Archive for April, 2014
Kit Siang: Let thousands of Karpals rise
Kow Gah Chie
Malaysiakini
Apr 25, 2014
After his sedition conviction, Karpal Singh had uttered these famous words, “You knock out one Karpal, a hundred Karpal Singhs will rise.”
His long-time friend and political colleague Lim Kit Siang recalled this quote during the memorial service held for the late politician, who was killed in an accident on April 17, in Kuala Lumpur last night.
However, Lim had a grander vision.
The DAP supremo wanted to see not a hundred but thousands of Karpals rising up to the fight.
“I promise to continue his fight… Karpal’s dream is to uphold the rule of law, justice, good governance as well as a united and harmonious Malaysia… This will be our dream… and to make it a reality in the next general election,” he added.
Lim also said millions are still grieving over Karpal’s death and this reflected how great a man he was. Read the rest of this entry »
Slippery slope, lawyers say of Pahang ban on holy books in hotels
by Ida Lim
The Malaysian Insider
April 25, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 ― A Pahang Islamic body’s recent decision to ban hotels from carrying books on non-Islamic religions signals another step on the path towards further erosion of Malaysia liberties, said several lawyers yesterday.
Raising alarm over the Pahang Islamic and Malay Customs Council (MUIP)’s move, the lawyers said failure to speak up now would see religious bodies steadily take on a bigger role in regulating the daily conduct of non-Muslims and Muslims.
Lawyer Eric Paulsen said the recent ban highlights a “growing Islamisation in Malaysia and growing encroachment of Islamic authorities in the day-to-day lives of all Malaysians, whether Muslims or non-Muslims”.
“There is now a growing acceptance that this is an Islamic country and that Islam must have its way over non-Muslims and Islam is sacrosanct and their policies must trump all other people’s rights,” the co-founder of civil rights group Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) told The Malay Mail Online.
He agreed that the move to officially ban non-Islamic religious materials from Pahang hotel rooms could lead to a slippery slope where more liberties are lost, claiming that both federal and state authorities appear to favour the Muslims’ rights taking precedence over non-Muslims’ rights.
“Where does that policy stop?” he aked.
Paulsen added that Pahang’s Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1989, which MUIP relied on for the ban, was wide and arbitrary, viewing the state law as going against the Federal Constitution’s rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Silence by the federal authorities over the state department’s move also risks being construed as tacit approval, he added. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Rakyat would suffer devastating setbacks in Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Melaka in the 13GE if hudud had been a major controversial issue in 2013 general elections
Yesterday I wrote about how hudud was never a vote-winner for PAS in previous elections and would have given back to the Barisan National (BN) two-thirds majority control of parliament and cost Pakatan Rakyat (PR) the state of Selangor if hudud had been part of the PR Manifesto prior to GE2013. PR would still have lost the Kedah state government and Johor would have reverted to being a BN “fixed deposit” state.
How would PR’s performance in the other states been affected namely Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka if hudud had been a major controversial issue in the 13GE?
The answer is that Pakatan Rakyat would have suffered devastating setbacks in Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Melaka in the 13GE if hudud had been a major controversial issue in the 2013 general elections.
In Perak, Pakatan was two seats short of forming the state government in GE2013. If hudud had been part of Pakatan’s manifesto, instead of the 28 state seats won, PR would have only won 17 state seats with a 20% drop in non-Malay support (Scenario 3). PAS and PKR would have been reduced to 1 and 2 seats respectively from 5 seats each. DAP would have only won 14 seats rather than the 18 it actually won. (Table 1 below) Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia to issue MH370 initial findings next week, CNN reports
The Malay Mail Online
April 25, 2014
Kuala Lumpur April 25 – Malaysia has agreed to release its preliminary report on the disappearance of MH370 by next week, caving to pressure from the angry families of those aboard the missing jetliner.
In an exclusive interview with CNN yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak reportedly told the global news channel’s aviation expert Richard Quest that the report, now in the hands of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will be made publicly available.
“I have directed an internal investigation team of experts to look at the report, and there is a likelihood that next week we could release the report,” Najib said, according to CNN’s online report of the interview.
CNN said the prime minister later replied with a more definitive answer that the report will be released next week, and that according to Najib’s office, the internal investigation team has also been told to look into what other information could be revealed at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »
Thousands gather to pay tribute to Karpal Singh
By Michael Murty
The Rakyat Post
April 24, 2014
Amidst an estimated crowd of 4,000 people inside and outside the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, the memorial service for the late Karpal Singh started with everyone standing for one minute in silence in memory of the “Tiger of Jelutong”.
