Justice, Where Art Thou??

Raja Petra has just been sent to 2 years imprisonment in Kamunting.

https://airkosong.com/_/2008/09/23/rpk-sent-to-kamunting-gross-travesty-of-justice-by-syed-hamid-albar/

Why retell something that has already been so eloquently written? (Thanks, Mr. Air Kosong blogger)

But, if you stubbornly refuse to click, here's the gist of it:

• Raja Petra initially detained under Section 73 - detention pending judicial review.
• He has now (Sept 23) been sent to Kamunting for 2 years under Section 8 - 2 years detention with NO chance of judicial review.
• Home Minister i-had-nothing-to-do-with-it Syed Hamid Albar signed the papers last night.

My question being, if you were so sure he was inciting racial tension, why not prove it to the world at large in court? Flexing muscle without reason always makes you look the bully.

I think we've checked erm... all of them? Really scary thought. Picture taken from I Am Malaysian.

So let's try this again. RandomThots fully endorses the signing of yet another petition saying NO to the ISA.

There is an online list of detainees under the ISA here.
And also, some interesting facts:

10,662 people have been arrested under the ISA in the past 44 years, 4,139 were issued with formal detention orders and 2,066 were served with restriction orders governing their activities and where they live. In addition, 12 people were executed for offences under the ISA between 1984 and 1993.
Source: Figures were provided in a written answer by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Minister for Internal Security, to parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, whose statement was quoted by AFP in newsreports dated 3 Feb 2005

p.s: i'm sorry and thank you to all the blogs that i took material off. It was fun finding new blogs that dissed our silly leadership. For my own reference and i think Dan, you'll enjoy these:

• The Flaccid Mind
• Stupid Malaysia
• I Am Malaysian
• Crankshaft

p.p.s: I couldn't help noting that on one of the comments in reply to a blog kutuking Saiful, there was this: 'u r the most bustard' (heehee... i thought it snigger-worthy)

p.p.p.s: I think this is a good post that EVERY Malaysian boy and girl should read.

A follow up from the post on the Large Hadron Collider

For those who bothered reading about the Large Hadron Collider a few posts ago.
What an anti-climax.

The LHC:

had to be shut down when temperatures rose by about 100C, causing a leak of a ton of liquid helium into the tunnel.

~this article in the NZ Herald

So, the mysteries of the universe dying to be unravelled will have to wait another 2 months then.
Sorry for the false alarm.


(It's sadder because a teenage girl in India committed suicide over the fear that the LHC would create a black hole that would cause the destruction of mankind)
Sometimes too much [mis]information can be dangerous.

Freedom (let's hope it lasts)

Jubilation!
Teresa Kok is free!
Apparently they couldn't find anything to hold her for. And now she's turned around and sued the buggers who put her in that predicament in the first place. Vicious rumours, might i add?

You go, woman!
Do petitions help? Probably not. But damn, over 30,000 people agree that she shouldn't have been there.

Question of the day:
What would be the first thing you'd do if you had been in detention for an indefinite period?

For me? Probably a really long shower, a massage and mummy's cooking. But a comfy bed would be a close second.

Time to say, 'Away! You nasty ISA!'

The dreaded September 16th date is here.
Apparently people have been stockpiling groceries in anticipation of another civil unrest reminiscent of the May 13 troubles.

It was smooth driving to work today.

So the government may or may not turn over. Anwar may or may not have enough ministers defect to give his party the majority. We may or may not be looking to a brighter (or at least different) future.

Malaysia is, however, still a country that adopts the outdated and, in my opinion, unwarranted, practise of detainment without trial.
As i mentioned earlier, the news reporter, caught supposedly 'because they feared for her safety' has been released. [The government flip flops on this story, though. One day it's for her own safety, the next it's for inciting racial unease and then suddenly because it is a matter of national security. The Prime Minister and Home Minister also alternate from not knowing and not acting]
However, Raja Petra (long time adversary of the government) and MP Teresa Kok still remain under ISA detention.

As far as the country understands it, Teresa Kok is in jail for supporting a petition to tell mosques to lower down the volume of their publicly aired azan prayers. However, the mosques have since come out to say that there is no truth in the claim. Religious councils have also said that there are laws to handle these issues (although they think she's not at fault too) and if there really has been an offense then it should be dealt with in a court of law.

Really, there's no reason for her to be taken away to an undisclosed location to be subjected to unknown actions. In fact, the very existence of an Internal Security Act is making a mockery of our judicial system. If you need an act that allows you to bypass the courts, then you must think the courts aren't doing their jobs very well.

So, RandomThots is all for you checking out this petition to free Teresa Kok.

(if i only harp on about Teresa Kok and not Raja Petra it's because i read more about her than him)

If she's wrong, then give her a fair trial. If she's not, then let her go!

