KUCHING DI LANDA BANJIR

Bebaskan institusi Polis dari pengaruh parti politik

January 5, 2012

FMT LETTER: Dari Mohd Syahid b Mohd Zaini, melalui e-mel

Perhimpunan mahasiswa di hadapan Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) baru-baru ini sekali lagi mencetuskan fenomena mahasiswa dalam membawa suara anak muda dalam menegakkan keadilan. Gerakan Bebas yang komited dengan perjuangan ingin membebaskan akademik dan mengembalikan autonomi kampus telah berhimpun di hadapan UPSI malam ambang tahun baru 2012.

Malangnya tindakan kekerasan yang dilakukan beberapa pegawai polis terhadap aktivis mahasiswa menyebabkan pengerusi Bebas Safwan Anang cedera dan dikejarkan ke Hospital Slim River. Beliau mendakwa telah ditumbuk di muka dan ditendang oleh pihak polis. Dalam kejadian itu juga 17 aktivis mahasiswa telah ditangkap.

Tindakan yang dilakukan oleh pihak polis ini bukan sahaja bertentangan dengan hak asasi manusia malah etika polis. Mahasiswa bukanlah penjenayah yang perlu diperlaku sebegitu rupa. Saya ingin menasihati pihak polis bahawasanya kami mahasiswa bukannya hendak melawan atau melakukan rusuhan kepada negara namun kami sebagai rakyat Malaysia mempunyai hak untuk berhimpun secara aman bagi menyatakan pandangan.

Ketua Polis Negara seharusnya bertanggungjawab dan berlaku adil dengan membawa pegawai polis yang terlibat di dalam memukul aktivis mahasiswa baru-baru ini ke muka pengadilan supaya insiden salah laku pegawai polis tidak berulang lagi. Seharusnya institusi polis juga menjadi badan yang bebas dari sebarang cengkaman kepentingan politik sesetengah pihak sehingga sanggup melanggar etika polis.

Kenyataan Khalid Nordin yang mengancam akan mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap aktivis mahasiswa yang terlibat dalam perhimpunan UPSI menunjukkan wujudnya campur tangan dari pihak luar dalam universiti.

Sepatutnya Naib Canselor atau pentadbiran universiti sendiri yang akan menentukan samada perlu atau tidak untuk mengambil tindakan bukannya pihak Menteri Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi sendiri.

Beliau sebagai ‘bapa’ kepada mahasiswa seharusnya turun padang untuk mendengar keluhan dan pandangan ‘anak’nya sendiri. Namun sikap yang diambil oleh beliau untuk mengambil tindakan tegas mencerminkan beliau tidak perihatin terhadap mahasiswa.

Oleh itu, saya ingin mengajak kepada seluruh mahasiswa dan anak muda untuk besama-sama dalam menyokong gerakan Bebas untuk mengembalikan autonomi kampus dan membebaskan akademik.

Kita bersama lakukan sedikit pengorbanan untuk melakukan perubahan demi memastikan keadilan dan keharmonian negara dapat dilaksanakan.

Penulis ialah pengerusi Majlis Perwakilan Mahasiswa Nasional (MPMN) dan merangkap presiden Gabungan Mahasiswa Bersatu Perak (BERSATU)

And while there is no doubt that Anwar has been pivotal in catalysing change in our country, there should also not be any doubt that change will happen, with or without him. And so, whether the verdict results in a killing blow or a surprise twist or just more of the same, 109 must be the day that Malaysia moves on. Or be doomed to suffer another remake.

Zairil Khir Johari, The Malaysian Insider

Three-and-a-half years ago, in line with the fad of reviving old TV drama serials such as “90210” and “Hawaii-5-O”, Malaysians were treated to a remake of a soap opera that began its first run in 1998. Though the original had been universally panned by industry critics and foreign audiences, it nevertheless enjoyed somewhat limited domestic success. Of course, it also helped that the producers of the drama also controlled every media outlet in the country.

