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Kenyataan Bersama National Alliance of Bloggers (AllBlogs) dan Center for Policy Initiatives

Amaran SOS kepada Semua Rakyat Malaysia berkenaan kes Raja Petra

Dalam beberapa hari kebelakangan ini terdapat terlalu banyak berita yang tidak menyenangkan — baik yang bertulis atau lisan– seolah-olah menunjukkan bahawa Raja Petra Kamaruddin pasti akan ditahan di bawah Akta keselamatan dalam Negeri (ISA).

Kami berharap Kerajaan tidak akan memikirkan tindakan seperti ini. Bagi mengurangkan merebaknya dengan segera kemarahan dan kebimbangan rakyat — dalam dan luar negara akibat tindakan yang pendek akal ini, kami menyeru pihak berkuasa yang merancang tindakan ini supaya mendengar amaran ini, iaitu dengan segera menghentikan semua tindakan kepada Raja Petra sama ada melalui ISA atau langkah-langkah penekanan yang lain; tetapi sebaliknya memberi jaminan bahawa:

1. Tiada hasrat untuk menahan Raja Petra melalui ISA;

2. Raja Petra hendaklah diberi kebebasan untuk terus menulis berkaitan perkara-perkara penting yang dihadapi oleh negara;

3. Undang-undang zalim ISA tidak digunakan ke atas Raja Petra atau mana-mana penulis blog Malaysia yang lain sebagai hukuman kerana menyatakan pandangan serta pendapat yang bertentangan dan berbeza.

Pada hemat kami dan sekiranya Kerajaan sanggup menjalankan kajian secara bebas, mengambil kira pendapat majoriti besar rakyat Malaysia dan warga asing, Raja Petra tidak langsung dianggap sebagai mengancam keselamatan dan keamanan negara. Sebaliknya, dia sebenarnya menjadi ancaman kepada individu-individu dan organisasi tertentu yang dilihatnya terlibat dalam tindakan-tindakan tanpa peduli dan bersifat pengecut yang akan meruntuhkan negara.

Ramai rakyat Malaysia juga berpendapat bahawa laman web beliau mengandungi banyak analisis paling tajam berkaitan pelbagai kepincangan yang berlaku di negara kita. Percubaan setrusnya untuk menutup laman webnya atau menyekat kebebasan bercakap beliau bukan sahaja satu serangan kepada seorang patriot yang berani, berprinsip dan beretika tetapi tindakan Kerajaan juga akan dilihat sebagai percubaan untuk menyekat kebebasan kami mendapat maklumat dan bersuara. Tindakan ini juga akan membawa negara ke jurang pemerintahan kuku besi.

Sementara kita menghormati hak bersuara dan mendpat maklumat, kami juga menasihati semua penulis blog dan penulis online lain untuk menggunakan standard dan etika yang sama juga diharapkan daripada kalangan wartawan media tradisional. Kami tidak boleh membiarkan penipuan dan niat jahat dalam internet dan tidak hanya berpegang teguh kepada tulisan kami; kami juga mampu mempertahankan kebenaran menganai apa yang kami tulis.

Kami ingin menekankan bahawa pada pandangan kami undang-undang pada masa ini yang berkaitan dengan Hasutan dan Fitnah adalah sama-sama terpakai kepada media cetak dan media online dan seharusnya sudah memadai untuk mencegah penulisan-penulisan yang “tidak bertanggungjawab???. Justeru kami menggesa supaya Kerajaan tidak mengambil tindakan menggunakan undang undang ISA yang zalim ini untuk menjadikan penulis-penulis yang cintakan kedamaian di Malaysia ini sebagai tebusan.

