Locus Standi

(After 55 weeks [according to LJ], I'm back, and hopefully for good. Sorry for the super-long hiatus, but I had to take time off to sort a few things out in my head [and heart]. But it's a new year, and hopefully an old me. From now on, this journal will be strictly epistolary in style, with my actual articles going to CEKU for the time being [though not to say I won't try tackling some serious issues as well, in these pseudo-letters]. Hope you've all been well - a very Happy New Year to all!)

2.1.09

It's been a long time since I last wrote to you, but I find that the ink flows just as smoothly as it used to, even aftr all this time. Funny, that. But perhaps it's because it's you who hasn't written for so long, and thus I have had little chance to reply to your thoughtful queries, my dear muse. To new beginnings, then, and endings which are nought but beginnings themselves.

You watched the news the other day, and you went to school the next day filled with an unquiet anger, as you had been taught by your immensely worthy parents to do. In the face of injustice, anger must come forth - not a God-hating anger, nor still a murderous unthinking flame, but an unquiet passion leading to implacable action. Yet your friends only laughed at you, belittling your letters and spirited words on the soapbox. You went home crushed, convinced that your crusade was for nought, and that your friends were right - you can't change anything, so why even try?

I say to you now, your friends are dead wrong. And you can go back to them, and tell them the two reasons why. Firstly, maybe if you're the only one doing it, nothing happens. But the doing has to start with yourself. If you don't do, you can't expect anyone else to do it too. But what one person does, when multiplied by the millions, becomes something far greater than than the sum of its parts. And that does lead to change - but it all starts with one small act on your part.

But I think there's an even more important reason, and this one remains true even if you were the only person on the whole planet who cared about the suffering of these poor souls - you and I, all of humanity, we are witnesses unto one another. And we owe it to our fellow human beings to not allow them to be forgotten, even if we are the last people on earth who remembered their names, and their suffering. Our poets tell us of the importance of memory; of the significance of remembrance. And just as we honour God in our remembrance of Him, we honour our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity by remembering them. That is why, each and every time you write or speak about the suffering of others, even if it doesn't seem to be doing anything, always remember that by doing what you do, you are honouring them, and standing witness to their existence. As long as you are doing what you do, they will not go gently into that good night.

Remember that, and continue doing what you do - and when you next look into the eyes of your friends, roaring defiance in the face of their mockery, know that I am prouder than you can ever know.

The Star Online reports that 5 Hindraf leaders have been detained under the ISA, with 2-year detention orders under s.8 having been signed by the Prime Minister.

To me, when I look at the ISA, I see a choice between what is easy, and what is right. There's no denying that the ISA is the easy choice. It is easy to just trust that the government knows best; that they know what they are doing. It is easy to not have to bring out evidence and sensitive inteligence into open court, and to ask the people to trust that the evidence exists. It is easy to look at these 'troublemakers', and think, at least we have a superweapon that can make sure they can't ever hurt anyone, even though it's not actually proven beyond reasonable doubt that they will do so. It is easy to know that your government can strike pre-emptively at people, and keep you safe. It is easy to see all those people arrested under the ISA as 'them'; to never think that you might ever agree with what they say or do; to think that tomorrow, it could ever be you, or any of your loved ones. So very easy.

But does that make it right? I don't believe so. And the simplest reason for this is one of natural justice - how can you punish a person without having proved her crime, and without giving her the chance to disprove the allegations made against her?

This is natural justice, for the simple reason that we do it all the time. A simple example. A window is broken in your home. You call your two daughters. One blames the other for the broken window. Would you immediately start yelling at her, and setting her punishment, based solely on what your other daughter said? One would think that you would at least ask the allegedly wrongdoing daughter whether the allegations were true, and if she said otherwise, you would listen to both sides and make up your mind. This pattern of natural justice repeats itself every single time we deal with disputes in our daily lives. So why are we so eager to deny its relevance when it comes to the ISA?

When there is an allegation of wrongdoing, justice demands that if it is disputed by the alleged wrongdoer, then it must be proven, and the alleged wrongdoer must be given a chance to defend herself. And all this takes place under the watchful eye of a neutral arbiter.

None of this happens under the ISA. The government does not have to prove its case - no evidence needs to be tendered in a court of law. The alleged wrongdoer has no chance of defence - she gets picked up, and processed immediately. As for the neutral arbiter? The ISA detainee has not been convicted in a court of law, by the judgment of an free and independent judge - she has been sentenced by the act of a single signature. And ever since the government restricted further the jurisdiction of the courts to examine the grounds of detention, even habeas corpus will not avail her.

And that's not even all, because we also need to remember that the ISA has been a cover for torture in the past. We only need to look at the recent judgment in the case of Abdul Malik Husin to see judicial condemnation of the torture inflicted on him during the course of his ISA detention. It happens, we cannot deny it, and it is a very powerful reason to do away with the ISA. Secrecy breeds torture. We only need to look at the accounts of life in Guantanamo Bay to realise that the less openness and exposure to the watchful legal eye there are, the more easily human beings degenerate into little more than sadistic beasts. For that matter, just read the judgment, and understand the depth of suffering that was inflicted on En. Abdul Malik.

Doing without the ISA is not easy. It means that the government and law enforcement agencies have to do a lot more work, and actually have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that someone is a threat to national security. It means that we'll have to listen to those we fundamentally disagree with, even when we think they're troublemakers, because chances are, as troublesome as they are, they won't be proven to be threats to national security. If you ask me, that's not necessarily a bad thing. And of course, there is the age-old consequence - that we may well end up letting a genuine threat walk free, and people may die because of it.

I will put the last statement into perspective, by noting that the record of ISA usage in Malaysia includes a whole lot of opposition leaders and NGO activists and political dissenters, not to mention passport forgerers - all of whom aren't exactly the next Al-Qaeda or Tamil Tiger bomber, in my humble opinion. But yes, at least half of the current detainees are suspected KMM or JI members. Please bear in mind, however, that links with Tamil Tigers aside, Hindraf does not strike me as a terrorist threat.

But even when dealing with alleged terrorists, the ISA is not the way. Alleged terrorists remain very much alleged; they deserve the right, just as much as a pickpocket, to have their side of the story heard, and the allegations against them proven. Yes, we may make mistakes. But have we so easily forgotten the Prophet's advice: better to let a thousand guilty men go free than to punish one innocent? That is the balance of justice in Islam. It is not easy to live in the insecurity that this balance creates. It is not easy to contemplate that the man you free today may kill you tomorrow. But as long as we believe that at the end of the day, justice trumps fear, then the choice is clear, no matter how hard the consequences may be.

And when it comes to equating Hindraf's loose statements and borderline racism with a 'threat to national security', I believe that again, we're taking the easy way out. Of course it's unpalatable to a lot of people. But what we should be doing is countering the rhetoric with a genuine desire to help our Malaysian Indian brothers, and framing this as part of a drive to help all Malaysians who still live in poverty and deprivation. Instead of thinking that people are automatically going to riot the more they listen to Hindraf, we should be saying: we should not resort to violence, but we must do all we can to help each other. Yes, it's a whole lot harder than just shutting them up with the ISA. But which is easy, and which is right?