As is the case with unimaginative remakes, the same formula is once again rehashed. And while a coterie of new characters including a young, tall and handsome antagonist was thrown into the fray in an attempt to inject some semblance of freshness, the same actor, now visibly aged, was re-casted as the reluctant protagonist.

In staying true to the spirit of the original version, Malaysians were once again treated to a roller coaster of absurd plot twists, logic-defying scenarios and draggy story arcs involving numerous sub-plots detailing tales of sordid sex, DNA manipulation and — in keeping with the times — leaked video tapes.

Now, 3½ years on, we have come to the cliff-hanger that customarily punctuates the series finale. Thus, with less than a week to go, the question on everyone’s lips is: come 109, will Anwar Ibrahim go in or stay out?

There are a few ways it could end. In the first and most widely expected scenario, our protagonist will be found guilty. In all likelihood this will also entail a prison sentence long enough not only to strip him of his parliamentary seat, but also to ensure that he cannot contest for five years following his eventual release. In other words, it will be the death knell to his political career.

The basis for such an action would be to precipitate a leadership crisis within the opposition coalition. Rendered headless, Pakatan Rakyat will be left flapping around directionless. On the flip side, however, a renewed campaign for Anwar’s freedom will almost certainly provide a populist election theme.

In a second and more unlikely scenario, Anwar will be acquitted. By some miraculous occurrence, the absurdities of the trial will be admitted for what it is and justice will be seen to be served. Or more realistically, some technical flaw will deem the case invalid thus providing no recourse other than to release him.

Such an event will then set the stage for an all-out contest between the prime minister and the opposition leader in the coming general election. Unbound by his legal chains, Anwar will finally have the freedom to lead his motley coalition against the might of the government. Until he is re-arrested on a third round of sodomy charges of course.

There is a third scenario that may occur. In this instance, Anwar will be convicted and sentenced. Except he will also be granted a stay of execution pending an appeal that will last even longer than the original trial. This will have the effect of branding him guilty, yet at the same time avoiding any unnecessary martyrdom. Though Anwar will be “free”, he will remain severely handicapped and distracted.

Many people are not supporting Anwar, just as Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said, they are not anti-government, but just pro-justice and the rule of law. If the BN pushes more people towards the alternative coalition, it would be its own mistake.

Lim Sue Goan, Sinchew

Members of the public are advised not to take part in the 901 Free Anwar Campaign in relation to the decision on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, scheduled for January 9. Another wave of political struggle is expected to approach and the result this time might determine the date of the next general election.

Anwar started a tour in the peninsula on January 3, a week before the trial verdict, to explain to the people that he is innocent. It reminds me of September 2, 1998. After being sacked by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar knew that he would be arrested and started a non-stop ceramah tour. The Reformasi movement was then initiated. I can still remember that many reporters tried to trail his four-wheel drive car but failed as it was speeding too fast.

On September 20, Anwar planned to give a speech at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur but moved to Masjid Negara after being thwarted. About 50,000 attended the rally and during a press conference at his house in Bukit Damansara that evening, he was arrested by policemen who broke into his house. Thousands of emotional supporters trailed the police patrol cars to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman and shouted the slogan “Reformasi”.

Would the history repeat itself 13 years later? How did the then 50,000 attendees instil political awareness into their children over all these years? How did the political changes over the past 13 years affect those who are born in the 1980s and 1990s?

Today’s political situation is greatly different from that of the past. Authoritarian politics is gone forever. From the July 9 rally, the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill, amendment to section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim’s banner-lowering issue to the peaceful demonstration at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), we can see that there is an anti-incumbent mood among young people nowadays. If the authorities fail to respond to their demands with relaxation and liberalisation, I am afraid that Anwar’s trial verdict might become a tipping point.

Many people are not supporting Anwar, just as Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said, they are not anti-government, but just pro-justice and the rule of law. If the BN pushes more people towards the alternative coalition, it would be its own mistake.

Undeniably, Anwar is Pakatan Rakyat’s leader and if he is being put behind bars, it might result in a cleavage between PAS and the DAP, reducing the BN’s pressure. Moreover, Anwar is a natural orator, and the political tsunami in 2008 might not be set off without his ceramah tour in the peninsula before the general election.

