Update: She has been released on bail. Check out Aliran president Ramakrishnan’s statement here.
Here we go again:
Cheng Lee Whee, a Suaram volunteer in Johor, has been detained under Section 28 of the ISA after she had made a report accusing the police of abuse of power during the eviction of urban pioneers in Kampung Baru Plentong Tengah yesterday.
During the eviction, 27 others were arrested.
Section 28 reads: “Any person who, by word of mouth or in writing or in any newspaper, periodical, book, circular or other printed publication or by any other means spreads false reports or makes false statements likely to cause public alarm, shall be guilty of an offence.”
Section 28, however, requires the police to produce the suspect in court within 24 hours.
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anil,
this is a sign of what is to come. draconian act will be abused to silence dissenters. Najib with Mahatir behind the scene will revert back to the usual tyranny to ensure that their … misdeeds …. will go on smoothly.
Mahatirism is back and (his cronies could get) richer with contracts after contracts likely to fall on their lap….
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They are really asking to be voted out. A Government out of control. Wish the GE13 could come sooner and the country can go into the next chapter
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If the people remain afraid and silent, then those in power will continue to do what they like. Beware, forces at work to create another May 13, it’s too obvious. The mode of operation is also too similar to be a coincidence, we all know who’s behind the current racial polarisation.
REJECT RACIST POLITICIANS, REJECT MAHATHIRISM, REJECT ISA, BOYCOTT UTUSAN MALAYSIA.
DEMAND FOR THE RETURN OF INDEPENDENCE TO THE MALAYSIAN EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATURE, JUDICIARY & MEDIA. JR
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The return of Mahathirism…. soon Ops Lallang will be back too. Sheesh!
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A Declaration Of Independence From Overconsumption
——————————————————————————–
Here’s an edit of an address given by Vicki Robin, New Road Map Foundation president, at the United Nations on April 6, 1994.
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We are all consumers. Every human takes sustenance from and returns waste to the environment. But overconsumption means taking more than we can productively use — or more than the environment can sustainably provide. Overconsumption has become our way of life in the United States. We put our faith in “more,” but it’s never enough; we report being no happier now than we were in 1957, when cars were fewer, houses smaller and microwaves, VCRs and personal computers did not even exist. Worse yet, our lifestyle, which threatens our social fabric and the very web of life on which we depend, has become the envy of much of the world.
As Robert Muller, retired Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, says, “The single most important contribution any of us can make to the planet is a return to frugality.”
Overconsumption Is A Mounting Catastrophe
Quantity as well as type of consumption defines the individual’s impact on the environment. With population rising and expectations for more, better and different stuff increasing, humanity is taxing the earth’s life-sustaining systems, its “carrying capacity.” Each overconsumer is responsible; we must face this catastrophe in the making.
Overconsumption Is A Catastrophe for Ourselves:
Declining quality of life. Our habit of overconsumption enslaves many of us to longer hours at tedious or morally questionable jobs. We say we value relationships over possessions, yet our behavior says the opposite. As we spend less time with our families and communities, we end up with more crime, violence and teen suicides.
Overconsumption Is A Catastrophe For Our Country:
Economic weakness. Our habit of overconsumption has led to debt, bankruptcy and the lowest savings rate in the industrialized world. We don’t have money to invest in infrastructure, in education, in the future.
Personal excess encourages institutional abuses. The more-is-better mentality allows us to tolerate wars over oil, and corporate practices that are wasteful, polluting and unethical. We can’t say “no” to Nintendos for our children or new gadgets for ourselves, so how can we expect our government to say “no” to deficit spending or CEO’s to say “no” to exorbitant salaries?
Overconsumption Is A Catastrophe For Humanity:
Modeling an unattainable and unsustainable lifestyle to the global community. The earth cannot support everyone in the manner to which Americans have become accustomed. We must find a way to limit our excess and maintain or increase our quality of life while providing the world’s people with our best knowledge and technologies so that they too can enjoy sustainable livelihoods and lifestyles.
Overconsumption Is A Catastrophe For The Earth:
Environmental destruction. Overconsumption accelerates species extinction, water and air pollution, global warming, and accumulation of toxic waste and garbage.
Resource depletion. Overconsumption means we’re using renewable resources faster than nature can restore them. Twenty percent of the groundwater we use each year is not restored. One million acres of cropland are lost to erosion annually. Ninety percent of our northwestern old-growth forests is gone.