I ask you to please think about the question of justice I brought up earlier, and really consider whether the ISA can be reconciled with that conception of justice at all. And if you believe, as I do, that the ISA completely offends against that natural justice, then I would ask you to at least join all the other Malaysians who now say to our government: we choose what is right, over what is easy; and if you choose what is easy, over what is right, then let not this injustice be done in our name.

NB: Just in case anyone's wondering how I can go from 'disappointedly furious' to 'happy' in the same breath, I made a promise that every time it seemed that I was going to be stuck in 'furious' gear, I'd write a 'happy' post. Proof of the mantra: your best friend knows what's best for you.

A tip led me to a sighting of a particularly wonderful moon yesterday. It was bright and cheery and remarkably pretty. I saw it again this morning, and just had to marvel. Subhanallah. All Glory be to God. Somehow or the other, full moons over here are just so much more impressive - must have something to do with the being in the northern hemisphere rather than near the equator.

I liked your stories about your teachers at school the last time round. Teachers have a tendency to be awfully nice, and quite unforgettable. And sometimes, even if their names do tend to disappear into the mists, you're still left with vague notions of warm feelings and good times. Every class teacher you have will be different, but each would have had their own special 'good memory' associated with them (I hope). From the teacher who would always sigh exasperatedly at the class; to her of the quaint phrases (I will never forget 'tidak bertamadun' as long as I live); to the all-important Standard 1 class teacher, the one who would be the only shield between you and all-consuming fear of school (I didn't exactly take to school like a duck to water).

I've lost touch with far too many of my old teachers. But whenever I do come across them, those are special moments. I've been told often enough that they never remember you - that's why the same old questions keep coming up: what are you studying, where are you studying, and 'dah ada girlfriend ke?' But nevertheless, it's always nice to know how people you care about are doing; listening to tales of student terror (the innocent kind), exclaiming in wonder at their children's latest exploits; shaking your head gravely at 'kids these days'... makes you feel almost like a makcik on the stairs. Not a bad feeling to have, some days.

So, my dear, the moral of the story is: before you leave school, make sure you take down all your teachers' contact details, and don't forget to drop them a line once in a while. Will regale you with more tales of my wonderful teachers another time, but for now, I think I have a few postcards that need sending. Till next time, gentle thoughts, and warm days.

Update: At least 400 people have been reported as having been arrested.

Nat has a powerful piece out on the Hindraf rally. It makes for painful reading, but you must read it nonetheless.

Nik Nazmi has a lucid, sobering reminder of the sad fate of the Indian community in Malaysia. Two statistics he quotes speak for themselves. They only possess 2% of the country's wealth, and removing the 5 richest Indians from that list just makes it so much worse. In 2003, one in twelve did not attend primary schoool. Does this look like a rich, fairly treated community to you?

There is an argument, and one I support, for saying that it's better to frame this fight in terms of justice for all poor, regardless of race. At the very least, the plight of the Indians should be proof that the NEP needs replacing, that our focus needs to shift from handing out contracts and worrying about equity to tackling poverty, the first prong of the NEP that has too long been subordinated to this UMNO-twisted Frankenstein that is the Malay Agenda.

We should also not forget temple demolitions. These are just as significant as the economic plight facing the Indians. How can we seriously stand by and just watch as temples are demolished? 'Illegality' is not an excuse. How would we Muslims feel if a surau that's been there for years is demolished because it's 'illegal'? Places of worship have a special status that need a whole lot more than just illegality per se to contemplate getting rid of them. We need to deal with this in a civilised manner, giving priority to the sanctity of places of worship, and the freedom of religious practice, not just ride rough-shod over the cherished faith of our Hindu brothers and sisters. Why is this so hard?

But all this deserves more expounding another day. Today, however, is about what happened when our Indian brothers and sisters wanted to channel their frustration, and have a peaceful protest. Nat's piece is painfully illuminating, as are the news reports coming in. Tear gas fired from 7.40 am. Tear gas fired even when the crowd wasn't doing anything more than milling around. Racist police officers hurling abuse at protesters.

I'm angry at the police, but I'm angrier at the men pulling their strings. I'm angry at a government whose first reaction to a legitimate outpouring of people's frustrations is tear gas, and loads of it. No mercy. No dialogue. No respect. Just tear gas (and Nat's account of the pain is... sigh.)

En. Abdullah, I hold you responsible. These aren't disorderly drunks, or violent rioters, or armed revolutionaries. These were your own citizens, your own people. They just wanted a chance to be heard, to assemble for a little while, march peacefully down Jalan Ampang, and maybe for one day, feel a little less powerless. You didn't even want to give them that much. When they went to KLCC, your policemen fired tear gas at them. When they went to Batu Caves, your policemen fired tear gas at them. They didn't do anything, and your policemen fired tear gas at them.

Your government tells us that these people are inciting racial hatred. No, they're not. Some extremists may hate everyone else in Malaysia, but the vast majority of people out there are just sad that their lives are so bad under your rule, and the so-called 'protection' of the MIC. They're not trying to incite hatred, or riot and hurt their fellow Malaysians. All they want is a better life for themselves, and their children. Is that too much to ask?

The best way forward is still a struggle for all poor, regardless of race. But the Indian poor have had it bad, and they have a right to voice that out. But you didn't have enough respect for them to let them do that.

Don't let them get away with this, people. Please. Hold this government to account. Vote for change.

First of all, please read Nat's brilliant post on the Hindraf march tomorrow.

He's right. You may not agree with Hindraf's methods. You may think a 4 trillion suit pointless. But can we really deny that the Indians in Malaysia have got a raw deal? Can we deny the plight of the estate workers? The temple demolitions? The millions lost by poor Indian savers after MAIKA collapsed? MIC has done wrong by the Indians. BN has done wrong by the Indians. And we've done wrong by the Indians too - we should have been speaking out years ago.

That's why people are marching tomorrow. People are angry. People feel betrayed. And what do the police do? Act like this peaceful gathering is a threat to national security, and shut down the city.

It's sad. It's sad that even after the Indians have been betrayed so many times, when they just want to do something, just one march, to express their anger in public, the police treat them like dirt.

Court orders placed round the city? Jalan Ampang will be closed off? Anyone going will be arrested? Teachers will be sacked, students will be expelled? Even the King of Perlis stepping in and saying that people shouldn't join an illegal rally?

Come on, people, it's only illegal because you made it illegal. You could have granted the permit so easily, but you didn't. This is a peaceful gathering, not a riot-in-the-making.

I know I shouldn't have any good expectations of this government anymore. I know they don't care about the people at all. I know they're cruel and oppressive. But this... this just makes me want to scream and cry all at the same time.

You just think of a poor Indian worker, earning maybe less than RM300 a month. His wife earns even less as a cleaner. They've got 5 kids to feed and clothe and send to school. They've barely got a roof over their heads. They used to have a temple, but then the State Government says it's illegal, and demolished it a month ago. They feel so helpless, they don't know what they can do. They put in a bit of money into MAIKA, but we all know where that went, and they just got even poorer. They look to the MIC, but the MIC just whistles on, gets a few people nice and rich, and look the other way.

