Dr Kua Kia Soong, a director of SUARAM was denied entry into Sarawak at 9pm, 23 August 2007. Kua, who is also principal of the community-funded New Era College, was on his way to officiate the graduation ceremony of teachers who have attained the New Era College Diploma in Education at Kuching and Sibu.
After screening Kua's MyKad, the immigration officer at Kuching airport informed him that he had been refused entry into Sarawak because he is on the "blacklist for involvement in anti-logging activities". From the computer reading of Kua's MyKad, the officer also knew that Kua is a former member of parliament.
Dr Kua has been an active campaigner against the Bakun Dam project and was a member of the fact finding mission to enquire into the conditions faced by indigenous peoples displaced from the Bakun area to Sungai Asap resettlement camp in 1998
Below is our reply to Mr. 郑文辉(MoonHui), Coordinator, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Our Mr. Fong Pau Teck forwarded your message about Sarawak government refusal to grant Suaram's Dircetor, Dr. Kua entry into our state.
We feel that the state government has abused its power to refuse entry to a law-abiding citizen land well-known personality like Dr. Kua. Although it was stated in the 21 points agreement when Sarawak joined the Federation to form Malaysia that we have the special right in the matter of immigrations, but that was to safeguard the people interests in Sarawak and not that of the state government. We also believe in the freedom of movemnet of peace loving and law abiding citizen and Sarawak surely welcome Malaysian form the penisular to travel here not only for the tourism industry but also in promote mutual understanding and national integration as well. Please be informed that we have several leaders who have been subjected to Dr. Kua's similiar treatment, noteably among them is of course our Opposition leader in the Parliament, Mr. Lim Kit Siang.
However, i wonder how Dr. Kua could enter the state earlier with the old IC card as previously passport was required instead of the the identity card. Furthermore, the JPN never admitted that other infomation was stored in Mykad apart from the identities and maybe the religious of the Mykad holder.
If your goodself could produce us the proof that the state and federal government have stored other informations apart from the identities, we would be much oblige to highlight this matter as it is surely against our basic human rights, such as our right for privacy. We are even more concerned that the government has used Mykad to identitfy certain group of Malaysian because of the their anti-government stand or because thi
We are happy that you sent us this email and we hope that we would be able to work together to make the government accountable for its actions.
Happy 50th Merdeka.
Regards,
David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity sec.
24-08-2007
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12 comments:
My wife has a few friends who married to foreigners. Two of them plan to go back to their husband's country of origin (one from New Zealand and another from Sweden) once their kids reach the schooling age.
The reason? Because those countries treat their citizens fairly, as long as you hold their citizenship, your kids get free education up to university level, no privileges, no quota to certain group of people and kids all get chance to compete fairly in their country.
One more reason, no restrictions in your businesses, conversation contents, job applications, home purchasing plans, studies, etc - as long as you are the citizen!
Well, every time after talking to them, I felt very down. I am the citizen of this country, but why I couldn't get as the same as other citizen get in their country?
My kids have no equal chance to get into a university due to the quota system (although some says that we are implementing meritocracy system but I don't think so), I don't get 15% off for the house that I am purchasing, there are certain businesses that are not meant for me in my own motherland.
My wife and I plan to emigrate after we have got enough money (and some of my friends are also planning to do so), but is emigration a good choice?
I suddenly remember of an article in a Chinese newspaper many months ago, written by a disappointed university applicant who scored flying colors in her exam but didn't get admitted to any university in this land, one of her sentences read like this "I love my country, but does my country love me?"
The 'affirmative actions' everywhere else under the sun are to ensure that people of the minority groups or characteristics are not prevented from exercising their rights to participate in all aspects of living in the society, whereas in Malaysia, NEP serves to prevent minority groups the rights to participate in businesses, education facilities and other spheres of living.
NEP is not affirmative action; it is exploitation-cum-discrimination.
NEP clients are malays and so long as the beneficiaries are malays, rules and regulations matters not. In that lawless jungle, the fittest, the people with political power triumph.
NEP cannot coexist with fair play, integrity, justice, morality and righteousness. Until and unless NEP is removed, Malaysia can only excel in, such as for the book of records, activities resulting from the collective muscle power, but not brain power.
