Student takes UIA to court over campus polls
9/23/2005
Beh Lih YiMalaysiakini.com
In an unprecedented move, a Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) student today filed a legal suit against his university and wants the court to cancel the upcoming campus elections. Mozahiri Shamsuddin, a final-year human science student, filed the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court via Mohamed Hanipa & Associates.
He is also seeking for a judicial review on a Sept 8 notice issued by the UIA Students Representative Council’s Election Commission pertaining to election rules. The campus polls is slated for next Thursday.
Apart from declaring the notice unlawful, Mozahiri also wants the court to fix a new date for the polls as well as to declare the Election Commission an unlawful body and thus powerless to manage the elections. In his nine-page affidavit, the student said the formation of the Election Commission was not provided in any law. The campus' Election Commission is headed by the deputy vice-chancellor who oversees the student affairs department besides comprising other university officials.
Mozahiri also questioned several election rules that were introduced for the coming polls which he said were illegitimate as they denied an individual's rights as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. He said the amendment of the academic requirement for a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.8 - set for this year's candidates - was not officially proposed to the board of student affairs or tabled at the students representative council annual general meeting. The CGPA was set at 2.5 last year. Candidates vying for a seat on the student representative council must meet this requirement to be eligible to contest in the polls. Other conditions stated in the university’s notice were: A candidate must possess good proficiency of the English language and that he or she must ‘understand the university’s expectations as well as appreciate the government’s aspirations, not only by understanding but through actions’.
Mozahiri also questioned the new rules which required aspiring candidates to pass an English public speaking test and interview session under the supervision of university officials. According to him, these rules were not issued by a legitimate body but the unlawful Election Commission. He said the rules contradicted the students representative council’s constitution and went against the equality principle as provided under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution. “These rules are unreasonable, illogical, unfair and oppressive from every perspective. They are unconstitutional because the right to association under the Federal Constitution has became meaningless, ineffective and illusory,” read the affidavit.
Although Mohaziri was not present in court today, some 60 UIA students turned up to show their support.
Met later, his lawyer Mohamed Hanipa bin Maidin (far left) said his client had the blessings of his parents and students to file the suit.He also hoped that the university would not take any disciplinary action against Mohaziri. “The issue involves public interest, we hope the university will come to court and rebut the statements made in the affidavit.“This is the first time a student is taking campus elections to court,” he said, adding that an injunction will be filed on Monday to stop the polls. Also present were lawyers Mohd Fadzli Mohd Ramli and Abdullah Abdul Karim.
In a related development, PAS Youth submitted a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today on the alleged abuse of power and violation of democracy by campus authorities in the run-up to the campus elections. The memorandum also contained documents and media reports on the interference of the government, namely Umno, in the campus polls.The five-page memorandum was handed over by PAS Youth secretary Ahmad Sabki Yusuf to Suhakam commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, who promised to look into the cases.
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Monday, October 17, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
ISA SAMAD WAJAR LETAK JAWATAN AHLI PARLIMEN DAN DIDAKWA DI MAHKAMAH
Majlis Tertinggi UMNO telah pun memutuskan untuk mengekalkan hukuman penggantungan keahlian terhadap Mohd. Isa Samad, matan Naib Presiden UMNO walaupun telah mengurangkan hukuman enam tahun kepada tiga tahun. Hukuman tersebut diputuskan selepas Mohd. Isa didapati terlibat dalam politik wang, berkuat kuasa 24 Jun lalu. Dengan keputusan itu, Mohd Isa perlu melepaskan jawatan menteri Kabinet.
Sebagai satu peringatan pada 25 hb Jun 2005 yang lalu Pak Lah telah menyatakan Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) boleh menyiasat kes rasuah politik membabitkan Mohd.Isa. ( lihat Utusan Malysia 26/6/2005 ).
