Why Teresa Kok is the target

MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Kok, according to her supporters, is a hero who has been wronged.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — She has been villified as a Chinese chauvinist and portrayed as anti-Muslim. She was detained one week under the Internal Security Act for allegedly stirring up religious sentiments. And last week, unknown assailants threw a Molotov cocktail into the compound of her family home in Kuala Lumpur.

But ask DAP Member of Parliament Teresa Kok why she has become the target of a smear campaign in recent months and she will probably be hard pressed for an answer.

And those who know her insist she is anything but a chauvinist or an enemy of Islam that her detractors claim she is.

When Kok was detained under the ISA, even Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who quit the Cabinet as de facto Law Minister partly in protest against the use of the law, said of her: “I know Teresa personally and I cannot see her as anti-Islam.”

While Zaid was the only Umno member who spoke out publicly, he was not the only one who viewed the recent ISA detentions of Kok and a female journalist, who was released after 18 hours, as unwarranted.

“Look, everyone who knows her (Kok) knows she is not a bigot or a chauvinist. This makes the government look bad,” one MP from Umno said.

In fact, it was some of Kok’s political opponents in Parliament — from the ruling Barisan Nasional — who met with government officials in private to plead for her release. Such is Kok’s popularity that when she made her first public appearance at a press conference hours after her release on Sept 19, she received a standing ovation from reporters.

It is probable that Kok, who won her Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur with a 36,492-vote majority — the biggest — in the March elections, could win with an even bigger margin if polls were held today.

To her supporters, she is a hero who has been wronged.

It was alleged that she had abused her position as an MP and a member of the Selangor state government to direct a mosque to reduce the volume of its public address system during prayer times because it was disturbing non-Muslims living nearby.

The allegation, made by former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Khir Toyo, and highlighted in the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia newspaper, was found to be untrue. Even the mosque committee came out to publicly deny the allegation. Still, she was detained by the police.

The attacks have not stopped despite her release. Utusan Malaysia has made her, in her own words, a “cover girl” since her release. After she complained about the allegedly low quality of food served during her detention, comparing it to dog food, she has been chastised repeatedly in the newspaper.

Kok, known for her multiracial stand, has been determined more than ever to flaunt it since her arrest.

Following her release, she has been attending breaking-of-fast functions almost nightly during the just-ended fasting month of Ramadan.

But even that has become the subject of attacks by Utusan Malaysia.

Last week, Kok was criticised in the newspaper for “wearing a skirt to a mosque”. The article appeared to suggest that she was wearing something outrageous and that her attire caused serious discomfort among Muslims present at the function.

However, facts suggested otherwise. Kok wore a long-sleeved dress which came down almost to her ankles. She also did not enter the mosque, remaining instead in its compound.

One of Kok’s Malay-Muslim supporters said: “I don’t understand why she is being targetted. She is usually so sensitive to the religious obligations of Muslims it is almost ridiculous. She usually takes great pains to tell me what I can or cannot eat when we are out that I find it hard to believe she would be anti-Islam.”

Ultimately, the smear campaign could be attributed to the fact that Kok and a number of leaders from the Chinese-dominated DAP have taken pains to reach out to Malay-Muslim voters.

As a member of a party who is part of three state governments — along with its Malay partners in the Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pas — DAP leaders like Kok have been reaching out more than ever, and successfully, to Malay voters.

This is undoubtedly a political threat to the ruling coalition led by Umno.

The attacks against Kok and the attempts to portray her as a Chinese chauvinist who is anti-Islam represent a crude attempt at undermining the credibility and viability of the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, as a viable multiracial alternative to BN.

But targetting Kok, known for her congeniality as much as anything else, may well backfire. — Today

Minister’s cousin was among injured

nst

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the victims in yesterday’s train crash is the cousin of Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat.

Accounts clerk Ah See Mean, 21, who was given outpatient treatment at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital last night, said her father and Ong’s father were brothers.

Ah, who works at the Chin Woo Stadium, said she had boarded the train at Plaza Rakyat.

“The train suddenly came to a halt on the way. A few minutes later, there was a loud crash and I was thrown from my seat.”

She suffered bruises on her left leg and arm. Ah, who was in a wheelchair, was traumatised by the experience.
Another victim, Ecoo Abu Samad, 32, a Bangladeshi construction worker, who was also in the first train, said: “One woman was screaming in pain after she had suffered a sprained ankle.

“We were trapped in the train for 25 minutes before workers came to release us.”

Another passenger, R. Perumal, 48, a TNB consultant who was in the second train, suffered slight injuries to his neck when he hit a pole.