We Can Change!
Strategies For Ending Overconsumption
Break the Silence
We must begin to talk about our consumption and challenge the conspiracy of silence. We can’t solve a problem we won’t acknowledge. Challenge yourself. Challenge others. Risk being uncomfortable. Risk offending others. Ask:
Should we be able to buy whatever we can afford, no matter what the effect on others or the earth?
Should we allow credit cards to lure us into excessive debt?
When is personal consumption a matter of public concern?
Who or what will set limits for us, if we won’t do it ourselves?
Does overconsumption really make us happy?
At the 1992 Earth Summit the United States refused to talk about consumption, saying that a country such as ours could not tell its citizens what kind of lifestyles and consumption patterns to have. By the 1994 Cairo Population Conference, the United States at least acknowledged the need to reduce our consumption. The door is opening. Speak out. And keep speaking.
Reframe the Game
Saving money — “creating a nest egg,” “saving for a rainy day,” “recession-proofing your life,” ensuring a decent retirement income independent of shaky pensions or social security — benefits you, the economy and the planet. By getting out of debt, saving money and building financial security, you consume less. By living life at a slower pace, you consume less. Frugality isn’t deprivation. Deprivation is pouring your time and talent into your job while ignoring your health and your loved ones. Poverty is wanting more than you have. Wealth is having more than you want. So make overconsumption sound dull-witted and frugality smart. (It’s easy, because it’s true.)
Debunk the Myths
Myth: “Standard of living” equals “quality of life.” Once we have enough for survival and comforts, quality of life suffers when we continue to focus on quantity of stuff. Studies show that good relationships, meaningful work and restorative leisure are core components of quality of life.
Myth: Overconsumption is natural. No, it isn’t! It began in this century as a deliberate strategy on the part of business, media and government to educate people to want what they don’t need in order to increase markets for American products. Overconsumption is selling your life and mortgaging your future so the economy can grow. Now that’s unnatural.
Myth: The US (or any) economy is dependent upon overconsumption. Respected economic observers like Lester Thurow of M.I.T., Charles Schultze of the Brookings Institute and Alfred E. Kahn of Cornell all assert that economic health in the 90′s depends on consuming less and saving more.
Myth: Government programs, revolutionary business practices or new technologies will take care of it. Green taxes! Renewable energy! Fuel efficient cars! Clean industry! Better living through chemistry! All are valuable — but, even all together, they are not sufficient. Creating a sustainable future requires a new way of thinking. We must re-examine our desires, transform our perceptions and develop a new ethic. Only then can the larger systems within which we operate be transformed.
Myth: One person can’t make a difference. There is no “they.” There is only us, a society of individuals making personal and collective choices. Legislators, CEOs and consumers are all people who can change their minds and thus change the world, no matter what they did yesterday. Lowering consumption happens one transaction at a time.
Educate About Overconsumption
Every conversation is an opportunity. Share your ideas and success stories with friends, neighbors and colleagues; write about them in your letters. Discuss and debate. Put together a study circle. Talk to the media. Show the link between overconsumption and environmental and social issues. Begin to notice all the ways that others can benefit from what you have learned.
Provide Tools For Personal Change
Beyond the what and why of overconsumption, people need the “how to.” Based on 25 years of experience in living and educating about low-consumption, high-fulfillment lifestyles, Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin wrote the bestselling book Your Money Or Your Life. Among the many other available resources is The New Road Map Foundation’s popular booklet, All Consuming Passion: Waking Up from the American Dream.
Live A Sustainable Lifestyle Yourself
Each of us has the mandate to consume in moderation. Ask yourself now and every day, “How much is enough?”
A Call To Action
The shift away from excess and back to balance is on. “Voluntary Simplicity” is one of the top 10 trends in the 90′s, according to the Trends Research Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Books on getting out of debt, saving money and working less are hot. Churches are exploring stewardship, not dominion. Foundations are funding projects to explore the issue of consumption and activate solutions. People are taking back their lives. The can-do American character has faced challenges before. When science showed us the dangers of being couch potatoes, of smoking, of too much fat, we responded with lifestyle changes. The mandate to reduce consumption can energize our country in a similar fashion, this time in a fiscal fitness campaign. Let’s transform the American way of life and pave the way to a sustainable future.
http://www.yourmoneyoryourlife.org/fom-paper-01.asp
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PM says that UMNO is not a bully. I agree. Only the racist warlords in UMNO who abuse the Constitutions and the NEP, misuse the enforcement agency and the judiciary and attack the unity of the nation by its Ketuanan mentality and racist BTN propaganda program which brainwash some of our fellow malaysians, are the bullies in this country because they have the power to do so.