Then he hears of P. Uthayakumar. He hears of HINDRAF. He hears of the march. He wants to go. His wife wants to go. His children want to go. They've all lived a hard life, and for once, it seems like there's something they can do to make someone listen. But what do they get? They get treated like criminals. They're threatened with arrest, their children risk getting expelled. They know there'll be water cannons and tear gas out there.

And the government has absolutely no sympathy for them. They won't even allow them this much, just one march. Not even one chance to speak out. This is the government we have.

It makes me sick. It makes me want to cry, thinking of that family, and those kids. And it makes me so, so, so angry at this heartless government.

This is not a racial issue. This is a Malaysian issue. Our fellow Malaysians are suffering. They want to do something about it, and this is the only way left for them - the government's certainly not listened to anything less. And by denying them the right to voice their frustrations, the government is making a mockery of any claim to be a government of the people.

Don't you talk about 'right channels'. I marched last week in Oxford for Burma, and the police didn't tell me it was the 'wrong channel' - they escorted us all the way, holding traffic back for us, and giving us the thumbs-up in the end. And if this government learnt to actually care about the rakyat, instead of just pretending to, it would do the same thing. Shame on them.

I ask each and every Malaysian reading this to stand in solidarity with our Indian brothers and sisters. SOme of us may not be able to march tomorrow. But we can speak out. We can make some noise, as little as it may be. And we can vote for change.

19 November

We should go and see Wicked! one of these days - I remember how amazing it was when I first watched it, and I think it should be quite an experience for you. It would be nice, would it not, to make it into an outing with your friends as well, with ice-cream after, perhaps?

I don't know where you unearthed those pictures of me marching in London, but it did remind me that I've been awfully remiss in never bringing you along for a march before. Of course, your parents might have had a thing or two to say about that. Which is why I wasn't surprised when you asked why I liked going on marches so much.

It's an exhilarating feeling, being in a march. All those cliches about giving power to the powerless - they're all true. If you marched alone from Trafalgar Square to Westminster, holding up a forlorn solitary placard and chanting till you grew hoarse, alone, you might just end up feeling rather miserable. But the moment you're part of a crowd, that changes everything. Instead of being just one person with a cause, and no one listening, you're part of a movement, a collective - people listen, because your voice is too loud for them to ignore anymore, because it's not just you anymore. The sound of a hundred, a thousand, twenty thousand voices just crying out for change makes you feel like you're actually moving the world, even if it is just by a single inch.

Human beings need collectives, need collective action. One person can slice a thousand little cuts, but if you want to break the door open, a single knife won't do it - you need thousands of little knives, fashioned into one big, bad battering ram. Think of us as being like ants (sort of). We walk upon this earth, looking for those tiny crumbs we can carry ourselves, and picking as many of those up as we can. But every once in a while, you stumble upon a beetle. You wring your feelers in despair, looking up at that enormous beetle, but then you get a tap on your metaphorical shoulder, and you see a thousand ants behind you. Hope flares, the light flashes on, and a thousand ants heave-ho and carry that beetle home. And so it is with us too.

Your friends might say, my dear, that millions have protested before, and achieved nothing. But that's not true. Some fail, but many others succeed. And even those who fail, in the long run, succeed. And failure is never total. You might fail to change the world today, but if by marching today, you feel more empowered than you did yesterday, then call that a success. Because if you feel empowered today, then chances are, you'll feel the same way tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that. And an empowered people will win out in the end. Maybe not in my lifetime, maybe not in yours, but someday. But if people don't even feel empowered, then that process dies before it even has a chance to be born. And that's a real shame.

So, what say we pick up a couple of placards, tell your parents a white lie (one must be wild, sometimes), march down Jalan TAR, and have us a little empowerment? And hope I don't get arrested for child endangerment, but it's ok - I have a running list of lawyers who've all promised to get me out of jail, not to mention one supremely brilliant advocate for a best friend. Isn't life a doll?

Today, En. Najib Tun Razak was quoted as saying that Malaysia is not under a state of emergency.

Might I remind our DPM that we are currently operating under at least two Proclamations of Emergency which are yet to be revoked? And that this singular fact is why the Emergency Ordinances are still in operation, and still used to arrest people who have already been judged not guilty by our ordinary, non-Emergency laws?

If you're serious about Malaysia not being in a state of Emergency, En. Najib, I suggest you move for Parliament to revoke all operating Proclamations of Emergency, and stop using the Emergency Ordinance as a criminal short-cut to nab people whose guilt you can't prove in an ordinary court of law. You're a smart man, En. Najib - surely you know what the rule of law is. And this abuse of Emergency laws is just not on at all.

I was also deeply angered by this revelation at Nat's blog. The police beat up an innocent pisang goreng seller who was just a bystander at the protests, and Nat has the pics and his account of the crime.

This is the problem. The rakyat are perfectly capable of mounting a peaceful demonstration. Where the police did the right thing, and did not interfere, there were no problems. The only time the demonstrations on Saturday were not peaceful was when the police initiated the violence, by using tear gas, water cannons, and now even brute assault. Shame on those responsible.

People like EC Chairman En. Abdul Rashid need to realise that peaceful demonstrations are a perfectly legitimate way to dissent. That we need to stop the fetishism of the 'proper channels', and admit that in a profound way, demonstrations are the only way for the downtrodden and the marginalised to express their feelings. These demos are only violent when the authorities inflict the violence, either openly or through agents provocateurs. Instead of criticising the method, En. Rashid, you should be taking the message to heart, and working towards electoral reform immediately.

14 Nov 2007

I saw two cats today. No, don't laugh, I really did. And you know how much I love cats. I swear, if I could, I would follow the footsteps of Mrs. Figg and fill my house with cats from top to bottom.

A particularly dear friend of mine once told me that sometimes, you have to forget about Nazri and Adnan and all the rest of these thugs, and just watch the butterflies go by. And so today I did, and I revelled in the joy of seeing two cats. Perhaps tomorrow I will see a butterfly at my windowsill.

You asked me once: Why does God give us best friends? The answer to that, my dear, is that God is fair. God knows that the world is full of struggle - that life is one constant, unending jihad, fighting both the tryanny of the nafs over purity as well as the tyranny of man over man. I will not live to see the road of equity prevail, and sadly enough, I don't think you will either. That means that every single day of our lives, there will be some injustice that must be fought, some oppression that must be ended, some tryant who must be overthrown. It's not easy, living life that way.

But God is fair. God does not give us a burden we cannot bear. God tells us, I will give you hardship, and woe, and struggle, but I will also give you love, and kindness, and tender compassion. God tempers the agony of this world with the promise of a better world beyond anything that we have known in the Hereafter, and in the meantime, he gives us best friends, so that in every act of love and kindness that passes between us, we see a glimpse of Paradise, to whet our thirst. Moments of infinite beauty and grace, to hold back the lasting night.

And remember too, that our best friends remind us of what we are fighting for. That the true potential of the human condition is not the arrogance and cruelty of our so-called leaders, but the warmth and tenderness of a dearest friend. That the world is always worth fighting for, because a world capable of bringing forth people like your best friend is worth a lifetime of struggle. Now isn't that a nice thought?

