Abdullah Badawi declares war on Bar Council December 9, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Event, Human Rights, International, Malaysia, Politics.Tags: Abdullah Badawi, Bar Council, Barisan Nasional, R Sivarasa, Umno, World Human Rights Day
trackback
A march for freedom of assembly was halted and 8 persons, 5 of them
prominent human rights lawyers in Malaysia were arrested. Another was arrested at the premises of the Bar Council.
The names of those arrested, obtained thus far, at the March are as follows:-
1. R. Sivarasa
2. Latheefa Koya
3. N Surendran
4. Amer Hamzah Arshad
5. Eric Paulsen
6. Noorazah Othman
7. Anthony Andu
Edmund Bon, the chair of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee was
also arrested when he attempted to stop the Kuala Lumpur City Council
(DBKL) from taking down banners with human rights messages. (See Malaysiakini.com for details)
DBKL and the police were reported to have harrassed those who were at and outside the Bar Council premises.
The march, which was held in conjunction with World Human Rights Day,
began at 8 am from the Sogo Departmental Store and was expected to end
at Central Market. However they were unable to complete the march when
the police swooped in to detain them.
Those arrested are currently held at the IPK Kuala Lumpur (Kuala
Lumpur Police Headquarters) on Jalan Hang Tuah.
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang today said,
“The police arrests of the eight on International Human Rights Day is doubly ominous for it is a clear symbol that the Abdullah premiership, which had started with the false promise of greater respect for human rights, has finally taken off its velvet glove to show the iron fist within to crush expressions of human rights in the country.” (source)
elizabeth wong 
The arrests of Emund Bon over the Banner issue reflexs the Govts fear of the very people who voted them in. The Leadership of the Malaysian govt has no respect for peoples rights, the laws of the country etc Their actions are worst than Marcos of the Philipines,Suharto of Indonesia and many others who has been brough down by Peoples Power All theirs actions the last two months points to wards the days which are numbered More arrests will lead towards Peoples powerl Edmund Bon you will not be alone The people will join you in the fight for Democracy The end is near.
This is no more a democratic country. It is no more civilized. It is like stone age..the strong with guns and bullets controls.
Our government will not allow anyone to speak..show or protest against them in any way…any form.
Using the excuse to prevent another racial incident like May 13th 1939….they shut all mouths against them.
We must not fall into their traps. We need to be calm and composed….not to fall into their traps into their objectives to create fear and disorder…to win the coming elections….like Bush did for his second term. Learn from it. Fear always makes people to re-elect same government.
I am sure the lawyers are capable to protect themselves legally….and Edmond Bon do have majority Malaysians supporting him…..including me….for this man is a real Freedom Fighter for all Malaysians.
[…] Abdullah Badawi declares war on Bar Council – Elizabeth Wong […]
What velvet glove?
The police always wore iron gloves on the outside and an iron heart in the inside.
[…] Abdullah Badawi declares war on Bar Council – Elizabeth Wong […]
I mean to to say 13th May 1969…..incident.
Now it’s no longer “Saya pantang dicabar”… Rather, it’s “Beta murka dicabar”
Msia is the only country where local council enforcement officers can make arrests. They can throw rocks, fight and abuse at their whims and fancies.
The arrests of the lawyers only mean,’What can you do? I’m am UMNaziO. I can do anything I want. I can talk nonsense in Parliament. I can bully, marginalise, corrupt, C4, and what are you going to do about it’.
I don’t need your votes! I have enough to put me in power. Then I have another 5 years to plunder, to bully, to corrupt and to C4 anybody that is a threat to me.
christmas is here and there is a gift for us during this festive time. its a precious one. yes, it is just a piece of paper with a message.
“truth is shown now. freer society and more press freedom is no more than a spin to project a positive image. true colours are now evident that this regime is no less authoritarian than the much maligned one in Myanmar”
So, Tun is right. This country is becoming a police state.
DUN agree at all.
The filipinos marched coz they were fed up of many people going missing during Marcos’ time. Every single person in Philipines back then PERSONALLY knows of someone who have disappeared. Total “missing – presumed killed” came up to tens of thousands. Imagine the entire BERSIH march people ALL killed and you can see the impact of such killings on the population. People need to find a dead body for closure but it so happened that the bodies cannot be found until today. The assasination of Aquino in broad daylight was just the final straw that broke the camels back.
