I am signatory No. 107 of the Free Raja Petra, Teresa Kok & others petition created and written by Lim Teck Ghee.
Whilst the creator of the petition is known to me, our acquaintance is fairly recent and therefore I do not have the privilege to claim that he and I are good friends.
However, I know enough of him to say without hesitation that he firmly stands up for the defence of civil rights and liberties, including the right to be free from unlawful and unjustifiable restraint and detention.
That one sentence that has caused discomfort in certain quarters aside, I want to acknowledge the exemplary presentation of detail and rationale in the third to the fifth paragraphs of that petition as to why the latest round of detentions must be roundly condemned.
Now, to that one sentence that has offended the sensitivities of so many.
[The law] should only be used on armed terrorists or those out to topple the government by force,”
I, too, noted that this sentence, without more, might be read to mean approval of the ISA as it is presently worded.
But there was more, for me at least.
I knew of the creator of the petition, and from what I knew of him, he could not have meant it to read that way.
He may well have hurriedly quoted Zaid verbatim and overlooked that, without any qualification, it could be taken to mean his unconditional approval of the ISA.
This one sentence aside, the petition was, in my view, an excellent instrument amongst the many other efforts to get our RPK released.
Should I therefore decline to sign up in support of the petition by reason only of that one sentence?
I did not think so.
I was confident that those who know me and the work that I do will know full well that my indorsement of the petition could not be taken to mean that I support the use of the ISA as it is presently worded.
I have a question for those who now decline to sign the petition because of that ‘offending’ sentence.
Let’s say that today, the detaining authorities inform RPK’ wife, Marina, that RPK is due to be released and she should come get him. Marina attends at the detention centre to receive him. She is presented with a Writ of release that she is told she must sign before RPK can be released. The Writ bears a statement that she acknowledges that RPK was properly detained in the interest of the nation and that by so signing, she waives any right to seek any recompense from the authorities, whether through the courts or otherwise.
Should Marina sign it notwithstanding she does not agree with it, and get RPK out?
Or should Marina refuse to sign it, get into her car and drive off without RPK?
If you see my point, and have held back signing the petition up to now on account of that sentence, could you please sign it now?
If you do not get my point, well, what can I say?
The People's Parliament 
Hoyohoyo
September 20, 2008
Then why not create another petition and abolish this one?
Hoyohoyo,
Dont talk! Just do it!
Toyotoyo
September 20, 2008
Is the creator of the petition dead?
You say “I knew of the creator of the petition, and from what I knew of him”.
Past tense.
Poor chap. Died from ISA heartbreak?
equaliser
September 20, 2008
ISA should not be used on ANYONE period, whether they are communist insurgents, subversives, terrorist, racists bigots etc.
ciltra
September 20, 2008
Hello abang,this Charles Hector fellow don’t know what he really wants.When I too read it,I thought, so what,the essense of the matter is evident.Action calls for signatures,whats the fuss.If you read some of his articles,you feel like you want to knock his head lah.Anyway I signed.Iyoh!!did you guys get to read RPK latest in MT?I am so happy he is ok enough to blog,lah!!!!!Please get him out quick,and all the others too.
wandererAUS
September 20, 2008
Can you accuse a man a thief, just because he mistakenly put a wrong item in his shopping bag? I call it, an ‘honest mistake’.
fergie
September 20, 2008
I am signature 1511. At this stage, let’s not split hairs. It is a matter of urgency getting RPK OUT ASAP .. then we can proceed to the next step .. getting the ISA repealed. I will not retract my signature.
God bless you.
fergie
September 20, 2008
My apologies, I meant to include the release of Hindraf 5 and all other detainees but I am so focused on RPK at the moment. Sorry.
pkler
September 20, 2008
It is a conundrum but I agree that on balance the petition has to be signed, but I full-well agree with Charles Hector as well. I signed it without looking-perhaps if I did I may not have signed it then and there, I don’t know. but I would have afer your blog statement here.
Paul Warren
September 20, 2008
I would not sweat over this.
As it is there are already thousands in Malaysia who advocate teh ISA. They support it overwhelmingly. And they even subject their vistims to it. And they will continue to do so as long as they remain in power.
