Vox Populi:’Unfortunate the dead can’t talk’

http://www.malaysiakini.com

July 8, 2008

MCPX ‘Otherwise a ghostly SD might shed some light on what actually happened to Altantuya. This goes to show how powerful are those who walk the corridors of power.’ On Balasubramaniam, family may be held ‘against their will’ Borneo Boy: Well, my suspicions was confirmed. Bala did actually take out everything that linked the Mongolian murder case to our VVIP. That goes to show how powerful are those who walk in the corridors of power. It is most unfortunate that the dead can’t talk. Otherwise a ghostly SD might shed some light on what actually happened. But then again, what can the rakyat do? Raise the dead? Stand up for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and ending up taking several steps back the next day? I think we should just take a step back and see where all this is taking our country. I think you will all agree that our future will not be very bright unless we clean up our entire system. Nirmala Naidu: Obviously he didn’t make the first SD under duress but rather the retraction of the second was made under duress. There were way too many details that were revealed which was not concocted. Everything he revealed in his first SD was the truth ( the first one) and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Najib is pushing us to the limit. Boomirang (from the dock) linked him to Altantuya. RPK linked Rosmah to Altantuya. Now the PI is linking him to Altantuya. Who authorised the release of the C4? Who deleted the records at the immigration? Dian Abdullah: Two pictures in the papers tell different story. A smiling and jovial Saiful waving to the media and the one of P Balasubramaniam, showing a rejected and frustrated man who had his family held to ransom. Before coming up with the first statutory declaration Balasubramaniam should have had full knowledge that he must be fearless in spirit and mind to fight against the big guns. You simply cannot fight against an institution and expect to win. You must be ready to lose in order to win. Rumours are going around Balasubramaniam received millions. This I cannot believe because his eyes and behaviour did not indicate so. I still believe that his family members were taken hostage to force him to amend his SD. I do not like Anwar Ibrahim but I admire his guts to fight against the big guns without fear Najib has the advantage of being Razak’s son that all. But a leader he is not. Malaysians, especially the Malays, must understand a son cannot be like his father. X’roy: It is rather surprising that the police are unable to find where Balasubramaniam is. Have the police talked to his lawyer, have the police asked his lawyer about the hurriedly held press conference? His lawyer should know his whereabouts. This is the biggest drama of all. The police have to act and act fast for his safety and that of his family. So much for the protection of whistle-blowers. From this episode, we know there is no protection at all. On Missing PI could be overseas, Interpol help sought Sadirah K: I am just amazed that they have to contact Interpol to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing PI. With the computerised systems at all immigration exits, it could very quicky be verified if the PI and his family have left the country. We do not need Interpol to inform us about this but the reality is that even our immigration can be manipulated. It is amazing to realise that the Mongolian ladies who came into the country have had their entry and exit records completely removed. So one can only conclude that powerful hands are behind what is happening. One further realises this when the police think that this ‘red herring’ will work. However, can the police do anything when powerful personalities are out to save their own skins? On Go on leave, Kit Siang tells Najib Joe Fernandez: The top brass should help save the institutions of state. If the AG and IGP are being investigated, they should at least go on leave. The same thing should apply to DPM Najib. The IGP’s comment that the army will be used to maintain law and order is a no-no. The army doesn’t come under him. If they are going to be charged, they should be first suspended from their posts with pay for two weeks, followed by suspension without pay until the trial is over. Razak and Hussein Onn created a precedent when they had Harun Idris jailed. Mahathir followed up with the jailing of Anwar which, in turn, led to the charging of IGP Rahim Noor. Mahathir is spinning the fairy tale that Anwar was found guilty by the courts but as the Lingam Tape shows, the judiciary had been emasculated. The fate that befell Rahim Noor awaits Musa Hassan. The fate that befell Anwar awaits Najib. Both Gani and Lingam will suffer a similar fate. Mahathir’s conscience is not clear either. He will have his day in court. If his Maker calls him before that, he will be judged by his God. The lesson that we can draw from all these is that we can have a peaceful night if we keep our conscience clear. Nothing will disturb our sleep. On Tawau MP: Sapp wants to stay in BN My View: What is ir was going on here? While the party boss claimed that ‘Sapp leaders were threatened’, its Tawau MP explained, at least to me, that her absence was due to ‘back pain’ more than being ‘threatened’. So, which is which now? I hope her ‘back pain’ was genuine and I hope she has recovered fully by now. But, who ‘threatened’ them? On Najib calls anti-oil hike rally a failure Tanpa: How irresponsible for a deputy prime minister to say such things. We don’t care whether you are impressed or not with how many people Anwar can