HOWEVER the BERSIH march people are still alive and kicking and downing their teh tariks happily as we speak.
The gomen here having access to expert (IMHO evil) advice jolly well knows that they can “push” some more and even much much much more.
Call me cynical but if u compare Philipines situation and Malaysia situation now; Edmund Bon IS ALL ALONE, HE IS COLD, HUNGRY AND FRIGHTENED. AND NOBODY IS GONNA DO ANYTHING.
NOT YET ANYWAY.
No, it is not the Bar Council that this PM or whoever that is pulling his strings has declared war on. No, the war declared is on the aspirations of those citizens for a more just and democractic Malaysia. I salute these lawyers , they have decided to stand by their principles despite the Bar Council giving in.
This “3-in1” ( Executive, Judiciary & Legislative ) Bodowi is just a despot. and only a despot will resort to oppression by arresting dissidents.
Democracy was dead when the Lord President was illegally sacked in 1988 by the former despot.Now this 3-in-1 Bodowi is just another nincompoop who will not hesitate to resort to jungle law arresting people with different voice.
This 3-in-1 Bodowi is doomed and will be booted out by the Malaysian People come this General Election.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke
“It is weakness rather than wickedness which renders men unfit to be trusted with unlimited power.” — John Adams, 1788
“Those who have been once intoxicated with power and have derived any kind of emolument from it can never willingly abandon it.” — Edmund Burke
http://freedomkeys.com/vigil.htm
Kudos to our lawyers for having the courage to face this authoritarian government. They have made their point!
They are truly the bulwark of law and order; in words and in deed.
They have missed a chance to do so when the Lord President was sacked in 1988.
To knuckle down again in the face of adversity will only embolden this government that, with a show of power, the people, including lawyers will buckle up.
The government will get the message that it is all powerful and can act according to its whims and fancies.
The lawyers have done the right thing by standing up to them.
It’s time to put an end to such nonsense.
Lawyers are a group of educated and respected of our Malaysian citizens. They know what is right and what is wrong and yet they proceeded with the “Human Rights” peaceful march. Thank you for so bravely standing up for our “slowly but surely” eroding rights to speech, etc. Sorry that the police were again manipulated into making unnecessary arrests. Well what to do? Nowadays “Cari makan bukan senang” Govt fighting corruption…… sincerely hope that they truthful.
yh – December 9, 2007
Glad to be back to this blog AGAIN,
The above commenter said “So, Tun is right. This country is becoming a police state”.
Yes, Tun (Mahathir) is always right, he started it. Anwar Ibrahim, Tun Salleh Abbas,(sacked by illegal power-play) Lim Kit Siang & son, Karpal Singh, Tian Chua, and countless others suffered political persecution by using the ISA as an instrument to incarcerate prisoners of conscience. Badawi enhance using it as a toll to protect his self righteous interest but the very fact was that since Mahathir, the police state has clearly manifest. I can’t be wrong on this.
It is sad to see such things happened in Malaysia and no wonder why the bright people are migarting overseas to country such as Australia,England or America because eventhough is a white man country but as a foreigner who live there, you are entitle to speak up against the Government if you are not happy with the ways things are done.As for myself who is already an Australian,and living in this country for nearly 18 years, never in my thoughts that I want to see my children growing up in a country where they are not allow to voice their’s opinion if they are not happy.Look at Australia recently, we have a ex-Malaysian sitting in Parliament as a Minister and this is what we call democracy.It is time now that Malaysia should practise what other countries do, people’s power and that is what should be happening for e.g Pakistan, recently even General Musharaf have to give in to the people of Pakistan.The way the country is run is almost similar to running a communist country.An advise to those lawyers that have been arrested, do not give up hope and the world of democracy is behind you and watching and praying for your freedom.
Freedom to vote, freedoom to speak and freedoom to act.Freedom to all the people who have been surpressed all this years.
[…] World HR Day protestors in court today January 28, 2008 Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Human Rights, Malaysia, Politics. trackback The case of 8 persons arrested (5 of them human rights lawyers) on World Human Rights Day last month will be heard today at Jalan Duta Sessions Court 1 at 9 am. (Recap here.) […]