The Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must intervene to free Nathaniel Tan immediately to ensure that his administration does not start the slide down the slippery slope of repression to mark Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka anniversary — openly violating his pledges of an open, democratic, accountable and good governance when he was appointed to the highest office of the land 44 months ago.
The secretive circumstances in the first seven hours of arrest of Nathaniel Tan, an aide of Anwar Ibrahim and information bureau staff of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, where his friends, relatives and supporters had to go on a “wild goose chase” to locate his whereabouts with the police initially disclaiming knowledge and refusing to give information about his detention, is a scandal which speaks of a police which has yet to fully accept that the first principle of policing in a democratic system must be policing for the people and not policing to serve the government leaders of the day.
The irregular and illegal circumstances of Tan’s arrest, with the police spiriting him away for seven hours without proper accounting, raises the question as to the actual motives behind the police action.
Is Tan’s arrest the beginning of a clampdown on dissent and criticism particularly in the blogosphere?
Had Tan become a pawn in a trade-off among the powers-that-be in the political and police establishments to close ranks and protect their vested interests in the face of more and more specific and detailed allegations and increasing expose in the public domain of corruption, malpractices and abuses of power involving both the top political and police establishments?
Free Nat Now. Abdullah should be aware that the whole world is watching Malaysia. If the Prime Minister does not want the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations to start off infamously, he should act and restrain police abuses by freeing Tan immediately.
#1 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 12:22 pm
It is really scary when some one is taken away by the police. He may end up as a panda (like Anwar) or he may be blown up by explosive (like the Mongolian woman).
I think the opposition has a copy of the real picture of Najib and the Mongolian woman. When will the real picture be made public?
#2 by cklife on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 12:26 pm
This is a sparks igniting from a country which pledged to give freedom to its people.
What are we becoming? China and its regulation on the cyberworld?
Imprisoning people who things that they want to change in the society?
Bloggers are human too. In fact, most of the bloggers i know are amongst the highly educated group with potential to run a country. Their voice must be heard.
We can’t rely on our controlled-media to give us the right information.
What happen to Nathaniel is indeed sad. From a person who had contributed so much to the welfare of the country – as well as other places. He does not deserve this.
OSA, ISA and other human rights violation acts must be terminated. We are human too. Can’t simply be captured for no reason.
Imagine if that happens to your next of kin. You’ll be frantically running about trying to figure out what happen.
I’m opt for this. FREE NATHANIEL NOW!!!!!!!!
#3 by ahkok1982 on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 12:59 pm
i am not sure of the proper procedures that the police have to take in order to apprehend someone, so if what the police did is not according to proper procedure and everything is hush hush, then can it amount to kidnapping?
possible to charge the police with kidnapping?
#4 by Libra2 on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 1:09 pm
When Anwar was arrested, beaten to a pulp and jailed, many Malaysians asked ” If this could happen to a former DPM, who can be safe from police and executive abuse.”
The ordinary citizens are mere sitting ducks and we can be even blown up into smithereens and forgotten.
There is no more LAW in this land.
#5 by ihavesomethingtosay on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 1:20 pm
well said pulau_sibu, the last time this happens, ms altantuya ended up in bits and pieces.
#6 by eltoro61 on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 1:36 pm
Scary, last time just show black eye.
Now searchers have to take out magnifying glass and microscope to do searching. Anything can happen in this country.
#7 by hasilox on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 1:48 pm
Suing..arresting..what is next? C4 few?
Crimes are rampant and everywhere and I don’t see them so enthusiastic solving the problems. Typical nincompoops.
#8 by dawsheng on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 1:52 pm
“Is Tan’s arrest the beginning of a clampdown on dissent and criticism particularly in the blogosphere?”
Yes.
“Had Tan become a pawn in a trade-off among the powers-that-be in the political and police establishments to close ranks and protect their vested interests in the face of more and more specific and detailed allegations and increasing expose in the public domain of corruption, malpractices and abuses of power involving both the top political and police establishments?”
