Thank God, Teresa’s freed! Now let’s get the others out
I was just looking for a photo of ISA detainee Teresa Kok to put on my blog when Aliran president Rama phoned with the good news that she was freed at around 1.00pm. That kinda spooked me - but it’s wonderful news.
This is how Kit Siang described her release in his blog:
At 12.56pm, at lunch in Ipoh, my mobile phone rang. I saw the caller was “Teresa” and wondered who was using her phone.
But it was her on the line and wondered how she wangled the use of her phone while in detention.
But no, she did no such improper thing. She told me that she was being released.
Bravo. The irresistible pressures against her unjust and undemocratic detention had succeeded.
And this is Teresa’s reaction upon her release:
I have been released after being detained in solitary confinement in a 6-by-8 holding cell for seven days under the Internal Security Act (ISA). I was informed by the police that they detained me under section 73(1) of Internal Security Act 1960, which means I have incited racial and religious tension and conflict.
After being detained for seven days under the guise of so-called investigations, the police failed to produce any evidence or proof of me being involved in the activities of causing racial and religious tension. Full statement
Now, who says God does not listen to our prayers. 
How could he not listen to our prayers, some of them found here. This is what happens when Prayer Power meets People Power.
Blog reader Harman Amri urges us to persevere:
Alhamdulillah. And we must continue to pray for RPK, the Hindraf Five and all the other victims of ISA.
Blog reader Penang71 reminds us:
I believe a special effort needs to be made to acknowledge the Malay leaders of Pas, PKR and various Muslim and Malay NGOs (not to forget Zaid) who stepped forward to lend their support, thus foiling the plot to turn her arrest into a racial issue.
Yet another candlelight vigil was held, this time down south, reports blog reader Johnny 99:
Dear Anil, there was a candlelight vigil as the CIC Church Jalan Gereja Johor Bahru last night where not less than 250 persons attended despite the apparent lack of publicity. Let there be more vigils and may the authorities see the light.
Blogger Lucia adds:
The Lord is great! Praise be the Lord!
This is the happiest news I’ve heard this week. Thank you, God, thank you for Teresa’s release.
Even blog reader Seth, who had ranted earlier, is happy
Okay-la God heard your prayers but only took action after hearing my rant….heh heh heh…no hard feelings, ok.
(Meanwhile, Teresa’s accuser Khir Toyo is back blogging again today after an absence of 10 days.)
Even Mahathir has condemned the ISA arrests! (Say what? I never thought I would live to see the day.)
But there should be no let up. We must get Raja Petra, the Hindraf Five and all the others out as well.
Towards this end, the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) will be holding weekly candlelight vigils in Penang beginning tonight at 9.30pm.
I hear there’s also a candlelight vigil in KL tonight for blogger Sheih Kickdefella, who was arrested for sedition.
Meanwhile, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Penang is opening a candle-light prayer corner from tomorrow evening onwards. This corner will be dedicated to praying for the release of all the remaining ISA detainees (see the full list here), for the abolition of this obnoxious law, and for real justice and peace to reign in our country.
Aliran’s P Ramakrishnan has welcomed Teresa’s release and now calls on PM Abdullah Badawi to immediately release Raja Petra:
This is something he is expected to do; this is something that he can do; this this is something which he has to do; The question is will he come across as a man of compassion and spare the nation from this unnecessary agony?
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- Freedom! Teresa conveys her gratitude
- Penangites keep up pressure against ISA
- Teresa Kok detained under ISA as well
- Last Abolish ISA vigil in Penang tonight
- Praying in hope for an end to ISA
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Nearly fell off my chair when I received the news at 1. Praise GOd indeed!
One in, one out. We need to get them ALL out. Keep praying, everyone.
Thanks be to God. One down a few more to go…. Keep up the prayers and don’t stop the efforts.
i wonder if there is anyone keeping a tab on all ISA detainees via a blog of sorts. know of any, anil?
the night is darkest before the dawn. lets hope this plays out before tuesday next.
(just) a question to everyone out there. what was it like back in ‘88 when there was a Hartal? am curious as to what actually materialised.
Dear Anil
YB Teresa claims that the accusations against her are false.
Should false accusations and the people who make them
go off scott free??
Dear ash,
Aliran has a list of known detainees up till 13 September 2008.
http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/monthly/2001/3e.htm
HALLELUJAH! Glory be to God who hears our cries. Amen!
Now let us all the more united as one voice and continue to pray for the release of all the other detainees!!!
“People who were enforcing it refused to amend it.”
Don’t tell us, tell God.
how the hell god comes into the picture!!!! it’s the people power which made the difference! let the credits be to the people…
the lord is great! praise be the lord!
this is the happiest news i’ve heard this week. thank you, god, thank you for teresa’s release.
