"This a betrayal of our country. Was there ethnic cleansing? There was nothing about wiping out the Indians in the country." - PM
"If I have to sign (ISA detention orders), I will do so without feeling guilty or sad." - PM
As expected, that wonderful three-lettered piece of legislation has finally made a return to the front pages. The HINDRAF leaders/organisers were sent off fer a holiday in Kamunting last nite after rumours of a second (& bigger) rally was being planned. No fooking surprise that the govt would go down this route.
"Racial hatred", "sedition", "national security" - all the usual reasons were wheeled out to justify the govt's use of this piece of legislation. But like I said, this was to be expected. What is of a greater concern is how law-abiding citizens are also affected.
This is what our good friend Premo had to endure on Wed nite as he drove into KL city centre fer an appointment. The place was utter chaos not because of street demos but due to numerous police road blocks. Premo was stopped & immediately questioned as to his involvement with Hindraf. On what basis? Coz he is Indian. Despite his protestations, he was hauled off to the utterly unpleasant confines of the Dang Wangi station. He was among 15 others who were being held on "suspicion of being linked to Hindraf".
After a couple of hours of being subject to all sorts of racial slurs (Premo can't even bring himself to repeat most what was said such was his disgust),he was let go with zero fooking explanation. This episode literally means Indians cannot freely go where they want in their own country of birth. How is this reflective of a democractic country?
This goes beyond racial profiling. It is sheer fooking RACIAL harassment. How can anyone justify being made to feel like a fooking criminal fer the colour of their skin? Think bout it fer a moment, a law-abiding citizen of this country is hauled off simply fer being Indian.
Fer those who think this is a minor inconvenience fer the greater "good & safety of the rakyat", will see if you feel the same if it was yer arse being dragged into custody. And believe me, it is a unnerving experience to be in when you know the police can do whatever the fook they want (& get away with it!). Premo's story is not an isolated incident. Neither will it be the last.
Yes, Malaysia Indians have not been exterminated like the Bosnians in the Balkan states. But as Premo's experience highlights, our rights are constantly being trampled upon & treated like fooking no-class criminals. Malaysia - a civil society? Fook off!
As fer the police behaving like Ku Klux Klan members, anyone who knows the inner workings of the police force will tell you this is nothing new & if you are of an ethnic minority in their custody, things will be very fooked up (fer you, that is).
Do you think this is a small price to pay? Or are you intelligent enough to realise certain fundamental human rights are sacred? I leave it to yer better judgement to decide & to cast yer decision at the upcoming polls . . .
ps: Please feel free to comment or share any similar experiences you may have had . . .
pps: Please sign online petition at www.petitiononline.com/31081957/petition.html to demand the release of the Hindraf leaders & rally organisers. Urgent (but peaceful) action is required!
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24 comments:
I agree with you on the certain degree of racial profiling by policemen. It is not a local problem but more of a global problem. African Americans have the highest amount of being pulled over for a traffic check as compared to other ethnicities. It is true as there was an article about it when I was AP Wire Editor of my University in Chicago at that time.
With regards to the police treatment. I believe it is wrong that Premo got the treatment. I imagine that if it a Chinese driven group then I believe I would get the similar treatment.
It boils down to education and the level of consciousness of the state. We need to change. And the idiots of Damai do not understand what the fook their constitutional rights.
Go watch V for Vendetta if you know what I mean. Yes our government has curbed and checked subversion enabling peace. But at what cost? Our constitutional rights? As we close and checked the dangers of subversion, we seem to forget that the basic fundamentals of nation building is being usurped by economic greed and simplicity of life.
Sooner or later the shit will hit the fan and trust me I am not hanging around to see my beloved country go down like this. We didn't achieve 50 years of independance to revert back to internal imperialistic colonialism.
Remember.....Remember.....the 31st of August.
Viva Liberte!
Premo, words will never describe how utterly ashamed and dumb-struck i am with the shit the "Mata" put you through.
You'll Never Walk Alone!
Well, as a Chinese, I have my share of experience as well!
It was about my University application. However today, I am happy to say I am just glad I was rejected from all the local universities in Malaysia!
