Most of our ministers won't even think of engaging protesters. But Anifah Aman, the Foreign Minister, walked straight up to the protesters and had a chat with them, and not about the weather. Now, I'm sure we all can respect that.
Foreign Minister squares off with anti-ISA protesters in London.
by The Malay Mail correspondent in the UK
London: Twenty people turned up in front of the Malaysian High Commission in Belgrave Square last Sunday evening for an anti-ISA protest. One of them was one of Raja Petra Kamaruddin's bodyguards, known as Ben Singh. All holding placards bearing the messages 'Stop Detention without trial', '50 years is long enough', 'No to torture' and 'ISA haram di sisi agama Islam'. One demonstrator dressed in a detainee’s uniform, stood on a crate and wrapped a black plastic across his mouth and neck. Most were wearing t-shirts and cargo trousers on that balmy summer evening. A few were holding candles and there was a big yellow banner with Abolish ISA on it.
A police car parked nearby with 2 police officers watching the proceeding. The chanting could be heard around the Square but being Sunday evening, hardly anyone was in the embassies or offices nearby. Only a few cars and taxis passed the street. Even the police car drove off after a while.
Across the road, Malaysian officials and visitors to the Malaysian High Commission stopped to watch them before entering the building to attend a talk by the Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman. The Minister arrived and along with the High Commission’s officials, met up with the demonstrators.
Yolanda greeted the Minister.
Yolanda: "We are still very concerned about the way Malaysia still refuses to repeal the ISA despite having said that in April 2009. Datuk Seri Najib said that this is something that he will look into seriously. Since then Malaysia has been elected to the UN Human Rights council, many comments were made about the Human Rights in Malaysia but until now we have not seen anything move forward."
Datuk Seri Anifah Aman: "We are now talking to all the stake holders. We do not want to rush things. If we rush things after the bill has been passed in the parliament, there will be some parties who are dissatisfied with them. Although we can't fully satisfy the people, hopefully it would be acceptable."
Yolanda: "Why last Sunday were the police so fast to crack down on the candle light vigil by peaceful protesters in Malaysia. That is something we don't understand. Nothing of concerned but police arrested 38 people."
Datuk Seri Anifah: " I cannot give you the answer to that because I was away."
Yolanda: " I think the government need to take responsibility for this. Also the fact that communist insurgency was actually finished and it is way too long for us to keep seeing the ISA being used. "
Datuk Seri Anifah: " Yes, at the end of the day ... the ISA now is fully for terrorism."
The Bodyguard: "For 50 years people are being detained. Are you telling me that every body was a threat to national security?"
Datuk Seri Anifah: "You cannot generalize. Maybe not everybody (is a terrorist) but there will be somebody. We have just deported 10 foreigners who were there (in Malaysia) ... their actions could have jeopardized the (country’s) security."
The Bodyguard: "Why do you detain people who criticize the government such as Raja Petra. Because he is exposing excesses of the government, the looting that's going on? That's one way to silence him?"
Datuk Seri Anifah: "You mentioned looting. You are passing a judgment. We do have a judiciary."
The Bodyguard: "I didn't pass any judgment."
Joseph Benedict: "In the future we want an abolishment to ISA, right now at least an amendment."
Datuk Seri Anifah: "You do not know the consequences, how serious it is - terrorism. In our country, these people came and recruit the students from universities, Nordin Mat Top and Azahari, because we are not able to apprehend them, they have caused a lot of deaths.”
Joseph: “ But based on human rights we need to stop torture. We will continue and will keep pressuring you and the Malaysian government.”
Datuk Seri Anifah: “ Please do that. It is within your rights. I am equally concerned. I am no difference from you.”
Datuk Seri Anifah, when asked again on why Malaysians couldn’t hold the candlelight vigil on August 1: "There were people, not from the protest groups, who wanted to make use of the gathering for their own purposes. The police were compelled to prohibit them from going through this vigil because there was information that something untoward may happen.”