Sebuah Kerajaan yang demokratik tidak akan sekali-kali melayani — apatah lagi meneruskan tuduhan-tuduhan yang telah dibuat terhadap Raja Petra. Untuk mengasingkan segala bentuk kekuatan dalam sistem undang-undang yang seringkali cenderung untuk menggunakan jentera Kerajaan yang menindas terhadap pelbagai pihak yang menentang demi kepentingan mereka sendiri, kami dengan ini menggesa:

1. Semua pemimpin dari Barisan Nasional mahupun dari Pakatan Rakyat yang berfikiran adil dan jujur supaya menyuarakan sama ada di khalayak ramai atau secara peribadi menentang sebarang percubaan menggunakan ISA terhadap Raja Petra;

2. Parti-parti komponen Barisan Nasional dan Pakatan Rakyat secara terbuka hendaklah menentang sebarang usaha untuk untuk menahan Raja Petra di bawah ISA;

3. Masyarakat sivil, golongan professional dan organisasi lain dan individu digesa mendesak Kerajaan memberi jaminan kebebasan bersuara kepada Raja Petra dan beraku-janji tidak menggunakan ISA terhadap beliau sama ada sekarang atau pada masa akan datang.

Kami berharap kewarasan tindakan akan terserlah dalam kepimpinan di negara kita. Sebarang tindakan yang menindas Raja Petra, terutama pada ketika ini, akan dipersoalkan atau perlu dijawab. Kami yakin ratusan ribu malah mungkin jutaan rakyat Malaysia akan berdiri teguh menyatakan tentangan mereka sekiranya Kerajaan memilih untuk menutup mulut Raja Petra melalui penggunaan ISA.

Kenyataan dikeluarkan oleh:

Ahiruddin Atan, Presiden Sementara, National Alliance of Bloggers (AllBlogs)

Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, Pengasas dan Pengarah Eksekutif, Center for Policy Initiatives

September 9, 2008

Courtesy of DIN MERICAN

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joint Press Statement by National Alliance of Bloggers and Centre for Policy Initiatives
 
SOS on Raja Petra Kamarudin to Fellow Malaysians
 
During the last few days there has been an ominous and increasing crescendo of messages – written and verbal – indicating the imminent arrest and detention of fellow blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
 
We hope that the Government is not contemplating this action.  To alleviate the widespread public uproar and concern – national and international – that this shortsighted action will precipitate, we call on the authorities that may be planning this action to take heed of this SOS; to immediately cease all targeting of Raja Petra through the ISA or any other repressive measure; and to come out instead with an assurance that
 
1.  no such ISA order is being envisaged to be served on Raja Petra
2.  Raja Petra is free to continue his writings on the vital matters affecting the country
3.  the draconian legislation of the ISA will not be used on Raja Petra or any other Malaysian blogger to punish them for their dissenting views and opinions.
 
In our view - and if the Government should care to undertake an independent  survey, in the view of the great majority of Malaysians and non-Malaysians - Raja Petra in no way poses a threat to the country’s peace and security.  Rather, he poses a threat to those individuals and organizations that he perceives as engaging in unconscionable and dastardly acts and activities that are bringing ruin to the nation.   Many Malaysians too are of the opinion that his website contains some of the most incisive analysis on the ills that beset our nation.  Further attempts to take down his website or to shackle his freedom of expression is not only an attack on  a fearless, principled and ethical patriot but they will also be construed as an attempt to restrict our  freedom of information and expression, a move that will take the country further down the road of authoritarianism.
 
While we respect the right to freedom of speech and information, we also advise all Bloggers and other online writers to exercise the same high ethical standards expected of journalists in the traditional media. We do not condone lies and malice in the Internet and should not only stand by what we write - we must be able to defend the truth of what we write.  
 
We emphasise that in our view the current laws pertaining to Sedition and Defamation apply equally to print and online media and should be deterrent enough to check "irresponsible" writings.  Hence we urge that there be no resort to a draconian law such as the Internal Security Act to hold peace-loving Malaysian writers to ransom."
 
A democratic government should not for one moment entertain - let alone pursue - the charges that have been leveled against Raja Petra.  To isolate those forces in the system that are bent on using the repressive instruments of the state against various opponents for their own benefit, we call on
 
1.    all fair-minded and honest leaders from the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat parties to speak out - privately and publicly - against any attempt to use the ISA against Raja Petra;
2.    component parties of the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to publicly oppose any intended incarceration of Raja Petra under the ISA;
3.    civil society, professional and other organizations and private individuals to demand that the Government guarantees Raja Petra’s freedom of expression and undertakes not to use the ISA against him now or in the future.
 
