Apart from the disgusting Police harassment of protestors who are not BN members or supporters, it’s worrying that Tony Pua, a Member of Parliament, and I believe ADUN Ronnie Liu too, was rough-housed by Police during the authority’s attempt to disperse the peaceful protestors.
But leave this aside, the opposition people being charged are reasonably high profile pollies, and those supporters who will be charged together with them can at least lean on the pollies' strength - there's comfort in groups.
Yes, I am not so worried about them as they can look after themselves.
What I am more worried about is a sweetie in the north,
* thanks, Crankster for correcting me
Apparently she was a member of the team that organized the anti-ISA candlelight vigil in Penang a couple of months back.
The Police are now harassing her, making her report to the police station during the Chinese New Year celebrations. She may well be charged too.
Unlike the KL/PJ people, she isn’t high profile, but alas, no one seems to care about her plight or have offered any support. Everyone has been focussing on the high profile people. Poor
So, where are those intrepid anti-ISA people now when
I direct my question particularly to those who were praised for taking along their lil’ sweeties to the candlelight vigil, and those who had praised them. Where are they who then had made lots of noises but are now so silent?
Not everyone is a Raja Petra Kamarudin who has the personal bravery, experience, royal connection and indeed the adoring public support to handle such oppressions. In fact
Yes, I do question the authority’s motive in harassing this peaceful ‘civilian’ who exercised her democratic right to protest against the ISA, and in peaceful fashion. Don’t those men in blue have crimes to attend to? Or, why don’t they go and harass that Kulim Wonder who had behaved like a thug.
The MCA had helped Namawee when he was in trouble, so how about the MCA now putting its shoulders on to the task of relieving
Gerakan? Dear Koh Tsu Koon - here's your opportunity to show us you have some care for a Penang lassie.
But most of all, I ask those who were involved in the Penang candlelight vigil, to go and support/help
Put your money where you candle was!
Don't abandon
I think it's Paula Khoo. Good job on rounding up support. I will be following suit soon.
ReplyDeleteI never agree with people knowingly breaking the law, no matter what is the purported cause.
ReplyDeletePaula Khoo, whoever, knew very well the police would be taking action, especially after the warning subsequent to the PJ vigils.
In fact I see she is being handled with kid gloves, just having to appear at the police station regularly.
She very well can't deliberately break the law and expect to get away scot free.
well, either charge her or fine her, but what's this nonsense about making her report to the police station at regular intervals?
ReplyDeleteThat's unnecessary and malicious harassment as she's not a known criminal who needs to do that to restrict her movement. At most she had committed nonviolent (peaceful) illegal assembly.
But why must the police persecute her after all this while, especially during the CNY period.
I see it as police punitive persecution.
i'm more worried she ended up like kugan .... sad...
ReplyDeleteI've been away (and ill while away, too), so this latest development has kinda escaped me. Thanks, Kaytee, for getting me up to speed.
ReplyDeleteWhat you call "police harassment" is just the tip of the iceberg. Paula has also been harassed online, her blog hacked to the point that she's had to put it on hiatus. Hacked by whom? Yes, I wonder the same, too. What's even more distressing is the fact that her blogs are/were hosted on Blogger - and if it were our legendary CyberTroopers at work here, I'm sure that there is some international law being "knowingly broken, no matter what the purported cause"...
Again, Kaytee, thanks for the heads up...
hi Jamal sorry to hear you have been ill. Hpe all's OK now, and a Giong Xi Fa Cai to you, matey.
ReplyDeleteyes, cybertroopers of a certain plummage are to be expectd - that's a given, but what have disappointed me greatly are two issues (i) the police persecuting Paula, a mere 'civilian', and more importantly (ii) she has been abandoned by erstwhile allies (fair weather birds?)
"police punitive persecution" ??
ReplyDeleteAiyoyoyo...aneh...I have no reason to love the police or the authorities, but cut the bull-shit, please.
Having to report to the police station regularly is just a minor administrative inconvenience. Due to sum...err...indiscretions...in my youth, I've been reporting regularly to the nearest police station for the last 5 years. You just turn up at the public counter, sign the forms and get the OIC to certify it...usually doesn't last more than 30 minutes to 1 hour. A few times I had a legitimate reason to travel outstation; I had to apply to the OCPD for approval, I had to report to a police station while I was THERE, OK, it was granted without too much fuss.
Believe me, it beats the inside of His Majesty's Hotel anytime...
