Dismantling Human Rights & Rule of Law - The New Malaysia

Judge Michael Adams from the Sydney High Court ruled that a student, Izhar Ul-Haque, pursued by Australian intelligence and police officers over terrorism charges still have rights whether he was "Muslim or not".

Adams ruled that Australia Security Intelligence had committed the crime of false imprisonment and kidnap at Common Law. This is clearly an unjustified and unlawful interference with a person's liberty as well as unlawful trespass at his family home. "It is a gross interference by the State with the accused's legal rights as a citizen, rights which he still has whether he be suspected of criminal conduct or not, and whether he is Muslim or not," Adams said.

In the Commonwealth, and across the world, the rule of law has always being applied to ensure that the rights and liberties of individual citizens are protected. The courts are not afraid to protect the rights of individuals if the State acts ultra vires the Common law and the rules of natural justice. Individual rights and liberties are paramount and they trump over rules and policies, including national security.

Now, look at what our chief minister of Pahang, Adnan Yaakob had to say. According to Adnan, enforcing the Internal Security Act (ISA) should be used against those who promote ill will and hostility. He made this statement in direct reference to last Saturday's BERSIH's rally who had organized some 40,000 people to march to the palace to present a memorandum to the King pertaining to the issue of "fair and clean" elections.

It was an orderly and peaceful march, marked by the gross interference by the authority who abused their powers and caused grievances. The police had tried to prevent an orderly and peaceful march of the people by spraying chemicals and using teargas to disperse the group of people. Threats, duress and undue influence were used to instill fear and subordination. However, the people managed to get the memo to the palace successfully.

Adnan Yaakob said national security take precedence over the demands of the people. What national security is he talking? It was a peaceful march and they are only submitting a memorandum to the King, seeking his highness to address their concern. Rather, it is the Barisan National's security that is at tatters. The ruling party feared that their abuses and corruption will be exposed should the King decides to act, in accordance to the power granted by the Constitution.

Adnan further said that "National security is more important than legality or human rights." What a load of crab! I am afraid that we now have a bunch of morons and gangsters that were elected and appointed to the legislative body. They don't care about human rights and legality. To them, national security can mean anything that is threatening their position of power. Out goes Rasputin, we have Adnan and Nazri and Zam.

On the strong protest expected from iinternational media if Malaysia were to impose the ISA, Adnan said: "Why must we care for their views? Our own survival is more important."

He had said it outright... their survival is more important than anything else, including the sacrificing of the citizens, if necessary. The rule of law or legal system is nothing for those in power who are determine to keep their position and they will do anything to ensure that they get to keep their power and position. What a sad day for Malaysia. It's apartheid for our New Malaysia, a system of segregation and classifying citizens into different groups of citizens, and separating people on the basis of the new classification, granting unequal rights and at the same time, ensuring an authoritarian and totalitarian rule denoting personal abuse of power and to a certain degree, tyrannical and oppressive.

Nazri declared that the BERSIH organisers are people whose "kepala wayar putus", and that the gathering was the work of "pondan". So, the pondan citizens are "mutilated".

The irony is that our government criticized and condemn the Myanmar Junta's act but at the same situation, they weren't any different in the way they deal with peaceful gatherings of people.

What has become of the nation? Had the nation drifted down so deep; deep below the abyss? Is there hope? The citizens will have to decide.