“The lights and air-conditioning went off after the crash. We opened the coach ourselves and I saw a few wounded passengers being taken to the hospital.”

Khir denies having caused Kok’s detention

MALAYSIAKINI

Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Sep 22, 08 2:59pm

Former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has flatly denied any role in the recent seven-day detention of DAP parliamentarian Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act (ISA). MCPX She had openly named Khir (left) as one of the ‘culprits’ behind her arrest, but he said it was unfair of her to level any such allegation. “I never agreed to Kok being arrested under the ISA,” he told Malaysiakini. “The issue is now under police investigation. Just let the police investigate it and see what they have to say.” He also refused to comment on Kok’s release, which took place on Friday afternoon without any conditions being imposed by the police. Kok (centre in photo), who is also a Selangor exco member, was arrested on Sept 11 under Section 73(1) of the ISA, the same day as blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng. Police claimed that Kok, a three-term MP and Kinrara state assembly representative, had been held because she had been stoking religious tensions, which she denied. Quick clarifications On Sept 9, the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia had quoted Khir as urging the Selangor government not to agree to purported moves by “a certain party” to disallow the azan (Muslim call to prayer) via loudspeakers from mosques in Puchong and Kota Damansara. However, the Masjid Kota Damansara committee clarified of its own volition that a damaged amplifier had resulted in the call to prayers being made without the aid of a PA system. The Masjid Kinrara committee, meanwhile, denied that Kok was involved in a residents’ petition seeking the volume to be lowered during the morning sermons. On the pembelamelayu blogspot, Khir was quoted on June 26 as alleging that Kok had submitted a petition to Umno’s Seri Serdang state assemblyperson Satim Diman which purportedly described the azan as “disturbing the peace” of local residents. The blog also alleged that the petition requested for the call to prayer there to be “toned down”. While in custody, Kok had instructed her lawyer Sankara Nair to lodge a police report on her behalf against the newspaper, its senior editor Zaini Hassan and Khir for having caused her detention. Later, deputy inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said Kok was released after investigations showed that there was no reason to detain her any further.

Parliamentary select committee on ISA mooted

MALAYSIAKINI

Sep 21, 08 4:37pm

The government has been urged to establish a parliamentary select committee to review all aspects regarding the Internal Security Act (ISA). MCPX This call however did not come from any of the opposition parties, but from senior Barisan Nasional coalition member Gerakan. It must be noted that Gerakan has for long been a vocal critic of the detention without trial legislation, which is a left-over from the colonial era. According to a Bernama report today, Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that the study was crucial in view of the differences of opinions as to whether the Act should be amended, repealed or retained. “It is better to set up a parliamentary select committee like other committees established to study particular issues. “It will be a reasonable democratic process and with it, we can come out with a more comprehensive finding with regard to the ISA,” he said. He added that the preventive law would become better if a parliamentary select committee were to discuss the important aspects contained in it. He also said that such a parliamentary study could also help assuage the anger and anxiety felt by the people over the use of the Act. Feedback on role in BN The former Penang chief minister also said that the party was in the midst of gathering feedback from its members on its continued role in the BN. “We are gathering feedbacks from the grassroots and if necessary, we will call an extraordinary general meeting,” he said. Gerakan leaders and members have been urging the party to cut all ties with the BN over the dominant and increasingly racial role played by Umno, the main player of the coalition. In another matter, Koh was replaced as the Penang Gerakan chairperson by party vice president Dr Teng Hock Nan, 63. He was elected to the post today at the delegates’ conference of Penang Gerakan today. Koh did defend the position. Teng secured 166 votes to beat Gerakan secretary-general Chia Kwang Chye who polled 156 votes and Bukit Gelugor division head Cheang Chee Gooi who obtained 21 votes. Koh did not contest because he wanted to focus on party work at the national level. Meanwhile, the six people who were elected Penang Gerakan committee members were Ong Thean Lye (290 votes), Teh Leong Meng (275 votes), Lim Boon Ben (250 votes), Teoh Hang Chong (239 votes), A Mohan (220 votes) dan Lim Kean Guan (218 votes).

