ON HUMAN RIGHTS, JUSTICE AND PEACE ISSUES, LABOUR RIGHTS, MIGRANT RIGHTS, FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY, TOWARDS AN END OF TORTURE, POLICE ABUSES, DISCRIMINATION...
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
MCA replacing DAP as the peoples' champion for justice and human rights? PH
DAP had much support of Malaysians because their leaders and politicians spoke and fought without fear and favour for justice and human rights - That, they did very often when they were in the Opposition BUT since they have become part of the ruling government coalition is something they are not doing...
Many MPs/ADUNs have today gone 'silent' on many of these issues. They used to highlight the wrongdoings of the government BUT now they are government and they have the power to bring about all the changes and reforms they spoke about...
Those in CABINET are part of the Executive Branch of government - maybe, their freedom is stifled BUT this is not the case for others in Parliament - the 'government backbenchers' , whose role is to continue being a 'check and balance' to the Executive - they are FREE to highlight government failings...including delays or even highlight their ideas of what needs to be done which is yet to be done...
PKR, though never as vocal as DAP politicians, also seem to have stopped being the voice of the people...
Najib and wrongdoings of past governments are today no more as relevant - save for the introduction of new laws and policies to correct past mistakes...
DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL - Has DAP/PKR/AMANAH/BERSATU changed its position - they should have all been repealed immediately - and right to a FAIR TRIAL restored to everyone. Presumption of Innocence until proven guilty must be the principle that applies...?
SOSMA - that draconian law that allows use of Evidence that is considered inadmissable and dangerous according to our Evidence Act..that law that denies BAIL for certain offences - that law deprives a person the right to be brought before a Magistrate within 24 hours of arrest - that law that removes the needed safeguard of Magistrate's orders for further remand by police to prevent torture or police abuse of powers...> Still there and not repealed yet? WHY
University and University Colleges Act - that treats University Students like 'kids' and restrict freedoms > still not amended.
CONTRACTOR FOR LABOUR system - that removes direct employment relationship between workers with principals[owners of business/factories], erodes worker rights, generates precarious employment...something that DAP/PKR?PAS strongly objected to > still there not repealed yet?
PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY ACT - It effectively denies Malaysians the right to peaceful assembly - It is no more a HUMAN RIGHT - Now, you only can exercise this 'right' if the police allows it - worse, even in public spaces, you now need PERMISSION of the government who owns/or is responsible for it which is absurd for there really should be no such requirement to exercise this right in 'public spaces or areas'....when hundreds of Muslims shot in New Zealand mosques, people should have the RIGHT to immediately protest this INJUSTICE not wait for police PERMISSION or conditions? PH reduced the notice period from 10 days to 5 days ...but that did not remove the hurdles for the exercise of this basic HUMAN RIGHT? The Peaceful Assembly Act is still used by PH, and the recent limitation to less than 1,000 placed on fisherman in Penang shows that PH may be worse for I do not recall any limits placed on numbers of participants during the BN era...see.Penang fishermen peaceful assembly only allowed if NOT MORE than 1,000? Totally unjust?
Anti Fake News law being repealed BUT SEDITION Act still not repealed...In Sedition Act, truth is not a defence...a draconian law that ought to be repealed...long time ago...
The champions of the people was the DAP, PKR, PAS...but now the 'champions' are in government - and many have gone silent about human rights and justice...
On the other hand, MCAs only MP has been speaking out quite a bit on several issues - was that why people of Tanjong Piai decided to put another MCA MP into Parliament?
Remember Nazri Aziz, even when in Cabinet was brave enough to express his personal view calling for the abolition of the Death Penalty - which was not the position of the then BN Cabinet. Will there be PH Cabinet members who will be just as brave to speak out their own personal view...even if it goes against the majority view of Cabinet?
Is MCA or PAS or BN the new champion of people's rights? Well, ultimately it will the people who decide...
How the PH government and political parties view the Malaysian people must change - People are no more FOOLS but are smart - they cannot be easily deceived using race or religion BUT they are looking at the REAL issues of the people - Is the government doing the right thing - is Pakatan Harapan doing as promised...
"I must also remind Harapan to please fulfil the promises that they made 18 months ago," he added.
Ka
Siong said that everywhere he went, people were disappointed with the
new administration because after making promises to win GE14, they are
now trying to find excuses not to keep those promises.
POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY - Will PH bring the reforms it promised?
Stop fighting about 'power' or 'who is next PM' BUT fulfill your promises > GET RID OF THE UNJUST LAWS - RESTORE OUR HUMAN RIGHTS - RESTORE JUSTICE - ENSURE THE WELFARE AND WELL BEING OF EVERYONE - NOT JUST A FEW IN MALAYSIA...
PH spend a lot of time analyzing what was wrong and made clear promises of what they would do when in power...Why further studies...consultations...U-turns...LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE ...
Two Wees: MCA not taking Chinese swing for granted
PARLIAMENT | While clearly buoyed by MCA's thumping win in the Tanjung Piai by-election, its two MPs Wee Ka Siong (above, left) and Wee Jeck Seng (above, right) were determined not to be carried away and take Chinese votes for granted.
"We
are pleased to see that (the return of Chinese support) according to
the analysis by DAP, we got 60 percent of the Chinese vote. However we
will not take it for granted," said party president Ka Siong, who is
also Ayer Hitam MP.
Jeck Seng added that MCA would not take the support for granted.
"We
cannot take for granted that they are angry with the government. We
have to analyse (the victory) and we hope we can maintain this momentum
and identify the root cause of it,"
"There
are many factors that contributed to this victory, so we have to
analyse it and conduct a post-mortem and just follow and improve (upon
it)," he said at a joint press conference conducted by the two MPs at
parliament today.
It was Jeck Seng's first day back in
Parliament, and the newly-elected Tanjung Piai MP, who had served two
terms between 2008 to 2018, found himself playing second fiddle to Ka
Siong who intercepted a few questions and answered them on his behalf.
'The people are the kingmakers'
Asked whether the win was a protest vote against Pakatan Harapan and not a show of support for MCA, Ka Siong answered:
"Actually,
the rakyat (people) are the kingmakers. They can decide whether (or not
you win). If they like you, they will vote for you. If they (think you
are) lousy, they can punish you."
Ka Siong said that this was the
democratic process, under which the people'e representatives are
subject to this sort of assessment.
"In this by-election they cast their votes to BN so that we have to perform our duty as an effective opposition in Parliament.
"I must also remind Harapan to please fulfil the promises that they made 18 months ago," he added.
Ka
Siong said that everywhere he went, people were disappointed with the
new administration because after making promises to win GE14, they are
now trying to find excuses not to keep those promises.
Asked if the crushing defeat was a damning indictment of the premiership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad (above), Ka Siong said it was up to the Harapan leadership to interpret that.
"If
you assume Harapan is a collective leadership or a dictatorship, I
don't know. I think the signal is to the government to please do
something.
"Whether they want to take it to the prime minister
himself - some will conveniently push the (blame) to him, some will say
it's collective - don't tell me after the defeat, you don't want to do
anything (different).
"This is not the end of Harapan. We have
another three and a half years to continue our terms. Fulfill your
promises as you have pledged," he said.
Asked whether Jeck Seng's
victory was due to a resurgence of Barisan Nasional (BN) or because of
the tie-up with PAS in the Muafakat Nasional alliance, Ka Siong
emphasised that the BN victory at Tanjung Piai was due to the support of
all races.
"This is the consensus of all citizens. It is
impossible to win with support from just one race. No matter whether its
Malay, Indian of Chinese. Solidarity means solidarity, we are on a
similar path.
"The important thing is to keep the people happy,
whether it's BN or a national coalition or the solidarity of the
opposition," he answered.
MCA doubles its strength
Asked how he felt upon his return to Parliament, Jeck Seng replied:
"I must do my duty and I must help (address) my constituency problems. This is my responsibility," he said.
"As a third time MP, he's used to it," interjected Ka Siong.
"He
has a duty to perform in parliament and serve the people. People
support Wee Jeck Seng because he serves the constituents regularly, that
is the strength of Wee Jeck Seng," he said.
Jeck
Seng was asked if he was ready to declare his assets, which is now a
requirment, but the question was eagerly fielded by Ka Siong.
"Dont
worry, he just reported to parliament today and he hasn't received
anything from parliament. His priority is to serve and bring up the
issues of his constituents. Don't worry about other things (now), said
Ka Siong.