So don't forget to tell your best friend how much she means to you, and treasure every moment with her, for every moment is God's gift to you.

Until next time, happy thoughts, and gentle dreams.

First of all, a job very well done to all those who marched to Istana Negara on Saturday - a truly heartwarming sight, seeing 40 000 Malaysians in yellow demanding change!

They've done their part. Now all of us have to do ours. The fight has only just begun.

Nat has a brilliant but painful piece on how bad the media coverage of the event is.

It's pathetic. It's obvious. It's sad. But the most dangerous thing is that as unlikely as it may seem, the propaganda will still work, unless we fight back.

Don't believe the newspapers at first glance. Check out the pics. Check out the reports from Nat and Nik Nazmi, amongst many others. And then read between the propaganda and see the truth.

And Polytikus had a wonderful response to two hostile reactions to the march.

I'm feeling rather furious at the moment.

Teargas and water cannons used on illegal assembly, 245 held

Not 4000 marchers, but 40 000. Not 245 arrested, but only around 30. Not just an illegal assembly, but an assembly that would have been legal had it not been denied on spurious grounds. And I especially like the way they focused on the teargas and water cannons, and relegated the Istana part to the end, forgetting conveniently that 40 000 marches were arrayed outside the Istana Negara, supporting their representatives as they went up to meet the King's representative.

Shame on you all, editors of The Star.

And I'm even more furious at the politicians.

1. Adnan: Use ISA

I feel like screaming at you. The ISA, En. Adnan? The most draconian legislation we have, 60 days detention pre-charge, 2 years renewable without trial, all for a protest through KL? You disgust me.

Protesters are not a threat to national security. Peaceful protests do not in any way prejudice national security. They go out there, express their anger, and work for change. They don't blow anything up, they don't attack anyone, they don't threaten national security. You are living in a Twilight Zone, I'm afraid.

'We are fighting for our survival.' The only people fighting for survival is the BN, not the country. The country will survive just fine, notwithstanding regular peaceful demonstrations. It's your Government that needs to be afraid for its survival. Don't you there twist the issue to make it as if it's the country that's being threatened.

And national security is more important than legality or human rights, eh? So we'd be fine under a dictatorship which suspends all laws and rights, just as long as our 'security' is ok? And this is the man we voted in as a Menteri Besar of a Malaysian state. Vote for change.

2. Najib on why the police didn't permit the gathering

En. Najib, peaceful demonstrations do not cause chaos and disturb the peace. The only chaos and disturbance of the peace happens when permits are not granted, riot police are deployed, and trigger-happy police (who were thankfully a minority on Saturday) shoot chemically-laced water cannons at protesters.

2 million marched in London on the eve of the Iraq war without incident. I've been involved in a 20,000 strong demo for Palestine, again without incident. And I notice you didn't call En. Khairy's demo when Ms. Rice was in town a cause of chaos and the disturbance of the peace.

Peaceful demonstrations only create chaos with external provocation. Left to themselves, as most of the protesters on Saturday were, and people will march peacefully.

As for traffic jams, might I remind you, En. Najib, that the traffic jams were caused more by your numerous roadblocks than anything else? Had you allowed the gathering, and created a route from Dataran Merdeka to Istana Negara for an allotted period of time, there would have been minimal disruption to the city's normal life. It was your Government's intervention which created chaos, not the protesters.

3. Pak Lah: Don't drag royalty into politics

This is not politics, En. Abdullah. This is 40 000 of your own rakyat, demanding free and fair elections. The Agung is our head of state, and the guardian of our Constitution. When your Government fails us, when you refuse to acknowledge that our electoral system needs reform, where else are we to turn but our King?

It's not a gimmick, En. Abdullah. Those 40 000 people were angry. They wanted change. And they went to the one person who they believed could actually change anything. Because going to you has proved utterly futile.

4. Zam: Tear gas and water cannons not violence

En. Zainuddin, if you really wanted non-violence, don't use tear gas and water cannons at all. Let the people march in peace. If the police hadn't tried to stop them, there would have not been any disorder. Tear gas and water cannons seem pretty violent to me, as anyone at the end of chemically laced jet-pressure water will attest.

As for al-Jazeera's coverage, you have no right to talk about bias, not when RTM and the mainstream newspapers are as biased as can be. Shame on you.

5. IGP: Parents endangering their children

Let me get this straight, En. Musa. The only reason why children would be in danger whilst in a march is because your policemen shoot water cannons and tear gas at their parents. So, you're saying that parents should be prosecuted under the Child Protection Act because they put their children into a dangerous situation that your men created, and that would not have existed without them?

What utter rubbish. Children are perfectly safe on marches, as long as their parents keep a tight hold on them, and police don't shoot water cannons and tear gas at them. Before blaming the parents, could you look in the mirror first, please?

A couple of other general points. You said that roadblocks had to be there to make sure that no one was carrying any weapons. En. Musa, this is not a riot. This is a peaceful demonstration. People manage to demonstrate peacefully without bringing weapons, last time I checked. If you ever learnt to leave the rakyat alone, you'll see that we're perfectly capable of marching peacefully without attacking anyone or damaging any property. Those roadblocks were not necessary.

As for shops having to close, again, you could easily have provided for minimal disruption by agreeing to let everyone gather at Dataran Merdeka and then march peacefully at an allotted time, on an allotted route, to Istana Negara, with the disruption only lasting a limited time. It was your 4000 riot police, and the numerous restrictions on routes and such, which forced protesters to disperse and take many different routes from different spots and at different times. The disruption was not the protesters' fault.

***

Break the propaganda. Rebut the lies. Don't let 10 November 2007 be forgotten in the web of deceit that these people spin. Vote for change.

Pengumuman BERSIH: Jika Dataran Merdeka ditutup esok anda diminta kumpul di Sogo, Masjid Negara, Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni dan tunggu isyarat pemimpin.

The rally is ON. Despite all rumours to the contrary, it is ON, and if the police do end up blocking Dataran Merdeka completely, please follow the announcement above.

I wish I could be there. But I can't. Doesn't stop me from being furious at the reports that the police might block cars from going into KL, deploy riot police, including mounted police; bring out 4000 officers... and they say we don't have the resources to fight crime. But that's not my main point.

To any UMNO-Troopers who might stumble upon this before tomorrow, please bring this message back to your masters. I am asking you to remember that the people gathering tomorrow are your own fellow countrymen and countrywomen, fellow human beings. That they are not gathering for personal or political gain, only in the hope that they can restore the right our forefathers thought they secured 50 years ago - that each and every Malaysian would have one free, clean vote, and with that one vote, they could make an informed choice about their future, and how they would be governed. No more masters, no more slaves, only free citizens with their lives in their own hands, and God's - not that of any other temporal power.

That these brave men and women have husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. And that if you hurt any of them, you will inflict a terrible cost on all of them.

But if you don't listen, we'll know why. It'll be because you think we can be broken if we're stamped on hard enough, and because you think Malaysians will just forget. After all, we forgot Batu Buruk, didn't we?

I hope with all my heart that you won't do anything tomorrow, and that everyone that goes out to Dataran Merdeka tomorrow will come home safe and sound. I add my voice to the chorus of appeals to the King, that he come out of his Palace tomorrow, draw his kris, and for once, actually give meaning to the claim that the kris protects all Malaysians. I pray to God that no one will be hurt.

