Charles Santiago |
- SUHAKAM – THE RIGHT TO A PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
- Running Scared in Malaysia
- இந்தியர் நம்பிக்கையைப் பெற 4 சவால்கள் – விவரித்தார் சார்ல்ஸ்
- YB Charles Santiago berharap kerajaan Persekutuan tidak menghalang perhimpunan Bersih 2.0.
- Kerajaan Negeri Selangor telah memberi peruntukkan sebanyak RM 2 Million kepada Empat Sekolah Menengah Cina(Persendirian) di Klang.
- Najib should postpone his overseas trip?
| SUHAKAM – THE RIGHT TO A PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY Posted: 07 Jul 2011 06:49 PM PDT The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) welcomes the ongoing consultations between the authorities and BERSIH relating to the proposed assembly, which will now be held in a stadium, following the advice given by His Majesty Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin on 4 July and the subsequent audience by BERSIH with His Majesty on 5 July 2011. While welcoming this positive development, under the circumstances, the Commission wishes to reiterate that freedom of peaceful assembly is provided under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution and Article 20(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and that freedom of expression and opinion is provided under Article 19 of the UDHR. The Commission looks forward to the early resolution of the matter between the authorities and BERSIH in the spirit of conciliation, as enjoined by His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agong, and shall duly monitor the event. The Commission also wishes to express its concern over the recent arrests and detentions of several Members of Parliament and activists under Section 3(1) of the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 and calls on the authorities to immediately release all those who are still being detained. They should be accorded their rights to an open trial with legal representation as enshrined in Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the UDHR which state that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary detention; everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair public hearing; and everyone has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. "HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL"         |
| Posted: 07 Jul 2011 06:26 PM PDT By John R. Malott — Then something unprecedented happened. Malaysia’s King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, allegedly the target of Bersih’s campaign, intervened. He called on both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Bersih to resolve their differences in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, for the good of the nation. There was a collective sigh of relief in Malaysia. The leader of Bersih, Ambiga Sreenevasan, an attorney and former president of the Malaysian Bar Council, met with the king and announced that the “Walk for Democracy,” as it was called, was cancelled. She said that she was ready to meet with the government to discuss Bersih’s concerns about electoral fairness. Prime Minister Najib then offered an olive branch, saying, “We are willing to provide a stadium for them to rally in … from morning until night,” an offer that Ms. Ambiga and Bersih immediately accepted. Then Mr. Najib backed off. His government says that because Bersih is still illegal, it cannot apply for a permit. It also has banned Bersih’s leadership from entering Kuala Lumpur on the day of the rally. On Thursday, he joined a gathering of martial artists who said that their 50,000 members will “wage war” against Bersih. Donning their militant uniform, Mr. Najib said, “If there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from within, you, my brothers, will rise to fight them.” Mr. Najib has undermined the authority of the king, who gave Bersih and its concerns credence by meeting with its leadership and calling for a negotiated solution. The political situation in Malaysia is a fast-moving target, and each day brings new developments. Ms. Ambiga and Bersih now say that because of Mr. Najib’s actions, they will go ahead with their assembly, no matter what. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Bersih’s main issue is not freedom of assembly but the fairness of Malaysia’s democratic process. Bersih’s backers ask how anyone can be opposed to free and fair elections. It’s an easy question to answer. The United Malays National Organization, of which Mr. Najib is president, is the longest continuing ruling party in the world, and it is running scared. In the last general election in 2008, Malaysia’s opposition took 47% of the popular vote. That year Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the party of Mr. Najib’s nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, went from one seat to 31. The establishment parties in Malaysia’s neighboring states are also in retreat. The opposition scored a major victory in Thailand last weekend, and in Singapore opposition candidates made surprising gains. No wonder Mr. Najib and company are worried. Many observers of Malaysian politics believe that electoral reform will lead to the ruling party’s defeat, and that is why UMNO is afraid of Bersih. In the last election in 2008, the party received only one-third of the nation’s votes. UMNO rules only because of its coalition with other political parties, which it increasingly marginalizes, that represent the Chinese and Indian minorities. Mr. Najib and his allies say that the opposition’s gains in 2008 prove that Malaysia’s elections are free and fair. Impartial observers disagree. Academic studies have enumerated how the Election Commission gerrymanders electoral districts to benefit the ruling party. The U.S. Department of State’s human rights report bluntly states that opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association. “News of the opposition,” the U.S. says, is “tightly restricted and reported in a biased fashion.” In the recent state elections in Sarawak, the government announced $390 million in local projects during the run-up to the polls. Prime Minister Najib was caught on video tape telling one village gathering that the government would give them 5 million ringgit ($1.5 million) for a local project on Monday, but only if they elected his candidate on Sunday. Who would win elections in Malaysia that truly are free and fair? The U.S. State Department reports that despite the many election irregularities during the 2008 elections, “most observers concluded they did not substantially alter the results.” But unless the electoral reforms that Bersih is calling for are made, we will never know. Despite the government’s intimidation, thousands of Malaysian citizens of all races and religions are expected to exercise their constitutional right to assemble and call for free and fair elections. Tomorrow’s protest represents a brave step in what not just Malaysians but also the international community should hope will begin the country’s transition to full democracy. Mr. Najib should display his own courage and ensure that a peaceful rally that seeks the fundamental rights of democratic peoples everywhere does not turn into a bloody confrontation. —         |
| இந்தியர் நம்பிக்கையைப் பெற 4 சவால்கள் – விவரித்தார் சார்ல்ஸ் Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:55 AM PDT மூலம் :- மலேசியா நண்பன்
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| YB Charles Santiago berharap kerajaan Persekutuan tidak menghalang perhimpunan Bersih 2.0. Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:40 AM PDT Source: Nan Yang San Pau
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| Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:16 AM PDT Source: Nan Yang San Pau
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| Najib should postpone his overseas trip? Posted: 07 Jul 2011 01:16 AM PDT The censorship of memory is a clear mark of a dictator. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is no exception. Not only did he flip flop on his decision to meet with Bersih 2.0 representatives, the premier also cleverly denied them access to hold a peaceful rally in Stadium Merdeka this Saturday. If this is not embarrassing enough, Najib is set to leave the country tomorrow. His official engagements in the UK and meeting with the Pope in Vatican City cannot be put on hold. Any leader would stay in his country during the time of a political turmoil. Our Prime Minister is abandoning the nation at its most crucial time. Every Malaysian is aware of the tension in the country over the last two weeks. The nation has been besieged by arbitrary arrests, detentions and harassment against activists. Najib’s cowardly act is of no surprise. We have seen the same during the time of former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He was nowhere to be seen when the Operasi Lalang was carried out by the police on October 27, 1987. A total of 106 opposition leaders and social activists were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial. The publishing licenses of two dailies, The Star and Sin Chew Jit Poh, were revoked. When Dr Mahathir returned to the country, he blamed the former police chief Hanif Omar for the arrests. Are we going to see a repeat of government crackdown on Friday? Will Najib leave, only to pave the way for more arbitrary arrests under ISA? Will his absence be used to declare a state of emergency in Kuala Lumpur? Nothing that the government does would surprise Malaysians anymore. The ruling UMNO/BN leaders have proven over and over that they would not hesitate to abuse their power to keep their positions intact. This is shameless behavior.If Najib cares two hoots about the country and people, he will stay put. Otherwise, he will only be too happy to get on the flight with his packed bags, leaving his cabinet ministers and police to do the dirty work for him. Tomorrow, we would know the true calibre of this man Charles Santiago         |
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