Our mata2 are very good and hardworking - all paperwork and asking good citizens to come to mata lui but when coming to catch thieves, they shy away
ReplyDelete@Law and Order,
ReplyDeletehave you ever read article 10 of the Constitution?
Law and order is not created from the police's own volition.
Dear KTemoc and readers,
ReplyDeleteI apologise for this late response.
I have seldom been online this month and was only aware of your post on me thanks to Crankster. In fact I did not know of this post till half an hour ago when I googled for posts on me. I visited this blog yesterday and saw the other post but not this one. These days, I dread and fear being online.
Thanks for your post on my predicament. I am touched that you have the courage and compassion to write about this even though we have never met and I have no idea as to your true identity. You are the hallmark of a caring Malaysia...not just re my issue but as can be seen from your posts, on many issues as well.
Just to clarify my situation...yes, it has been a very lonely road indeed. Since the arrest, my life has been put on hold and I am not able to function normally.
A few MPs have been amazing in their support - namely MP Chong Eng, MP Liew Chin Tong, ADUN Jagdeep and even former CM Tan Sri Koh and Puan Sri, Mark Ooi(Tan Sri's assistant) and Gary Nair.
Law and Order,
I never thought it would be breaking the law. The organizers assured me that it would be ok and naively, I thought that since a number of MPs would be present at the vigil, it would give us automatic immunity. I told the police the same thing. The vigil lasted for only 38 minutes and I am not anti-government. But I do agree with you that the police handled me with kid gloves. The officers were very kind, friendly although the detention was long and the interrogation most frightening for a newbie like me.
Law and Order,
I did not deliberately break the law. As an educator of over 20 years, I have always upheld the law and do not even park at non-parking zones. Throughout my life, I have always tried to instil morals and values in my students, most of whom are very successful. Many of my ex-students were Barisan Nasional leaders' children and I have good relations with them.
For your information, I did ask the organizers about the issue and they assured me that all would be well. It was on that ground that I was the MC. So please, do not brand me as a deviant law-breaker because I am not.
I am merely an ordinary citizen who cared enough for my country and wanted to raise awareness for the cause. Yes, I was naive to believe all would be well just because the other six vigils were run smoothly but that does not in any way make me one who would deliberately break the law.
One of the MPs did inform the police department about the vigil and I genuinely believe all would be well.
It is easy to point fingers and blame people. It is also easy to light a candle. But it is not easy to be in my shoes and to be alone. For how long have I suffered? God only knows. From Nov. 28th till the end of the year, MP Chong Eng and Angela Ooi from Seremban were in constant touch with me.
The organizers of the vigil only met up with me last Wed. to express their solidarity and support for me and that I appreciate.
From nov 28th to the end of the year, it was a very very lonely road especially with the hacking. Who would care? It is easy if I am somebody but i am a NOBODY.
Jamal aka Walksi gave me technical advice and he knows the nitty gritty details of what i went through.
Some purportedly my friends have not contacted me at all and treat me like anathema. I have been judged, condemned, accused of this and that and I am tired, traumatized, fed up, and words cannot express the hell I have gone through socially, emotionally, the effect on my family, etc....If I were to say more, certain quarters would laugh and condemn me again.
And so how? I cannot even express all this in my own blog. I have received enough insults, gossip, condemnation, judgement even before the police have decided what to do.
And do you think it is easy? Nope. Not at all. Thank God my husband is most supportive and thank God that during these most trying times, I know who is real and who is not.
One can make a lot of noise about this and that but right now, to me, all that is a lot of hot air if people lose their humanity and do not have love in their hearts for their fellow countrymen. However, I thank God that there are very caring Malaysians like Ktemoc, Crankster, Walski, Antares, and a number of other bloggers/friends like Lucia etc who have been consistent in their support.
After all this is over, perhaps I can breathe and live again normally. As it is, I feel like I am in purgatory. There are 23 of them in PJ but only ONE in Penang - me. And that is a very very scary thought. Who am I? Female. Old. Timid. What can I do? Nothing. I am at their mercy and I appeal for their mercy and goodheartedness to just let me go. Wishful thinking? Nope. I need faith and prayer cos what else is left after all the hurt, disappointment, pain, anguish etc.?
No matter what, I still love my country and I am proud to be Malaysian.
Sorry Ktemoc for this rambling comment.
Take care and all the best to you all.
cheers