Don’t turn ISA into outcry about ‘dog food’
Newly-released Internal Security Act detainee Teresa Kok wasted no time taking to task several quarters – including the Home Minister and a prominent Malay daily – for trying to turn the public debate on the draconian law into a squabble over ‘dog food’.
Speaking at a packed ‘Abolish the ISA’ forum organised by her DAP party last night, Kok accused both Utusan Malaysia and Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar of “zeroing in” on her choice of words, instead of addressing the issues related to the injustices of the ISA.
“They are trying to divert the focus on the issue of the draconian law ISA to the issue of food,” she told a crowd of 600 at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur.
“The more they talk about food, the more it comes into people’s minds. When you go into ISA detention, you will get dog food,” she said.
Kok, who is a Selangor exco member as well as MP for Seputeh, was arrested on Sept 12 for ‘causing racial and religious tension and conflict’ under the ISA, which allows for detention without trial.
Two others were arrested the same day as Kok in a blitz that shocked the nation and caused a public outcry for the tough security law to be repealed.
The two were controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng. While Tan has since been released, Raja Petra was sent to Kamunting Prison in Perak yesterday to begin a two-year detention.
Kok, who had described the food given to her during her seven-day detention as “worse than.. er … similar to dog food”, sparking criticism from both Syed Hamid and the Utusan, who blasted her for the comments.
Admits mistake
Kok, who initially denied making the remarks, also said that during her detention in a badly ventilated six-by-eight-feet cell she was given only water and bread or two boiled eggs and some curry for her meals.
“Ok fine. You found my mistake with the help of video tapes and all that, and I can accept such criticisms,” she said, referring to video recordings that captured her by-now infamous ‘dog food’ comments.
Blaming the memory lapse on the tight and hectic schedule ever since her release, Kok accused her detractors for harping on the issue so as to trigger Malay sensitivities regarding the animal.
Kok had earlier told Malaysiakini she did not purposely use the term’dog food’ in order to offend Malays.
“Perhaps, as my friends have suggested, I should have said the food given to me in detention was worse than cat food,” she added cheekily.
Kok reiterated her intention to proceed with legal action against the Utusan and former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo for having made statements that allegedly led to her detention.
“I’m not going to let my detention go. I’m going to file a suit against those who framed me and led me to my ISA detention… Khir Toyo and Utusan Malaysia,” she told the audience.
On a lighter note, Kok said perhaps one positive outcome from the entire ordeal may be that as a result of the controversy, ISA detainees may be able to get better food in the future.
“At least now… whoever goes in will get better food!” she quipped, to the laughter of the audience.
I agree completely. At least my friend who slept on the cement floor and given DOG’S FOOD will at least get some justice via the media.
And I am sure, instead of being offended, our Malay friends has no reason to hate Mums Teresa’s description of the detention food. After all, the food given was not a stardard Malay food.
Common, my friend got a bowl of rice and ikan basung goreng, u know that small dark skin sea fish. If it goes stale, it will have a horrible smell, but if fresh and cooked properly also nice mah. like a big ikan bilis.
But the price of the food sure qualifies it to be called DOGS FOOD.
THEREFORE, justice will never be done until some UMNO leaders are detained under ISA and given dogs food.
Keep up the good work, I for one will be behind M Teresa’s fight for justice until the very end.
you should check what is prisoner’s food, this is food feed to war prisoners by China at Korean war and that time they were poor country!!
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200405/28/eng20040528_144728.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2114313/
US prison food,so what international standard is the home minister talking about?
Teresa, please don’t go into arguments with fools about the definition of dog food, and the insensitivity to the poor who has nothing to eat, bla bla bla.
UMNO and BN are experts in focusing on scandals and making a hoo ha out of nothing.
First thing first. The issue at hand is not about the bad food, but that they have taken away your freedom and FORCE you to eat dog food. The issue is about abuse of power by those in power.
To arrest an innocent person and throw her in jail, just to get some statements, is not the problem of the dog or the food or the poor.
What kind of MPs have Madhatter developed? He selected the sleepy Bodowi, now Bodowi is nominating Najis the (DELETED) and (DELETED).
Perhaps God has a good plan that is to allow the Rotten to rot the entire regime even more. That they will be so dark so evil that everyone will run to the light, however dim.
And I’m pretty sick of all the talk of candlelight vigil for RPK, for Hindraf5, etc. Why is Anwar not taking over? Can’t you feel the sentiment of the people, ppl are losing hope, at PR and also in the future of Malaysia.
I did not vote you or PR so that you guys can continue giving press statements about irrelevant topics. Dog food, cat food, PR must takeover now with their supposedly majority and then abolish ISA.
(Please be careful with your choice of words as we don’t want either Teresa or you to get into trouble.) Moderator
What is the actual Prison’s Standing Orders on types of food served to Prisoners, convicts,etc .
It is bare minimum to keep them lean & hungry.
The purpose is to keep you on a simple flat diet for years to break your spirit.
But when you got stomach ailments on stale food, that is grossly bad standing order.
I hope things should improve on food hygience.
Teresa,you should have said monkey’s food. Then, it will not upset the balding Home Minister so much.
As a Chinese saying goes, ‘turning a big issue into a small issue, and a small issue into a non-issue’. I can understand we Chinese people, especially the Hakkas, like to emphasise figuratively when describing something that angers or annoys us, or unpleasant situations. English people also say words like ‘top dog’, ‘going to the dogs’,etc, etc. So, I personally think that it’s not ‘losing face’ to admit one’s mistake. Everyone of us is just human, and make mistakes, unpleasant utterances, swearings and outbursts once in a while.