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ISA must be destroyed.
No matter who’ll become our next PM, ISA is definitely a temptation for them to abuse their power.
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Interesting. But how many can the police place under ISA. There are just too many disenfranchised malaysians getting fed up with the ruling class. We Malaysians refuse to be second class and third class citizens in our own country any longer. 50 years of being fed nothing but threats from the ruling class has made us the disenfranchised fed up! to all 6th, 7th and 8th generation non-malays you need to take your rights! and not meekly request for them from the ruling elite. GOD gave you hands so TAKE YOUR RIGHTS!
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anil.
OH Mahatir, dont you think that 22years is not enough???????
Can you answer us, how many more days you have as from now in this world?????? please think and think……Plese for heaven sake if you want to participate in this politic to pass your time, please teach the younger politicans to do good deeds to the country and the people.You have got what you wanted please think again allah will spared us longer and healthy life.
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Is anyone who dares challenge the arrogant UMNO led administration, is considered a terrorist? Shame to this man the HM, who qualified as a lawyer and yet, he abuses the use of ISA.
What has this activist lady done that warranted her to be charged under ISA, is she such a threat to the nation. Why not racists like Ismail Ahmad, Utusan Malaysia and its fiction writer?
The nation is in distress, the rakyat is also in distress.
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Johore is strong hold of MCA and UMNO, that draconian law also impose in that state. As Hokkien quote: Took a rock hit owns foot.
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I thought the Magistrate’s Court already rejected a police application to remand her under the ISA…
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ISA is not a LAW because cannot bring it to court. No Judges, no Lawyers only Home Menister.We can call ISA is UMNO weapon to keep UMNO in power in forever.If ISA is good so abolish all courts, judges, lawyers. …
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::
Salam dan maaf dipohon.
Tulisan saya terkeluar daripada topic yang di atas. Walaubagaimanapun izinkan saya gunakan landasan blog ini untuk menyampaikan luahan hati rakyat.
Harapan saya agar segala luahan hati rakyat di sini akan menjadi pemangkin semangat dan penggerak tindakan kepada wakil-wakil rakyat yang telah kita amanahkan untuk menjalankan kewajipan mereka sebaik mungkin.
Tanggungjawab kita sebagai rakyat untuk memilih pemimpin telah kita lakukan. Tanggungjawab kita untuk membahagiakan dan mengharmonikan kehidupan berkeluarga telah dan sedang kita laksanakan. Tanggungjawab kita untuk bekerja mencari nafkah menyara keluarga sedang kita tunaikan. Tanggungjawab kita untuk memastikan keharmonian hidup bermasyarakat sentiasa kita utamakan.
Sekarang adalah masa kita menyemak dan menegur wakil rakyat-wakil rakyat yang telah kita semua pilih untuk mengangkat martabat agama, bangsa, negara dan warisan kita seluruhnya.
Seruan saya kepada ADUN dan Ahli Parlimen Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor khusus, sila beri perhatian kepada http://www.kerajaanrakyat.com , kerana jika kalian gagal dalam menjalankan amanah yang telah rakyat sandarkan kepada kalian, kami akan bangkit menentang kemungkaran kalian.
Salam takzim
http://kerajaanrakyat.com/
::
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Anil,
Our beloved Malaysia is being plundered and r****d by the you know who and nobody can do anything about it. For the love of God, please, somebody do something.
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When you’re truly fighting for a worthy cause
You may not fully count the total cost
As long as you faithfully stay on the right course
There’ll be no fear that you’ll be ever lost
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 171008
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Fri. 17th Oct. 2008.
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Things are finally moving in this country again, for the worse.
We are set to get a (possible) suspect for PM, an MCA which is trying to out do the opposition in clamouring, not by substance but simply by vocally raising the ethnic temperature in the MSM, for more Chinese rights and an MIC trying to outdo Hindraf.
We also get an e-PM who apparently is now the king maker in the run up to the next UMNO elections and a return to the old draconian days where opponents are arrested under ISA for political expediency.
Must we wait for another 4 years or should we just quit ?
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