Today, however, the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is formed, organised and structured. Even if Anwar is away, the three component parties of the Pakatan Rakyat will still continue their preparation for the next general election. If Anwar wins sympathy from the public, it will to the disadvantage of BN.

The coming next month might be crucial and improper handling could trigger a massive rebound. To eliminate political impact, the next general election might not be held in March. Another consideration is how should Umno leaders properly address the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) issue. That is why rumours about a Cabinet reshuffle to remove some ministers are spread.

A variety of issues have formed an enormous pressure on BN and if another mass rally is held, the good news arranged by BN will be diluted. Could the next general election still be held in March then?

Pemuda PAS kutuk polis belasah mahasiswa

January 1, 2012

Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Hassan menyifatkannya sebagai keganasan melampau.

PETALING JAYA: PAS mendakwa tahun baru 2012 tercemar dengan tindakan polis membelasah Timbalan Presiden Gamis, Safwan Anang Talib sehingga mendapat rawatan di wad kecemasan hospital Slim River, Perak.

Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Hassan menyifatkannya sebagai keganasan melampau.

Katanya, polis dipercayai membelasah sekumpulan mahasiswa dan 17 orang ditahan dalam lokap IPD Tanjung Malim.

Nasrudin meminta pihak berkuasa membebaskan mahasiwa terbabit dan bertanggungjawab khasnya kepada Anang.

`Zalim dan kejam’

”Sungguh zalim dan kejam tindakan mereka ke atas anak – anak muda yang hanya berhimpun untuk menyuarakan isi hati mereka di UPSI lewat malam tadi.

“Apakah mereka sedang menguji kebangkitan anak muda ? Apakah mereka mahu menguji kesabaran anak muda ?” tulisnya dalam blog beliau hari ini.

Nasharudin berkata, Pemuda PAS membantah dan mengutuk sekerasnya tindakan kejam ini.

Menurut beliau, jika mahasiwa terbabit tidak dibebaskan satu perhimpunan besar anak muda akan diadakan bagi mendesak pembebasan mahasiswa dan pihak polis yang terlibat melakukan kekasaran ini mestilah disiasat dan diambil tindakan tegas.

‘Hala tuju PKR bukan ditentukan RPK’

Fazy Sahir

January 3, 2012

Kini jelas terbukti bahawa sebenarnya beliau adalah blogger pro-Umno bagi mencapai agenda yang tersirat.

PETALING JAYA: Timbalan Presiden PKR Mohamed Azmin Ali menegaskan bahawa hala tuju partinya ditentukan oleh Ketua Umum Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan bukan blogger pro-Umno, Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK).

“Masa depan perjuangan parti ditentukan oleh Anwar dan bukan Raja Petra. Yang menentukan masa depan negara dan parti adalah rakyat Malaysia, kepimpinan parti dan ahli PKR serta Pakatan Rakyat.

“Siapa dia Raja Petra nak serang Anwar? Kepimpinan parti rasa ia (RPK) sudah tidak penting lagi kerana rakyat dan pimpinan menerima Anwar,” katanya ketika ditemui wartawan selepas sidang media Pakatan di Ibu Pejabat PKR di sini hari ini.

Beliau merujuk kepada wawancara eksklusif akhbar pro-Umno, Mingguan Malaysia dengan RPK yang terbit Ahad lalu yang mengaibkan Anwar.

Ahli Parlimen Gombak itu mempersoalkan motif sebenar RPK, lebih-lebih lagi menjelangnya tarikh 9 Januari ini bagi menuntut pembebasan Anwar yang didakwa meliwat bekas pembantunya, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Mahkamah Tinggi Jalan Duta Kuala Lumpur dijadual membuat penghakiman pada hari itu berhubung kes ini.

Ujar Azmin, “mengkritik Anwar sebagai bakal PM gay….skrip Umno yang menjadi bahan RPK. Beliau diupah untuk tujuan tertentu. Kita juga tahu beliau tidak berada di London dan berada berhampiran Malaysia.

