Was at the Kamunting candlelight vigil last night.
Zorro, Tony Yew and I left KL at about 3pm yesterday, stopped at Ipoh around 5pm to pick up Md Noor and savour his wife’s mee curry and were back on the road a little after 6pm.
Enroute, phone calls confirmed that road blocks to the Kamunting detention centre were already up.
Got to Kamunting town about 7.15pm and after making inquiries, were told that the meeting point was a mosque about 3-4 km from the detention centre.
When we got to the mosque, there was already an early crowd gathered. Tony and I estimated this early crowd at around 150 people.
Young and old, from all walks of life.
One people, one nation, one cause.
Around 8pm, someone from GMI made an announcement that the vigil would proceed from this meeting point, that when halted by the police, GMI would negotiate with the police to allow a short vigil programme of speeches and when the call to disperse was made, we were all to disperse peacefully.
5 minutes later, the numbers now about 300, the slow walk to the detention centre started.
Along the way, people were seen leaving their cars or coming out from shops to join in the walk.
Then, a stop just before a second mosque a short distance from the detention centre, to light candles, and then continue.
Within minutes, the walk could proceed no further. The vigil had reached within 30 feet of the FRU blockade. The time now was about 8.45pm.
The vigil had reached its destination but was going no further, it would seem. Tony and I estimated the numbers then as around 500. Malaysiakini’s report, though, has it as around 1,000. Both Tony and I acknowledge that we are not all that hot at estimating numbers!
So, what now?
Negotiations with the police for a short programme, it seems, elicited an agreement to allow the vigil to proceed for 10 minutes.
You can catch most of what was said on the Malaysiakini report.
I just want to focus on what Puan Norlaila Othman,
wife of soon-to-be ’6 years in ISA detention’, Mat Shah Mohd Satray, said.
Norlaila said that in the last 6 years, she has tried every due process to get her husband out, to no avail.
Habeas corpus application, memorandums, seeing the appropriate minister, seeing Pak Lah, all coming to nought.
She had no choice now but to fully immerse herself in this anti-ISA campaign if she, her children and her husband were to have avy hope of a normal family life together.
Her wish : release all, repeal the ISA and close Kamunting.
By about 9.15pm, the call to disperse came and was heeded to. As people moved away, many broke into song.
I lit a candle for Toni Kasim on the walk back.
As we walked back to the mosque from which the walk started, I chatted with Uncle Hiam and his wife, both from Menglembu.
Uncle Hiam was surprised that i had come all the way from Pahang for the vigil.
I replied that my brothers were in detention.
‘Sapa’, he asked.
I replied that all detainees were my brothers.
He nodded.
‘Itu betul. Kita semua orang Malaysia’.
That, for me, summed up the night.
Note :
It is estimated that there 70 – 75 presently detained under the ISA. Details of all are not presently available.
Tony has listed the details of some 57 at his blog.
Surind
June 8, 2008
Thanks for sharing
Samuel Goh Kim Eng
June 8, 2008
What IS A Great Wrong?
Let’s try to be really civilised
Without being heavily criticised
For wrong strong steps being exercised
In getting political opponents exorcised
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 080608
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 8th June 2008.
SAJ
June 8, 2008
Sorry was unable to participate.
Thanks to the PELITAR group for lighting candles on our behalf.
Congratulations to all Anak Malaysia.
Norlaila Othman
June 9, 2008
Thanks for the report.I realised, bloggers also become one of the latest important element to help release the detainees.
Lingam
June 9, 2008
The detainees record should be review before they are released.Taking example from the Hindraf leaders who planned the rally to fight for indian rights.Their selfish way of planning the rally and disruption of businesses in KLCC is one that should not be tolerated.Imagine the lost of income by Tenants in KLCC .It is an unfair and unreasonable action which have wasted resources which could be channeled for better use by the public.The hindraf leaders deserved to be detained under ISA.Taking the streets is not an option.
Correct…correct..correct…correct…
temenggong
June 9, 2008
Nearly 60 of these ISA detainees are alleged JI members, Mindanao and south Thailand terrorists. 5 are alleged counterfeiters. 5 are political detainees (Hindraf) and one is a Shia evangelist.
Haris, how do you propose to deal with the JI terrorists who are under preventive detention, and also wanted by Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia? There is some evidence to link them to terrorism but not enough evidence to prosecute them. Do we release them and hope that there won’t be anymore bombings like in Bali, Java and Mindanao?
Paul Warren
June 9, 2008
But then again won’t the ISA be needed when Pakatan takes over soon? I am sure, there would be UMNO and other BN members who would earn their right to a stay in Kamunting applying the standards they employ. And what more, they will not even complain or file harbeas corpus applications and what not because they cannot now say they did not know the laws or for that matter deny knowledge of their limited rights under the ISA. When that happens it would be a celebration wouldn’t it?
matt
June 9, 2008
I think we should wait n put some bn goon’s inside so that they know what it feel’s to be inside.
malayamuda
June 9, 2008
BN is great !!
For ONCE they have given reason for all the races who live in this country to gather as one united voice !!
Thank You BN
anthonydass
June 9, 2008
Tit for tat and eye for an eye is not what we are clamouring for. ISA should be repealed and that shopuld be our concern.
a concerned voter
June 10, 2008
Oh ,please repeal the ISA so that no more innocent rakyat will be victimised by this injustice but save it to be used later on,on those BN racists,from Che Det to Kerismuddin,the beruk son-in -law and not forgetting the C4 Najisman.Also please reserve the Kamunting camp for their later use.We don’t want them in Sg Buloh,it is too comfortable for them.Kamunting will be more befitting for their crimes.