Memandangkan proses rayuan Isa telah tamat maka adalah wajar pihak BPR memulakan penyisatannya secara terperinci bagi memastikan beliau dibawa ke muka pengadilan. Berdasarkan keputusan Majlis Tertinggi UMNO yang mengekalkan hukuman penggantungan keahlian terhadap Mohd. Isa, walaupun telah mengurangkan hukuman enam tahun kepada tiga tahun UMNO dilihat cuba menonjolkkan kepada rakyat bahawa seolah-olah kes ini telah selesai dan Isa seharusnya tidak diganggu lagi.
Terdapat beberapa perkara yang perlu dijelaskan di dalam isu Isa ini :-
Pertama, meskipun pada zahirnya kes Isa ini melibatkan isu disiplin dalaman UMNO namun ia melibatkan seorang pemimpin kerajaan yang dipilih oleh rakyat melalui proses pilihanraya. Isa bukan sahaja sekadar pemimpin tertinggi UMNO beliau juga adalah seorang pemimpin yang mewakili rakyat atas kapasitinya sebagai Ahli Parlimen dan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan. Yang demikian apabila beliau telah pun diputuskan terlibat dengan rasuah ( politik wang ) maka hak UMNO untuk mengatakan isu ini sebagai isu dalaman UMNO telah hilang. Ia kini menjadi isu rakyat dan demi kepentingan rakyat pemimpin rasuah seperti Isa wajar dibawa ke muka pengadilan. Diberitakan bahawa di dalam pertuduhan yang dikenakan ke atas beliau oleh Lembaga Disiplin ianya melibatkan tuduhan Isa menyalahgunakan pejabat Kementeriannya bagi melakukan rasuah politik wang tersebut. Memandangkan Isa telah didapati bersalah oleh UMNO maka dakwaan tersebut boleh dianggap satu dakwaan yang betul dan ianya adalah satu penyalahgunaan kuasa yang jelas dan nyata. Tanggungjawab untuk mengambil tindakan selanjutnya ke atas Isa kini beralih daripada UMNO kepada BPR, Peguam Negara dan Mahkamah.
Kedua, memandangkan Lembaga Disiplin UMNO mempunyai bukti-bukti yang kukuh bagi mendakwa Isa dengan tuduhan rasuah politik wang , tidak ada sebab untuk BPR menghadapi masalah untuk melakukan penyiasatan ke atas Isa. BPR mempunyai kuasa yang luas di bawah Pencegahan Rasuah 1997 (Akta No. 575 ) untuk memanggil kesemua ahli lembaga disiplin UMNO bagi mendapatkan maklumat berhubung kes Isa tersebut dan tidak timbul ahli-ahli lembaga disiplin untuk tidak memberi kerjasama kepada BPR bagi tujuan tersebut. Pak Lah sendiri ketika ditanya oleh wartawan sebelum ini mengapakah kes Isa mengambil masa begitu lama untuk disiasat, berkata, Lembaga Disiplin terpaksa mengambil kira dan menghalusi semua maklumat. Beliau berkata ``Kes (Mohd.) Isa bukan diputuskan dalam masa sehari tetapi telah disiasat dan dihalusi sejak Oktober tahun lepas,'' ( lihat Utusan Malaysia 30/6/2005 ).
Kenyataan Pak Lah itu membuktikan siasatan telah dilakukan terperinci dan sudah tentu dengan bukti yang kukuh dan kuat.
Seksyen 22 (1) Akta Pencegahan Rasuah 1997 memperuntukkan bahawa " Seseorang pegawai Badan yang menyiasat sesuatu kesalahan di bawah Akta ini boleh-
(a) memerintahkan mana-mana orang supaya hadir di hadapannya bagi maksud diperiksa secara lisan berhubungan dengan apa-apa perkara yang mungkin dapat, pada pendapatnya, membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu;
(b) memerintahkan mana-mana orang supaya mengemukakan di hadapannya apa-apa buku, dokumen atau apa-apa salinan diperakuinya, atau apa-apa benda lain yang mungkin dapat, pada pendapatnya, membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu; atau
(c) dengan notis bertulis menghendaki mana-mana orang memberikan pernyataan bertulis yang dibuat dengan bersumpah atau berikrar yang menyatakan dalamnya segala maklumat yang dikehendaki di bawah notis itu, iaitu maklumat yang, pada pendapat pegawai itu, akan dapat membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu."
