Kugan....a victim of a miscarriage of justice ?

I gathered here at the Binary College compound around 3pm. with friends waiting for the cortege to arrive....but never did, so we moved on to Km. 14 , Jalan Puchong to wait.....and wait...
....at the entrance of Km. 14 , where I saw the crowd, mostly curious folks from all over the neighbour-hood milling onto the streets on hearing the sirens and whirling drone of the ever infamous "eye in the sky".....
...on an open decked SUV in the lead and ferrying the "Puchong Panther" on board, deafening chants of "Makkal Sakthi" and "we want justice" was yelled through loud-hailers joined by a thunderous chorus of supporters, which I saw as a well orchestrated display of "disgust " of police brutality...
...even my elected rep. and face book friend was there, as the skies signalled the start of a heavy down-pour.....
...it was thumbs-up for the guys with cameras....as the rain started.......

and the cortege.......surrounded by many chanting supporters on motor-bikes, and with no helmets .....did the police care, and why didn't the police do their job in issuing summons here....hmmmm ??
...and for the last kilometer to the burial ground, it was "footie" for all, as the road was too narrow, and as the rain poured....
....but not for Bernard who abandoned his horse.... and decided to hop onto a total stranger's motorbike....and without a helmet too......as the rain got the better of us.......
...the pall-bearers hoisting, the much publicised and controversial death in police custody , coffin of A. Kugan
....as the "eye-in-the-sky" watching the crowd below, circled continuously.....burning expensive fuel and wasting tax-payers money....
....it was also a time to meet your rep....even if it was in a cemetery....
the crowd that braved the rain and mud, just to see what this fuss was all about...but mostly to lend support to the family of a victim of a gross miscarriage of justice....yes?
.....another angle/view of the supporters and mourners of Kugan....is that the "fisherman" Gus, I spy ?
.....some were more adventurous in capturing the best shots from the best vantage points....like getting atop anothers' tomb stone barricading wall....
....and the "holy man"( in bright orange head-gear) making his way out after performing the last rites, through the crowd....leaving the continuous deafening chanting in the entire burial ground.....
....and the immediate family taking one last look at the lifeless body of once A. Kugan.......these bubbly children actually lived in this house over-looking the graves...
....while still one came on clutches to pay his respects...
.....and finally Gobind giving a press statement on behalf of those gathered here and pledging promises of justice for all.....amidst a roaring crowd of chanters....

There you go folks, the funeral of one, whether innocent or guilty, A. Kugan age 22, who was murdered in the sanctity of a police station while in custody too.....Now that the A-G has decreed his death as murder, somebody has got to pay ! Will we see a clean and thorough investigation and the perpetrators brought to the courts and charged or is this just more "hot-air lip-service" till we ( and we are famous for this !) all conveniently forget ? Will the family of the deceased be reasonably compensated even if no amount of money will get this victim's death justified ?

Guess we'll just have to wait and see.....

*click on picture for larger view.

Kong Hee Fatt Choy !

I especially like this greeting card/calender sent to me by my face-book friend and representative in parliament. Thank you Teresa ! Very original and guess the message says it all...errhh...i.e. if you can read and understand Mandarin !! I cannot !
Anyways.....the message must be warm and straight from her heart. So here I'm sharing her wish with you for a "Very Happy Chinese New Year of the Ox" to all Malaysians, wherever you are !!


*drive safely, go easy on that booze and happy holidays, ok !

Cheers !
Shanghaifish and family !

the case of the 21 armed and dangerous criminals....

This was the scene from 9am. yesterday at the PJ Magistrate Court of the 21 of the supposedly 23 ( funny why that video-grapher from Malaysiakini who produced proof of evidence of the "police charging to arrest the vigiliers while singing the Negaraku", was NOT charged together with another from Pahang who's case is still being investigated !!) citizens who were charged at the Magistrate Court yesterday for an illegal anti-ISA assembly and for defying the mighty Police Superitendent Mohamad Shukor Sulong's barking orders to disperse while they were standing in attention and singing the "Negaraku" and of course which the police still denies and scream as blatant lies !!

....some of the "hard-core" accused and supporters before they were charged.....(wow !!...don't they look menacing and violent and perhaps pose a greater threat to the entire nation ?
....the "penguins" representing the accused.....another "walk" in the works, Ambiga...opps Dato ?
....two "vile" accused, both left, pose with the "itch they can't scratch" standing in the middle !
...another "dangerous" accused, Rev. Fr. Polino of Divine Mercy Church, having a light moment with the "bigger evil" Pete....
.....only to be summoned by this pretty and polite, lady-in-blue, to get into the court-room, as proceedings are about to start.....
...a section of the crowd, who were refused entry into the already packed court-room.....
....milling around for news from inside.... Fr. Lebroy....errh...some more...some moreeee please !

....around 10am. the crowd swelled and anxiously waiting for word of the out-come...

....and for the some who found seats outside the court-room, a time to catch-up on some news....or smoke a pipe...
....or "catch forty winks"....
....and if the wait is too long and if you really...really needed to take an emergency pee......you had to go here. A make-shift restroom in the form of an old container, turned into a lavatory.....Now you take a closer look....

