Operasi Lalang Strikes Again?

Posted on by Teresa

Operasi Lalang Strikes Again? – Press statement by Teresa Kok on 12th Sep 2008 at Kuala Lumpur

Today, blogger Raja Petra was nabbed under the ISA – Internal Security Act. In the meantime, three dailies viz. Sin Chew Jit Poh, The Sun and PKR’s party organ, Suara Keadilan were also slapped with show cause orders for their coverage of recent controversial issues.

The reaction of the government makes us wonder whether this is a prelude to a new “Operasi Lalang 1987”?

In this globalised age,  it is incomprehensible that government would use such brute tactics against dissenters yet again.

It is very sad that media professionals are once again used as scapegoats to pay for the wrong doings of bigoted UMNO politicians. I am reminded of the “Nude Squat” incident when senior editors of The China Press were dismissed to take the rap for their coverage of the matter although that was clearly a matter of public interest.

The quick reaction of government in the case of Raja Petra and the three dailies slapped with “show cause” orders contrasts sharply with the “kids’ glove” treatment given to UMNO extremists and their inciteful hate speech.

I call upon civil society to rise up and speak out against this latest oppression of the human spirit and the assault of freedom of speech.

If the government wishes Malaysians to continue supporting it as a legitimate democratic government, it should immediately and unconditionally release Raja Petra and rescind the “show cause” orders issued to the three dailies.

Raja Petra ‘arrested under ISA’

Malaysiakini Sep 12, 08 1:27pm
Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has been detained under the Internal Security Act, said his wife Marina Lee Abdullah.

MCPX

According to Marina, 10 police personnel came to their home in Sungai Buloh at about 1.10pm to arrest him.

When Malaysiakini contacted her at 1.25pm, the police personnel were still there.

On Sept 6, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had warned the 58-year-old editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

Several religious groups – Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maiwp) and Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) – had lodged police reports against him.

The groups complained his comment in an article entitled “I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim” allegedly used sentences that insulted Muslims.

Second time under ISA

Raja Petra, popularly known by his initials RPK, is also alleged to have allowed comments to appear on his website that degraded Islam and Prophet Muhammad in an article entitled “Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet”.

This is the second time Raja Petra, a father of five and part of the Selangor royal family, has been detained under ISA, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

His first arrest under the tough security law was on April 11, 2001. RPK was detained as part of a crackdown against reformasi activists in which nine others were also held.

At that time he was webmaster for the now defunct FreeAnwar.com site.

Raja Petra was subsequently released after 52 days in detention. However, six of the reformasi leaders were eventually sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping where they were detained for two years.

 

3 dailies issued show cause letters
Beh Lih Yi & Ng Ling Fong | Malaysiakini: Sep 12, 08 11:55am

The Home Ministry has asked three newspapers to show cause on why action should not be taken against them over their news coverage on a number of political issues.

MCPX

Confirming this, the ministry’s Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit secretary Che Din Yusof told Malaysiakini today that the three papers were English daily The Sun, Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily and opposition PKR’s party organ Suara Keadilan.

He said the ministry has issued the show-cause letters yesterday and the three papers had been given a week to reply.

According to him, The Sun was asked to show cause for allegedly “manipulating and playing up numerous sensitive issues”. He however did not reveal anything more on this.

Meanwhile, Sin Chew has been targeted for its recent reports on the racial slur controversy involving Umno division leader Ahmad Ismail.

Che Din explained that under the ministry’s guidelines, newspapers should not report on sensitive racial issues to avoid jeopardising inter-ethnic relations.

Whereas for Suara Keadilan, it was over its report in its latest issue which quoted sources alleging that inspector general of police Musa Hassan was paralysed after a heart surgery.

Under the law, the home minister holds the discretionary right to suspend or revoke the publications’ annual permit if they fail to provide a satisfactory explanation.

Yesterday Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that show-cause letters had been issued to several newspapers for failing to adhere to the ministry’s media guidelines.

He however did not name the dailies.

‘We don’t go about instigating’

In an immediate response, theSun‘s editor-in-chief Chong Cheng Hai told Malaysiakini that the paper will defend its reports and reply to the ministry’s letter within the one-week time frame.