Ahli-ahli lembaga badan disiplin adalah mereka yang berpotensi untuk dipanggil sebagai saksi-saksi sekiranya pendakwaan dilakukan ke atas Isa. Oleh itu BPR wajar memanggil mereka memberikan keterangan bagi membantu penyiasatan.
Ketiga, apabila rakyat memohon agar Isa dibawa ke muka pengadilan ianya tidak seharus dilihat sebagai satu penganiyaan kepada Isa. Sebaliknya pendakwaan secara terbuka yang dilakukan di Mahkamah Awam secara terbuka lebih adil hatta kepada Isa sendiri. Melalui pendakwaan di Mahkamah Isa akan dianggap tidak bersalah dan beban kepada Pendakwa untuk membuktikan beliau bersalah. Beliau juga berhak mendapatkan peguambela yang terbaik ( dengan kekayaan beliau penulis tidak nampak beliau mengalami kesukaran ) bagi membela beliau. Harus diingat pendakwaan di Mahkamah adalah berbeza dengan perbicaraan di dalam lembaga disiplin. Di Mahkamah , tidak seperti di dalam lembaga disiplin , penerimaan bukti dan keterangan tertakluk kepada tatacara dan kaedah-kaedah yang lebih teliti seperti yang diperuntukkan di bawah Akta Keterangan . Oleh itu jika bercakap soal keadilan Isa lebih wajar dibicarakan di Mahkamah .
Keempat, UMNO dan Pak Lah tidak seharusnya merasakan bahawa hanya kerana Isa telah digantung keahliannya di dalam UMNO dan mungkin akan kehilangan jawatan Menteri sudah cukup sebagai hukuman ke atas Isa. Rakyat berhak lebih daripada itu dan pendakwaan ke atas Isa adalah perlu untuk rakyat menerima bahawa Pak Lah serius memerangi rasuah dan tidak sekadar beretorik dari semasa ke semasa.
Kelima, kenyataan Isa bahawa beliau tidak akan meletakkan jawatan sebagai ahli Parlimen kerana tidak mahu kerajaan membazirkan duit membuat pilihanraya kecil adalah satu hujah yang dangkal dan amat meleset. Amat malang beliau masih tidak malu bercakap tentang pembaziran duit tanpa menyedari politik wang bukan sahaja membazirkan duit malahan haram dan berdosa. Sebagai ahli politik maruah dan kehormatan ( dignity ) pemimpin adalah segala-galanya. Perletakkan jawatan beliau hendaklah dilihat di dalam konteks tersebut- perlunya pemimpin yang mewakli rakyat bukan sahaja perlu bersih, bermaruah dan ada kehormatan tetapi hendaklah dilihat bersih, bermaruah dan ada kehormatan . Come on Isa that was very basic in politics !!!
Majlis Tertinggi UMNO telah pun memutuskan untuk mengekalkan hukuman penggantungan keahlian terhadap Mohd. Isa Samad, matan Naib Presiden UMNO walaupun telah mengurangkan hukuman enam tahun kepada tiga tahun. Hukuman tersebut diputuskan selepas Mohd. Isa didapati terlibat dalam politik wang, berkuat kuasa 24 Jun lalu. Dengan keputusan itu, Mohd Isa perlu melepaskan jawatan menteri Kabinet.
Sebagai satu peringatan pada 25 hb Jun 2005 yang lalu Pak Lah telah menyatakan Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) boleh menyiasat kes rasuah politik membabitkan Mohd.Isa. ( lihat Utusan Malysia 26/6/2005 ).
Memandangkan proses rayuan Isa telah tamat maka adalah wajar pihak BPR memulakan penyisatannya secara terperinci bagi memastikan beliau dibawa ke muka pengadilan. Berdasarkan keputusan Majlis Tertinggi UMNO yang mengekalkan hukuman penggantungan keahlian terhadap Mohd. Isa, walaupun telah mengurangkan hukuman enam tahun kepada tiga tahun UMNO dilihat cuba menonjolkkan kepada rakyat bahawa seolah-olah kes ini telah selesai dan Isa seharusnya tidak diganggu lagi.