“Kerja jelek sebegini mungkin membuatkan beliau dapat masuk ke Malaysia dengan selamat. Tetapi kini wujud prasangka buruk terhadap RPK dan jelas terbukti bahawa sebenarnya beliau adalah blogger pro-Umno bagi mencapai agenda yang tersirat.

Dalam wawancara dengan Mingguan Malaysia, RPK juga mendakwa Anwar tidak layak menjadi penasihat ekonomi Selangor, apatah lagi untuk mentadbir negara.

RPK juga mengkritik Anwar sebagai bukan lagi pilihan rakyat Malaysia, antaranya kerana mempunyai isu moral

Anwar begins tour ahead of sodomy verdict

January 3, 2012

He will visit eight states in a whirlwind six-day tour beginning in Johor and ending in a courthouse rally.

By Romen Bose

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim embarks Tuesday on a nationwide tour ahead of a verdict in his long-running sodomy trial, to declare his innocence and campaign for a change of government.

The trial, which opened nearly two years ago, is the latest crisis for the former finance minister who was sacked and jailed on separate sodomy charges a decade ago, only to make a comeback at the helm of a resurgent opposition.

Ahead of the Jan 9 verdict which could see Anwar jailed for up to 20 years, he will visit eight states in a whirlwind six-day tour beginning in southern Johor state and ending in a courthouse rally.

“I am making a call for change, enough of this arrogance of power, the abuses of the ruling party, we need change so that such baseless accusations, the persecution of individuals like myself, do not continue,” he told AFP.

“The tour is not only to declare my innocence but to convince the people that it is time to vote out Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s government so as to move towards greater democracy and openness.”

Najib has until March 2013 to call general election, but is widely expected to go to the people this year with hopes of winding back the stunning gains the opposition secured in the last polls in 2008.

Anwar’s opposition alliance, led by his PKR, won an unprecedented one-third of parliamentary seats in that ballot, stunning the Barisan Nasional government which has ruled for half a century.

The new sodomy allegations, levelled by a young former aide, were lodged soon after, fuelling Anwar’s allegations that the charges were concocted to destroy his political career.

Anwar’s tour begins in the ruling party’s bastion of Johor before heading to the central states of Negeri Sembilan and Malacca on Wednesday, and the opposition’s stronghold of Kelantan in the north on Thursday.

Jan 9 rally

Event organisers say they are expecting several thousand supporters at the late-night event in Johor to hear Anwar speak in a boisterous ceramah.

Anwar is famed for his eloquence and charisma and in cities and villages alike typically gathers large crowds keen for a display of his caustic wit and fiery rhetoric.

The roadshow will Friday move on to Malaysia’s richest state Selangor, which surrounds the capital Kuala Lumpur, followed by Penang, Pahang and Terengganu on Saturday.

After a gathering Sunday night at Anwar’s residence — long a rallying point for his supporters — the tour will culminate on Jan 9 in a rally outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court where the verdict will be handed down.

“We are expecting over 20,000 people to turn up at the courthouse following the country-wide tour, for people to show their support for Anwar,” PKR young wing leader, Shamsul Iskandar, told AFP.

Anwar’s original conviction sparked unprecedented protests and police have urged the leaders of the courthouse rally to cancel the event, warning it would be “unlawful and threaten public order”.

Sodomy is illegal in conservative, Muslim-majority Malaysia and legal experts say a guilty verdict would bar Anwar from contesting the upcoming polls, although others say he may be able to run until appeals are exhausted.

Pakatan struggle will continue

“I have my family around me and party leaders with me, we will speak to the people and reiterate my innocence and pray for the best on Jan 9,” the 64-year-old opposition leader said.

“However, even if I am found guilty and jailed, the opposition’s struggle will go on. We are prepared.”

Anwar’s legal battles have loomed over Malaysian politics for years.

He had been groomed to take the helm of the multi-cultural nation but a bitter split with his boss, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in 1997 led to his arrest the following year.

He was later convicted on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated, but was freed from jail in 2004 after the sodomy conviction was overturned.

- AFP