To cut long story short, I applied for local university entrance after I finish my STPM. When the results were out, I was rejected. I checked the box which says I will accept any fooking subject they will assign me to if I don't get any of my choices while my Chinese-Muslim friend didn't. He got something out of his choices while I got nothing. And my nothing remained the way it is after appeal! Went to Putrajaya for some clarification, no strong answers from them!
For the detail of it, you can check it out in my blog under 'Post_STPM heartbreak' (June 2007).
As another Indian I fear ISA as anybody can be taken in especially the bloggers. I feel it is fair we have guidance. Please read:http://aarvidi.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/isa-for-dummies/
In any case some damage control is being for the Indians. http://aarvidi.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/mic-and-damage-control/
Thanks to all who have posted comments so far on this blog and me facebook. It is good to know there are friends out there who still care about what is wrong with our nation AND make an efort to voice those concerns.
Although I have put this unpleasant episode behind me now, I still feel violated and angry about it. Angry that it happened, that it was allowed to happen many times before and that it will continue to happen more often in the future.
Imagine being victimised by the very authorities that you have trusted to protect and serve by your own government. What kind of mindfuck is that? I'm a prisoner in my own bloody backyard!!
What's even more disappointing is some of the reactions I got my colleagues/'friends' -
" That's why! Keep Osama goatie some more"
" Aiya this kind of things happen all the time la - its just that people dont kick up a fuss about it."
and the best one:
"Hey Prem-o! Got a light? Eh you finish your timesheet for last month alredi ah - after that can lend to me?"
Really, at one point I did not know whether to laugh in disbelief or cough blood and vitriol.
As for now, I'm just gonna avoid KL and even discussing about this matter further, lest it get's in to the hands of some scandal mongering Opp Party that plans to use it for their own good. I'm convinced nothing good can or will happen out of this - history has taught us so. The only attention it will bring will be either negative/defamatory or sympathetic/consolatory - neither which I am paricularly fond of.
But thanks again Bala for highlighting my plight.
Now back to my online PR appliction for Oz.
Oz? India lar macha! Our "motherland" has promised all overseas Indians that we are welcome back; no questions asked (as long as yer bank statement meets the required numbers!).
ps: Oh, sorry, are you Kotek, in which case you are truly fooked . . .
hey mr.albertus..caught yer posting on the earlier 'bedtime/DK' posting (nice job on putting up the kick-ass cover AD...veli the diffiker to get oridhi that one)..my my how nonchalant...
and then..
reason kicked it...the lightbulb finally cracked my head....i'm guessin' yer arse isn't as black as mine...
hence the espousal of your thoughts
word: if it had been a chinese-driven group dude.. things would have been playin to a different wall of sound.
word: if you had been hauled like premo...you would not have had to sit down in the balai and listen to deregatory shite. action will be taken either pre, concurrently or post.
word: if it had been a chinese-driven group...the resources are pronounced. for anybody to fark wif ya..they'll be thinkin thrice? a skolah rendah school bully wont pick on the average 6ft standard sixer..unless he's 6ft
word: adam. agreed. had to endure that. made all the farkin 17 years of schooling suddenly feel worthless didn't it? and i believe me.
i worked my arse off at school.
on a lighter note.
come on YOUUUU REDSSSS!
*AD-going-whatdafarkkk*
i hope the reds do kick their gutless arses into oblivion.it's not that i'm a lalang to start lurvin' the scousers...i just hate them devils/gooners MORE...
plus if the scousers win...
the top half will get us start chewing nails again...like back in '89.pure elektriko..the atmosphere...thunderous all the way..or as AD succintly put it..."SCUM"...then again to grace them..with the name of one of THE legendary LP's of all time? too much oridhi for them..
see ya fellas.
break a leg. or two.
p.s. if there's a chance in hell...how i'd wish for 2 teams to both lose in a game..including the MILD london derby...
*moz looks up to the sky*
word: local problem/global problem..it is still a problem. it ain't easy being black, dude. thankfully they have affirmative action. they well and truly deserve it. for the shite the had to endure for approx 250 years? i think it's a pittance. no i'm not asking for affirmative action here dude. still believin in workin our arses out for the share of the piehole.
chiao machis.
Let's not give 2/3rd majority in the next election. Have you registered as a voter?
