WHY I SUPPORT ALVIN TAN.

Putera UMNO and Perkasa have finally found something that they and the Malaysian public can agree on, Alvin Tan and his asylum claim in the U.S. The basis of this consensus is that he is a coward for running away, leaving his girlfriend Vivian to face the rap alone and, the fact that he is criticizing the government from the States.

Alvin and Vivian are both facing charges under the Film Censorship Act, Sedition Act and the Penal Code, for their Bak Kut Teh Ramadan greeting, posting lewd pictures on their blog and promoting enmity between the various racial and religious groups in the country. Now, that Alvin has absconded, Vivian is left facing this charges on her own.

Let me be clear, I think Alvin and Vivian were being uncouth when they made their Ramadan greeting. It was uncalled for and Lord knows what they were thinking when they did it. Therefore, I do not condone their actions and definitely do not agree with it. In fact, I think it was plain stupid.

But, the fact that Alvin is seeking political asylum in America is to me, an intelligent move by the former NUS scholar. Cowardly it may be. But, intelligent it definitely is. After all, what is so courageous about fighting a battle you know will never be be fought fairly. To stay and fight is an exercise in futility and he knows it.

Let’s be real. The fact that both, he and Vivian has publicly apologized for the advert, does not excuse them from punishment? But, the fact that they have apologized publicly should also be taken into consideration.

Contrast their actions to the cow head protestors, who, not only did not apologize to the public for their vacuous action but were also, never charged. In fact, the then Minister of Home Affairs, Hishamuddin Tun Hussein appeared at a press conference with one them, condoning their despicable action.

Secondly, what about the likes of Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Nordin, Mahathir Mohammad and other such personality who has in recent times or in the past made disparaging remarks against people of other races and religions ( yes, this includes Mahathir and his lazy Malay comment). Why are they not being charged? Isn’t making such remarks and then hidding behind some powerful figure, who can deflect any possible legal action being taken against them equally as cowardly.

The other charge Alvin is facing is the posting of lewd pictures of himself and his then girlfriend. Again, not condoning it but merely asking out of curiosity, have the three Datuk’s, collectively known as Datuk T faced any charges for their public screening of Anwar’s alleged sex tape? I don’t think so.

I opine that the reason UMNO, Perkasa, the IGP and others are getting all worked up is because they gave him the publicity that he was seeking and were trying to make an example out of him. But, he escaped and now he is using that very publicity to attack them. And they don’t like it because they fell for his ploy, hook, line and sinker. Pardon my French but, isn’t karma a bitch.

The central question here is an issue of law and equality. The fact that Alvin, as opinionated as he is had to seek political asylum overseas, simply proves the amount of confidence he has in our legal system. He might I add, is not the only one. Raja Petra, Dr. Munawar Anees and all the people we see on Facebook and YouTube, resorting to vigilante justice simply shows the deteriorating level of confidence we Malaysians have in our legal system.

This is not an isolated issue. Any attempt to do so is purely meant to deflect from the crux of the matter. And, having the likes of Perkasa and Putera UMNO giving their two cents worth on the matter is noting, in my opinion but attempt to add a racial dynamic to the mix, nothing else.

At the risk of repeating myself, I do not agree with what Alvin and Vivian has done. But, him seeking political asylum in the United States is a smart move and I for one do not think it a cowardly act. In fact, I would like to wish him all the best on his endeavours and hope he will continue to voice out against the abuses of power that occur in our country.

Advertisement

BEBASKAN ALI ABDUL JALIL

Ali Abdul jail is currently in jail, facing 6 charges of sedition for insulting the monarchy. Funny, I never knew that we, as tax paying citizens, whose money is being used to finance the monarchies, are not allowed to criticize them.

Ali, an activist with Anti-Facist Malaysia (Antifa) s the brother of Ahmad Abdul Jalil, who coincidentally was also charged for criticizing the Sultan of Johor in 2012. He was kept in uncomfortable conditions and in solitary confinement. Also, during his remand, he was question repeatedly for up to 8 to 9 hours a day, till the time of his release. If that wasn’t bad enough, his home was raided by the police.

And you wonder why Ali has nothing nice to say about the Johor Sultan.

I had the opportunity to meet Ali, at a Bantah GST meeting. That, fortunately and unfortunately was the first and last time I met him. About two weeks later, at the Bantah GST Roadshow, we found out that Ali was arrested under the Sedition Act 1948. It was at this Roadshow that I also found out that Ali believed, in order to get his point through, he felt he had to be arrested. Thus, when I heard about his brother, it was easy to see that he knew what he was talking about and he meant it.

For those who have never met Ali, he is exactly as you would see in the picture. The smiling prisoner of conscience isn’t just a moniker. It isn’t away of gaining publicity. A means of putting a friendly face to a, to an unjust political crackdown. That is Ali Abdul Jail. Friendly, polite and kind are the first impression one get when they meet him.

He has no business being in jail and definitely, should never be tortured because he had an opinion and was willing to bravely state it and stand by it. If anything, this type of personality must be promoted, especially amongst our so called leaders.

If you feel the same as me, please go to this link and do your part. I have.