Another protester Andrew Yong said Malaysia to allow freedom of speech, assembly and peaceful protest if it was to be prevented from spiraling towards a police state, like that of Zimbabwe.
Datuk Seri Anifah: “That’s what I am angry about. You are comparing Malaysia with Zimbabwe. Why not compare us with America or Britain?"
The 20 minute open engagement ended with handshakes. Datuk Seri Anifah was in the UK and Europe for a 10 day working visit. Last week he met with the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, to discuss bilateral relations.
I wonder if Hisham can do something like this. Nak jumpa bloggers pun dia cancel sampai 6 kali.
ReplyDeleteWHat the hell is rais yatim doing? Making money from the 1.2 million free pc program as suuplier? or it is his ksu yg sapu?
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the Malays in London? Takut ke tak sokong?
ReplyDeleteCongrat Anifah for having the balls. And for those tai-chi answers.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that there are less Malay protesting. They are better off working or studying than complaining.
Yet another supine capitulation by a stupid nincompoop who has no better things to do than entertain a bunch of discredited runaway political gangstas.
ReplyDeletePeace-loving Malaysians the nation over support the ISA as national security is a prime enabler for food on the table, money in the wallet, swagger in the walk and hope in the future. As I said, the problem with this country is weak institutional capital that has allowed the gutter to seep onto the public square as raw sewage. Instead of cleaning up the mess, pronto we have deadwoods like this Minister indulging maruahless dysfunctional spoilt brats and cretins while more sewage gushes out of the collapsing plumbing system and flood us into oblivion.
You think that morons like these scum are interested for engagement when they cant even engage their brains welded as it is to their arseholes. Try asking them why they dont want to repeal or amend Art.149 for a change instead of acting deranged. Arsefucking, cumslurping, twatlicking, Chingkie dickjuicing bastard commie scum.
The moment you stop for a tete a tete is the moment of vulnerability. Crash the vermin ala Li Peng and Deng Xiao Peng aka Tiananmen 1989 and you will have guaranteed peace of mind for the next millenia and every wannabe soapbox hard at work, less at play and every wannabe polly good at policy and zilch at demagoguery. Do away with any reform, amendment much less repal of the ISA. Tighten the screw and watch the ISA tick like clockwork orange and the nation samba to prosperity.
NO TO ISA REFORM, AMENDMENT OR REPEAL! Apply the law now or dissipate into the nether like ether
NO TO ISA REFORM, AMENDMENT OR REPEAL!
Warrior 231
the only thing that is fair to them is that they get what they want. but they forgot one main thing, it is the majority that has chosen this government for the past 50 years which still opt to retain the ISA. it's majority speak and they get on with their lives without feeling oppressed whatsoever. why then a select few who decide to go against the current should be subjected to red-carpet treatment by the law-enforcers?
ReplyDeleteAnd he gets along well with George Yeo too! Too bad he ain't a Harvard MBA!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Anifah. How bout having yet another alcoholic drink again? It is true, you have spoken well, but when will you be a good muslim?
ReplyDeleteZreme
agree, this anifah aman is the man!
ReplyDeleteglad there is a minister capable of that kind of stunt.
RPK ada bodyguard? Huiishhh... mana dia dpt duit tu? bodyguard kat london tu gaji dier sama macam gurkha kat Msia ka?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 11:09 AM
ReplyDeleteFirst why bring up this issue here. Bongok! Second, why accused the KSU, without any evident. Bongok X 2.
My advise, please stay with the blog topic, so that we can have a meaning discussion. Otherwise, create your own blog. Goblog Bongok!
Only 20 people...kah kah kah...twenty kah kah kah....dua puluh...kah kah kah...
ReplyDeletehero lah konon londoners ni!
ReplyDelete-mendonan yg canggung
Syabas Anifah. Menteri berani macam ini yang kita bangga. Bukan macam kes pati lepas tahanan, menteri itu siang2 dah salahkan orang2nya. Kalau menteri Jepun, dah lama letak jawatan kerana tanggungjawap di atas bahunya.
ReplyDeleteGreat ya, Anwar's London rep the fat RPK is importing the protest culture to London.