So, I presume, considering that they, more often than not, are the ones incurring all those “crimes” that our recent ISA detainees have been pulled up for, they will not be complaining if their favourite laws were used against them, at least this time for some real reasons.
So really, I got no problems if ISA was to remain to contain the UMNO war lords and legislators. I think we would be kind to them with them. These people don’t understand loves and hugs, would they?
arthur
September 20, 2008
The whole world is burning and there are some who quibles over semantics. Read in toto, the words import no such meaning as their antagonists read it. Sign the petition and get on with it.
artic turban
September 20, 2008
I may have signed for the release of the isa detainees, but I am STRONGLY against the abolishment of the ISA, WHY YOU MAY ASK?, WELL I have always believed in the creed of ‘an eye for an eye’, I want those corrupt biadap morons to have a taste of their own medicine, squeeze it out of their cojones, ‘who stole what from whom and from where’, with a national debt of rm 285 billion, with their white elephants and monsoon cups spending sprees, somebody is definatly going to answer to the rakyat for all the msdeeds. I think after a few sessions of ‘truncheon up the butt’ they wil definatly squeel out where the funds are hidden. Having worked with some Umno bigwigs I definetly would want them to return all their ill gotten gains. A perfect example would be samy vellu for his maika debuchery and the bandar utama 50million ringgit worth tamil school mis-appropriated property, how many other deals don’t we know about. what about the alleged RM 500,000 unreturned funds belonging to the PENANG council by ACHMET the moron of squaters fame. WHO ELSE HAS NOT PAID THEIR DEBTS, WHO ELSE HAS GOT AWAY WITH INPUNITY?
This has gone on for far too long, we were brought up with values of not stealing, robbing, taking things that do not belong to us, WHAT has bn shown us, you can steal, rob, c4, grab-a-butt, wave a keris, basically show a finger to the law and federal constitution, and get away with anything under the sun as long as you keep proping up the same scoundrels, well that just doesn’t cut it.
shar101
September 20, 2008
Haris,
Signatory no: 107 is Haris Ibrahim. So, why didn’t you say so? Unless, there is an impersonator which.. hey, that might be helpful to get the hounds off your back!
Anywayz, the paragraph under discussion should be read in its full context and not in isolation:
…We wish to express our deep respect for the de facto Law Minister, Zaid Ibrahim, who has resigned in protest against the Government’s use of the ISA on the three individuals. We agree with his view that “there [are] ample punitive laws to act against lawbreakers without having to invoke the ISA. [The law] should only be used on armed terrorists or those out to topple the government by force…
Key phrase “there [are] ample punitive laws to act against lawbreakers without having to invoke the ISA.”
With proper implementation of the CPC and the Penal code, even armed terrorists are equally subject to the laws of the country prior to the ISA being used as a last resort. However, the authorities took the short-cut option for implementing the ‘various’ rule of laws.
Nonetheless, the ISA is still an archaic law meant for another historical era but it cannot be repealed by mob rule nor vigorous debates on the blogs.
Besides, having RPK on the outside will be a major force in our efforts to abolish the ISA, don’t you think?
For those who have not signed, are you still confused or is it just plain apathy?
Markky
September 20, 2008
Only a petition and that also she is not involved – ISA!
Only a newspaper report and that also only quoting what the racist politician said – ISA!
Only a sodomy allegation and that also the attending doctor said no proof – Send a UTK squad to arrest him!
What is becoming of this country???
I fear for the sons and daughters of this land. May God help Malaysia!
david
September 21, 2008
Haris, you need to read the petition for what it addresses. It is about the application of the law and how in these and other arrests the requirements necessary for the use of the law have not been met and in a larger context, they are detrimental to the country’s interests. It therefore has to acknowledge the existence of the law and the purpose of it and the boundaries of its application. It is not about whether the law should exist or not. It is a call to free the detainees for the reasons stated.
Setuju
toyolbuster
September 21, 2008
Bro Haris,
I honestly do not understand why people on one hand try to sound so righteous and on the other could just sit in their own comfort zone doing nothing to try to get our brothers and sisters out from this cruel and unjust detention.