But if they are, if despite our pleas you go ahead and hurt the people gathering tomorrow, then I swear that we will not be broken, and we will not forget. I swear to God, if anyone is hurt tomorrow, then I will not rest until your government is brought down, or I die first.

I swear to God, that there will come a day when all your crimes will be written down. Batu Buruk, Kg Berembang, Tun Salleh, MAS, Fairuz Halim, Renong, Ekran, Ops Lalang, the naval boats scandal - every single one will be recorded and spread so far and wide that you will never again be able to rewrite history. And no one will ever forget again.

I pray for safe passage tomorrow, and for the protection of all those brave souls who go out tomorrow. But if the worst comes to pass, rest assured, we who know the truth will not be silent, and we will never be silenced.

I may only be one man, but even one man can do some damage in his own little way, and I am not alone.

Sigh... if it wasn't so disgusting, I'd find it hilarious, really, because it's just so ridiculous.

See Nat's piece for context.

The Star reports that 'Anwar yet to hand over original clip to ACA'. They make a big fuss about En. Anwar's earlier 'commitment', and the order issued by the ACA. The ACA now apparently says that it's En. Anwar's responsibility to come to Putrajaya and hand over the clip.

Yet, in the same newspaper, there's another news piece explaining that the ACA had scheduled a meeting with En. Anwar, to 'pick up the evidence' in a thumbdrive, but had cancelled it. When En. Anwar asked them what he should do with it, they apparently told him to just keep it for now.

And yet, in the same breath, so to speak, they can then turn around and demand that En. Anwar come to Putrajaya and surrender the clip, or be charged. And The Star, ever-willing boot-licker that it is, plays along with this angle, and uses the headline and the first three-quarters of the article to make it seem as if En. Anwar deliberately didn't want to surrender the clip, instead of it being a case of a very confused ACA.

If they wanted En. Anwar to come to Putrajaya, why set up a meeting to pick up the evidence in the first place? Why cancel it at the last minute, and then blast him the next? If they want the clip so much, why did they tell him to just keep the thumbdrive?

And people wonder why the whistleblower doesn't trust the ACA. Shame on them.

I got so angry this morning (I'm angry a lot of the time now, but that's all right - I have grown to accept the necessity of rage, when it comes to these things). It was just this amalgam of reports on Palestine, each piling up on top of the other.

First there was Gaza. 75% of the population totally dependent on food from the World Food Programme. Unemployment at 90%, forecast to become total by the end of the year. The siege continues unabated, with young men like Khaled al-Mudallah, a third-year Bradford student who went back for vacation, unable to return to university.

Then it gets worse. The Guardian reported that Israel is planning to 'dramatically reduce' its supply of power to Gaza, which it named a 'hostile entity' a month ago. Israel supplies more than half of Gaza's power. Israel has obligations under international law, as the occupying power of Gaza. But Israel is actually proposing to cut power (again) to its occupied people, in clear violation of international law.

They have reduced 1.4 million people to mere prisoners in a tiny slice of their homeland. They mistreat them at will - starvation, rockets, tanks, murder. Collective punishment is being inflicted on 1.4 million Palestinians - a barbaric act prohibited by international law. And nothing is done.

Then there was an al-Ahram report, saying that reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah would only be possible after the failure of the Annapolis summit, as Mr Abbas would not risk the Americans' ire by revealing that he has been secretly negotiating with Hamas. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. A civil war that has only served to deeply wound the Palestinian people, and cause immeasurable harm to them, can't be resolved because the US doesn't want Fatah to even talk to Hamas. The parameters are all there - an iniative similar to that of the Mecca Agreement, capable of ushering in genuine power-sharing based on Egyptian mediation. But Mr Abbas won't go through, at least not yet, because he's worried about the Americans.

Then there's the Annapolis summit. Yet one more vainglorious attempt by a failing American president to secure his legacy. But no one in the right mind would ever call Mr Bush an honest broker. And the consensus is that the talks will fail. How could it not, when Israel comes out with ludicrous suggestions such as exchanging prime settlement land in pre-1967 Palestine for a piece of desert, while Hamas is completely excluded - a travesty when we consider that it presently governs half of occupied Palestine, and was the legitimate victor of the 2006 elections.

But perhaps it is better this way. Because we should never believe in peace at any cost. The lies of the Israeli lobby in Washington would have us believe that Camp David was an honest offer, the best possible for the Palestinians. The truth is that Camp David would have destroyed the Palestinians - Jerusalem, the right of return, a pre-1967, viable Palestinian state, rights to water, recognition of Israel's initial crime in 1948, and all of its atrocities since then - NONE of this was on the table. And for this they wanted Mr Arafat to sign the end of the Palestininan resistance. Peace of this sort is worst than no peace at all.

There can only be peace when a Palestinian state is built upon pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital; when all Israeli settlements in pre-1967 Palestine are pulled out; when the right of return is acknowledged, and the crimes of Israel over the past 60 years are accounted for... that is peace, with a proud Palestinian people sovereign over their own land, and a proud Israeli people victorious over the atavistic strain that has made them the scourge of the world for so long, sovereign over Israel. In time, as tensions fade, and peace becomes a norm, a one-state solution may be in sight. But that is a very long way away - for now, a return to the pre-1967 borders makes for a good start.

This is why Condoleeza Rice's lies about Hamas are so painful to listen to - she says that we cannot have someone at the table who doesn't renounce violence, recognise Israel and believe in a two-state solution. The occupied do not recognise the occupier. Basic principle. But that aside, Hamas did make its offer - a five-year truce, premised upon the end of Israeli agression, and negotiations leading up to a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders. What more do you want? Does this sound like a belligerent terrorist organisation, or a government ready to negotiate a viable peace for its people? This is why I'm terribly disappointed in Lord Trimble's words today, saying that Hamas has not 'satisfactorily replied' on the issues of violence and the two-state solution. Hamas made its offer a long time ago - it's just that you failed to listen.

Yes, we should not let go of the fact that suicide bombings are wrong. But as far as I can see, a five-year truce is as good as renouncing violence as it gets. And don't forget, the Palestinians maintain a legitimate right to attack military targets, as a legitimate act of resistance. So you can't 'renounce violence' completely - what does need to be renounced is violence against civilians, with a stop to attacks on military targets conditioned on the onset of serious negotiations, not something like this farce of a summit.

And finally, to get back from the distant mirage of negotiations, and to the price being paid by the occupied Palestinian people. A piece in the al-Ahram last week, detailing a heinous Israeli policy. Sick Palestinians crossing checkpoints to get to hospital are being prevented from crossing unless they turn informants. If they refuse to squeal, they're not let through. These are people who go blind, who have cancer, who have potentially fatal and debilitating ailments. They are being denied their right to medical treatment, just because they refuse to betray their own people. What inhumanity is this? What insanely gross violation of all medical ethics? Why aren't all the doctors of the world gnashing their teeth and screaming in rage at this utter betrayal of the most basic principles of their profession? The sheer cruelty of this Israeli regime should no longer shock me - but it does, every single time.