Terdapat beberapa perkara yang perlu dijelaskan di dalam isu Isa ini :-
Pertama, meskipun pada zahirnya kes Isa ini melibatkan isu disiplin dalaman UMNO namun ia melibatkan seorang pemimpin kerajaan yang dipilih oleh rakyat melalui proses pilihanraya. Isa bukan sahaja sekadar pemimpin tertinggi UMNO beliau juga adalah seorang pemimpin yang mewakili rakyat atas kapasitinya sebagai Ahli Parlimen dan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan. Yang demikian apabila beliau telah pun diputuskan terlibat dengan rasuah ( politik wang ) maka hak UMNO untuk mengatakan isu ini sebagai isu dalaman UMNO telah hilang. Ia kini menjadi isu rakyat dan demi kepentingan rakyat pemimpin rasuah seperti Isa wajar dibawa ke muka pengadilan. Diberitakan bahawa di dalam pertuduhan yang dikenakan ke atas beliau oleh Lembaga Disiplin ianya melibatkan tuduhan Isa menyalahgunakan pejabat Kementeriannya bagi melakukan rasuah politik wang tersebut. Memandangkan Isa telah didapati bersalah oleh UMNO maka dakwaan tersebut boleh dianggap satu dakwaan yang betul dan ianya adalah satu penyalahgunaan kuasa yang jelas dan nyata. Tanggungjawab untuk mengambil tindakan selanjutnya ke atas Isa kini beralih daripada UMNO kepada BPR, Peguam Negara dan Mahkamah.
Kedua, memandangkan Lembaga Disiplin UMNO mempunyai bukti-bukti yang kukuh bagi mendakwa Isa dengan tuduhan rasuah politik wang , tidak ada sebab untuk BPR menghadapi masalah untuk melakukan penyiasatan ke atas Isa. BPR mempunyai kuasa yang luas di bawah Pencegahan Rasuah 1997 (Akta No. 575 ) untuk memanggil kesemua ahli lembaga disiplin UMNO bagi mendapatkan maklumat berhubung kes Isa tersebut dan tidak timbul ahli-ahli lembaga disiplin untuk tidak memberi kerjasama kepada BPR bagi tujuan tersebut. Pak Lah sendiri ketika ditanya oleh wartawan sebelum ini mengapakah kes Isa mengambil masa begitu lama untuk disiasat, berkata, Lembaga Disiplin terpaksa mengambil kira dan menghalusi semua maklumat. Beliau berkata ``Kes (Mohd.) Isa bukan diputuskan dalam masa sehari tetapi telah disiasat dan dihalusi sejak Oktober tahun lepas,'' ( lihat Utusan Malaysia 30/6/2005 ).
Kenyataan Pak Lah itu membuktikan siasatan telah dilakukan terperinci dan sudah tentu dengan bukti yang kukuh dan kuat.
Seksyen 22 (1) Akta Pencegahan Rasuah 1997 memperuntukkan bahawa " Seseorang pegawai Badan yang menyiasat sesuatu kesalahan di bawah Akta ini boleh-
(a) memerintahkan mana-mana orang supaya hadir di hadapannya bagi maksud diperiksa secara lisan berhubungan dengan apa-apa perkara yang mungkin dapat, pada pendapatnya, membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu;
(b) memerintahkan mana-mana orang supaya mengemukakan di hadapannya apa-apa buku, dokumen atau apa-apa salinan diperakuinya, atau apa-apa benda lain yang mungkin dapat, pada pendapatnya, membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu; atau
(c) dengan notis bertulis menghendaki mana-mana orang memberikan pernyataan bertulis yang dibuat dengan bersumpah atau berikrar yang menyatakan dalamnya segala maklumat yang dikehendaki di bawah notis itu, iaitu maklumat yang, pada pendapat pegawai itu, akan dapat membantu dalam penyiasatan kesalahan itu."