Those who could not get into the hall gathered outside, watching on a large screen.
Lights went off in the hall at one point, and what came was a poignant tribute to the former DAP chairman, through visuals and sound.
A video was played highlighting significant moments of Karpal’s life.
It began with pictures of a young Karpal from his school days, to him passing his Bar exam, marrying Gurmit Kaur, his detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and his other famous moments.
Also played on the screen were his famous quotes.
The video moved the packed crowd from cheers to applause and straight to tears within minutes.
It ended with a frame of his last parliamentarian quote: “Do not play with the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law.”
As soon as the lights were switched back on, photographers rushed to get pictures of people wiping off their tears. Read the rest of this entry »
3,000 turn up at emotional memorial service for Karpal
by Lee Shi-Ian
The Malaysian Insider
April 25, 2014
It was a night of mixed emotions at a memorial for the late Karpal Singh which was attended by more than 3,000 people at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall yesterday.
There were tears, laughter, defiance, grief and above all, respect from those who begin arriving as early as 6pm to pay their respects to the late veteran lawyer and politician affectionately known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”.
Young and old, Malaysians from all walks of life came to honour the memory of Karpal who died in a road accident last Thursday along with his trusted aide, Michael Cornelius.
Outside the hall, Rela personnel ensured that traffic was smooth, directing vehicles to various parking areas.
At the main entrance of the premises a large screen had been erected, on which scenes from Karpal’s state funeral on Sunday were depicted.
Another screen was set up inside the main hall where the memorial service was held.
Volunteers handed out flowers, posters and stickers of Karpal to people as they entered the hall. There were also donation boxes placed at the entrance. Read the rest of this entry »
We ask no favours, and will ‘fight till the end’ to clear Karpal’s name, says Gobind
Posted by Kit in DAP, Law & Order on Friday, 25 April 2014
by Eileen Ng
The Malaysian Insider
April 25, 2014
Karpal Singh’s family does not expect any “favours” from Putrajaya in their appeal against the late lawyer and politician’s conviction and sentence for sedition, his son Gobind Singh Deo told a crowd of more than 3,000 last night.
The Puchong MP said he was aware of growing calls for Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to drop the cross-appeal to enhance Karpal’s sentence of a RM4,000 fine, but indicated that the family will continue with the appeal to remove the smudge from his illustrious career.
Karpal was fined RM4,000 after the High Court had in February 21 found the former DAP chairman guilty of uttering seditious words against the Sultan of Perak at the height of the constitutional crisis in 2009.
Karpal had filed his notice of appeal against the conviction and sentence and was awaiting the trial judge to provide the grounds of judgment before taking the matter to the Court of Appeal.
The 73-year-old Karpal, known as the Tiger of Jelutong, died in a road accident on the North-South Expressway near Kampar, Perak last week, alongside his aide Michael Cornelius.
“We don’t need any favours from the A-G. We don’t need his sympathies. We won’t back down, we will fight until the end because he would have fought it to the end,” Gobind said to a thunderous applause from thousands present at a memorial service held in honour of Karpal at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night. Read the rest of this entry »
The night we lost our moral compass
by Terence Fernandez | 7:01am, Apr 24, 2014
FZ.com
AS the tributes poured in for Karpal Singh I detached myself from the out-pouring of grief to become an observer, not a mourner hoping that this will enable me to be more objective when I pen my thoughts.
I also took my time as I did not want to be influenced by the emotions of the moment so I could present an unadulterated perspective of this man’s life and work.
However, I will tell you right now that I am going to fail miserably.
This is because I too as many Malaysians do, feel that we have lost our moral compass. Karpal after all was the only politician who called a spade a spade, unafraid of what it may do to his political career.
Who is going to roar his disapproval when we go down the wrong path? Who is going to rap our knuckles when we step out of line?
He was our conscience. Yes he was a politician but for Karpal politics was merely a tool for the cause.
He does not belong to the DAP. He belongs to all of us who subscribe to his ideals of justice and fairness.
Read the rest of this entry »
If hudud had been a hot controversial issue in the 13GE, Barisan Nasional would not only have regained two-thirds parliamentary majority to redelineate electoral constituencies at will, Pakatan Rakyat might have lost Selangor and Johore would have reverted as invincible BN “fixed-deposit” state
Posted by Kit in DAP, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS, PKR on Thursday, 24 April 2014
If hudud had been a hot controversial issue in the 13th General Elections on May 5, 2013, the Barisan Nasional would not only have regained its two-thirds parliamentary majority to redelineate electoral constituencies at will, Pakatan Rakyat might have lost Selangor apart from Kedah and Johore would have reverted as an invincible Barisan Nasional “fixed-deposit” state.