And all the while, the children pay. Already they are prisoners. The children in Gaza have never seen the sea - the Israelis won't let them. They run the risk of being killed by rockets, tank shells and gunfire. They live in poverty, dependent on handouts. And now, if they get sick, they won't get through, unless their parents betray their own people.

Weep for these children awhile, and then rage, rage so hard that it spills out of every pore on your body. For such inhumanity deserves all the rage we can give, and more besides. And when the rage begins to fade, please join the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in your town - if you don't have one, please form one. If no one else is holding Israel and its sponsors to account, at least let us do so. For if we do not remember the Palestinians, who will?

The NST has me shaking with anger with this one.

First of all, Terengganu UMNO. They're lodging a police report against En. Mustafa Ali, for saying that UMNO planned the Batu Buruk incident, and conspired with the police. These 'lies' are supposedy confusing the public, and stirring up hatred towards UMNO.

Well, hold on a minute. Let's look at Nat's article, as well as Nik Nazmi's, and tell me if it isn't plausible that it was planned after all.

If it's really a complete lie, why not prove it so? Where is the Royal Commission of Inquiry that we all demanded? What is your party so afraid of? Surely not the truth.

Don't fudge the issue. Two civilians were shot by the police using live bullets. There were armed plainclothes policemen in the crowd. Why was that so? Why were they armed? Why couldn't the fully equipped FRU deal with the protesters? Who on earth brings Molotov cocktails to political gatherings - last I checked, it wasn't a required accessory.

Your focus on 'lies', and your compatriots' talk about flag-burning, as if a flag was more precious than a threat to human life, speak volumes about your regard for the rakyat.

As for the NST... you disgust me. What do you say about Batu Buruk? That four policemen and three rioters were injured, and damages assessed at RM500 000. Of course, take the government line. Say 'injured', not 'two civilians shot with live bullets'. Talk about property damage, instead of the fact that this was an unprecedented use of force by our police force (controlled by the government, by the way) against its own people, in the course of a political gathering. Don't mention at all the fact that the organisers have consistently maintained that it was a peaceful gathering, and that any violence there was had been incited by the police. What wonderful journalists we have in the NST stable.

Lodge your police reports and write your misleading articles all you want - one day, the truth will prevail.

I may start reading the NST again for sheer entertainment value. The NST today quotes En. Khairy Jamaluddin as saying that 'As mature and responsible leaders, we should not play with sentiments.'

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

En. Khairy, have you conveniently forgotten the part where you 'played with sentiments' by saying that even if the Malays had reached 30% equity, we should demand more, up to 70% equity even? Where was the responsibility, in recognising that 70% equity is in no way a fair allocation? Where was the maturity, in recognising that the focus on equity has obscured the fact that only a minority of Malays are taking up all this equity, whilst the majority remain poor, and the rest of Malaysia's poor languish in suffering?

Or the time when you called En. Anwar Ibrahim a traitor to the Malays for calling for the NEP's replacement, and labelled him an agent of the great Jewish conspiracy? Where was the responsible leader which should never have given into our blind Jew-hating impulses - where was the clarion call to identify our enemy for who he is - not every Jew, for some of the greatest champions of Palestine are themselves Jews, but the Israeli colonialist regime and all those who stand in support of it. Where was the nuanced maturity that could have told you that just because we think the NEP needs to be replaced doesn't make us any less Malay, much less traitors?

Please En. Khairy, stop and think about your mistaken demands before you start criticising others. The NEP is fatally flawed, and needs to be replaced by a new agenda targeting the poor of all races. Resort to anti-Jew sentiments is wrong - we should be allying with our Jewish friends who stand with Palestine, not alienate them because we're too lazy to break convenient generalisations. Your pathetic capitulation to what you perceive as popular sentiment on these issues is not only completely irresponsible, but also a total failure of leadership.

The Star reports today that En. Zainuddin Maidin, the Minister of Information, has told Malaysians to not believe the Reporters sans Frontieres rankings, as they reflected Western conceptions and values in relation to freedom of expression. Apparently, Malaysia has full freedom of the press, albeit with necessary restrictions on 'sensitive' issues.

Shame on you, En Zainuddin. Misleading the people like this. You cleverly talk about race and religion as being sensitive issues, which are 'rightly' kept out of the public domain. We can have a debate about that - I personally think that greater openness about issues of race and religion would actually help Malaysia, and help us find some good solutions to our very real problems.

But that's only half the picture, isn't it? Because what's altogether more serious, and the reason behind our pathetic ranking, is the fact that it's not race and religion that's sensitive, genuine criticism of the government, and 'opposition' viewpoints are equally kept out of the mainstream media. That's the real problem - the fact that your government, despite protestations of openness, is still keeping a very tight lid on criticism.

You don't believe me? Well, let's see, shall we? Why don't we start with mainstream coverage of the Batu Buruk affair - if all you read were the mainstream papers (which are all owned by entities linked to the ruling party), you'd think that the Batu Buruk incident was a violent riot by unruly opposition supporters, where the police only used necessary force. Not the illegitimate shooting of two civilians by a vastly more powerful police force, during a peaceful gathering organised by two NGOs.

Or how about criticism of the PKFZ fiasco - where are the furious leading pieces, blasting your government for its appalling role in wasting RM4.6 billion worth of public funds? What then, of the pathetically subservient leader written by Wong Chun Wai, doing all that he could to make it seem as though the government was doing its best to investigate the VK Lingam and Tun Fairuz affair, instead of the truth - that by refusing a Royal Commission, appointing a sham of a panel headed by a judge implicated in the criminal sacking of Tun Salleh Abbas, blurring separation of powers by getting En Nazri Aziz, Tun Fairuz's 'minister', to defend our Chief Justice, and getting the ACA to threaten Keadilan with imprisonment unless the whistleblower is revealed, your government has proven that it is not at all sincere in investigating this rot at the heart of the judiciary.

Did you manage to forget the Printing Presses and Publications Act, by which device you and your predecessors have reduced Harakah's legal circulation, denied Malaysiakini broadcasting and printing permits, and generally hold a sword above the necks of all the editors in the country? And there was a rather peculiar monster lying in the background - oh yes, the OSA! The tool by which toll concession agreements are hidden from the public eye, whilst innocents such as Nathaniel Tan get remanded for four days purportedly for a comment posted on his blog. Don't even get me started on your government's contempt of online news and commentary - you've taken every chance possible to blast us monyet bloggers for our inaccuracy, bias and all the other journalistic evils you can think of.

How about the shameless focus on the BN come election time? The huge ads, the 'coincidental' coverage, and of course, the complete focus of RTM on the BN's campaigning, to the exclusion of the opposition. To which you reply: oh, RTM's the government news channel, of course it won't show the opposition. What a free press we have.

All these things listed above serve but one purpose - crippling the rakyat's access to information, and therefore their ability to hold their governments to account. Accountable governments are not a 'Western' concept, En Zainuddin - Saidina Abu Bakar r.a told his people to correct him every time he made a mistake, as I'm sure you'll remember. Hang Jebat tried to hold Sultan Mansur to account by taking his concubines hostage. In fact, our entire democracy, that very system made our own by your predecessors in government 50 years ago, depends on the government answering to the people, and that won't happen without information. As Information Minister, I'm sure you're intimately aware of that little fact.