Reds....good luck. I'm on blue moon!
yea, i can feel for premo even for being a non-indian. bala, i just dont feel right for not writing something. so here i am saying my piece. i may not agree with whats been happening lately e.g hindraf/bersih but as far as i'm concerned, recism is downright unacceptable, not here not anywhere in the world. period. so there's no reason for premo to be treated in such despicable manner.
achilles: er, tq fer comments & welcome to fer fook's sake, but who r u?
kerp: The racism in instutions such as the police force is unbeliveably bad, dude.
Uncle B!!! I noe this is a lil off topic but we beat you!!! haha But honestly LiverFOOL were unlucky la..
tinnesh: And u wonder why everyone hates scummers . . .
Oops sorry... still new to this blogging stuff...
It's Rajan-lah...
whilst i personally dont agree with the manner that hindraf is going about to air its grievances, i for one do not condone any kind of racial bigotry or prejudice. But i am not fooking blind to admit that it does exist in this country. And I am indeed disappointed with what had happened to premo. its not right.
Believe me, in my profession, i too have been subjected to massive amounts of racial prejudice, perhaps not as bad as the one Premo had to endure but still sickening and despicable. I have been told right in my face that malay lawyers are lazy and only good for marketing & PR purposes!! And in one instance, there was this fooking company which told me shamelessly that you (me) are good but management has decided that we need an indian lawyer...???!!!! and this coming from a GLC company!! Malay lawyer : litigation?? sure cannot one...One fooker even came to my firm and told me..ahh you must be the marketing partner!! butohlah...
Needless to say, as Bala can vouch for me, I replied accordingly...
enuff is enuff...
aku bangsa malaysia..
Dear Isa,
To be fair, I did recount yer tales of reverse-racism to many people.
Its pretty fooked up!
ps: When shall we check out the salon above?
Hey Premo, how bout we treat you to a chin wig trim as well. You certainly deserve some pampering after the shit you've been through!
Isa dude.
I’d like to say my thanks .. for the very frank, honest & very articulate viewpoint that has ironically provided me some form of comfort… in a peculiar, idiosyncratic way. No, not comfort in the literal sense mind you.. not in the sense that I’m happy that you are subject to rubbish of that sort….but more toward a metaphoric sense.. i.e. the fact that I am not alone.. subdued by & subject to discrimination..due to my racial configurations.
See chief thing is this.. I was, am & will be in a similar predicament to you.. probably I have only myself to blame for getting into this line; a profession that is not usually attributed or affixed to my “cultural background”.But I could relate to what you had to say almost instantly.. and believe me I used to wonder like hell…what if the tables were turned? What if I was mumbling something in a language that I thought they would not happen to understand? ... Would the corresponding party be subject to the same shite? Many folk would brush it aside and say..aiyaa..this is all normal la fren.. all part and parcel of work. Truth is it bugs you like hell; either knowingly or subconsciously. Hell for soft lumps like me.. it can knock me off the whole chair the whole day and play slip n’slide havoc with my work. It gets more acute when you actually understand what they are saying i.e. in a language other than your mother tongue, English or BM. Believe me, if you can or could understand what was being said, I think you can imagine the amount of audioshite being spit into your ears. It’s like wet spittle that stays wet all day long. Earlier on, I thought I figured I had an advantage, but as age catches on..i’m beginning to feel as if..it’s more a curse..mwhahaha. Thankfully, I never held it against any of them due to the fact that.. at least they’re being courteous by whispering it behind my back – purporting incomprehension at my expense. Plus, above all I have been gifted with really good mates from the various communities, background, sides of the law & upbringing.. that keeps my buoyant enough.. to discount… and disregard the mercurized tongues. Would you believe it if I told you that there is an even intricate layered form of racism within the Indian community itself? According to puak, caste, language-groups, island/mainland,etc…*sigh*
Truth is. It sucks. I really don’t know what to do about it. Or how to handle it.
The only way I know how is by showin’ throw work. Which means double the time, double the effort..which sees me at the office at this unearthly hour…yes..the whole ‘I’ll-show-you’ occurrence of events. However, ever so once in a while…I do bump into the occasional gem of fella who’s from a completely different background than me…who absolutely clicks. Like-two-flies-wavering-over-shit. And you know what? Inside, I’m still very grateful for that. I guess that’s one of the few consolations keepin’ my high; keeping my hope.