The hudud issue has never been and will never be a vote winner for PAS based on past electoral evidence.
PAS and PKR won all 8 parliamentary seats and 28 out of 32 state seats in Terengganu in the 1999 GE / GE10 because of the backlash against UMNO arising from Anwar’s arrest and the Reformasi movement.
But despite passing the state hudud enactment in 2001, PAS and PKR only managed to retain 1 out of 8 parliament seats and 4 out of 28 state seats in the 2004 GE / GE11.
Furthermore, PAS and PKR won 4 out of 8 parliament and 15 out of 32 state seats in GE13 in Terengganu without campaigning explicitly to implement hudud in the state.
In fact, according to the ‘5 Janji Awal Manifesto PAS Terengganu’ and ‘5 Lagi Manifesto PRU13’ for GE13, the issue of hudud was not even mentioned. The failure to mention hudud in the state manifesto did not cause PAS to lose any ground in Terengganu.
Read the rest of this entry »
Opposing hudud does not mean opposing Islam
— Nadira Ilana
The Malay Mail Online
April 23, 2014
APRIL 23 — I’m just not sure what’s a ‘nice’ way to have a conversation about a set of laws that legitimises amputations, slavery and public stoning in God’s name. There are many reasons why I think that hudud has no place in the modern world.
Hudud neglects what we know today about economics and social science. We know that robbers don’t all rob because they’re bad, it’s because they’re often poor, sick or desperate. We know that sociopathy and psychopathy are personality disorders and that people are a product of their environment therefore evil acts are not Satanic manifestations in men. In that respect, not all women and men can be judged the same.
We know that just because four men didn’t witness a rape, it doesn’t mean that a woman has committed adultery. A woman is not the proverbial tree fallen in the forest so a rape kit will do just nicely to prevent her from getting stoned. Consider that if accusations of adultery are punishable too then Mahathir should get a huge walloping for what he’s dragged Anwar through.
Another inconsistency with hudud is that in Islam you can’t amputate livestock if you want to consume their flesh because it’s inhumane but then if a man steals you can amputate his hands. I don’t see the justice here. Taking away the hands of a man who steals because he is hungry is a low blow.
We know that people are capable of reform and that humanity is largely good before it is bad. We know that people can change when they are treated with kindness and given an education or opportunities, not stoned by various sizes of rock. People can’t be ‘scared away’ from crime. Dead men don’t learn. Deterrents are what you tell children to make them finish their dinner. The human conscience should be guided by reason, not fear if you want meaningful change hence the importance of education and independent thought. Read the rest of this entry »
No sedition in heaven: A tribute to the Tiger of Jelutong
Posted by Kit in DAP, Judiciary, Law & Order on Thursday, 24 April 2014
– Jose Mario Dolor De Vega
The Malaysian Insider
April 24, 2014
I refer to Raja Shahrir’s “Thank you for showing us what courage is”, in Free Malaysia Today, April 19, with regard to his moving tribute to the late great Karpal Singh.
I beg the kind indulgence of the reader to allow me to say a few words honouring the intrepid Karpal.
It is my firm belief – and there is no shadow of doubt about it – that besides Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang, Karpal belongs to that triumvirate of the opposition leaders in Malaysia which has been consistently maligned and slandered by the powers that be since day one.
However, I would also like to state unhesitatingly that Karpal was the most personally abused among the three, and hounded politically in a persistent and nefarious manner by the establishment.
Yet, Karpal never backed down nor did he ever cease being faithful to the cause. He remained committed until the very end for the reform agenda and for the general movement of the collective struggle of the Malaysian people.
Consider the Tiger’s records of courage: Read the rest of this entry »
My last moments with Pa: Ramkarpal Singh
The Malaysian Insider
April 24, 2014
A week after the tragic crash that took the lives of veteran lawyer and politician Karpal Singh and his personal aide, Micheal Cornelius, his son Ramkarpal recounts the final hours with his father that fateful day. This is his story, as told to V. Anbalagan.
“My parents (Karpal and Gurmit) had gone to Pantai Hospital about 8pm on Wednesday (April 16) to visit my brother Gobind (Singh Deo) who was admitted.
They left about 8pm from my father’s office in Jalan Pudu Lama together with Micheal Cornelius and driver V. Selvam. The four returned home (in Bukit Ledang, Damansara) about 10pm and had dinner.
Pa, Michael, Selvam, our maid (Selfiana Rengga) and I were to leave that night for Penang. Pa and I were to appear in court the following day to represent a client charged with murder.