We hope that good sense will prevail in our country’s leadership.  Any act of repression against Raja Petra especially at this particular time will not go unquestioned or unanswered.  We are confident that hundreds of thousands - if not millions of Malaysians – will stand firmly to make their dissenting views known should the Government choose to silence Raja Petra through the use of the ISA.
 
 
Statement released by
 
Ahirudin Attan Interim President, National Alliance of Bloggers (AllBlogs
 
Dr Lim Teck Ghee, Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives
 
Kuala Lumpur, 9 September 2008
 
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Written by Writer Alliance for Media Independence ?WAMI?

Joint Press Statement on 9th September 2008

No Sedition Act – Rationality Needs to Prevail in Ahmad Ismail Case

We, the undersigned civil society groups, oppose the use of the Sedition Act on Ahmad Ismail, Chief of UMNO Bukit Bendera for his alleged racist remarks. The use of the Sedition Act legitimizes the draconian act which has long been condemned by civil society and opposition parties. Rather than use it to further curb the freedom of expression – whoever the accused - the UMNO politician and his colleagues who backed him with more racist statements should be made to pay his price politically.

We condemn Ahmad Ismail and Penang UMNO for their efforts to shift the blame for the episode and its aftermath onto the journalist who reported the alleged inflammatory statements.  In the process they have aroused ethnic sentiments in the press conferences held on Sept 6 and 8. Most shockingly, Penang Opposition Leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim was quoted to have said of the journalist, "What was written may lead to a racial riot. If such a thing happens, he is the first person that should be shot." This is a thinly-veiled threat of violence. If the reporting had been wrong, why should Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was present when Ahmad Ismail gave his speech apologize for a fabricated report? And if there is any doubt of the contents of his original speech, the explicitly racist nature of the subsequent remarks by Ahmad Ismail and his other colleagues in the two press conferences has confirmed their nasty intention.

We should however realize that exclusivist and hate speech - whether targeted on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, lifestyle or other grounds - is inevitable in any society and cannot be eliminated through laws. Unless we are in an emergency situation and confronted by individuals or groups inciting violence on racial grounds, there is no justification for legally policing and penalizing speech and expression. The only remedy to hate speech is the use of reason and to uphold the freedom of expression. When the society is mature, bigots like Ahmad Ismail – and their party if it refuses to penalize them - will be automatically punished by voters.

We urge Malaysians to be rational and to confront ethnocentric politicians by engaging them with rigorous and open debate.  Resorting to legal means to censor speeches is unwittingly playing into the hands of those in the Government who seek to manipulate the "sensitive issue" paradigm to curb public discourse and political participation. It will also show that we as a society are intellectually incapable of refuting flawed rhetoric whatever the source.

Our stand on the case of Ahmad Ismail is consistent with that we have taken towards recent similar cases impacting on our freedom of speech and expression, notably the cases relating to forum disruption, book banning and website blocking. We reiterate the need to form a Parliamentary Select Committee to reform all freedom of speech and information and media-related laws including the Sedition Act. This is the only way we may mature as a society and fend off bigotry. We urge all Malaysians who oppose ethnic politics to endorse the 2008 Memorandum for Media Freedom at www.benar.org.

Through our measured and rational response, Malaysians can expose the political opportunism and the use of distorted history and other lies by the alleged inflammatory speaker and many others.  Ahmad Ismail and others of the same ilk do not define our nationhood. His statement in no way affects the constitutional and socio-political reality that Chinese Malaysians – and other majority and minority communities - are equal citizens with similar rights as other citizens in this country.

If anything, Ahmad Ismail has stirred a lively debate that has brought out to public attention the deep and irrational well of UMNO's communalism. The apology by UMNO Deputy president and the affirmation of the equal rights of minority communities by UMNO President are the steps in the right direction. However, now that Ahmad Ismail and UMNO Penang have openly snubbed their top leaders, UMNO must take stern disciplinary action to demonstrate its ability to censure its extremist and racially bigoted elements and regain the trust and confidence of, not only the non-Malays and non-Muslims, but of all Malaysians.