Blogger says arrest politically motivated

MALAYSIAKINI

Sep 21, 08 3:47pm

A blogger arrested for displaying the national flag upside down on his site today said his detention was politically motivated and challenged the government to charge him. MCPX Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, who writes the popular ‘Kickdefella’ blog, was released on a month’s bail on Saturday. He had spent three days in prison after police arrested him under the Sedition Act. “I am hoping that they will charge me. Then I can ask the prime minister to be a witness because it was his statement, saying that what I did was evil and malicious, which compelled the police to investigate me,” he (photo: right) told AFP. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ordered police to investigate Syed Azidi after he launched a campaign to fly the Malaysian flag upside down in protest against the country’s political and economic turmoil. “I do not think the police are serious about going all out in their investigating paper to charge me,” said the blogger, known for his links to the opposition conservative Islamic PAS party. “The whole scenario was politically motivated. “They want to break me and they want to send a stern warning out to other bloggers,” he added. Another blogger under detention The award-winning screenwriter and film director was the second blogger to be arrested in Malaysia over website content. Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who has targeted government figures, was arrested two weeks ago under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA). Raja Petra, founder of the controversial Malaysia Today website, has already been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman. Rights groups say about 63 people are being held under the ISA, which allows for renewable two-year periods of detention without trial and is normally used against suspected terrorists. An opposition member of parliament and a journalist were detained under the act earlier this month but have since been released. Their arrests prompted a cabinet minister in charge of law, Zaid Ibrahim, to resign last week in disgust. -AFP

Fuel price decision next week

MALAYSIAKINI

Sep 21, 08 5:26pm

Newly appointment Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak will be making a decision next week if the present fuel price will be reduced or maintained. MCPX This was revealed by Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who said that the decision will be made by Najib after attending an extraordinary briefing tomorrow by the ministry for their new boss. Nor Mohamed said that Najib will be briefed on the national economy and financial position as well as the global situation at the meeting. “Tomorrow is the first time Najib is attending the meeting at the ministry as the finance minister and the ministry has prepared an extraordinary briefing for him,” Nor Mohamed was reported as saying by Bernama today. On the fuel price, Nor Mohamed said: “This will also be discussed at the briefing and Najib will make the decision”. He added that Najib, who took over the ministry from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last week, would be given a briefing on various issues, which included the economic situation, finance and the challenges faced in Malaysia and in the international arena. The Bernama report also quoted Nor Mohamed as saying that the briefing would also discuss whether the ringgit would be repegged to cushion off the impact of the weakening United States dollar against other currencies. Media reports today quoted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s suggestion that the ringgit be repegged to reduce the impact of the weakening US dollar against the Malaysian currency. Shahrir: cabinet will decide While Nor Mohamed has said that Najib would be deciding on the fuel price, another Bernama report quoted Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad as saying that the matter would be discussed at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “Next week’s meeting is the last before the Aidilfitri and hopefully there can be some good news for the people,” he was reported as saying yesterday. Shahrir added that the matter needed to be weighed carefully before a decision was taken. On Aug 23, the price of petrol was reduced by 15 sen from RM2.70 to RM2.55 and the government has promised to evaluate the pricing structure again at the end of this month depending on the world oil price. World crude oil prices have fallen sharply in recent weeks.

PM under new pressure to quit

MALAYSIAKINI

Sep 21, 08 11:56am

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is under increasing pressure to quit, after being confronted by rare criticism from within his cabinet, as well as an opposition bid to seize power. MCPX So far Abdullah has clung tenaciously to the job, and refused to negotiate with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has announced he has enough support from defecting lawmakers to topple the government. But last week Abdullah faced an unprecedented challenge from within his cabinet, as four ministers spoke out against him at the Umno supreme council meeting. They told Abdullah at a meeting of the party’s supreme council that “the political situation was not improving and that he should consider an earlier exit”. Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib confirmed the challenge took place and said Abdullah was saddened and visibly affected by it, but insisted he could ride out the crisis. “The four of them spoke and said this to the prime minister… but it was not the majority speaking. There are more than 30 supreme council members and not all are in unison, asking the PM to resign,” Muhammad told AFP. “He listened. It was not the first time for him. He has his own intelligence report well prepared on what the feeling is at the grassroots level,” he said. Abdullah in July unveiled a plan to hand over to his deputy Najib Razak in mid-2010, but the strategy failed to quell calls for his ouster, and last week he indicated the timing was “flexible” and that he could depart earlier. He handed over the important Finance Ministry post to Najib in a show of solidarity, but was hit with the challenge from his ministers just a day later. Pak Lah’s position ‘untenable’ An Umno official from Abdullah’s home state of Penang said the premier’s position was now untenable and he would have to quit before the party holds leadership elections in December. “Abdullah does not have any choice left. He has to go by year-end,” said the senior official on condition of anonymity. “Abdullah is now being viewed as a leader who has lost control of the party and government. “He cannot make any drastic moves to reel in party leaders who have openly gone against him by questioning the power transition agreement,” he said. Najib is widely tipped to replace Abdullah, with his new deputy likely to be Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been one of the premier’s most outspoken critics. Muhyiddin was one of the ministers who reportedly challenged Abdullah at last week’s meeting, along with Umno’s youth wing chief Hishammuddin Hussein, women’s wing chief Rafidah Aziz and Culture Minister Shafie Apdal. He is now a ‘lame duck’ PM The meeting took place after a series of blows, including a furore within the 14-party Barisan Nasional over the arrests of an opposition MP, a blogger and a journalist under draconian internal security laws. Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim, who had been appointed to direct a shake-up of the judiciary, quit in disgust after the arrests, saying he had met a “brick wall” in the ruling party which had blocked any reforms. And last week a small party from Sabah quit the coalition, saying the government had “lost its moral authority to rule”. Lim Kit Siang, a veteran figure in the three-member opposition alliance, called on Abdullah to agree to Anwar’s call for an emergency session of parliament to hold a no-confidence vote in his leadership. He said that after an historic 2004 election victory when voters endorsed his reform agenda, Abdullah had become a “lame duck” both as premier and leader of his party. “Could it be that Abdullah is not absolutely certain and confident that he could command the support of a majority of 222 MPs in parliament if a no-confidence motion is put to a vote?” he said. Related report PM told to quit by Oct 9