“I don’t see how our reports were manipulating the issues. We don’t go about instigating,” said Chong, who added that he has not seen the letter personally as he is not in the office today.

Citing the example on the controversy surrounding Ahmad, he said the paper only picked up the issue after it was highlighted in other papers and that theSun was merely reporting on the police reports that were lodged by the complainants.

When contacted, Sin Chew’s editor-in-chief Pooh Ah Lek also confirmed that the paper was asked to show cause and it will reply accordingly.

He however declined to elaborate when asked on the details of the letter or on whether it would tender an apology for its report.

In a rather rare move, Sin Chew itself carried a report prominently featured on top of its page three today over the fact that it was asked to show cause by the ministry.

The daily, caught in a nationwide maelstrom, has came out strongly in defence of its reporter who stands accused of misreporting comments made by Ahmad.

The top selling Chinese paper was accused by the Umno chieftain for misconstruing portions of his campaign speech during the Permatang Pauh by-election where he was said to have allegedly called the Malaysian Chinese as squatters.

Ahmad was suspended for three years from the party on Wednesday following the controversy.

Pooh has earlier cited five main elements to counter Ahmad’s allegations in defending its report.

Suara Keadilan could not be reached for comment at press time.

 

 

7 thoughts on “Operasi Lalang Strikes Again?”

  1. If Ahmad did not say things then Sin Chew would not have things to report so why go after the newspaper only?

    Yes, Ahmad had been suspended for 3 years but he has not express hes remorse nor retrack his statement so the source of the issue is still there.

    The government should take a more holistic approach rather than piece meal tackling. It would solve the problem long term.

  3. Ask whoever is concern in the cabinet to solve the ‘chicken and egg’ situation.
    If he/she cannot, then he/she knows who is to be blame!
    Ahmad Ismail’s problem was only solved within the party, UMNO.
    What about the police reports that were made against him, under the sedition act by numerous individuals and organisations, which nearly cause an uproar throughout the country?
    Why wasn’t the ISA used in this case but used against RPK where the only complainant is the current government?
    Obvioust case of two sets of laws is applied here!

  4. Dear YB Teresa,

    First of all, I am quite glad my post are subject to moderation becos it make sure at least someone reads them instead of being lost in cyberspace.

    I strongly agree with “delCapo” and the “MT team”
    Dot over-react with emotion, don’t take to the streets and cause “blockages” to the roads since this will only give EXCUSE to the DICTATORS to impose and “emergency” and arrest more innocent people..

    I urge you to take better action.

    ONE: investigate where are the biznesses of all UMNO leaders and BOYCOTT them totally.

    TWO: All non-public servants and unrelated, unaffected persons to BOYCOTT ALL BN FUNCTIONS… show them little crowds…. as for public servants..just pretend to clap and praise these DICTATORS while waiting for them to burnt.

    boycotting BN functions will save you time, money, energy… spent this on your backyard instead. Go out of your house, show solidarity, do some gardening instead. Go protest by planting yourself some vege for own consumption. BUT above all BOYCOTT all BN thing.

    THREE: whisper campaign…. Make sure PKR wins the Pensiangan seat, and throw KURUPan out of Parliament..

    rest of suggestions… i am sure we can all put your brains together and fight silently together…

  6. Ahmad Ismail itu and Azhar Ibrahim sepatutnya dikena ISA juga. Kenapa UMNO Penang yang berkisap liar itu semasa sidang akbar dibagi immunity?

  7. Dear, dear Teresa… I doubt they’ll let you take time off to visit a cybercafe and I bet they’ve got your laptop (there must enough confiscated computers in Bukit Aman for them to open a used computer shop).

    The whole country loves you and is extremely concerned about your well-being and prays for your safe and speedy return to the Outside World.

    By the time you get to read comments on your blog, the ordeal would already be over… and I hope with every ounce of strength in my soul that 39 years of Umno/BN misrule will also be over too!

    Every Malaysian looks forward to celebrating the end of tyranny and rule by law ASAP!!!!!

    Long live the Pakatan Rakyat and the New Dawn in Malaysia!

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