To the government I say, Hapuskan Akta Hasutan and Bebaskan Ali Abdul Jalil.

MY FINAL MESSAGE – CHIN PENG

This was sourced from the Malaysian Insider, dated 21st September 2013.

My dear comrades, my dear compatriots,

When you read this letter, I am no more in this world.It was my original intention to pass away quietly and let my relatives handle the funeral matters in private. However, the repercussions of erroneous media reports of me in critical condition during October 2011, had persuaded me that leaving behind such a letter is desirable.

Ever since I joined the Communist Party of Malaya and eventually became its secretary-general, I have given both my spiritual and physical self in the service of the cause that my party represented, that is, to fight for a fairer and better society based on socialist ideals. Now with my passing away, it is time that my body be returned to my family.

I draw immense comfort in the fact that my two children are willing to take care of me, a father who could not give them family love, warmth and protection ever since their birth. I could only return my love to them after I had relinquished my political and public duties, ironically only at a time when I have no more life left to give to them as a father.

It was regrettable that I had to be introduced to them well advanced in their adulthood as a stranger. I have no right to ask them to understand, nor to forgive. They have no choice but to face this harsh reality. Like families of many martyrs and comrades, they too have to endure hardship and suffering not out of their own doing, but out of a consequence of our decision to challenge the cruel forces in the society which we sought to change.

It is most unfortunate that I couldn’t, after all, pay my last respects to my parents buried in hometown of Sitiawan (in Perak), nor could I set foot on the beloved motherland that my comrades and I had fought so hard for against the aggressors and colonialists.

My comrades and I had dedicated our lives to a political cause that we believed in and had to pay whatever price there was as a result. Whatever consequences on ourselves, our family and the society, we would accept with serenity.

In the final analysis, I wish to be remembered simply as a good man who could tell the world that he had dared to spend his entire life in pursuit of his own ideals to create a better world for his people.

It is irrelevant whether I succeeded or failed, at least I did what I did. Hopefully the path I had walked on would be followed and improved upon by the young after me. It is my conviction that the flames of social justice and humanity will never die.

MY PICNIC RAKYAT

My Malaysia Day was spent with some very inspiring individual. Dato Ambiga, Haris Ibrahim, Azmi Sharom and Pak Samad, to name a few. We came together today, not as Malay, Chinese, Indian or anything else but, as Malaysians. All of us were there not to celebrate our diversity, we have been celebrating that for long enough and much to my chagrin, this has met with little success, until some of our politicians shoot off their mouths and torpedo’s all these well-meaning efforts. No, we were there to celebrate our shared ideals and belief. One that is based on the fact that as Malaysians, whose forefathers have survived much together, we have much more to celebrate together as a people

In my humble opinion, this nation is a project, an experiment of sorts – if you will. Much like the United States, what brought us together was our yearning for freedom and an a deep seated belief that we are not the Whiteman’s burden but, equally capable human being that are able to decide our futures for ourselves. Simply put, we developed a sense of dignity and a belief in ourselves and our countrymen. What makes this an experiment, is the fact, that unlike the United Kingdom and the United States, we had no time to develop organically or hash out our differences with a gun. We had only two choices, make it or break it – with Singapore we broke, together with Sabah and Sarawak, we have made it, thus far.

Today, however we find ourselves in much the same situation. The only difference is the players but, the game remains is the same. “ In the good old day’s” as the old people love to say, the British exploited this rich land for their own gain and kept us divided in order to facilitate their personal objectives. Today on the other hand, it’s the political elites that are relying on this very same divide and rule tactics, in order to line their own pockets. I have to sometimes wonder, if this people are aware of the long term repercussion of their actions. When the British did it, they did it with the full understanding that they were not Malaysians. Thus, immaterial of what may or may not happen to this country, they were only here to plunder and our future was absolutely not a concern to them. But, these leader claim they are the sons of the soil, that this land is theirs and they’re defending they’re race. Yet, they seem incapable of finding a long time solution, one that is built on the values that our forefather espoused as they toil the land, truly building a sustainable future for all it’s citizens.

However, what I have seen today at the picnic gives me hope. Being able to meet them, shake their hand and to spend some time in their company is sufficient to reassure me that our best bet, is still in our fellow Malaysians.

At least two of them present, we’re facing charges under the Sedition Act 1948. Yet, never once did either one of them complain about it. One, was a former president of the Bar Council president, whose activism, bravery and an unwavering belief in her principles has led to her having to move around with two bodyguards, always by her side. Yet, she refused to be cowed by it and has continued to be an inspiration to many Malaysians. Two other prominent figures, held in high regards by the vast majority of Malaysians for their contributions to Islam and the Malay language, could have just made a token appearance for the sake of the media. But, not this two, they to me are the very embodiment of the humility we Malaysians have become famous for. Both, Zaid Kamaruddin and Pak Samad were amongst the first to arrive and the last to leave. There was no air about them despite the stare of the public. Finally, all my fellow Malaysians who braved the rainy weather, the current sedition storm and the possibility of attack by individuals who seek to derail this worthy cause and the prying eyes of the Special Branch.

To all my fellow Malaysian’s, I say, Selamat Hara Malaysia.