Teresa’s and Malaysian’s fortitude against this wanton and cruel government… RPK…is still in danger and he is still suffering at their hands.
Teresa’s release will NOT cool our anger and resolution. … All ISA victims must be released immediately.
GOD listens when we pray as ONE…. Thank God for releasing Teresa… & counting ! Let us all continue to pray for our fellow Malaysians & others being detained under I.S.A. (Idiots’ S**-filled Activities) ! To much power to mere greedy human beings have brought us to this day… what a sham & a shame - empty promises forever to a hungry nation ! We must continue to pray, never lose faith or give up. Thanks Anil for giving us light in these dark times. Its gonna get darker but only through prayer & the courage of each Malaysian to stand up and be heard can we make a difference in this country !!! God bless Malaysia & keep us in PEACE ! - peaceout
Let justice takes it’s course and punish those who wrongfully jailed Teresa. I hope these people especially Khir and the reporter of Utusan….
Good One! Lets us now try for the rest but you know what, until the downfall of BN, the root cause cannot be erased.
LETS US PRAY FOR THE DOWNFALL OF THIS USELESS BN GORMEN AND PRAY THAT ALL GUILTY BE PUNISHED ACCORDING TO THEIR SINS
IN GOD WE TRUST
God heard our prayers.God is great!!..yeh!yeh! teresa is back..soo happy now
Hopefully they’ll release RPK and others as well
Now lets … at the enemy once again until RPK and all others come home.
For many people, their belief in god is the force that calls them forth into concrete actions against oppression, where many others don’t contribute with action. Teresa, for one, would be very grateful for their unflinching support.
Nevertheless, I agree with Theva’s above sentiments in the sense that religion, in any aspect, should remain a personal matter and separate from political actions. There are many downsides to not separating the two.
You see Khairy going for UMNO youth post. He need to kick out Khir Toyo out. At current situation, he(kahiry) needs Teresa to whack Khir Toyo…so Teresa is OUT.
Dear Anil, there was a candlelight vigil as the CIC Church Jalan Gereja Johor Bahru last night where not less than 250 persons attended despite the apparent lack of publicity. Let there be more vigils and may the authorities see the light.
Tan and Kok released from ISA - celebratory poster tributes
Great to her Teresa back. Now we are waiting for RPK to be realeased. It’s a DEMAND!
Syabas to PAS ADUN & her friends for their assistance on Tuesday.
Syabas to all Peacemakers.
“Even Mahathir has condemned the ISA arrests! (Say what? I never thought I would live to see the day.)”
What he belived that ISA is wrongful act????? Then whey he used it tremendously when he was in power. The OPS Lalang????
Either Tun is a ‘pelupa’ or ‘cakap tak serupa bikini.’ I think is the later.
Praise the Lord.
Many more being ISAed. I think we will continue to struggle for those less famous ones.
Btw, seemed that Khir Toyo has change/deleted his accusation. That sure shows how ‘berani kerana benar” part of him. Thow the stone and hide the hand. Is he now going to accuse media of wrongly quoting him and letting the Utusan chap to take the rap?
phua
she is going to sue them and its the rigth way to go.
whatever, ISA must be abolished for the greater good of the nation.
I was just listening to the song “On the Radio” by Regina Spektor and the song reminded me of Teresa, and now she is freed. Thank God. Part of the lyrics
….
This is how it works
You’re young until you’re not
You love until you don’t
You try until you can’t
You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath
No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some…
Someone else’s heart
Pumping someone else’s blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don’t get harmed
But even if it does
You’ll just do it all again
…
On this positive note, may be we can pray for another miracle.
That our PM is actually a ‘GENIUS in disguise’
Remember what he (PM) made Malaysians believed what his promises were in 2004?
Now, he has his chance to make them materialise, albeit via a different PM.
Who might that PM be who can and will help him make his promises come true?
He knows his own party will not let him fulfill his promises before. What difference will another PM from his party make then?
The answer is obvious. He should go down well by letting the one who will help him fulfill his promises, the one ‘ALL’ Malaysians will appreciate sooner or later.
Not only will he be remembered as the MAN who made transformation of Malaysia possible but also be remembered as a genius in disguise!!!!
Praise the Lord !
Be still and know that i am God Psalm 46:10
Hi Anil,
Just managed to get access to the net as I was traveling. Anyway, thanks be to the LORD for granting us the wishes and prayers from all.
He works wonders if we keep the faith and now to pile the pressure for Pete’s release.
Cheers & God Bless.
Teresa’s free. Never thought that would have been possible.