Ahli-ahli lembaga badan disiplin adalah mereka yang berpotensi untuk dipanggil sebagai saksi-saksi sekiranya pendakwaan dilakukan ke atas Isa. Oleh itu BPR wajar memanggil mereka memberikan keterangan bagi membantu penyiasatan.
Ketiga, apabila rakyat memohon agar Isa dibawa ke muka pengadilan ianya tidak seharus dilihat sebagai satu penganiyaan kepada Isa. Sebaliknya pendakwaan secara terbuka yang dilakukan di Mahkamah Awam secara terbuka lebih adil hatta kepada Isa sendiri. Melalui pendakwaan di Mahkamah Isa akan dianggap tidak bersalah dan beban kepada Pendakwa untuk membuktikan beliau bersalah. Beliau juga berhak mendapatkan peguambela yang terbaik ( dengan kekayaan beliau penulis tidak nampak beliau mengalami kesukaran ) bagi membela beliau. Harus diingat pendakwaan di Mahkamah adalah berbeza dengan perbicaraan di dalam lembaga disiplin. Di Mahkamah , tidak seperti di dalam lembaga disiplin , penerimaan bukti dan keterangan tertakluk kepada tatacara dan kaedah-kaedah yang lebih teliti seperti yang diperuntukkan di bawah Akta Keterangan . Oleh itu jika bercakap soal keadilan Isa lebih wajar dibicarakan di Mahkamah .
Keempat, UMNO dan Pak Lah tidak seharusnya merasakan bahawa hanya kerana Isa telah digantung keahliannya di dalam UMNO dan mungkin akan kehilangan jawatan Menteri sudah cukup sebagai hukuman ke atas Isa. Rakyat berhak lebih daripada itu dan pendakwaan ke atas Isa adalah perlu untuk rakyat menerima bahawa Pak Lah serius memerangi rasuah dan tidak sekadar beretorik dari semasa ke semasa.
Kelima, kenyataan Isa bahawa beliau tidak akan meletakkan jawatan sebagai ahli Parlimen kerana tidak mahu kerajaan membazirkan duit membuat pilihanraya kecil adalah satu hujah yang dangkal dan amat meleset. Amat malang beliau masih tidak malu bercakap tentang pembaziran duit tanpa menyedari politik wang bukan sahaja membazirkan duit malahan haram dan berdosa. Sebagai ahli politik maruah dan kehormatan ( dignity ) pemimpin adalah segala-galanya. Perletakkan jawatan beliau hendaklah dilihat di dalam konteks tersebut- perlunya pemimpin yang mewakli rakyat bukan sahaja perlu bersih, bermaruah dan ada kehormatan tetapi hendaklah dilihat bersih, bermaruah dan ada kehormatan . Come on Isa that was very basic in politics !!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
DEMOCRACY IS "MURDERED" IN THE NAME OF ISLAM HADHARI
If there was any residual hope after Pak Lah took over premiership from Mahathir it was on the issue of democracy. If all the avenues for democracy were tightly closed by Mahathir the people could still accept it because that was Mahathir's cup of tea -manslaughtering democracy.
Speaking about democracy at least it deals with these rights and liberties viz; freedom of speech ( inclusive of free press ) ; freedom of assembly and association ; a free and fair election ; rule of law ; freedom from unjust and draconian laws and an independence of judiciary.
Any civilisied nation should not deny their rakyat from enjoying these basic and fundamental rights. These are the basic rights and not the privileges. In Mahathir's era the people may have known such rights did exist in theory nonetheless they were practically prohibited from exercising them. If the people tried to exercise such rights they had to pay a very heavy price- deprivation of their dignity and honour. What was more painful the court being the guardian of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution was very reluctant to ensure that the people could enjoy such rights without any unreasonable restrictions and intimidations by the State. In other words the freedom guaranteed by the highest law of the land i.e the Constitution were merely a mirage.
The issue now is whether Pak Lah is able to bring out the people from the darkness of democracy. The answer was a big NO. And I would like to add further that in his premiership Pak Lah has been deliberately and happily destroying democratic pillars and institutions in this country.