For we are marching with a song....

i don't know how many of my Stella Maris friends actually read this blog (or know of its existence) but for the few of you that do, if you're feeling reminiscent about the high school days...

http://caisproject.blogspot.com/

How come there was nothing like that when we were there?

The complete lack of familiar faces made me realise it's been 6 years since i last wore that uniform...

I take it as a good thing when you can look fondly back on the memories =)

For Glory of Malaysia - Harmonious and Peaceful but Also *********Censored due to racial sentiment*********

A few blog posts ago i said that the Bar Council held a forum on the so called 'social contract' between the races.

I also said that there was hue and cry over the discussion of matters that could 'provoke racial tension'.

Apparently, when you are disgruntled, you should just shut up, bottle your feelings (and secretly plot the demise of the world around you).

Oh, of course the May 13th incident involved nothing of the sort.


Anyway, it turns out that Malaysian politicians will never fail to deliver. In the midst of challenges from the Opposition, a brilliant (now former) UMNO man decided to say that all Chinese in the country are immigrants. Yeah, the 30% of the country that are now around 3rd generation immigrants are being accused of invading the country by hhhmm... 6 or 7 generation immigrants?
[click here to read just how much of an ass he is. Here's a teaser: “If the division is smart enough to create a new post, like an adviser, I can become an adviser." Cos the country loves you, Ahmad.]


Fair enough he has been banned from office for the next 3 years, and also fair enough that the episode and its ensuing outcry has made the PM realise that Race Relations are not at a Healthy Level. [come on, that deserves at least a 'No Shit, Sherlock!']


Unfortunately, this is apparently why.

“Issues that are not normally raised are being brought up and turned into issues. Matters that have never been discussed before are being discussed now and this is bringing about all sorts of reactions."

~so i quote the Malaysian PM

So, racial tension in Malaysia. Correct!

It's because people are saying things that incite racism. Correct!

The answer is to stop people talking about the issues that plague our society. Uh....

It's like when you're doing a crossword with someone and they made you promise not to tell them the answers but they are sooooo excruciatingly close you just wanna scream 'IT'S SO OBVIOUS!! CAN'T YOU SEE 6-LETTER WORD DOWN FOR DUMB IS STUPID!?!'

I share sentiments with the Malaysians around the world.

UPDATE

In latest news (13 Sept), a news reporter has just been arrested under the ISA (Internal Security Act for the uninitiated - the one that lets you drag people away for no reason other than 'to preserve national security' for 60 days which can be extended indefinitely at the discretion of one person). What is so striking about this? A number of people have been dragged away by the ISA.

Well, she just seems to have been dragged away for reporting on what the aforementioned Ahmad had said at a political rally. Do i hear 'shooting the messenger', anyone?

RandomThots is all for the abolition of the ISA and the release of the reporter. If you can't justify an arrest then you probably shouldn't be arresting.

Unfortunately, as my friends in Jogjakarta did enlighten:

Person in Jogja: Are there big demonstrations in Malaysia (in reference to fuel hike)

Me: Nope, we'd get arrested! ISA.

Person in Jogja: Oh, Indonesia abolished the ISA years ago. We're very politically active.

Me: So how did you guys get rid of it?

Person in Jogja: We demonstrated.

Me: (-_-")

What a chicken and egg scenario...

ANOTHER UPDATE

The aforementioned reporter has been released because the government realised that when they are unpopular amongst the masses, turning all Malaysia's journalists against them is probably NOT the brightest idea.

CERN and the Mysteries of Subatomic Particle Collision!

It's a sign of our times.
I know that Britney Spears opened the VMA and that she won 3 awards.
I know that Apple has just released a new range of iPods (thinner than ever before).
I know that if you are a minister who may pontentially be cajoled to join the 'dark side' (couldn't help myself), you can find yourself wooed into trips to the Great Agricultural Country* of Taiwan

But i think it's a shame that in our obsession with popular culture, we aren't more concerned about the Large Hadron Collider. [Wired has an excellent FAQ section on it. NY Times has a longer article on it too.]

Goodness, it even looks like it's from the future. From here

So we don't normally get much say in the day-to-day running of the world, but the U.K's Astronomer Royal putting the odds of total annihilation through sudden black hole creation (leading to the universe being sucked in and therefore everything going out like a light - except the lightbulb and air and everything around would cease to exist too) at 1 in 50 million makes me think 'Well, stranger things have happened!'

I just think that maybe we should've been aware of it considering existence of the universe is a little bit of my concern too. Then again, there'd probably be a lot of ignorant protests from people who are better off sitting harmlessly at home.

