On the eve of World Human Rights Day, a string of arrests…

 Christianity, Civil society, Democracy, Human rights  16 Responses »
Dec 092007
 

Five lawyers and three activists were arrested this morning when they attempted to march in Kuala Lumpur ahead of World Human Rights Day tomorrow. That they should be arrested while trying to uphold the right to freedom of assembly shows us just what the authorities think of human rights. It reveals utter contempt of basic rights by a morally bankrupt administration. Those arrested were among 50 Malaysians marching to demand their basic rights. A huge press contingent of another 50 were on hand to cover the march. The eight are: Sivarasa Rasiah N Surendran Amer Hamzah Eric Paulsen Anthony Andu Noorazah Othman Latheefa Koya And one other individual Read Aliran president P Ramakrishnan’s statement here. Apart from the eight, Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Edmund Bon has also been arrested for allegedly trying to prevent local authority personnel from removing banners outside the Bar Council’s headquarters in KL. A [Read more]

Toh Kin Woon, the BN’s most principled politician

 Accountability, Christianity, Civil society, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections, Marginalised groups, Poverty  4 Responses »
Oct 122007
 

I was glad to see the Malaysiakini interview with Toh Kin Woon and sorry to hear that he is retiring from politics soon. I would say Toh, the Gerakan vice-chairman and Penang state exco member, is the most principled politician in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. He has called for the abolition of the Internal Security Act and was one of a handful of ruling coalition politicians to say he disagreed with ISA arrests in the past. What I find most remarkable about Kin Woon is his down-to-earth nature, his sincerity and utter humility – the total absence of any arrogance of power. What a stark contrast to many other BN politicians!

SXI: Brother Charles Levin’s legacy

 Christianity, Malaysian history  1 Response »
Sep 302007
 

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SXI: Brother Charles Levin's legacy

From the corridor, I spotted a tall solitary figure strolling in the school courtyard in the evening light. For one moment, it felt as if I had been transported back in time. The setting looked familiar – though there seemed to be a lot more potted plants and greenery around. “Brother Charles!” I called out. He spun around to see who had called. We walked towards each other and I asked him the question that principals and teachers dread: “Do you remember me?” Then I mentioned my name to spare him the embarrassment of replying in the negative. “Yes, I know you,” he assured me. “I have seen you a a couple of times over the years.” Coincidentally, we were standing just outside my old Form Five classroom, next to the Brother Director’s office, in St Xavier’s Institution, Penang.

Would Jesus want the Makkal Osai suspended?

 Christianity, Media  17 Responses »
Aug 242007
 

This evening, I received an SMS with the intriguing question: “So u think Makal Osai shld b suspended?” Makai Osai of course refers to the Tamil daily that published an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette and a beer can four days ago. It was slapped with a suspension from today to 24 September. It was interesting to see the Islamic Party, Pas, coming out to express displeasure against the depiction of Jesus in the paper. Archbishop Murphy has found himself an unlikely ally, I thought! Since then, the paper has apologised and Archbishop Murphy has accepted the apology. Quite appropriately, the quote next to the picture that was deemed offensive read: “If someone repents for his mistakes, then heaven awaits them.” End of matter? No, the paper was nonetheless hit with a suspension order.

Job materialises above my desktop

 Christianity  No Responses »
Aug 202007
 

Sometimes its hard to understand the meaning of suffering and misfortune. I spent most of today running around taking the first step towards getting all my cards replaced. And discovered that it is an expensive affair to get burgled. The fee for replacing each card (whether bank ATM card, identity card, driver’s licence) ranges from RM12 to RM50. It’s back to my old desktop PC now after the laptop was stolen. My Samsung monitor, for some reason, looks blur. Maybe because it is past its prime. Yesterday, I discovered a book that I thought had gone missing. It was on wisdom spirituality based largely on material from the Old Testament. I found it lying strategically on the CPU of my desktop. I flipped the book open to where I had left a book-mark inside to indicate where I had last stopped. The next chapter was all about Job. How apt, [Read more]

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