Pak Lah and for that matter UMNO has to face a sad reality that in Pak Lah's premiership we have seen the first and ugliest general election ever held in this country . Unfortunately we are now witnessing the cancer of our last general election spreading out to the students's election in our local university. What had happened in the recently concluded students's elections in various local universities only reinforces one thing - our public universities has become pariah not even the third world standard let alone the first class univesities.
The students were systematically forced to ensure that only pro -aspiration and Umno sponsored candidates must win the election. This was done by manipulating to the hilt all the puppet leaders of the universities and various bodies inside and outside universities and also by flouting the laws. Ironically Pak Lah's party was very proud with this undemocratic victory.
For the first time in history a student from the International Islamic University ( IIU ) has brought the latter to court challenging the legality of the election. Off course the student has some merits to challenge the conditions imposed by IIU against any students who wanted to be nominated as a candidate. Apart from the requirement of 2.8 in CGPA , the students were also required inter alia to pass english and public speaking test , to attend an interview with the the Election's Commission and to attend a session with the Rector, the Deputy Rector and the IIU"s President - none other than an ex-UMNO leader Sanusi Joned.
Who can deny the fact that in Pak Lah's time we have seen academicians being stripped off their credibility and intellectual freedom . With the introduction of aku janji the academicians of our local university have their mouths sealed, ears plugged and eyes blindfolded. Yet they are asked to be the first class lecturers. What a paradox !!!. What had happenned to Prof Azly Rahman and his wife ( Both were dismissed by UUM for refusing to sign an akujanji) , Prof Edmonce Gomez, Prof Jomo and Prof Ramasmy is more than enough for the rakyat not to place any hope on Pak Lah to reform the already deformed democracy.
Even though there is a minor development in freedom of press yet the publication of newspaper is still subject to the draconian law -the Printing and Publication Act. This Act still receives Pak Lah's blessings. Hitherto Harakah has not been able to be published twice per week. The conditions imposed by the Home Ministry led by Pak Lah himself on Harakah still remain the same - it cannot be published more than two times per month, it cannot be sold to the public ( only to Pas's members ) and it can only publish news on Pas's activities.Period.
The people's right to a peacefull assembly remains uncertain. What is certain that the police will brutally diperse the oppositions' ceramah if UMNO lodges a complaint. Despite the establishment of the Police Commission , the police without any reservations violently dispersed assembly organised by PAS in Trengganu. It is very hard not to dismiss the rumuors that Idris Jusoh was not behind the police's brutal acts against PAS's supporters.Hitherto the police's wrongful interpretations of Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 has been used justifying the use of violence to deny the rakyat from exersing their fundamental rights of organising and participating in a peacefull assembly. You tell me what kind of democacy if an assembly organised by PAS's youth in a private premise in Besut, Trengganu had invited dozens of police's water cannons and trucks, plenty of land rovers and hundreds of FRU personnel equipped with arms !!!
The Draconians laws such as ISA, OSA, Police Act, Sedition Act , University and College Act , Printing and Publication Act which have succesfully instilled fears to Malaysians remain intact. To date no moves have been made by Pak Lah to amend those laws let alone repeal them altoghether. ISA- the mother of all evils- has been used to extend Nik Adli and friends another two years in Kemunting with the blessing from Pak Lah. All the petitions and appeals from the families of detainess and various NGOs, local and international, received neither reply nor sympathy from Pak Lah.
Anyway congratulations Pak Lah ! You have "murdered" democracy in the name of Islam Hadhari.
If there was any residual hope after Pak Lah took over premiership from Mahathir it was on the issue of democracy. If all the avenues for democracy were tightly closed by Mahathir the people could still accept it because that was Mahathir's cup of tea -manslaughtering democracy.
Speaking about democracy at least it deals with these rights and liberties viz; freedom of speech ( inclusive of free press ) ; freedom of assembly and association ; a free and fair election ; rule of law ; freedom from unjust and draconian laws and an independence of judiciary.