We are progressing in opposite directions from the nations that move slowly but steadily towards social and economic developments.
Affirmative action based on race breeds ill-minded people. We live in a capitalist society. Income based affirmative action should instead be put into practice.
NEP could not have ever been a sound concept. It is flawed in every sense. It was built on utopian ideals and yet its morals were flawed, if any of you follow me. End NEP, it breeds discontent among its many disregarded 'losers' and ignorance among those who know 'no better'. Why do they not know better?
I got the answer. Because the NEP failed them as peoples, as neighbours, as life partners, as friends, as family, as colleagues, as citizens, as believers of God!
NEP failed because its policies were not properly carried out. A small minority from various races benefited at the great expense of the majority.
If you have an overview of the whole country, not just cities and towns, you will notice ordinary Chinese, Indians, Malays and other races do not have a fair share of the development and progress.
Affirmative actions were supposed to give a disadvantaged group an opportunity to get into a certain job and get working experience from ground level up. Not giving them top positions without much qualifications and years of experience.
This has been grossly abused by certain people and the result speak for itself - gross mismanagement and significant reduction in standards and quality of services - resulting in enormous losses of taxpayers money and public resources.
The amount of money and resources spent on development and progress in the last couple of decades, are grossly out of proportion to what were achieved. It is like saying that resources are unlimited and we could do whatever we like irrespective of the outcomes.
By the way how to clean Malaysia if Umno is not clean! Then that Hisham will come out with his 'keris' to defend that Malaysia is now still clean and do not require any change, then he will defend Anti-Corruption Agency not to be under parliament citing that current measures is enough.
Maybe we should have public hearing on how to clean Umno first or the current hearing must discuss the corruption in political party as a holistic way to combat corruption.
For the ordinary people, opposition parties must stay on and fight for a decent, fairer and just society!
We have to fully support them in their cause for a better and fairer society. If we gave up, they will give up and the ordinary people will not have any hope to change their situation.
In their difficult situation and unleveled battlefield, it will be unfair to expect them to win. But their strong determination, persistence, and enormous personal and family scarify must be fully appreciated and recognised.
It is not important whether they win or lose - if they win - it is a bonus. More importantly is seeing them fight to the very end for a decent, fairer and just society - they are the real warriors and heroes!
When Umno says that you have insulted race and religion and that you are a traitor, then wear it as a badge of honour.
If Umno fascists and supremacists say that you are a traitor to the cause, then you must have done something right and that you are on the right path.
You should be really worried if Umno starts praising you and putting you on a lofty pedestal, because it means you have turned your back on everything that is positive, rational and just.
In Malaysia, it is all about race and religion. Other than the old South Africa, I think Malaysia is the only country that officially practice racial discrimination.
There are very few countries (if any) in the world where government promotes affirmative action for the majority.
Look at the NEP, the housing discount for malays, the number of malays in all government composition of political parties. How come nobody complain to United Nations?
This proves to the world that Malaysia is one country two standards. Pak Lah said he is fair to all citizens, and he is the prime minister for all Malaysians. Is he?
No wonder, our country has become a laughing stock to the world. What kind of message is our country sending to the media?
We are around coming to 50 years after independence - surely the country has matured sufficiently to accept that democracy, whatever its weaknesses, works best for all.
For a 50 years old person - Malaysia is an overgrown imbecile who is clearly a very spoilt brat. What more is that it has also started to exhibit symptoms of senility.
This is a great shame for someone who has never managed to grow up to an adult. Without reaching adulthood, it has directly become senile. If that is not the fault of the government ruling parties, one cannot think of any other reasons.
The worst thing is it happening under the nose of our prime minister who had so many times pledged and promised a fair and transparent administration.
Again one shameful decision by the authorities. Anyway, it is nothing new. In year 2020, it will still be the same. This 'senility' haven been spread out by the Umno-led government. And I don't see there is a cure even in the year 2020.
For heaven sake, enough is enough, Pak Lah has the courage to remove his cabinet ministers before he make a vast mockery of our country.
I am a pensioner and have through the pre-independence period. I can safely say that our education system has been deteriorating by the days.
