now pose:

1. What is the Malay cause exactly? What is its ideology? Does its ideology impinge upon the causes of other races?

2. Is there a Malay cause that doesn’t involve the NEP?

3. Can the Malay survive without the NEP?

4. If not, why is this the case?

5. Has the NEP worked? If so, please define how it worked. If not, please define what the time limit is on this social experiment.

Clarity is a vital element to have in any discourse. Politicians who voice opinions in the media should be analysed so we understand the exact intent of a given statement and thus able to interrogate these statements fully. Only then can the rakyat be able to have a transparent and fully democratic government.

Comment:

anon wrote:

I too would like to know what exactly .... The Malays Cause is.

All 5 questions posed by Farouk is what I believe everyone wants to know. I had enough of reading and hearing about this The Malay Cause.

Would any cyber trooper be kind enough to explain to us what it means? Heck, you are paid so do some work other than just spamming and inciting racial hatred.

- Does the Malay cause mean .... never question the 'rights' of the Malays?

- Does it mean do not question 'ketuanan' Melayu?

- Does it mean the Malays must still be spoon-fed with the infamous NEP?

- Does it mean that the NEP is purely meant for the elitist Malays?

- Does it mean that that only Malays must be at the helm of every Government office? CEOs and Director Generals?

- Does it mean that only Malays must be Vice Chancellors of Universities?

- Does it mean that only Malays must be Deans in all Faculties in the Universities?

- Does it mean that only Malays must be Heads of Departments in all Faculties in Universities and Colleges?

- Does it mean only Malays have easy access ( or eligible ) to Government scholarships to study abroad and locally?- Does it mean that the Malays are a deprived lot?

- Does The Malay Cause apply to ALL Malays or a handpicked wealthy ones?

- Does it mean that the Malays have the right to threaten a bloodbath?

- Does it mean that the Malays have a right to pass highly intellectual statements on demeaning women?

- Does it mean that only Malays can wake up and sleep during working hours?

- Does it mean that only Malays can be totally corrupt?

- Does it mean that only Malays can issue permits to who they like?

- Does it mean that only Malays can advice the PM on how to run the country?

- Does it mean that Malays have the right to demolish places of worship without question?

- Does it mean that the UMNOputra Malays have the right to lie to the kampong Malays?

- Does it mean only Malays have license to kill?

- Does it mean that fighting for The Malay Cause will UNITE ALL RACES?


What is the RATIONALE behind this Malay Cause?

Heck, I could take up a lot more space as I have a lot more questions.

http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/letters.php?itemid=7003