Home Media statements 2009 Media Statements A day of shame and Mahathir is part of that shame

A day of shame and Mahathir is part of that shame

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Twenty-two years ago, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, committed a heinous crime by ordering the detention of 106 concerned Malaysians for his self-preservation. He was under extreme political pressure and his response to this challenge was to be high-handed and undemocratic. He resorted to the use of the infamous ISA to smack down the dissidents, social activists and opposition figures.



He was then conveniently rolled into three-in-one: Prime Minister, Home Minister and Justice Minister.  As Prime Minister, he was all powerful to do whatever he wanted to; as Home Minister, he resorted to the use of the ISA and signed the detention papers to put away 106 Malaysians without charging them in an open court of law, where they could have exercised their legitimate right to defend themselves; as Justice Minister, he shamefully denied them their natural justice.

This is why 27 October will be a day of shame for this nation and Dr Mahathir will be forever part of that shame. He was the one who perpetrated this unjust act that took away the freedom of Malaysians without a just cause.

Though we justly despised colonial rule, we had no qualms in retaining a colonial law that had imposed and inflicted untold misery on numerous citizens of this country.  We gained independence but we retained the undemocratic colonial instruments of oppression that imprisoned the citizens and denied them their inalienable right to freedom

READ MORE:  Abolish detention without trial: Prove that Anwar's government is committed to human rights

As long as this nefarious law remains in our statute books, the struggle to abolish this law will continue unabated. We know that only with struggle, change will come. Until we achieve that change we crave for, the struggle will continue.

This is our pledge to the nation.

P Ramakrishnan
President
27 October 2009

 

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
  1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
  2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
  3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
  4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
  5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
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ShakrinaLIkram
25 May 2013 5.24pm

From what I read, Mohamad Iskandar was a fierce and strict man who ruled by the rod `as in spare the rod and spoil the child!’ so help him God! His … family must be so relieved he decided to make Malaysia his home! So, his son MM must have learnt such painful lessons to solve all problems! MM saw Malaysians as an extension of his own upbringing! Which was why AI earned the famous thrashing of his life that left him with a neck brace and the famous Black Eye! Even AI’s own father never did that to him as to render him bloodied and senseless for a whole day! So to MM, to rule with an iron fist is part of his personal makeup since he can’t jolly well line up all his dissenters and critics as would happen in PRCC! Now, since before GE13, he has come back in the midst of Najib’s watch and never should anyone forget it! A man who could say back in1998, that AI’s injuries were self-inflicted would drive an edgy and nervous Najib to stoop to anything… Read more »

Malaysian ? not too sure !
16 Apr 2013 5.47am

Couldn’t be more convenient and easy ! CLEARLY, he unfortunately took it for granted as usual, that he was ‘the smartest Alec’ in Malaysia.
He was The Prime Minister, The Home Minister, and The Justice Minister. ????????

Very clearly most of us come to the conclusion that mamak kutty is not a nice person but a depicable man………..EVIL

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