In any case, Einstein's Theory of Relativity tells us it's not possible to cause destruction of the earth. [heave collective sigh of relief here]

So maybe we won't be extinguished, but the Large Hadron Collider is (i quote)

the biggest, most complex machine humans have ever built, and today they will finally get to turn it on.

~this article in The Age

Not to mention it cost $9.6 billion USD, involved 10,000 scientists and engineers and is the result of over 20 years of work. Hooray!

Some nerdy enlightenment:

• The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is an enormous long circular tunnel with lots of posh things attached that will send particles in laps around it.
• They are trying to get 2 beams of particles to smash into each other.
• This will recreate conditions immediately after the Big Bang - which could be enlightening.
• Somehow this could potentially prove/disprove the Big Bang Theory, String Theory, Multiple-Universe Theory and the existence of Dark Matter.

What the heck? You're not peeing your pants in joy/anxiety/excitement/anticipation/trepidation?

Seriously, you could find out tomorrow (or realistically in the next 20 years) that there IS a parallel universe and somewhere out there a you but not you (or as many t-shirts put it: Same same but different) is living the alternate life you could never have imagined.

This could be the culmination of every sci-fi nerds' fantasies!

And if this could be taken as concrete proof that the Big Bang did happen, would we be able to stoke up as much furore in the Church as the heretical accussations surrounding Darwin's Theory of Evolution v Creation?

Well, whatever the result, i tip my metaphorical hat off to you, scientists and engineers. For daring to dream big and for not blowing up the universe. I like the enigma of science and physics but i wonder if i really would like to know the answers.

Mystery has its own appeal.

*may not be an actual country depending on whether being pro-China is in fashion.

I Love Discovery Channel

This song has been stuck in my head and I just need to share it in case some people have missed out.



What a happy feel good song =)

Discovery Channel is awesome.
(and so is Stephen Hawking)

Rain rain go away. Or stay? I don't really know.

The lovely art is courtesy of the Abominable Charles Christopher

It's been raining consistently for the past few weeks. (and it is still raining as i type this)

Rain...

Rain..

Rain

Don't get me wrong, i love the rain. i love watching as it patters down on buildings and plants, how it drips from roof gutters and causes ripples in puddles of water and the hushing sound that it makes, like the world is housed in a giant auditorium.

Rain has a soothing effect perfect for lie-ins and warm blankets.

Unfortunately, whilst at work, one is far away from warm blankets. And far from home - the long and arduous path of which is then jam-ridden due to over-cautious drivers, giant puddles and broken down cars.

You begin to doubt a place when it makes you dislike the things you love.

What's Your Colour?

And yet another half a month has flown by.
Well, just a quick thought for today.

If you were a colour, what would you be?

I have to figure out a study table desktop colour because being me, the plain old whites, greys and browns don't really appeal.
So i was torn between purple and orange (naturally, right? :S)

And then i thought, well, what is a ME colour? And then i thought, well, what is anybody's colour?
I don't really know how to describe it but i guess how i'd imagine it is if you could ascribe colours to moods and you could ascribe general moods to people then I guess you get their colour?

*Gasp* Is this where we subconsciously got our notions of colour from?

I can imagine large office blocks that are in shades of muted blue and grey.
Batik shop owners would probably burst out in bold greens and bright reds.
And high school girls would fluctuate between studious yellows (why yellow? just a feeling) and cheerleader pinks.

And, just because it exists, i also decided to take this online colour test (put on by a paint company, naturally)

You boast incredible willpower and are capable of overcoming obstacles that would normally leave others shaking in their boots. You have a penchant for colorful environments and often impress others with your energetic bursts of energy. Your interests in many areas of life often leave you scattered, but when you focus you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

I agree with the penchant for colourful environments and scattered interests in life, but that willpower thing hasn't shone through in the gym. But you know, that's probably just a practice in stereotyping. People are definitely more multi-faceted than colour designation (or for that matter astrology) gives them credit for.

So i decided that i'm red when i'm having a night out, lavender when i feel like a quieter, contemplation sort of day, orange when i'm joking around, blue when it's raining outside and i get to snuggle up inside (also when at a jazz bar), grey when i'm reading the news (which is often bad), pink when i'm with my girlfriends, green when i feel active and an earthy brown when i'm being domestic and cooking.

But that's just the colours in my head. Alternately, you could just find out what other have to say about it here, here and here.

Haha... Take it with a pinch of salt though because some of these sites are about the colour of your aura. Which i can't see. (-_-")

I wonder how i'd respond if someone said i had a big aura...

p.s: Veron, you're somewhere on a purply-lavender for me. CC makes me think pink. Damien is a strong yellow/ochre. Kee Hong i think is red (matches his temper). Daniel is a safe brown or blue. Gigi - i haven't decided - either pink or blue.

p.p.s: i hope you all tak tersinggung with my random colour guessings. ;)