Endorsing Groups:

1.       Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

2.       Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)

3.       Bus Users' Group, Penang

4.       Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

5.       Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI)

6.       Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI@Parliament)

7.       Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH)

8.       Empower (Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti, Selangor)

9.       Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC)

10.   Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA)

11.   Penang Watch

12.   Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)

13.   Save Ourselves (SOS), Penang

14.   Sister in Islam (SIS)

15.   Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

16.   Women's Aid Organization (WAO)

 
This joint statement is initiated by Writer Alliance Media Independence (WAMI).

Issued by Mr Wong Chin Huat, Chairperson, Writer Alliance Media Independence (WAMI)

 

For futher info, please contact:

Mr Chan Kim Ming    03-22746645

Mr Wong Chin Huat   (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

________________________________
 
WAMI is a group of writers for the Chinese media in Malaysia, which aims to defend and promote media independence for freer public discussion and wider democratic space. It was formed by about 90 writers who quitted writing for the mainstream Chinese media in May 2001, in protest of the coerced takeover of the non-partisan Nanyang Press by the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a ruling coalition member party.

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Opinion/Press statement by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee on “Political Paradigm Shattering By Elections Results???

 

On 26 August, just a few days short of Merdeka day, voters in Permatang Pauh went to vote for what they want of a better Malaysia for themselves and their children. The outcome: they voted for the opposition candidate not by a small majority as predicted by many observers but by a resounding majority that shatters once and for all, the many stereotypes held of the Malaysian electorate as fearful, docile, easy to manipulate, and captive to the racial fears stoked up by an opportunistic, cynical and increasingly out of touch and desperate Barisan Nasional coalition.

All Malaysians should salute the Malay voters especially as they were subject to intense pressure to vote for the Barisan candidate so as to safeguard “the future of the Malay race??? and “Malay supremacy???. Rejecting one of the most blatantly racist election campaigns run by the Barisan Nasional – one example was a widely disseminated flyer of a “Babi??? (or Pig) Cabinet coming into power should the PKR candidate win; turning a deaf ear to the smear and fear campaign waged against Anwar Ibrahim, his PKR colleagues and the Pakatan Rakyat parties; ignoring the mainstream mass media which again showed its true colours by largely churning out a torrent of propaganda extolling the present leadership and Government and running down the opposition candidate and opposition parties, the great majority of this semi rural constituency voted for a leader and for the Pakatan Rakyat coalition and their hope that through their vote, decency, good governance and good sense will be restored to our body politics and to the other major institutions subject to abusive and repressive BN control and influence.

All those who voted for the opposition party in Permatang Pauh may not be fully aware of the momentous ripple effects of their decision in the voting booth. The elections result is likely to intensify the infighting within the top UMNO leadership with each faction blaming the other for the devastating scale of defeat. It could also widen the growing rift between UMNO and the non-Malay Barisan Nasional coalition parties – the latter will surely be concerned at how the Permatang Pauh campaign was so much focused on the restoration of “Ketuanan Melayu a–la UMNO??? and the Malay agenda. Other ripple effects are an even larger question mark over the Barisan Nasional’s grip on power in the country with the possibility of a snowballing loss of confidence in UMNO’s ability to reform itself leading to a possible mass exodus of Barisan Parliamentarians to the Pakatan Rakyat side.

Finally, the decisive margin of victory achieved by Anwar - despite a considerable investment of time and personal attention put into the campaign by the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak to destroy Anwar’s political career – may put a fatal dent to Najib’s hopes of succeeding to the Prime Ministership position when Abdullah Badawi steps down. The key issues pushed by the Barisan election 

machinery did not touch only on race and economy but they also focused on that of character – principally through the sodomy allegation against Anwar. If Permatang Pauh is a gauge of the concerns of the larger Malay population on the character issue, it would appear that there are considerably more concerns with the moral deficiencies and lapses on the Government side that those attributed to opposition figures and parties.

Whatever the larger macro political ripple effects arising from this by election results, Permatang Pauh voters should not be punished for exercising their democratic right to vote. Continued neglect of the socio-economic and livelihood that beset many in the constituency; deliberate delay of development projects or malicious singling out of localities, kampungs, voters and their families for discriminatory action to penalize politically incorrect behavior will not only be counterproductive but it will also reinforce the perception of many voters in Permatang Pauh and the rest of the country that the Barisan Nasional is beyond reform.

