Shame on thick skin Mahathir (and thus Malaysia)

MM Online:

At UN assembly, Dr M to remind nations on need to respect global bodies and law

BY JOSEPH RAJ

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will speak at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Friday

Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

NEW YORK, Sept 24 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to stress on respect for international organisations and international laws in his speech to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here on Friday.

Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said although these organisations and laws may not be perfect, there was no option other than to obey them while reforms were being undertaken.

“Based on last year where Dr Mahathir repeated his call for the reformation of the UN, I believe that in his speech this year, he will stress on the importance of respect for international organisations and laws.

“This is because the Malaysian government, including the current administration has always believed in the concept of multilateralism and this concept is facing a lot of challenges now,” he told the Malaysian media here yesterday.

Today I read that Donald Trump grumbled about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize which his predecessor Barack Obama received.

The Hill reported in its Trump says he would be awarded Nobel Peace Prize 'if they gave it out fairly':

President Trump on Monday said during a spirited exchange with Pakistani reporters that he would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "if they gave it out fairly."

The president appeared to revel in questions from members of the Pakistani press who praised him and pontificated about the conflict in Kashmir shortly before a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

"I do appreciate the tremendous spirit of the press," Trump said. "I don't see that with us — ours always tear our country down. With your press they want to see something positive in the country."

One reporter suggested to Trump that he would "definitely" be deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize if he's able to mediate a solution to the tensions in the disputed Kashmir region.

“I think I’m gonna get a Nobel Prize for a lot of things, if they gave it out fairly, which they don’t," Trump said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year at the request of the U.S. government.

what could the Macai to the USA do? 

"They gave one to [former President] Obama immediately upon his ascent to the presidency, and he had no idea why he got it," Trump said. "And you know what? That was the only thing I agreed with him on."

Khan, who was seated next to Trump, laughed as the president shared his thoughts on the Nobel process.

Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his "efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The same reporter who raised the Nobel possibility, credited Trump for being an "honest" leader, and reporters spoke openly about how they felt the Kashmir dispute might play out.

"This is the kind of reporter I like. I like this reporter. Are you a member of his team?" Trump said, motioning to Khan.

For comic relief there's no one to beat the American Moron, nay sorry ... not a moron because politically he has many American morons eating out of his hands, but a Thick-Skinned Rhino.

Trump a Nobel peace Prize? And I'm a Monkey's Uncle, wakakaka.

But having laughed at Trump's thick-skin, I wonder about Malaysia and its PM?

Mahathir expected to stress on respect for international organisations and international laws at the UN?

What about Malaysia under Mahathir not signing (ratifying) the Rome Statute?

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based international criminal court, and its powers are limited to only four crimes - genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression.

Dubbed the "court of last resort", the ICC prosecutes only individuals, not groups or countries.

And Malaysia under Mahathir showed the world it is scared of the crimes of genocide, war, heinous acts and of aggression against humanity. 

What then about Malaysia refusing to sign ICERD?

As Oxford Human Rights Hub said:

Malaysia’s failed bid to ratify the ICERD gives one pause for thought. It is arguable that UN treaties are ultimately symbolic – not being a party to the ICERD does not stop the Malaysian government from taking steps to eliminate racial discrimination.

Not being party to the ICERD does, however, mean that Malaysia will not be held accountable by the relevant UN Committee for failures to eliminate racial discrimination, a significant missed opportunity given that there is otherwise limited domestic political pressure to do so.

Moreover, it is deeply troubling that Malaysians who are against the ICERD have openly stated their belief in Malay supremacy. It is even more worrying that key government figures have endorsed the position that the ICERD fundamentally conflicts with the Constitution, thus legitimising the view that the Constitution enshrines Malay supremacy.

Malaysia could have ratified the ICERD with reservations in light of Article 153 – affirmative action in principle does not contravene the object and purpose of the ICERD. Policies motivated by racial supremacy however, certainly would.

It is difficult to come to any other conclusion than that the Malaysian government has tacitly supported the idea of Malay supremacy.

What about Mahathir refusing to respect the Extradition Treaty it signed with India in 2010, in Mahathir's obdurate refusal to extradite Zakir Naik, an Indian citizen and refugee, back to India to face legal charges for money laundering and alleged terrorist incitement.

Moreover, Mahathir insults India for saying Zakir Naik may NOT receive just and fair treatment in the Indian Courts, considering Malaysian laws had in the past sought legal precedence from the more experienced Indian Courts.

Then to demonstrate the Malaysian PM's vile and obscene hypocrisy on recognising international laws and in violation of Malaysia’s international legal obligations, Mahathir approved extradition of Praphan Pipithnamporn, an already UNHCR-recognised asylum seeker, back to Thailand to face that country's draconian (no escape from) lèse-majesté laws for peaceful anti-monarchy activity during the birthday memorial for the late King Rama IX.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, stated:

“Malaysia’s flouting of international law has placed a Thai activist at grave risk of arbitrary detention and an unjust prosecution in Thailand. Malaysian authorities have an obligation to protect asylum seekers like Praphan from being forcibly returned to the risk of being persecuted for their peaceful political views.”

Remember the Egyptians and Turks (Arif Komis and his family) he extradited? And you know what Mahathir said on Arif Komis and his family?

Mahathir said Malaysia was not aware of any risks faced by Komis or his family on their return.

“I don’t know about torture in Turkey. Are we going to accuse Turkey of torture? Do you have proof?” Mahathir said.

“He has a passport of Turkey, so you go back to Turkey.”

