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Thursday, June 22, 2006

PKR leader: "Use ISA on Article 11 coalition"

Badrul Amin Baharom, a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) supreme council member, former International Islamic University Malaysia lecturer, and a former ISA detainee, admitted that he called for the use of the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) against the Article 11 coalition.

The Article 11 coalition has been conducting a signature drive and road shows on matters related to freedom of religion. Its forum in Penang was, however, disrupted by the Anti Inter-Faith Commission (Badai), including PAS youth members.

Last month Badai had formed a 200-strong protest group that had, through an aggressive protest in Penang, disrupted an Article 11-organised public forum to discuss freedom of religion.

Badrul said: “I told the crowd that those from Article 11, in discussing sensitive issues of religion, are trying to threaten social harmony.”

Well, he had no choice but to ‘fess up because his nasty comments during a ceramah in Kelantan were reported in PAS organ Harakah.

Harakah quoted him as saying that the ISA should be used on members of the Article 11 coalition because they were ‘dangerous and could threaten the faith of Muslims’.

I wonder whether this PKR bloke had been a former UMNO chap because his readiness to employ the ISA against a group he didn’t like seems to be a typical modus operandi of UMNO.

Badrul admitted that he had been speaking on Muslim discontent over the Article 11 coalition’s activities, but claimed that he had been quoted out of context. He now claims he would never support the use of the ISA on anyone, as it was against his personal stand and that of his party.

“That aside, I said that if the government was sincere in maintaining national security, it should use the ISA on these individuals.”

“But I meant it in a cynical way, addressed to the government.”

Do you believe him? I don’t because Badrul continued by saying:

“For the time being, we should wait for the situation to calm down. Later, we will try again (to hold discussions). The Article 11 coalition must learn not to be too aggressive, because that would be met by aggression.”

“… met by aggression?” With keris dripping with blood? This bloke has perhaps shown his colours.

And was the Article 11 coalition aggressive?

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