 

Dr Lim Teck Ghee,
Director, Centre for Policy Initiative
26 August 2008

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September 2, 2008

Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI),
Kuala Lumpur.


Saudara/Saudari and Friends:


OPEN INVITATION TO THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF
CPI WEBSITE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2008


You are cordially invited to attend the Official Launch of our Website
-- cpiasia.net and chinese.cpiasia.net -- to be held on Monday,
September 8, 2008 from 2.30pm-4.30pm. Two Guest speakers --
Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon and Dr Syed Husin Ali -- will also honour the occasion with short speeches on Freedom of Information and the Internet.

Venue:

Auditorium,
Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH),

1, Jalan Maharajalela
Kuala Lumpur.


The programme is as follows:

2.30pm: Welcome address by Dr Lim Teck Ghee, Director, CPI

2.45pm: Presentation of CPI Website (English) by YL Chong, Editor, CPI

3.00pm: Presentation of CPI Website (Chinese) by KF Yap, Editor, CPI

3.15pm: ***Address by Dr Syed Husin Ali on: "Freedom of Information
and the Role of the Internet"


3.35pm: ****Address by Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon on: "Freedom of Information
and the Internet (Chinese)

4.00pm: Q and A session follows with the Press

_________________ HI:)-TEA  __________



Please feel free to bring your friends along.
For further enquiry, please contact Ms Helen Ang at 013-2240985.

With warm regards,

Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Director, CPI

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Reject Racial Politicking Tactics in Permatang Pauh By-Elections

Will the coming Permatang Pauh by elections turn out to be the lowest point in Malaysian election history in terms of dirty electioneering, despicable campaign standards and sophisticated election rigging and vote buying?
 
We, the undersigned civil society organizations and all fair minded Malaysians hope not. However feedback from our observers as well as from many others at the ground level is indicating that there is a real possibility of this happening. Party leaders of the contesting parties may claim that they are waging a fair campaign. However the onus is on them to not only exercise full control over their respective election personnel and machineries to compete fairly but also to immediately repudiate whatever unethical behavior or unacceptable activities that are engaged in by their party supporters or proxies.

As civil society organizations that are not aligned to any political party and in our role as the watchdogs of democratic norms, we are concerned that our elections are far from free and fair and conform to international good practice. In particular, we call on - especially to the parties in the Barisan Nasional and to the candidate, Dato Ariff Shah Omar Shah, himself - to dissociate themselves from racially and religiously divisive messages that are appearing in printed form, short message service (SMS) and in private speeches aimed at voters – especially those that play up the fears of one ethnic group against another.
 
Such attempts at crude racial politicking and the use of inflammatory and racially distorted content to win votes need to be condemned by not only the contesting parties and candidates but also by other stakeholders. In this respect, the mainstream mass media has an important role to play in reporting on the election action and developments on the ground in a fair, unbiased and neutral way. Not only should equal and balanced coverage be extended to the campaigns of the two candidates but the press should also be a scrupulously accurate and honest monitor reporting any unethical or unacceptable form of electioneering and exposing the use of dirty tricks or extremist manipulation of racial and religious issues, whether this comes from the PR or BN camps.
 
It is not only the people of Permatang Pauh that are watching to see if a fair and honestly conducted elections will take place: one that focuses on real and substantive issues of local economic and social development and on
the best choice of candidate and party to address the many issues of poverty, rising cost of living and lack of opportunities for upward mobility that many voters face. All Malaysians and a large interested international community are also watching.

*Endorsed by:*

1.      All Women's Action Society (AWAM)
2.      Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
3.      Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI)
4.      Institute for Research and Social Advancement (REFSA)
5.      Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)
6.      Labor Resource Center (LRC)
7.      Malaysia Youth And Student democratic movement (DEMA)
8.      National Institute of Electoral Integrity (NIEI)
9.      Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
10.    Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS)
11.    Pusat Khidmat Pekerja Tanjung (PKPT)
12.  Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
13.    Youth for Change (Y4C)

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