Don't insult our intelligence, En Zainuddin, by this ludicrous resort to the bogeyman of 'Western values'. The only values being betrayed right now are the values of responsible, accountable government, and that of power to the people. You would do well to realise that, one of these days.

We live in a strange world, where the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour are obviously not having very meaningful conversations. Studying Islamic Studies back in school, one thing I definitely remember is the paramount importance of brotherhood in Islam, both the brotherhood of Islam as well as the brotherhood of humanity (please bear in mind that brotherhood subsumes both men and women). We were taught that we owe our brothers and sisters respect, love, mercy and compassion. This is the core of Islam, this is the religion I love, this is the way brought by the Prophet, peace be upon him, whom I love deeply, the way commanded by my God, whom I love even more deeply. What a good way to live.

Imagine, then, my surprise to see ... say that Bangladeshi workers who are not happy with their employers can just go home to Bangladesh. Apparently many of them are not happy at all, complaining of mistreatment at their employers' hands. But it seems that they just have to put up with it - or leave. No room to look for an alternative employer, no room to ask the authorities to ensure that they get treated better - apparently, we're doing them such a huge favour by letting them work here in the first place that they have no right to ask for more than just a job, no matter how hideous the conditions may be.

Hang on a minute. These Bangladeshis, aren't they human beings too? And aren't we supposed to treat human beings with respect? Is it respectful to expect a human being to put up with no end of bad treatment, just for the sake of staying in a job? If it seems so to the Ministry of Labour, then I have very real issues with their value system. Call me crazy, but I don't think condoning mistreatment equals respect. And if that's the case, then how on earth are we getting away with treating these Bangladeshi workers like this?

The only explanation would be that these Bangladeshis aren't human. Or at least, not fully human. Because if they were human, we'd respect them, wouldn't we? There's precedent after all - academics such as Prof. Pappe maintain that a high proportion of Israelis are unable to view Palestinians as fully human. In fact, their pets are seen to be more deserving of protection than the Palestinians are. That parallel kind of makes sense - after all, if a cat gets mistreated in KL, there's always the SPCA; if a Bangladeshi worker gets mistreated in KL, the Ministry will just tell them to shut up or go home, it seems. I guess we really are all Israelis now.

So this is what we've been reduced to. From the so-called champion of the Third World to the equivalent of the last truly colonial power in the world. What a wonderful world our leaders have built for us.

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to stand for this vile dehumanisation. I refuse to treat my Bangladeshi brothers and sisters in humanity as anything less than human; I refuse to let my moral compass be subverted into a colonialist mentality. This means recognising that they have rights - if they get jobs in our country, they deserve to be treated as well as any Malaysian would. And if our protections for Malaysian employees themselves are inadequate at the moment, then we have to fix that too.

We didn't become an independent sovereign country just to start treating others as lesser than us, or subject our own people to a different kind of slavery. Employers owe their workers decent working hours, decent wages, safe workplaces, and overall respect. Anything less than that is criminal, and must not be tolerated. And the same treatment must be ensured for both Malaysians and foreigners alike, including those we would apparently treat as sub-human.

Have we so easily forgotten how to be humane?

The Star reports Ibrahim Gambari, the UN envoy to Burma, as saying that 'the UN will encourage ASEAN to remain engaged with the junta government to restore the democratic process and respect for human rights in the country.'

Nonsense. We've been trying 'constructive engagement' for ten years, ever since we admitted Burma into ASEAN. What do we have to show for it? Nothing. Aung San Suu Kyi and the other Burmese political prisoners are still in prison. Ethnic cleansing, including mass rapes, is still being inflicted upon ethnic minorities. Forced labour is a fact of life. Poverty is endemic - the people suffer more and more with every passing year. Burma sits dismally at the bottom of the Corruption Perceptions Index. Such are the fruits of 'constructive engagement'.

I thought we had moved beyond this, that En. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's admission that constructive engagement had been a failure was a harbringer of tougher policies to come. I was wrong.

I chaired a panel discussion the other day, with three Burmese activists and one academic long specialising in Burma giving their views on the situation. Not one of them said that constructive engagement was the way to go. Instead, it was all about pressure on the regime, pressure on its allies, cutting off the military's golden goose. The junta didn't offer talks (which was itself a half-hearted gesture, considering the conditions imposed) because of 'constructive engagement', they did it because they didn't want sanctions. Because they own all the companies that will be hurt by sanctions. Because then Senior General Than Shwe wouldn't be able to spend the equivalent of half the country's annual army budget on his daughter's wedding.

The Burmese people are ready to rise up and take back what is rightfully theirs. But they can't do it as long as the junta remains strong, and faithfully courted by allies like ASEAN. And don't think I don't know why we're so big on constructive engagement - if we go the other way, Petronas loses access to Burma's oil fields. We are, after all, the main partner of Total Oil in exploiting those oil fields, enriching the junta, and buying the bullets which end up killing innocents. Shame on us.

Going on with constructive engagement would be a huge mistake. We need to isolate the regime, not shower it with softly-softly words. We must do the principled thing - pull out our oil investments, and threaten Burma with expulsion unless the junta starts changing its tune. And if our governments don't do this, we must force them to do so.

The Burmese people deserve better.

The Star quotes Puan Rafiah Salim, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya, as saying that students are too passive, and that educators should produce inquisitive students in order to mould a more creative generation.

An initial point would be that by the time we get to university, the rot has already set in. Of course years of rote learning are bound to stifle inquisitiveness and creativity. If we're serious about creating 'inquisitive' students, then the process has to start with the comprehensive reform of our primary and secondary school systems, going for less facts, less breadth, and more depth as well as the freedom to explore. This is all basic stuff.

What is equally basic, however, is that the Vice-Chancellor failed to mention a very important part of what is producing 'passive' students - the culture of repression perpetuated by university authorities under the aegis of the University and University Colleges Act. Remember the treatment meted out to Yee Yang Yang, on account of his anti-establishment tendencies - the invasion of his room, the stealing of his laptop, the humiliation. Remember the controversy every year over demands for free and fair campus elections, and the same old story of unfairness and intimidation every year. Remember the hostility shown to Lee Khai Loon and his Y4C crew by MIC leaders when they visited Indian estate workers in Ijok, and the invocation of the UUCA to say - you shouldn't be involved in this 'political stuff'.

When we say we want 'inquisitive' students on the one hand, but crack down on the 'wrong' sort of inquisitiveness on the other, is it any wonder that our students are passive?

If you really want 'inquisitive' students, Pn Rafiah, then I respectfully suggest you start by calling for the repeal of the UUCA, and complete freedom for both your students, and your academics. If your own academics are intimidated when they think 'differently', what more your students?

Just the other day, a friend of mine reminded me of the brutal gang-rape of a young lady in Kelantan. 10 men. She was so traumatised she could barely talk to the police. Another life destroyed by sexual violence.

Nurin. Canny Ong. Noor Suzaily. Nurul Huda. Just a few amongst the thousands in Malaysia, and the millions of lives across the world ravaged and desecrated by sexual violence. Millions of individuals we have failed.