When Tan Hoon Cheng was being released, she asked, “Why did they arrest me under ISA when it should have been Ahmad Ismail who should have been (charged)” Does this statement mean that she supports the ISA?
Now take a look at this;
“We agree with his view that “there [are] ample punitive laws to act against lawbreakers without having to invoke the ISA. [The law] should only be used on armed terrorists or those out to topple the government by force,”
I would interpret as When the subject matter [The law] is specified within brackets, it is to exemplify that the subject matter does not exist at the time being mentioned, or could be part of the existing (ample punitive laws). [The law], if doesn’t exist, could be appropriately enacted to replace the ISA for the purpose as suggested at the end of the above para.
I would not read it as this author to be in support of the ISA. The statement in this particular para is so secondarily subjective when the primary and most important objective to this (petition)is to do whatever we can (lawfully/legally) that would eventually get our brothers and sisters OUT from this UNLAWFUL detention .
So, to all the holier-than-thou righteous kind, just sit back and watch. Sweet dreams too.
Mankok
September 21, 2008
While on this ISA subject,I mean to provoke some deeper thinking-hopefully).
It sort of began when those Hindraf guys got it, there was a build-up of protest.*URGENCY was NOT there.
Then when Kok,Tan and RPK got took in too..ANY petition was a BIG yes.**URGENCY was IN.
After that, when Kok and Tan gets out,petition comes under debates, bickering begins-some tries to sound like lawyers,some say it’s not enough.***URGENCY went OUT.
Now go figure.
Mankok
September 21, 2008
Yazid Sufaat, Suhaimi Mokhtar, Dr Abdullah Daud, Shamsuddin Sulaiman, Mat Shah Mohd Satray, Abdul Murad Sudin, Zaini Zakaria, Zainun Rashid, Wan Amin Wan Hamat, Sulaiman Suramin, Sufian Salih, Mohd Khaider Kadran, Hasim Talib, Zakaria Samad, Ahmad Zakaria, Terhamid Dahalan, Abdul Rahman Ahmad, Mahfudi Saifudin, Mulyadi, Arifin, Mat Tarmizi Zakaria, Artas Burhanudin, Francis Indanan, Mohd Nazri Dollah, Mohd Arsad Patangari, Adzmi Pindatun, Idris Lanama, Aboud Ghafar Shahril, Jeknal Adil, Binsali Omar, Husin Alih, Yussof Mohd Salam, Ahmad Jamal Azahari, Pakana Selama, Kasem Dayama, Shaykinar Guat, Argadi Andoyok, Ng How Chuang, Ng Keat Seng, Mohd Azuan Aniffa, Mohd Faizol Shamsuddin, Zulfikli Abu Bakar, Zulfikli Marzuki, Amir Hussain, Mohd Nasir Ismail, Ahmad Kamil Hanafiah, Muh Amir Hanafiah, Tan Choon Chin, Mavalavan, Lian Kok Heng, Sundaraj Vijay, San Khaing, Shadul Islam, Abdul Sattar Sarjoon, Faycal Mamdouh, Mohamad Nakhrakhel, Muhammad Shuaib Hazral Bilal, Muhammad Zahid Zahir Shah, T Vasanthakumar, P Uthayakumar, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau, M Manoharan,RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN!
TakDakISA
September 21, 2008
RPK would probably tell Marina to please go home.
But if anybody wants or not so be it! Why harangue people and defeat the whole purpose. How many ways to skin a cat?
K W Waran
September 21, 2008
Dearest Folks,
I am no lawyer but I can read and understand the Law. In fact, in 1995 as a registered student of LLB(Hons) external degree programme, I took exception on certain aspect of the University of London’s rules & regulations as a matter of principle.
When appeal after appeal didn’t work, I decided to take that “bull” by its very horns and ended up shaking the very pillars of that University while showing my middle finger and discontinued studying, again as a matter of principle. Then, I heard that the following year, they had reviewed their Rules & Regulations.
So, please, don’t let one sentence defeat the very purpose of this noble petition. Let’s do it for YM RPK. He does not deserve to be in detention at all.