In the sixties, just after independence, I was taught by teachers who were mainly trained in Kirby or Brinsford. The teachers, then were knowledgeable in their subjects and the language they use was excellent. The headmaster is disciplinarian. The very sight of him would send chills down your spine.
I would also say that the standard of education was higher than the present. The numbers of students scoring distinctions in all subjects were very rare. Compare with the present system. The numbers of students achieving all 'As' in all subjects were too many to be really highlighted.
One may ask why was our education standard drifting southwards while our southern neighbour Singapore standard is sky high. Sky high to the extent foreign countries are copying their syllabi, especially in science and mathematics.
The differences in standard can be caused by a few reasons:
(1) Our education policies are formulated by politicians particularly those from Umno. Many of the so-called education 'experts' are in actual facts not.
Many of them are third graders who by virtues of the NEP, managed to scrape to the universities and graduating with a degree. How do you expect these experts to know what is required for a good education?
(2) As some one has rightly put it, it has been an unwritten rule that principals are generally malays. I do not intend to sound being discriminatory in nature, but what I am saying here is true. Many of them are not really of principal materials. The reasons are the same as one.
They are more interested in non-academic activities like religious celebration and beautifying the school compound. As far as discipline and academic performance are concern, they are deaf or blind to. Most probably they do not know the real functions of a principal.
If only the malays are a bit smarter, then BN won't win. The problem is malays are too damn stupid that they keep voting for BN. I don't know what poison BN gave to make them in this state.
I have several remarks to make on Vision 2020. However, with the present state of mind in the country in which alternative views are seen with deep antagonism, I doubt we can make it. We cannot have sound advice and have prejudice in its implementation. Our stumbling block is our prejudices, racial or otherwise.
To talk about the NEP and achieving a 30 percent share of the wealth sounds myopic to me. If the third-rate politicians are allowed to continue with this propaganda to get elected, the electorates deserve what they get. By continually shouting these slogans, they actually give the malays a sense of inferiority complex.
We are only less than half a percent of the world population. Why don't we open our eyes and look at the other 99 percent of the world market instead of looking just at the wealth of the non-malays in Malaysia.
The solution lies with the politicians and the people.
Edmund Terence Gomez says it who owns corporate Malaysia, and he is absolutely correct in observing that the Chinese Malaysian entrepreneurs have not managed to develop brand names or move up the technological ladder as a result of the NEP.
And I am glad to read that the likes of executive director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) agrees that another NEP policy like the kind that we have had before is not a wise move.
If not for the NEP, one would argue that by now, Malaysia would already have produced super companies and super brand names like Samsung and Sony.
Instead, Malaysia continues to drive her most gifted Malaysians such as engineers, entrepreneurs, managers, researchers, scientists etc, out of the country to work for other world-class companies.
If the whole idea of another NEP policy is still to try to get the malays to own 30 percent of corporate Malaysia, then we'd have missed the big picture altogether.
Because there is a bigger pie out there and corporate Malaysia has to get serious about competing globally rather than to still try and decide how to divide our own little pie amongst ourselves.
You see, my family and I have, like someone family, decided to leave Malaysia.
Certainly, it is my belief that if I do not take my family out of this country, I will continue to subject my child, and her children after her, to the continuing injustice of this contract.
I often thought the new administration under our new prime minister presents new hopes for fairer treatment.
Alas, just as the previous prime minister was an exciting breath of fresh air some 22 years ago but proved so putrid much later on, I feel I cannot subject my child and her children after her, to the same risk.
That risk being that this prime minister too, may abandon fresh hopes for justice in exchange for immediate gains to himself, his family, his race and his supporter.
If a bright, very well educated, articulate young man (ruling party) espoused thoughts which totally ignored the fundamental injustice of our system, what future does our country hold?
If this is future prime minister material, then I really feel people like someone and I are doing the right thing by taking our children out.
Bright people may not be just people. No matter how bright and well educated our future leaders are, if they choose to continue to hold on to an obviously unjust system, we cannot subject our children's future to these leaders.
My father did not have the opportunity to leave. I now have to pay the price of starting anew - abandoning a secured and well-paid job - so that my child escapes the injustice.