draw to his speeches (truth is, we know that you can never get that many people to listen to what you have to say). As a leader of the country, you are supposed to acknowledge the grievances of the people, address their concerns, listen to what they have to say. A Are you saying that you do not care that 30,000 people have come to tell you that they are not happy and are now finding it hard to make ends meet because of you and your parties’ polices? I thought you were so caring as to entertain a university dropout’s needs for a scholarship? As a citizen, I don’t need to be disgusted by these sexual allegations levied against you, I’m already disgusted by the things you have to say. Shame on you. On Mob sets on rock band during rally Sharaad Kuttan: I would like to salute the people in party politics who have given space and a voice to youth culture in the political movement for democracy in Malaysia. While the conflict at Sunday’s rally might signal for some that democratisation can do without the unruly, irreverent and mischievous energies of youth culture, I am firm in my belief that without them and their wonderful mix of energies, the struggle for democratisation will be a hollow one. It will shrink into the political movement to establish a new orthodoxy, and nothing more. While the young man who offended his audience ought to account for his actions (its inappropriateness and such), the violence of the crowd must be seen as a troubling sign of intolerance. Jeering would have be sufficient. The stifling of individuality is a central part of BN political culture and I think we have imbibed it unconsciously over these many decades. We, as a society, have become ill-equipped to deal with difference. It is skill we must regain if we are to brake with the authoritarian legacy of BN rule. I look forward to a Pakatan government that supports and nurtures difference, diversity and dialogue. On Subra: New plans show Indians not marginalised Suresh K: This is the problem with MIC. It’s only a meeting, perhaps even an ‘eyewash’ for mere sympathy and support from Indians. MIC should ask for a blue print which must contain: 1. Clearly stated action plans with time frame; 2. When these plans will be carried out; 3. How these plans will carried out; and 4. Who are the target groups. This whole thing must be transparent and published for the public and there must be an action plan committee, which is free of politicians, to monitor their implementation and report to the public the results. At the end of the day, look at the results and make a conclusion whether we are still being marginalised or not. KP Lim: It is 50 years too late now, On MIC badly needs moral leadership Kenny Gan: The writer’s long tirade on MIC leadership is unnecessary. It’s not a matter of moral leaders but the fact that the whole concept of race-based politics on which MIC is based on is broken and cannot be fixed. The fact is that each race fighting for their own rights will get the Indians nowhere. The dominant race gets the most while the weakest race gets the least because they are after all, in the weakest position to demand their fair share. Indians must lose their ethnic mindset and fight on the basis of social issues irrespective of race. Only with affirmative programmess based solely on need can assistance be directed to the proper recipients. Any other criteria will result in diversion of resources to those capable of grabbing it. Even the best leaders helming MIC will get the Indians nowhere using the current model of race based politics. Fifty years have failed to uplift the Indians and another 50 years will make no difference. It’s time to look to a new paradigm. On Is ethics possible without religion? Cheong Sai Fah: Some of my Christian friends have occasionally argued for the case of the Holy Book by suggesting that it is the basis of morality and ethics. Therefore, how do you lead a good life without knowing about the Holy Book? Obviously the next step is to accept the Bible and by extension Christ. I have invariably referred them to a little gem of a book Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. I thought that some of your readers may find it interesting and worth their while to read it. Bexe: There is actually no need for such a well-researched intellectual discourse on this subject matter. There is no need to analyse religions and compare them. There is no need to identify that my religion is better than yours. There is no need to cite the Lord’s prayer. Citing religious edicts and choruses is not ethics. Many pious people are cruelly unethical. Just look at the mirror. Therein lies your sense of compassion. With compassion comes ethics. Dennis Madden: I would have thought a more meaninful debate would have been generated under the title ‘Are ethics possible in the face of religion’ …and the answer would have to be a resounding ‘yes’! After all isn’t that what the United Nation’s Declaration on Human Rights is all about? The aim of that document is to take the concept of ethics out of the context of religion where it we be always open to debate as each religion always claims its ethics to be to be better than the others I can’t think of one religion which doesn’t abuse basic ethical principles in the name of religious dogma. On Leadership – Malaysia deserves better SH Huang: In this exciting, entertaining, exacting and dramatic, dreadful, damning age of tyhe Malaysian political scene, reasoning seems to have lost its way. Below is about reasoning by Sir William Drummond. Reasoning: He that will not reason is a bigot; He that cannot reason is a fool; And he that dares not reason is a Slave.