Mitos Kebebasan di Tanahair

Jump to Comments

It is ironic that I should return to blogging during these times. This September, being my tenth year in online writing. But, here I am again. The prodigal daughter. On to business.

*

Two things disturb me today.

1. Raja Petra.

We all know what’s happened, the ridiculous charges against him and Syed Akbar Ali (chose to make a point, and to look like they weren’t out to get Pete, obviously) are baseless and vague, just like the ridiculous act itself, whereby anything that the powers-that-be chose to say is seditious, is seditious.

What’s funny is that his article didn’t incite anyone against the government, but I choose to think, his arrest probably has. What’s even funnier (I have a very dry sense of humour) is the fact that, while reading the simple, paternally-felt piece, I noticed in parenthesis RPK’s suggestion of jail (repeatedly), and even hunger strike. To which of course the idiots in power never will notice, and take on hook, line, and sinker. Because they’re just dumb. I’m sorry for being so crass, but they are. Here’s why in context of investigations and how they work.

Marina Lee’s heartfelt letter to the readers of Malaysia- Today goes to show you what sort of behavior these people are capable of. I, quite frankly, have been sick of it for some time now. I am tired of them being able to dictate the terms of liberty and freedom in this country, that is their gross misinterpretation of what is enshrined in the Constitution. I am tired of being sad, angry and shedding tears over each impingement of someone’s freedom. I am tired that they continue to define one of the most important faiths in the history of this world, as one big monolith, that is archaic and incapable of evolving, I am tired of seeing friends sent to jail, I am tired of assuring my family that all these sacrifices will amount to something, someday.

I hear, RPK has agreed to post bail, and will start eating/drinking again. I hope so. My thoughts and prayers have been with their family since this blew last Friday. I hope yours are too.

2. I just got the link for this video from People’s Parliament.  It’s on the Sky Kingdom, and Haris Ibrahim of People’s Parliament as well was interviewed in his capacity as counsel for Kamariah Ali.

Now, my last memory of having the Sky Kingdom discussed took place in a posh establishment somewhere in Damansara Heights. At this dinner, middle-class bankers, writers and professionals congregated to spend an evening out when the light conversation inevitable turned to the story of those “Teapot People.” Insert properly condescending tone, made to sound funny.

A lawyer friend, who was also involved in the case lost it. The gist of the conversation was that of the “Other.” The Teapot People were these weird religious group that went astray and were to be made fun of in the safety of middle-class KL. I don’t blame my friend for losing it at all.

Kamariah Ali, one of the people featured in the video is an unbelievably strong woman, and a Malaysian. I don’t necessarily subscribe to her views, or the worship of Ayah Pin, but that is my own personal belief. Let’s look instead at the facts.

She didn’t believe in the Islam practiced here anymore, and wanted out. So she opted out. Which according to some Malaysians, is illegal. The arrests followed. However, the worst had to be (in the video), the arrival of these “hooded” men to come and destroy the “Kingdom.” A scene from the Confederate South, circa 1940s? No, East Coast Malaysia.

To have that happen to my countrymen, to not know, to hear one woman, and a multitude of other Malaysian’s being belittled like that in public, is disgusting, to say the least. Kamariah, has resisted all attempts, four to be exact, to be rehabilitated. They send you off to pray and recite holy verses, until you are properly “Muslim” again apparently. In the case of Revathi, she was forced to eat beef, to get her to renounce her faith. It’s available on the Al-Jazeera, Everywoman website, if I’m not mistaken. Kamariah continues to believe in Ayah Pin and to be a follower, openly and at times of oppression, in her deepest heart of hearts.

If there is one thing to be said about her, is that she stuck to her guns. She stuck to her principles, how many of us can say the same for ourselves when faced with adversity and strife?

Today, the Syariah court in Penang allowed a Muslim convert to return to Buddhism. As it is almost Malaysian now to jump for joy at these sort of “landmark” rulings, I had to stop myself mid-jump to think for a moment.

Is this really a good thing? Is this a victory for human rights? Is this a victory for Malaysians? And is this a victory for Tan Ean Hung, who had to prove she didn’t practice Islam, and instead she continued to pray to deities like Kuan Yin?

I read this post and I must agree with Haris.

Who are these people to tell any one of us, what we can or cannot do? Freedom of religion is guaranteed to us in Article 11, is it not? Why are there people still telling us what to do, and when and if we can, and dictating the circumstances around all these events. I see individuals, NGOs, and some lawyers out there trying to explain and educate to people, that this is NOT normal. No one should be extinguishing these very important liberties, and yet I see them being slammed as different, dissidents, brain washers, traitors to race and religion etc.

But my biggest question for today is, why do we still allow them to do it?

Do we sit back and see the members of JI still languishing in Kamunting, because they chose to be different from what is practiced by the majority? Do we let Kamariah Ali keep going into religious rehabilitation? Do just sit and watch when a Hindu is forced to eat a meat she cannot consumer for religious beliefs, in the name of pushing forth a perverse agenda of “rehabilitation?” Do we grovel for the little pieces of “justice” that float our way, which actually strengthen my belief, our belief that, in actuality, we have given away all our rights to purported moral guardians of the state?

I think it’s time we take it back.

Take it back.

Take it back.

Take it back.

Take it back.

Taking it all back.

2 Comments

Filed under Malaysia, News, Socio-Political