Mass rapes in Bosnia. Mass rapes in Guatemala. Mass rapes in Burma. Mass rapes in Chechnya. Mass rapes in Iraq. Mass rapes in Sudan. How many more women are we going to watch die, both literally and figuratively?

I may sound like a broken record, but I have no choice. Nothing has changed in the more than half a year since I started writing about sexual violence.

We can only do so much for those far from us. Condemning the junta in Burma, instead of coddling them. Condemning Mr Putin for his war crimes in Chechnya, instead of feting him at OIC summits. Never letting the world forget their failure to act then, and their failure to act now.

But the work starts at home, and there, much work remains to be done. Our schools are still failing to teach the right lessons. Islamic Studies is bereft of meaning, trapped in the mould of rote-learned exam answers - the good teachers rescue these classes, but not all schools are so lucky. Moral Studies is a joke - the most hated and irrelevant subject in the syllabus. Both do not incorporate the sexual education and the values of respect so integral to changing misogynistic attitudes in society.

Some people say, well, it's not the schools that should be doing this, but the family. Well, we all know that families are becoming increasingly fragmented, that children are increasingly alienated from their families. Yes, we should change that, but in the meantime, if we don't fill that gap, we lose all these children, as is happening now. If the parents can't help the children, the teachers must do so - but to do that, they need a curriculum that makes sense, not this current farce.

Our faith-based organisations are no better. I don't know that much about what the other faiths are doing, but I do feel that the response of Muslim organisations to violence against women is totally inadequate. Where are the sustained compaigns, the repeated sermons, the teaching of respect? Why are our leaders still against the criminalisation of marital rape? Why were we so resistant to the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act?

We have been guilty of emphasing form far above substance, and forgetting the best traditions of our exemplars. I'm not a learned man, and not qualified to speak of the intricacies of our jurisprudence, but I do love my Prophet, may peace be upon him. I know that he was the most gentle and loving man that ever lived, and that he showered love and affection upon the women of his household. And if anyone ever suggests to me that the Prophet would ever touch any of his wives with violence in his heart, or even dream of touching a hair of any woman just because she dressed 'seductively', I will treat that as an insult to him as serious as that of calling him a violent paedophile and terrorist.

Why then, do we stand by while the example of the Prophet is being betrayed by so many of our Muslim brethren? Why do we allow our men to beat their wives black and blue? Why do we allow our men to rape, without saying much more except that women should dress more appropriately, or wear chastity belts?

I know a lot of people disagree with me when I put the blame of rape squarely on men, but my view is simple. We're the ones forcing ourselves on women. We're the ones who 'can't control' our sexual desires. Remember, we are told to lower our gazes. If we don't do that, who's fault is it - is it the woman's, or our own? If we fail, it is because we are weak, and if we are weak, it is not God's design, it is our own cowardice. Our own failure to engage in the greater jihad against our primal desires, our failure to exalt the angelic soul above the demonic. My teacher used to have a useful piece of advice: when going up the stairs, if there's a girl in front of you, look down, so that you don't end up ogling her posterior. Look down, look away, that's what it's all about - not blaming women for wearing tight jeans. If we're uncontrollably aroused by the women around us, instead of blaming them for it, why aren't we locking ourselves into our rooms with a Quran and a prayer mat? Or asking our friends and family to help us, to keep an eye on us until we're sure we're not going to do violence? Controlling our own desires is our responsibility, and we must not abdicate it.

Every day I'm confronted by the spectre of my own failures, and I will never forgive myself for not taking the opportunity, back in KYUEM, to campaign against violence against women. But I'm going to a camp in December, and I hope to be able to discuss there ways to recruit the new generation of Malaysian Muslim activists into the campaign against sexual violence, to use the new organisations slowly making waves as platforms for a re-dedication to the values of respect that the Prophet, peace be upon him, embodied, and which he tried to bring home to us. And I hope all of you reading this out there can find new, imaginative ways to get the message across.

For make no mistake, we need nothing less than a revolution in society. We need to eradicate misogyny and weaken the male lust for sexual power to the point where all we have to deal with are the psychopaths - remember, more than three quarters of all rapists are known to the victim - the stranger in the night is not the paradigm of rape - and never forget domestic abuse. We also need law enforcement to buck up, prosecutions to be far more diligent than they are now, and as an interim measure, universal mastery of self-defence. But as important as all those things are, without a revolution in attitudes, we will get nowhere.

I cannot imagine the pain that all these women have suffered; my worst nightmare is for any of the women I love to suffer the same fate; and that part of me that sometimes yearns wistfully for a daughter recoils in horror at the thought of her life being destroyed by a monster of a man.

Break the cycle. Zero tolerance. Act now.

Reply to En. Nazri Aziz's comments as reported by The Star.

En. Nazri, most definitely not you, and not your Government either.

If you'd only take the time to think a bit about what your Government has been doing, you'd understand why the whistleblower in the VK Lingam video doesn't believe in you:

1. Despite calls from all the Opposition parties, civil society groups and the Bar Council, your Government has consistently refused to institute a Royal Commission to investigate the allegations.

2. Yes, you did set up an 'independent' panel. But its remit was limited to the authenticity of the video alone, nothing else.

3. The panel is headed by En. Haidar Mohd Noor, the man responsible for hiding the seal of the Supreme Court during the illegitimate sacking of Tun Salleh Abbas, in an effort to frustrate the efforts of the other Supreme Court judges to block that travesty of natural justice. See this Aliran piece for the full context.

4. The same En. Haidar has said that "We are not going to call anyone," and in response to whether they were going to call VK Lingam to give testimony, "I don't know... if he wants to come...". See Nat's articles here and here for context.

5. The ACA has threatened En. Sim Tze Tsin and En. Sivarasa Rasiah with two years' jail if the source is not revealed. When the ones trying to reveal an injustice are treated more harshly than the ones implicated in the scandal (VK Lingam hasn't been threatened the same way, I don't think), is it any wonder that the whistleblower is thinking twice? And don't say the ACA is independent of your Government - your Government has consistently refused calls to make the ACA accountable to Parliament.

6. And as a fitting conclusion, your Government is the same Government responsible for the shooting of two people in Batu Buruk, RM4.6 billion gone in the PKFZ fiasco, another RM6 billion or so in the naval boats scandal, a potentially destructive and unnecessary development in the form of the PGCC, the spectacle of the Chief Justice of Malaysia being reduced to your lackey, the unjustifiable detention of En. Nathaniel Tan for four days, not to mention the continued indefinite detention without trial of citizens under the ISA and the Emergency Ordinance... need I go on?

You want Mr. Whistleblower to trust you? Abandon this farce of a panel, institute a Royal Commission, and appoint someone like Tun Salleh to head it. And stop threatening the wrong people with arrest. That will show us that you mean business - after all, the source has already said that he will reveal himself to a Royal Commission. Your promises of identity change and plastic surgery are worthless if we can't trust you to uphold it in the first place - your Government doesn't exactly have a stellar record of law-abidingness.

You want our trust, you've got to earn it. And if you don't do that, then we'll vote in a Government we CAN trust.