Study ringgit pegging

Monday September 22, 2008

mStar

TEMERLOH: International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants the Government to study the suggestion by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to re-peg the ringgit.

Although the pegging of the ringgit by the Government in 1997 is perceived to be different from the current uncertain global economic scenario, Muhyiddin said it was possible that several mechanisms in the previous pegging of the ringgit could be used again.

“The uncertain global economy today is due to the subprime problems prevailing in the United States, which resulted in several major banks in the country to go bankrupt and this scenario is different from the situation in 1997,” said Muhyiddin. He said this to reporters after attending a meeting with several Umno leaders and grassroots in the Temerloh and Kuala Krau divisions late last night.

He was commenting on Dr Mahathir’s suggestion to re-implement the pegging of the ringgit to ward off the adverse effects of the weakening US dollar.

Muhyiddin said the Government needed to keep tabs on the current world economic developments and take necessary initiatives to tackle the problem. – Bernama

Politicians insist on ISA repeal

Monday September 22, 2008

mStar

KUALA LUMPUR: Political leaders and non-governmental organisations have voiced their disagreement over the Government’s stand not to review the Internal Security Act.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s statement that the ISA was not going to be reviewed was in complete disregard for public opinion.

“I feel the Government should not just brush these comments aside. Instead, it should do the right thing by considering whether there is still a need for such an Act,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Fong called on the Government to repeal or review the Act, saying it was “totally irrelevant in the modern age.”

Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon called for the setting up of a Parliament select committee to review the ISA.

He said the committee would be able to take into account all the different views on the ISA.

“There are many views on the ISA €“ whether it should be abolished, amended or maintained.

This committee will be able to study all aspects of the Act,” he told a press conference after speaking at the state Gerakan delegates’ conference at the Gerakan Headquarters in George Town.

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the ISA had outlived its purpose and was no longer relevant in the 21st century,

He said the ISA was originally created to prevent and curb violence and had its purpose in the 1960s and 70s.

“But in the last 30 years, we have seen it used for reasons it was never intended for on those suspected of falsifying identity cards and printing counterfeit currency notes,” Chang told reporters after handing out scholarships to children of Gerakan members in Ipoh yesterday.

He said Gerakan was of the view that the ISA should be replaced with a new Act limited to preventing terrorism.

Special briefing for Najib by Finance Ministry Monday

Monday September 22, 2008

mStar

GEORGE TOWN: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will attend a special briefing on the nation’s economy and financial position as well as the global situation when he clocks in at the Finance Ministry today.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Moha- med Yakcop said yesterday that a wide range of issues would be presented at the briefing including the economic situation, finance and the challenges faced in Malaysia and in the international arena.

Speaking at a Ramadan event organised by the Penang Muslim League, he said that among the issues that Najib would be looking into were whether there was a need to repeg the ringgit to the US dollar and the retail price of petrol.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggested on Saturday that the ringgit be repegged to reduce the impact of the weakening US dollar against the Malaysian currency.

Nor Mohamed said that a decision on petrol price would be made by Najib.

In another development, he said talk that insurance company American International Group (AIG) in the country would be closed down was not true.

“I understand that AIG in Malaysia is a separate company with its own capital. The AIG here is not involved or affected by the position of the AIG abroad,” he added. – Bernama