I was a very angry dude after leaving school. 2 experiences caused that. The 1st was after the spm exams…I was kinda all idealistic at that time, yu’know with all that idealism being drummed into your head…education is the only saviour to uplift..bla..bla.bla. Post spm, I thought I stood a reasonably good chance. Not boasting or what la chief. Worked my arse through school. Reasonably good results to show. Tried my luck. Got rejected. Scholarships rejected. Numerous applications to local unis rejected. I was pissed. Hauled my old man together to the education department to find out what I had done wrong. The 1st dude was a real gentleman I must say. He was old-school type from the post merdeka 50’s/60’s school of thought. Spent the next 1 and half our checking it out & even took the trouble to set-up an appointment the next day with an-officer in charge. Next day, officer in-charge younger dude. from the late 70’s/early 80’s breed of schooling…to cut a long story short..I had never yelled at anyone that much. It was less to do with me, but the fact that I had to put my poor old man through it. I was politely told to try my luck with Tafe college.
2nd incident – was a police case before school. I was one of the machas hauled in direct from school for a cam-muka case with the massive gang fight that’s been going on in school India+china lwn melayu..how ironic huh? I was very idealistic about the police even back then. Mwhahaha. You know..the whole berani kerana benar thing was running in my head. Little did I know, that being in a cam-muka case..is nearly as good as being either the prime suspect or the convict himself. It was only after a coupla teachers and my form teacher..the affable ckg.rahim.. who’s part-time RELA came and vouched for me, that I was let go. He sat me down and chatted me up to calm. Truth to be told, I was in tears. (I was form 4-5 la fren. So what?). I told him that I was questioned differently from the other fellas in the group. He said how?. There were 5 of us. I was the one of the 2 odd one out. Don’t really know how the odd one out got questioned. After he listened, he just told me not to worry and carry on with schoolwork and exams
The chat I had with this decent teacher of mine changed me completely. And I’ve stuck with that up to now. You be good. Good things will come around. Dun worry. Somehow. He had related to me karma in his own sense of the word. Too idealistic?
Now..back to work. Bala. Thanks again. Appreciate the digital soapbox dude.
moz: Yer welcome. Looks like you need a trip to Porn Saloon more than Premo!
Dei Mr Bala... how much is Porn saloon paying you to advertise them lah? Are you getting the "1 free ball shaving session if you introduce 3 customers" to the shop? hehehehe. Sorry-lah... just had to say it. hehehehehee
But jokes aside, i am still stunned with what happened to Premo. to be honest, kinda worried what will happen to myself if i am caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Bala: porn saloon?? no thanks..just came back from bangkok..hahahaha
Mozisgod: in my early years of practice, i decided to work in a big law firm, predominantly chinese..and being the only malay litigator, Heck, I had to work doubly hard just to prove myself (to the point of exhaustion..collapsed in 1998 due to massive gastritis & stomach problems..)Sure, the experience was and is still rewarding, it has brought me to where i am today..but why did this have to happen in this day & age??? This "pidgeon holing" of which race is good for what is a product of the fooking Brits when they ruled the roost..cukuplah...
achilles: Porn Saloon - U mau pergi ke tak mau?!?
In keeping with this topic of racism, fer all we know, we go there we are refused "service" coz of our semi-black arses!
Isa: So how was Bangkok & the original porn saloon? Any tales to tell? He he
Kerja sampai pengsan? What the fook for la dei. Better just chill & take it easy lar dude. Not especially when yer efforts are NOT recognised coz you will forever be labelled a LAZY MELAYU living off SUBSIDIES. . .
OK lazieee Melayu here...sorry, too lazy to tell you about bangkok lah...
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Isa: If I'll offer you subsidy of JW at the local, will you tell about your Bangkok trip then? I can see this has the markings of a traditional 'Ali Baba & Co' set-up!!!
Premo : Sorry to hear what happened to you & the shit you have to go through. YNWA!!
anfielddevotee: i don't trust my ball trimmings to just anyone man. hehehehe.
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