The weekend stay in Penang was also for Pa to meet his Bukit Gelugor constituents and prepare the petition of appeal for Anwar’s (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) sodomy case. Read the rest of this entry »
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, Dr Mahathir reminds current leaders
The Malaysian Insider
April 23, 2014
In his latest blog posting today, the country’s longest serving prime minister said that monarchs and dictators in the Middle East had been toppled through violence.
He said in its history, Malaysia had eschewed violence as a means to replace the government, preferring instead to use the ballot box to effect a regime change.
“However, leaders should not be too confident that people would continue with the soft approach,” he warned in his popular blog Chedet.cc.
Dr Mahathir reminded current leaders to be open to criticism and to deal with it. Read the rest of this entry »
Object found on Australian shore examined for link to flight MH370
Paul Farrell
Guardian
23 April 2014
Search officials play down likelihood that material, believed to be riveted sheet metal, is from missing Malaysia Airlines plane
An object has washed ashore in Western Australia that may be linked to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australian officials have said.
Australia’s joint co-ordination centre announced on Wednesday that police had taken possession of an object 10km from the town of Augusta. Malaysian officials have also been provided with photographs of the object.
“The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is examining the photographs of the material to determine whether further physical analysis is required and if there is any relevance to the search of missing flight MH370,” the joint coordination centre said.
An Australian search official involved with the search has stressed they were treating the discovery of the object with scepticism.
ATSB chief commissioner Martin Dolan said the object appeared to be sheet metal with rivets, according to CNN.
“It’s sufficiently interesting for us to take a look at the photographs,” he said, but added: “The more we look at it, the less excited we get.” Read the rest of this entry »
Karpal Singh a political man of his times
Posted by Kit in Constitution, DAP, Islam, Parliament on Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
Apr 23, 2014
TRIBUTE Much has been written about the recently deceased Karpal Singh.
His skills as a lawyer, his fight for basic rights and contributions to the law, his commitment to his family and his struggle for ordinary people as a humanitarian are just some of the themes raised in the many eulogies and reflections in the past few days since he and his friend and assistant Michael Cornelius lost their lives.
The reactions from ordinary Malaysians have reaffirmed the spirit of dignity and humanity that are an integral part of the national character and stand in stark contrast to the uncouth provocative remarks of a handful of individuals who, blinded by insecurity and hubris, revealed how far they have deviated from common decency.
I knew Karpal Singh as a politician, and the remarks that follow are some of my observations on his important role in Malaysian political life and his political legacy. Read the rest of this entry »
Standing invitation to Najib and Muhyiddin to the Karpal Singh Memorial service in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow night as it is not a political event but a national occasion to honour a great Malaysian patriot
Posted by Kit in DAP, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 23 April 2014
I should not be surprised but I still feel sad that pettiness in mind and spirit still rule the roost in important establishments in the Malaysian government, resulting in the Education Ministry countermanding an earlier approval by SJK© Chung Kwo near Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur for the use of the school hall for a memorial service for eight-term Member of Parliament and former Chairman of Democratic Action Party Sdr. Karpal Singh tomorrow night.
The reason for the Education Department countermanding the earlier approval by SJK© Chung Kwo for the use of the RM10 million school hall, built by donations by the parents of the students and the public without a single sen of contribution by the government, was that the memorial service for Karpal is a political event.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The nation-wide memorial service for Karpal is neither a DAP nor political event, but a national occasion to honour a great Malaysian patriot who had dedicated his life to the betterment of his countrymen and women, regardless of race, religion, region, gender or age, as testified by the tens of thousands of Malaysians from all races, religions, regions and classes who paid their last respects to Karpal in Penang during his four-day wake and the funeral on Sunday and the millions who grieved at his passing as a personal loss although the overwhelming majority have not known or met him.
The Education Department’s action is all the more deplorable as the Education Minister who is the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had “on behalf of the Government and UMNO” not only personally conveyed his condolences to Karpal’s family, but acknowledged Karpal’s parliamentary contributions in having “lived up to his role as a member of parliament” and who would always be remembered as “his views are respected and feared by many”. Read the rest of this entry »
Karpal Singh, pemimpin lagenda Malaysian Malaysia!