Yes.
#9 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 7:30 pm
“I am not sure of the proper procedures that the police have to take in order to apprehend someone, so if what the police did is not according to proper procedure and everything is hush hush, then can it amount to kidnapping? Possible to charge the police with kidnapping?” ahkok1982
Even if the police had not complied with procedures, what can ordinary Malaysians do to stem the abuse of police powers? File a writ of habeas corpus whenever someone is arrested and detained for no obvious reasons? The Criminal Procedure Code requires that the person arrested be informed why he has been arrested – and there is a procedure that needs to be complied. The person detained has to be brought before a magistrate in 48 hours or be released. So what if procedure is not complied?
He can be released and then re-arrested. Magistrates are prosecution minded and would readily grant a remand pending police investigations and then an extension – so long as the police offers some ground for continued detention.
The truth is Malaysia is a police state – has always been and will always be. We do not need to go into the nitty gritty of it to be convinced.
We all know that the rule of law is nothing more than a subject academics and politicians would like to spend their time debating to the wee hours of the morning over a glass of teh tarek in the best of Malaysian tradition. It is nothing but just hot air!
With the internet as the alternative media, has there been a real change? No. Has the culture of fear gone away or at least condemned to remote parts of our brains? Certainly not. The arrest and detention of this Nathaniel guy is a constant reminder that as Malaysians we still need to depend on our instincts at self preservation by doing the bidding of the powers that be. It will continue until we see the emergence of a Che Guevara or a Ghandi among us.
Freedom of speech? What freedom? What speech?
#10 by dawsheng on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 7:56 pm
“It will continue until we see the emergence of a Che Guevara or a Ghandi among us.” Undergrad2
They are all overseas laa..
#11 by patriotic1994 on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 9:04 pm
PM will say “I don’t know”, I haven’t read the results of the investigation. :-)
#12 by blastmeister on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 9:21 pm
PM will say “I don’t know, I am still waiting for th report”?
Some menteri will say “bodoh, bodoh, bodoh! polis tengah kerja lar”?
#13 by kenchen on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 9:36 pm
The reign of our present PM will seen to be a legacy like Habibie of Indonesia. He is so weak that the local chieftain are testing his power.Don’t expect him to be another Gorbachev.. a breakthrough for us . maybe the alternative is for Anwar of the PKR to give us the real democracy.. that is our only alternative/hope at this juncture of time.
#14 by bennylohstocks on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 10:40 pm
Bloggers tread….
http://malaysiancartoons.blogspot.com/2007/07/bloggers-tread-carefully.html
#15 by ShiokGuy on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 10:40 pm
Dear Kit,
Forget about campaign to free NAT using the photo and link like those appear in Jeff Ooi site.
Let start something different lah. Since he is wearing an Orange Lockup T-Shirt, Let every Malaysia wear Orange everyday until he is release. I will start doing it tomorrow.. Are you following?
ShiokGuy
#16 by negarawan on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 11:18 pm
It’s time to have a public demonstration’ Let the international media cover this demontration and air it worldwide to show the world that BN is the next apartheid government that must perish.
#17 by kevinpoh on Saturday, 14 July 2007 - 11:27 pm
Don’t know why, these day, I get very sick of this goverment. In fact, I’m so dissapointed that I gave BN a vote during the last election. What’s happening to “democracy” and “freedom of speech”? Sad ….
#18 by johanssm on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 1:00 am
It will be tantamount to kidnapping if the polis dont even have a court order to arrest and detain Nathaniel.
The polis must be charge in court.
Just by merely invoking ISA or even OSA is a sick joke by the abdul government.
The government of the day must be proper and use proper set of law.
If DAP or KeAdilan ever be made government of malaysia , i suggest that we charge all umno goons for inhumanity.
.
