elizabeth wong

RIP: Abdul Razak Ahmad August 12, 2007

“Young members of the Bar may not know of the struggles that Razak Ahmad has been through, fighting for what he believes in.

There are a number of things that I respect about Razak. Years ago, he could have easily joined the ruling party, and become a Minister at least. There were, I believe, more than a few opportunities in which he could have crossed over to the “winning side”.

He chose not to. He clung on to his convictions.

I once asked him whether it had occurred to him to try to make changes from within the system. He replied that, under our system, that would not be possible.

What would probably happen is that one then becomes part of the system that creates the problems; and he does not want to become that.

It is easy to proclaim to hold on to principles. It is difficult to continuously do so knowing full well what one is giving up.

Razak passed the test, many times over.”

(Yeo Yang Poh, former President of the Malaysian Bar, 25 June 2007)

Al-Fatihah: Abdul Razak Ahmad August 12, 2007

Malaysia kehilangan seorang tokoh progresif, nasionalis dan anti-rasis.

Abdul Razak Ahmad yang lahir pada tahun 1939 telah meninggal dunia pada pukul 1.20 petang hari ini di Hospital Tun Aminah, Johor Baharu.

Beliau seorang peguam hak asasi membela nasib rakyat miskin, terutamanya masyarakat peneroka bandar. Razak menyandang jawatan Pengerusi Perhubungan KeADILan Johor dan sebelum itu, Timbalan Presiden Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).

Kes yang paling baru, di mana Razak telah membantu Suaram ialah bila dua aktivis Suaram ditahan polis semasa demonstrasi di hadapan rumah Menteri Besar Johor mengenai masalah jenayah di Johor.

Razak ialah bekas Presiden Kelab Sosialis, Universiti Singapura yang pernah ditahan dan dibuang negara oleh Singapura, dan semenjak itu, tidak dibenarkan masuk kembali.

Dalam tahun 1975, beliau ditahan di bawah ISA kerana memperjuangkan hak peneroka bandar di Tasek Utara.

Apabila Presiden Israel melawat Singapura pada tahun 1986,  Razak telah membaring di atas landasan keretapi sebagai tanda bantahan beliau, dan beliau terpaksa diheret keluar oleh pihak polis.

Parti KeADILan telah hilang seorang pejuang yang telah berkorban seumur hidupnya demi menegakkan prinsip keadilan dan hak-hak asasi. Malangnya sejarah resmi negara kita akan mengabaikan pejuang tulen seperti Razak.

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