Any civilisied nation should not deny their rakyat from enjoying these basic and fundamental rights. These are the basic rights and not the privileges. In Mahathir's era the people may have known such rights did exist in theory nonetheless they were practically prohibited from exercising them. If the people tried to exercise such rights they had to pay a very heavy price- deprivation of their dignity and honour. What was more painful the court being the guardian of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution was very reluctant to ensure that the people could enjoy such rights without any unreasonable restrictions and intimidations by the State. In other words the freedom guaranteed by the highest law of the land i.e the Constitution were merely a mirage.
The issue now is whether Pak Lah is able to bring out the people from the darkness of democracy. The answer was a big NO. And I would like to add further that in his premiership Pak Lah has been deliberately and happily destroying democratic pillars and institutions in this country.
Pak Lah and for that matter UMNO has to face a sad reality that in Pak Lah's premiership we have seen the first and ugliest general election ever held in this country . Unfortunately we are now witnessing the cancer of our last general election spreading out to the students's election in our local university. What had happened in the recently concluded students's elections in various local universities only reinforces one thing - our public universities has become pariah not even the third world standard let alone the first class univesities.
The students were systematically forced to ensure that only pro -aspiration and Umno sponsored candidates must win the election. This was done by manipulating to the hilt all the puppet leaders of the universities and various bodies inside and outside universities and also by flouting the laws. Ironically Pak Lah's party was very proud with this undemocratic victory.
For the first time in history a student from the International Islamic University ( IIU ) has brought the latter to court challenging the legality of the election. Off course the student has some merits to challenge the conditions imposed by IIU against any students who wanted to be nominated as a candidate. Apart from the requirement of 2.8 in CGPA , the students were also required inter alia to pass english and public speaking test , to attend an interview with the the Election's Commission and to attend a session with the Rector, the Deputy Rector and the IIU"s President - none other than an ex-UMNO leader Sanusi Joned.
Who can deny the fact that in Pak Lah's time we have seen academicians being stripped off their credibility and intellectual freedom . With the introduction of aku janji the academicians of our local university have their mouths sealed, ears plugged and eyes blindfolded. Yet they are asked to be the first class lecturers. What a paradox !!!. What had happenned to Prof Azly Rahman and his wife ( Both were dismissed by UUM for refusing to sign an akujanji) , Prof Edmonce Gomez, Prof Jomo and Prof Ramasmy is more than enough for the rakyat not to place any hope on Pak Lah to reform the already deformed democracy.
Even though there is a minor development in freedom of press yet the publication of newspaper is still subject to the draconian law -the Printing and Publication Act. This Act still receives Pak Lah's blessings. Hitherto Harakah has not been able to be published twice per week. The conditions imposed by the Home Ministry led by Pak Lah himself on Harakah still remain the same - it cannot be published more than two times per month, it cannot be sold to the public ( only to Pas's members ) and it can only publish news on Pas's activities.Period.
The people's right to a peacefull assembly remains uncertain. What is certain that the police will brutally diperse the oppositions' ceramah if UMNO lodges a complaint. Despite the establishment of the Police Commission , the police without any reservations violently dispersed assembly organised by PAS in Trengganu. It is very hard not to dismiss the rumuors that Idris Jusoh was not behind the police's brutal acts against PAS's supporters.Hitherto the police's wrongful interpretations of Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 has been used justifying the use of violence to deny the rakyat from exersing their fundamental rights of organising and participating in a peacefull assembly. You tell me what kind of democacy if an assembly organised by PAS's youth in a private premise in Besut, Trengganu had invited dozens of police's water cannons and trucks, plenty of land rovers and hundreds of FRU personnel equipped with arms !!!
The Draconians laws such as ISA, OSA, Police Act, Sedition Act , University and College Act , Printing and Publication Act which have succesfully instilled fears to Malaysians remain intact. To date no moves have been made by Pak Lah to amend those laws let alone repeal them altoghether. ISA- the mother of all evils- has been used to extend Nik Adli and friends another two years in Kemunting with the blessing from Pak Lah. All the petitions and appeals from the families of detainess and various NGOs, local and international, received neither reply nor sympathy from Pak Lah.
Anyway congratulations Pak Lah ! You have "murdered" democracy in the name of Islam Hadhari.
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