I like chopin
September 21, 2008
Haris,at first I felt uncomfortable after reading different views in other blogs but then if you signed it too and if it was written by Prof Lim Teck Ghee,I thought,what the heck!
So,I have signed and am so glad I did because I trust both you and Lim are exemplary anak anak bangsa Malaysia!
Thank you
colorsmalaysian
September 21, 2008
[The law] should only be used on armed terrorists… ??!!
=======================================================
“Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing it, and conquering it.”
By:-
Jean Paul Richter quotes (German Novelist and humorist, 1763-1825)
RAKYAT the Power of Nation
mei1
September 21, 2008
I’ve no regret to sign it. Perhaps we can put it this way, though the petition is not perfectly written, we should focus more on the intention of the petition i.e. release all the ISA detainees. Of course ideally would be a petition to release cum abolish the ISA. Anyway, it’s a good lesson for anyone who’ll launch any petition in the future i.e. be cautious in phrasing or writing.
Mohd Adnan
September 21, 2008
I am not going to sign for the Hindraf and Al Maamunah. Period.
maw
September 22, 2008
i have signed though have not met him at all.i signed for his principles,courage above all honesty.many in rural areas want to help but could not express so due to lack of facilities and it illiterate dont be surprised the old folks in kampongs expressed support for him.children keep going home to update latest news to their parents and grand parents.i will keep on doing this along with my friends.marina we are with you.
maw
September 22, 2008
my signatory no is 10256.sorry didnt quote earlier
Mr.Right K
September 22, 2008
If say, 10 million, no, ok 1 million fellow Malaysian sign the petition and the government arrest DSAI under ISA saying that he is “OUT TO TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT BY FORCE”, doesn’t that mean we actually agreed that he can be ISA’ed. Malaysian politician are very good with word’s or what they call “SPINNIG” (PANDAI PUSING). Don’t be cornered. I mean how difficult is it to come up with another petition as many requesting. Why must we stick to this one. We want ISA to be abolished and use the proper law and give all offenders a chance to defend themselves. That is what we are figthing for. I don’t think RPK will agree with this petiton. As much as I understand him he is a man with principals “NO MEANS NO” not “SINCE IT INVOLVES ME, WE CLOSE ONE EYE LA”. We have to stick to our principals, stand up to what we beleive in and fight for it all the way. Victory will be ours soon. Please don’t change the course due to emotions and sentiments. Think about it guys. Something to ponder and please……… come up with a new petition. Cheers. Mr.Right K.
Mr.Right K,
Talk is cheap. Launch that petition
Dr. Hamid Ibrahim
September 26, 2008
ISA – to HANG ON TO POWER
Any common man or law student knows that the ISA is
not meant for Politicians or persons who do not agree
with the views of the UMNO govt. UMNO says this is a
democractice country; if so there should be differing views; that is democracy. They why you go and arrest
and put them in Detention for years and years; this
has been happening for a long time.
I remember when David V (Trade Union) and many others were detained including Lim Kit Siang; they were not carrying and going around threatening or shooting people; they had a different point of view from the ruling UMNO.
We must put an end to this ISA, OSA, and Emergency
Regulations (of which there are 4) under which UMNO
can declare EMERGENCY in order to hold to power. These
are crazy chaps –
Pray to Allah that He will give them some sense.
PRISONERS’ RELEASE
Do you know that during th Ramalan period in most of
the ISLAMIC countries, they release prisoners; Malaysia
is the ONLY country that dot’t RELEASE the prisoners
for good behaviour. Every State Ruler must involve and call for the files of Prisoners; and release the good prisoners who have behaved well. This is part of the Islamic Tradition. Rulers must take the lead.
long live democratic Malaysia.
Mr.Right K
September 28, 2008
My mum used to tell me when I’m a kid that if not for my mouth kurap dog will carry me and run away. Today I tell her it’s that mouth and my talk that’s feeding me and my family. She agrees. So there is no cheap talk my friend. Ain’t all the bloggers and politicians are talking most of the time, verbaly or in writing. If I know how to launch a petition, I will do it. Show me how and I’ll prove to you that I’m a man of my word sir! Cheers