In a later PC in Mandarin, when a journalist again asked Jeck Seng if he is going to declare his assets, he answered:
"Declare la, what's the problem?"
At
its peak in 2004, the MCA won 31 seats in Parliament, but Ka Siong has
just endured 18 months as its lone representative. Now he's glad not to
be alone.
"I'm no longer lonely," he quipped.
"But I hope
after MCA has gained two seats - that this is just the beginning. For
us, this is encouragement and motivation, and we have to work hard,"
said Ka Siong.- Malaysiakini, 18/11/2019
Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution states that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression.
But is that the reality though? For decades, we have been
inundated with news of arrests, bans and censorships of people, film, books,
arts and more.
Zunar, the famed political cartoonist has been hit with a record of NINE charges under the Sedition Act.
Fahmi
Reza, the mastermind behind the Najib clown face was convicted under
Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for uploading
the image on his social media – a decision that was finally dropped after numerous appeals.
The truth is that censorship is a harsh reality of
Malaysian artists.
This was the underlying message by some of Malaysia’s most eminent names in the arts at the “Arts for Politics or Pleasure: Malaysian Censorship and Regulation” forum organised by Taylor’s University School of Liberal Arts & Sciences this week (17th October).
“Censorship has been a big part of my life.”
Dato’
Faridah Merican, Co-founder of The Actor’s Studio and Kuala Lumpur
Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) & Adjunct Professor, School of
Liberal Arts & Sciences at Taylor’s University.
Dato’
Faridah Merican speaks at the Arts for Politics or Pleasure Forum by
Taylor’s University School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. (Credit: Taylor’s University)
Malaysia’s First Lady of Theatre, Dato’ Faridah Merican is
no newcomer to the world of censorship. A thespian since 1972 along with 46
years in advertising, she’s had more than her fair share of reprimand from
authorities.
For one, KLPAC’s 1993 production of A Streetcar Named
Desire drew flak and the lead actress Ramona Rahman was banned from the
stage for 2 years for a scene where she locked lips with her male co-star.
At the same event Zunar shared besides the Sedition Act, he’s been silenced under SIX laws.
Some of the Malaysian laws commonly associated with censorship are:
The 2019 World Report
by Human Rights Watch documents that Malaysia’s freedom of speech
improved dramatically following the May 2018 elections since Pakatan
Harapan (PH) came into governance.
However, the report contends
that the use of the Sedition Act still continues despite the promise of
repealing the colonial era law in PH’s election manifesto.
In fact, new sedition investigations were opened, especially against individuals accused of insulting Malaysia’s royalty.
There is progress, though. Earlier in October, Dewan Rakyat has scrapped the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 that makes “fake news”, especially those shared online, a crime.
So, how does one go about expressing your artistry in
light of these censorships?
Lawyer Khaizan Sharizad Razak Dali (Sherrie) advices that creatives need to know how to argue and justify when the need arises.
She
explains that arguments from authorities are always subjective, so it’s
up the artist to defend and justify their work. Read the definitions in
the law, then learn how to argue, defend and justify.
“Freedom is not absolute, nothing is absolute.”
Sherrie, Lawyer & Partner at Messrs. Seira & Sharizad.
Sherrie Razak Dali gives an overview of the various Malaysian laws governing freedom of expression and speech. (Credit: Taylor’s University)
Dato’ Faridah agrees with this sentiment as well as she’s spent many years gleefully fighting and defending her work.
“I
just think of it as one more test for me as a Malaysian. Censorship is
so challenging. It’s exciting and thrilling when I get to “outsmart” the
authorities.”
Dato’ Faridah.
While having knowledge of the law is important, Zunar cautions artists against self-censorship.
Political cartoonist Zunar aka Zulkiflee Anwar Haque shares his take on Malaysian censorship. (Credit: Taylor’s University)
“When you create, don’t think of the law. Just follow your spirit and let your work speak for itself.
Knowledge of the law is important, yes, but never let that stifle your voice. Because talent isn’t a gift, it’s a responsibility.”
Zunar the Cartoonist.
As the Index on Censorship watch group puts it, the freedom of expression is a fundamental human right.
The
Malaysian artists that opt to touch on sensitive or political issues
simply underpin the importance of this right in the development of
society and a mark of a healthy democracy.
No comments:
Post a Comment