Thank you Anil, Haris,Zorro, Mahaguru,Lucia,Din….. and all you heroes of our blogosphere.
Thanks to the civil rights activists and religious leaders of Malaysia.
I believe a special effort needs to be made to acknowledge the Malay leaders of PAS ,PKR and various Muslim and Malay NGOs (not to forget Zaid) who stepped forward to lend their support, thus foiling the plot to turn her arrest into a racial issue.
(here i should also thank MCA, Gerakan and gulp!MIC - THIS IS SO HARD).
AND most of all, THE MALAYSIAN PUBLIC - this victory is ours.
Now , to get RPK, H5 and the rest out.
Pls remember to thank the Islamic NGO’s also for they have also supported Teresa. This is truly the multi-racial new Nation at work.
Let us praise God for prayers answered
Let us thank God for those released as appealed
Let us raise our voices for ISA to be abolished
Let us bank on men’s sanity for ISA to be repealed
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 190908
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Fri. 19th Sept. 2008.
Glory to GOD on high.
YB Theresa GOD have heard our prayers.
Alhamdulillah. And we must continue to pray for RPK, the Hindraf Five and all the other victims of ISA.
To Penang71
Don’t desecrate Teresa’s release by scrambling on the bandwagon behind your MCA, Gerakan and MIC masters. People like you are the fertile soil that bred MCA, Gerakan and MIC.
Teresa is rightly pursuing Khir Toyo, Zaini Hassan and Utusan to bring them to justice. This warrants as strong a support as we gave her in demanding her ISA release.
Suing them is not about restoring her reputation because her reputation is a shining affront to all extremists and never needed restoration. Even more, it is NOT about revenge.
… THE PATH OF JUSTICE MUST NEVER BE PERVERTED BY THE HYPOCRICY OF “CONCILIATION”.
Ong Ka Ting ”appealed” to his masters to expunge the STIGMA of ISA detention from Teresa’s record. Only a person thoroughly sick … can utter that a victim’s reputation is blemished …
…
Simon Li, don’tlah scold me like that!
I’m just so happy - that usually makes me magnanimous.
Like I said, it was HARD to do.
If I offended you, I AM SORRY. Friends?
By the specific questions put to Teresa by her ISA interrogators, the police have confirmed that the premises of their action were Utusan’s and Khir Toyo’s bare accusations against Teresa.
In a non-Police State, the accusers would be the first to be investigated, interrogated and, if unable to substantiate their accusations, detained and charged. Somebody is digging UMNO’s grave with not an UMNO finger lifted in alarm or protest! UMNO has really gone bonkers. I can’t believe it.
No wonder Che Det is jumping up and down the sidelines.
While we rejoice with all those being released
Let us remember to pray on for those still detained
Freedom for all innocent ones is what all sane people relish
Afterall good, transparent governance and accountability are what we all want to retain
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 19008
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Fri. 19th Sept. 2008.
Anil,
Just met up with Marina, Haris & Zorro and told them about the persistent vigil in Penang. Kudos to you for your posting and awareness on this.
All readers, commentors,
Please keep the faith and lets us continue to pile the pressure. RPKs place is with his beloved wife and kids, apart from us, anak2 bangsa Malaysia.
Cheers
The people of malaysia must keep up the momentum to secure the release of all isa detainees.It is inhuman to imprison anyone without giving him due process.
As Penang71 said, we must thank our muslim brothers who spoke out bravely against the isa detentions. If not for them, umno-bn (might) have turned it into a racial-religious issue and used it for ther political survival.
Welcome back, Teresa. God is great and His love endures forever
http://www.danielykl.com/blog/2008/09/19/welcome-back-teresa-kok/
U12+5, exactly my sentiments. Regards, 9-5=4.
romerz,
thank you! its really appreciated.
Ayah, Penang71, sorry lah.
Cannot fall for the tricks of MCA, Gerakan and MIC. They were gloating over Operasi Lalang but if not for March 8….
100% in the same boat as UMNO, not 99%.
Thanks Simon. I totally agree and am with you on this one.
Cheers.
Teresa Kok is free!…
Thank God Teresa Kok is free.
According to the Star:
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released from detention under the Internal Security Act at about 1pm on Friday, her lawyer Sankara Nair said.
Her father Kok Kim Tong and mother Poh Seh Kwon were at the…
[...] Thank God, Teresa’s Freed! Now Let’s Get The Others Out Teresa Kok is freed after 7 days incarceration under the ISA. Some of the commenters share their thoughts: I believe a special effort needs to be made to acknowledge the Malay leaders of Pas, PKR and various Muslim and Malay NGOs (not to forget Zaid) who stepped forward to lend their support, thus foiling the plot to turn her arrest into a racial issue. [...]