#19 by Richard Teo on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 2:06 am
The police is doing the dirty work at the behest of UMNO youth’s leader, the keris wielding idiot, Hisshamuddin.Just because PKR pasted a foto of DPM on their website, UMNO youth has been baying for the PKR’s blood.The police is doing this to appease DPM. Johari must be beind all this cos DPM said a few good words for Johari, i.e Johari was exonerated with the corrupt gesture of taking the $5million from the three gangsters who were freed from ISA detention.
#20 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 5:15 am
The detention of Nathaniel is obviously meant to send a message to bloggers not to step over the line. Unfortunately for the Malaysian public that line is drawn by the national coalition which runs the government.
With all the legislative tools at their disposal like the OSA, ISA etc which gives unfettered powers to the executive, it would be surprising if they do not react to all manners of allegations made on the internet against those in charge of internal security and public order.
Nathaniel must have known that he had it coming sooner or later.
#21 by Cinapek on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 2:22 pm
Undergrad2 says:
“The truth is Malaysia is a police state – has always been and will always be.”
He is right. How many Malaysians know that we are still governed by martial law imposed after May 13 and has never been lifted? Maybe someone can clarify this but I understand under this law, the police has the right to detain anyone for 7 days without charging him or her and do not have to inform the family.
I know of a case where a teenage son of a friend of mine was detained over a minor scrape because of a fight over a girl and his parents were not allowed access to him for several days. In the end it was due to the intervention of another police friend that his parents were allowed access.
#22 by Cinapek on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 2:43 pm
This whole damn charade was for the following purposes:
1) As the Chinese says, chop the “chicken head to frighten the monkeys”. It was meant to intimidate bloggers who were too close to disclosing too much of the truth including the embarassing truths behind the Mongolian woman’s murder.
2) The police is a willing partner in this disgraceful charade because they hope it helps to relieve the pressure on them arising from the huge public complaints over the rising crime rate. They also hope the preoccupation with this arrest will take some heat off the IPCMC demands.
3) Send a strong threat to all bloggers that the Govt. can take unilateral power abusing actions anytime on anybody..
#23 by Jonny on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 2:59 pm
I love Tun.
Then I discovered he started all these cancerous diseases.
My love turns to awestruck … how could he?
And now, looking at things coming to.
What the heck?
May as well get him back to finish up and clear the mess created in the first place?
#24 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 8:37 pm
“I understand under this law, the police has the right to detain anyone for 7 days without charging him or her and do not have to inform the family.” Cinapek
For someone obviously not in the business of law enforcement you can be excused for not knowing that a person detained by the police must be brought to face the magistrate within 48 hours of his detention. There he will be informed of the crime he is accused of. Remember no one has any evidence except the police of the crime you stand accused of. The police will inform you of the crime you are charged with and the court fixes a date for the preliminary hearing of your case.
For the less serious cases like ‘curi ayam’ (our feathered friend, of course) bail is granted and you can walk out once bail is paid – but not when you are charged with the crime of murder which is an unbailable offense. In the U.S. Razak Baginda would have to raise bail amounting to no less than $5.0 million and his passport surrendered because he is a flight risk.
Oftentimes the police needs to interrogate the individual and would request for a remand order for another four days – which is readily given by the magistrate who is prosecution minded. In Malaysia there is an abuse of process and the period can be extended depending on the circumstances for a total of some 15 days – during which you are held in incommunicado without access to a lawyer. You have not been formally charged so why would you need a lawyer?
If at the end of the process, further detention without charge is unconstitutional. Your lawyer if you have one could then file a writ of habeas corpus. Custody is then handed over to the court which alone has jurisdiction over you and needless to say without a charge against you, the court will have to release you.
Then here comes the shocker! You can be re-arrested as you leave the court! And the process begins all over again.
However, if you are detained under the Internal Security Act I feel sorry for you because you can be detained without charge and without trial for two years a period which can be extended for a further two years and so on – and without the benefit of counsel.
#25 by ihavesomethingtosay on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 10:23 pm
DO NOT DISTURB.
still honeymooning.