Am I enjoying life here in Kuala Lumpur? You bet. Like someone, my wife and I draw incomes for lifestyles too painful to sacrifice.
Yet, if we choose to be concerned only with our own job security and comfortable lifestyles, our child may one day be faced with the decision I now face.
What if she does not have the same opportunity to leave for another country? I feel I must leave now, while the window remains open.
I would not read Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian, despite being paid to read it!
I cannot imagine people actually buying those papers to read it!
That is why Mahathir said the bloggers are really the last remaining hope of the nation!
Don't blame Utusan Malaysia la, it is owned by Umno, the party with low standard morons and extremists.
Utusan Malaysia, the Star, New Strait Times etc, are just a few shameless newspapers that often cover up the scandals of the BN government and to make oppositions look bad.
Little did I know the life changing experience I was to face when I took up the opportunity to be trained in Germany back in 1972 after my A level.
On completion, I spent three years working in Singapore saving enough for a one-way ticket to UK for further studies. Graduated in 1979 with a degree in mechanical engineering and employed by ITT (International Telegraph and Telephone) in London, I was sponsored to continue a part-time master degree in computer science.
By mid-1980s, I was awarded a grant in robotic research at Imperial College. And further studies concluded an MA in e-business.
Having worked and lived in UK for 25 years, it was time to look back on my root in Malaysia. Initial programme by Malaysia government to lure back expertise did not impress me.
By this time I was married with two kids studying in better schools in UK than I can imagine possible in Malaysia. Fortunately I had the hindsight not to uproot my family back to Malaysia.
I understood the affirmative action to uplift the malays during my time. It was understandable and accepted by my generation in return for the right as citizens in Malaysia. In my eyes Umno had breached the contract with the non-malays.
Being born in Malaysia before 1957 and in the spirit of independence, my returning to help build a better Malaysia has been a mistake. I will not go into details here.
A short note should suffice for now. My trying to contribute to society by way of investment and helping the local students in predominantly poorer malay district was repeatedly delayed and later rejected for no reason at all or flimsy and it took me three years.
Contrast this with my experience of setting up and running a company in UK and Singapore in less than a month.
For those who are thinking of coming back to Malaysia I would advise them to think again. The only thing that attract me back to Malaysia in the first place was my connection to my parents who were in Malaysia and too frail to travel. Once they are gone, I have no more reasons to return.
For those who think I have sold my heritage by taking up British citizenship should know that there are no official policies to discriminate minorities in UK.
In fact minorities are often supported, as in the case of my kids Chinese language class, are provided free by the local government. We are judged by my abilities not on color of our skin or our beliefs.
Meanwhile my entire family has taken up British citizenship. I may have lost my right as Malaysian citizen but not the right to visit or stay in Malaysia (silver hair and second home program). My kids will never miss Malaysia (you can't miss what you did not have) and will look forward for a brighter future.
For those who are staying back to fight for their birthright as equal citizens in Malaysia, you have my support and admiration. I apologise for not being able to be with you for now and I hope you understand my decision. But I will in my own way contribute from afar to help in other ways.
To the Malaysia government, I quote, "You cannot build courage and character by taking away a man's initiative and independence." - Lincoln
One day when all the trees are gone, all the animals will disappear also. Human beings will slowly die out because the trees take in the carbon dioxide breathed out by us. It is almost like telling people that communism is still alive and the borders must be closely monitored. It is enough not to be known by our brothers and sisters in West Malaysia. Our Dato Robert Lau is not helping either. Now what will the West Malaysians think of the East Malaysians ? May be zero.
The failure of the Malaysian BN to appreciate that the affirmative programme is not the long-term solution in the nation building is driving the brightest away and thus causing the heavy brain-drain. Human resources is the most important asset that a country have and the BN simply fails to realize that. Our ex-PM, Tun Mahatir has said during his primeministership that "KL would still be the Kampung Bahru without the Chinese", but he only provided the lips service.
The current PM, Abdullah,on the other hand is not doing his bid to review the problems of the country.His son-in-law is the deputy UMNO youth head and kJ actions reflect on the PM's inability.
Namewee's song has stung the ruling elites while touching the soul and immagination of the ordinary Malaysian.
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