And pray tell me what he has said of sending Zakir Naik back to India to face charges on alleged money laundering?

When asked about Zakir Naik on 10 June, the eff-ing Hypocrite was reported as saying:

"Zakir in general feels that he is not going to get a fair trial (in India)."

Arif Komis won't ever be driving this car 

But Mahathir didn't (still doesn't) give a fig about flouting of any international laws unless it suits his political interests and convenience, to wit, his pet toy Zakir Naik.

In contrast to poor Ms Praphan Pipithnamporn, Mahathir welcomed to Malaysia with open arms Xavier Justo, an already convicted and jailed blackmailer (by Thailand and released early only in a general royal amnesty). Presumably because it suited the Evil Old Man to get something from Justo to further eff-ed Najib kaukau.

that Sleaze and no, I'm not talking about Justo 

And of course, let us NOT forget his wilful total disregard of his obligation to respect the Peace Agreement of Hat Yai (1989), again for his own political interests. That deliberate refusal to honour the terms of the internationally signed Peace Agreement was ONLY against Chin Peng (Ong Boon Hwa), whilst two Malay leaders of the Communist Party of Malaysia (CPM), namely, Shamsiah Fakeh and Rashid Maidin, were allowed to return to Malaysia, in fact with much warmth.

Another, CD Abdullah, who preferred to retire with his Chinese wife (also CPM member) in Thailand, was even given an audience with Al Marhum Sultan Perak, Raja Azlan Shah.

CD Abdullah  

Suraini Abdullah
née Eng Ming Ching 

after the so-called peace treaty, CD Abdullah and wife Suraini in Malaysia - they live in Chulaporn Village No. 12, Sukhirin, Thailand

[I wonder whether Suraini would have been allowed to enter Malaysia if she was not with CD Abdullah?]

married to CD for more than 60 years, she finally passed away in 2013 (age 90) leaving CD with a daughter

the family still live in Thailand but I wonder whether CD is still alive? 

COMMENT by Terence Netto: Former Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor has weighed in on the debate – firmly on the side of us keeping our solemn commitments as outlined in an international peace agreement.

Chin Peng, longtime Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Malaya, was denied entry into Malaysia and now that he is dead, his ashes are barred from being brought into the country for interment, presumably at the Chinese cemetery in the village of Pundut, in Lumut, where the graves of the CPM leader’s parents lie.

The disbarment, according to Rahim Noor, are in violation of the Hatyai Peace Accords signed in December 1989 between the governments of Malaysia, Thailand and CPM.

If it wasn’t for the fact that former IGP was the man who headed the Malaysian team in the negotiations that led to the Hatyai Peace Accords, his opinion that we are making an international “laughing stock” of ourselves in refusing Chin Peng’s ashes to be interred here would not have mattered, given the nature of the public debate, suffused as so many things are in Malaysia with racist sentiment.

Rahim has weighed in the public debate on the sanest side possible in this wrangle. This is the side of the letter of the Hatyai agreement that brought peace to the Malaysia-Thailand border, the focal area, between 1960 and 1989, of the conflict between communist terrorists belonging to the CPM and Malaysian and Thai security forces.

As Special Branch head at the time of accords with the CPM and as the government’s lead negotiator, Rahim should know the terms and conditions of the Hatyai agreement.

If there is anybody who can hold forth authoritatively on the contentious matter of whether Chin Peng had a right to come back to Malaysia and, now that he has died, have his ashes buried in his hometown of Sitiawan, it is Rahim.

Rahim said the government was in violation of the agreement when it barred Chin Peng from returning to Malaysia as the former Secretary General of the CPM desired and, when he was baulked, petitioned the Malaysian courts for recourse.

The courts upheld the government’s bar on Chin Peng’s return and now the government thumbs its nose further at the Hatyai accords by barring the entry of the CPM leader’s ashes.

Rahim believes in keeping his word

Rahim’s opinion that the government is behaving less than honourably is the more remarkable because he has appeared in recent years at public forums organised by Perkasa, the Malay right wing group that is prominent among the voices defending the government’s disbarment of Chin Peng.

At least, Rahim believes in keeping his word and in the government keeping theirs, but the NGO Rahim has seen fit to patronize does not.

Yes, the government has been far more unforgiving on the killings of MCP, notwithstanding the by-now-viewed-as-useless-or-dishonoured 1989 Haadyai Peace Treaty between the Malaysian government (signed by Mahathir) and the MCP.

But then what about MCP leaders like, for example, Syed Hamid Ali and Shamsiah Faekah who were allowed back into Malaysia to settle down as Malaysian citizens? Did they have still have identification papers showing their citizenship? Did they spilled Malaysian blood? Yet Ong Boon Hwa (Chin Peng) after his death could not even have his ashes buried in Sitiawan, his place of birth.

Yes, there have been those blatant double standards exhibited by Mahathir and his UMNO-led government in their treatment of Ong Boon Hwa, a Chinese former CT versus former CT Syed Hamid Ali and Shamsiah Faekah, and also Malay JI terrorists like mass murderers Azahari and Noordin Top.

Don't the above narration show our Mahathirised Malaysian government 'love affairs' with terrorists, mass murders and former CT (except for Chin Peng, wakakaka)? Oh, don't forget Thai convicted blackmailer Justo and Indian alleged money launderer Zakir Naik.

And now, Mahathir has the thick eff-ing skin to outdo Donald Trump in brazenness at the UN preaching about international laws which he has been ignoring for aeons?