....stepping on mud, filth and stagnant water on the out-side of the lavatory....
....to a close-up of what you have to endure....IF you can first balance yourself and stomach it !! Definitely not for the faint-hearted, if you look down....did someone say this is a government building to serve the tax-payers ? What a disgusting sight ? Wooiiii..... Minister of Health....where art thou ?? Busy playing golf or having tea in some swank hotel ? Shuuuucks !
Bernard having a private word with a uniformed sympathiser ? or passing info ? Hmmmm !....even the nuns where there too to lend support to the cause ! Terrifying and threatening sight...these people, yes ??
....and they joined the crowd....of people of the laity....
...Ronnie, exhausted and tired of the air inside the court-room, taking a breather with fellow politicians from the Opposition...outside...
...until when the "Panther of Puchong" emerged to give a press statement of the charges deliberated and appealed within....and, yes, Judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali set a RM1,500.00 bail for the 21 "dangerous criminals" and a hearing date to appear in the same court on the 10th. of March 2009 !

BN's missing "wau" factor !

“Umno has not changed since the March general election. Plans made after the big loss have not been operationalised all the way down.” Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said. ( here )

He was commenting from far away Bahrain, on the missing "wow" factor in UMNO and BN after the thumping defeat in the recent UMNO's Kuala Terengganu by-election to the Opposition. I keep wondering what this "wow" factor is all about. Was there any "wow" in the first place to start with ?

Nothing has changed even after the humiliating March 8, 2008 GE, which saw the Opposition taking 5 states from the BN.....so what was he talking about ? Perhaps with humility and sincerity the BN (this is indeed the hard part !) would have won a few hearts, but no, siree......UMNO became even more arrogant and politicised more vehemently on race, religion and the "kekuatuan melayu" factor which saw UMNO and their coalition, crushed in Kuala Terengganu and yet again, mind you, and in denial mode, while licking their wounded egos, fleetingly dismissed the by-election as "won't shake the strong foundation built by BN much" pacifier as the Opposition advanced with boosted morale and energy to the parliament with yet another added seat !

So how now ? The only "wow" they are left with is the "wau" (kite in local dialect) that UMNO, for so long have been flying, under pretext and lip-service, to embrace and unite the people of all races equally and with respect, now seem to cast further erossion and doubts even within the BN coalition mainly amongst the "non-entity" (ask Ali Rastam of Malacca, please !) parties of MCA and currently "only shell" with a "heap of mounting accusations of cancerous corruption within", MIC !!

Looks like the most "decent" ( I will use this word generously!) "wow" thing to do for these 3 parties collectively called BN, is a call to disband, but not before answering all those charges and accusations against them. But then again, arrogance prevails, yes ?

Otherwise they can all go "fly their wow"( "kite or wau") till judgement day, for all I care !

Today in history (20-1-2009)

Barack Obama -44th. President of the USA and 1st. black man in the White House ! Believe !
Congratulations and "Change" IS good !

Calling Khalid....once....

It was shameful of the police "boss" one OCPD Junaidi, barking orders at a seemingly innocent crowd to disperse at the 15th. candle-light vigil at the PJ Civic Centre last night. Below I produce some photos from as early as 7: 55pm. starting with the "pot-luck" shared by the vigiliers to the bullying arrogance displayed by the police and the frustration endured by us, tax-paying rakyat.

...a section of the crowd(below) and the array of food(above) around 8:00pm......
...then the food was spread out on mats on the pavement for the vigiliers to feast on later.....
...and around 8:10pm, the crowd swelled...
...and the police too snaked their way in stealthily into the crowd ...
...and this OCPD,(now known as Khalid's "boss") Junaidi's voice barked through the loud-hailer to disperse immediately ....or else...
...Haris begging for calm amidst protest from the many who had come to share their food with their fellow brethren....
....councillor Richard (right) appealing for time and for reason from this plain-clothed cop, who in my opinion was clever enough not to be in uniform (special branch, perhaps !) but seem to be actually in charge of this operation.....
...notice the heavy armour.....will we really want to fight these goons bare fisted or with a candle for weapon ? Sheeesh !
...time-check...and time to move out to.....
....to Lotus Restaurant (read, private property) across the road, we were herded in.....
...to part-take in a simple meal shared with fellow citizens who have all come to oppose the dreadful and draconian ISA.....
....the crowd offered to buy drinks and the management was kind enough to arrange tables for the food to be laid...
...as another peaceful vigil was hijacked by the very persons whose salary we pay ! Puuuuit !

My call is for Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Where are you Khalid, the Menteri Besar of Selangor ? Is this how you turn your back on your rakyat ? Did you know that the OCPD of PJ is your "boss " ? He certainly seem to be wielding more power then you, Khalid ! Why was there no permit applied and issued even when you knew the police were there in the compound of your majlis last week to stop the 14th. candle-light vigil ? Do your "aduns" actually tell you what's happening on the ground ? Have you forgotten your pledge and responsibility to the rakyat so soon ? Or is the black-mail of a certain "Guthrie" story that's making it's round on the ground a threat to you to take a pro-active action ? Surely you don't want to disappoint the rakyat, right ? You for one should know the wrath of the rakyat, when push becomes shove, yes ? I need answers, and fast now ! Consider this a first call.....