ReplyDeletePreviously they did it to Taib Mahmud.
UK has several thousand Malaysians. Only 20 came.
Hahaha. Buat biar betul.
As usual coward RPK baling batu sembunyi tangan.
Datok Rocky,
ReplyDeleteIs Ben Singh the gun runner for the Khalistan Liberation Front? OR is Yolanda the Tamil Tiger sleeper among the Tamil community in London's East End? Wow... Anwar's Mr. Goebbels, RPK is in cohort with terrorists....
Prof Awe Kecik
How come RPK not there among the anti ISA crowd? Sekarang jadi Raja betul lah kat London tu, dah boleh hantar pengawal apa nama Singh tu.
ReplyDeleteNO to ISA AMENDMENT OR REPEAL.
to Ex-Londoner:
ReplyDeletethe Malays would rather show themselves up at places like Big Ben or Harrod's kot.... :P
yours truly,
myrtle the moaner
rpk is a real coward who sent a SMALL group to protest
ReplyDeletewhile he hides in comfort
Three cheers for Anifah for the courage to face the protestors and answered their questions ?
ReplyDeleteBut how come no one else is doing this in Malaysia ?
Surely there is one more minister who also have the same courage ?
Instead all protestors are arrested ? Or may be that is because the police are just doing it on the instruction of ....?
I was looking for any press report in the UK media...none. It's none event. May be the PR scumbags will accused our KDN control the UK media too.
ReplyDeleteIs this skilganon fellow a Harvard or an Oxford or a whatever fellow?
ReplyDeleteNow he is reduced to sarcastic remarking Warrior 231.
Can he produce his degree or whatever qualification here so that we can put a little weight to what he say in future.
Judging by his bias and his arselicking Lee Kuan Yew, he can't be a product of much.
Either Anifah is stupid or he follows the Government which has no balls.
ReplyDeleteNobody points out that even the US is still using detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay. That's ISA in USA, man.
There are over 200 detainees in the cages there. Even lawyer Obama doesn't know what to do. TV documentaries and comments say that the European Governments don't want to accept those who are of their nationalities. US doesn't want to send those from the Middle East and Pakistan back because they think the detainees will be tortured there.
So what? Malaysia lack of freedom, no justice? No justice my foot. When you have communist terrorists or religious extremists running amok, planting bombs at Malls etc, and you don't feel safe to go out, then you know. As such already feeling not safe with Mat Ragut, Mat Rempit etc.
The terrorists will make you shit in your pants. ISA helps control them and avoid bombings like already happening in Indonesia. You better thank your lucky stars that such bombings have not taken place in this country. Watch out, if you take out ISA, they may happen here.
teruskan saja dgn ISA..masih byk anasir berkonsep 'komunis' dan radikal secara tanpa kita sedar di malaysia walaupun ada di depan mata...
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:38 AM
ReplyDeleteNo need, lah. Be assured that I graduated from a reasonably well-known university which, when I checked recently, was ranked higher than any public university in Malaysia.
And I don't need to prove that to satisfy your cockamamie intellect!
The paucity of intellectual talent in the present Malaysian Cabinet is a matter of record - check the Ministers' CVs.
Incidentally, on a tangential diversion, I note that Warrior xxx didn't query how I came to know about Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas (this from another thread).
Did you know that Megat was an academic contemporary of Mahbubani Kishore, the head honcho of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore?
An institute whose study on Singapore's competitiveness Warrior xxx has referred to at great length to justify his arguments about competitiveness and foreign direct investments. Which will be rebutted by me in the relevant thread.
Ask Anifah Aman not to talk to the whites in a far away land.
ReplyDeleteAsk him to talk and counter the points of those in Malaysia.
Easy to talk to whites and overseas Malaysians who don't know much.
SEMAA SUDAH PLANN LAAAAH!!
ReplyDeleteBODOH & BUTAAA KAAAA KITAA SEMAAA,
Kahkahkahkahkahkhakhaka.... iemam kaahesihaaannnnnn...