– Loke Siew Fook
Roketkini.com
April 23, 2014
Pemergian mantan Pengerusi Kebangsaan DAP Sdr Karpal Singh pada pagi 17 April 2014 dalam satu kemalangan ngeri di KM301.6 Lebuhraya Utara Selatan berdekatan Gua Tempurung menggemparkan seluruh negara. Saya dimaklumkan tentang berita sedih tersebut semasa berada dalam lawatan ke Guangzhou, China, atas jemputan sebuah institut penyelidikan rantau Asia Tenggara di sana. Saya memendekkan lawatan saya untuk kembali ke Malaysia pada 18 April untuk memberikan penghormatan terakhir kepada mendiang Sdr Karpal.
Saya bersama seluruh kepimpinan DAP dan puluhan ribu rakyat Malaysia mengiringi jenazah Sdr Karpal untuk menyelesaikan perjalanan terakhirnya di Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, pada tengahari 20 April 2014. Sepanjang perarakan tersebut, perasaan saya sedih dan terharu untuk menghantar seorang pemimpin politik dan peguam yang amat sinonim dengan rakyat Malaysia. Nama Karpal Singh telah tertanam di minda saya sejak di bangku sekolah lagi. Gandingan beliau dengan Sdr Lim Kit Siang merupakan beregu yang paling mantap dalam kepimpinan tertinggi DAP dan barisan pembangkang di Parlimen sepanjang beberapa dekad yang lalu.
Saya merenung wajah dan emosi orang ramai yang berduyun-duyun memberikan penghormatan terakhir kepada Sdr Karpal di Dewan Sri Pinang dan juga puluhan ribu yang berbaris di sepanjang jalan. Ramai yang menitiskan air mata dan tidak dapat mengawal kepiluan hati naluri mereka. Ramai juga yang berteriak “Karpal Singh, Karpal Singh” dengan penuh bersemangat sebagai tanda menghargai semangat perjuangan beliau.
Mereka ini terdiri daripada pelbagai latarbelakang kaum dan agama, darjat dan lapisan masyarakat. Daripada golongan peguam hinggalah para penjaja, Sdr Karpal menyayat hati semua. Ini terbukti dengan reaksi spontan ribuan penunggang motosikal yang mengiringi kereta jenazah beliau untuk sampai ke krematorium.
Dalam hati kecil, saya berasa amat bangga sebagai seorang ahli DAP dan berkhidmat sebagai seorang anggota CEC di bawah kepimpinan Sdr Karpal Singh. Sdr Karpal adalah dari kaum minoriti yang paling kecil di Malaysia iaitu komuniti Sikh. Namun, beliau bukan disanjungi sebagai seorang pemimpin komuniti Sikh mahupun pemimpin DAP semata-mata, tetapi sebagai seorang pemimpin rakyat Malaysia yang telah banyak berkhidmat dan berkorban untuk negara! Read the rest of this entry »
4 questions about missing Malaysian plane answered
Washington Post
AP
April 19, 2014
Travelers at Asian airports have asked questions about the March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Here are some of them, followed by answers.
Samuel Rogers, a 20-year-old German on a backpacking trip, in Bangkok and on his way to Malaysia.
He asked: “Why did the Malaysian military see the plane on their radar but not report it immediately?”
A: The Malaysian Air Force’s official line is that its radar operators spotted the plane but didn’t have any reason to suspect it. This is why they didn’t attempt to contact the plane or scramble jets to intercept it. Many aviation and defense experts say there are grounds to doubt this. They speculate the air force failed to spot the unidentified plane entering its airspace, or if it did, didn’t respond to what could potentially have been a national security threat. Admitting that would be a highly embarrassing and sensitive for any air force, and could be the reason for the delay in publicly confirming that the plane did turn back. Read the rest of this entry »
The measure of Karpal Singh
Zalman Zulkifli | Updated: April 21, 2014
Astro Awani
WE recently lost Mr. Karpal Singh. A lot have been said about him. And we learned a lot more about him too as his friends shared a bit more about his past.
My tribute to Karpal is really for who he is and what he stood for.
We grew up under the shadow of giants: Giants like Mahathir, Ling Liong Sik, Samy Vellu, Lim Kit Siang and yes Karpal Singh.
Their names emblazoned the news and have etched an everlasting image in our minds. What I admire is that Karpal knew he was fighting a lost cause. His whole life, he knew that change in the country doesn’t just come from politics. Many more things have to change, before change happens. Read the rest of this entry »
In Memory: Karpal Singh, True Humanitarian
Lee Min Choon
17.4.2014
This has nothing to do with the Malay Bible. But I can’t help but feel a sense of loss with the passing of colleague at the Bar and friend, Karpal Singh. So, here’s how I remember him.
It must have been around 1985 when I was helping a convict on death row who had become a Christian while in prison. Liew Weng Seng was sentenced to death under the Internal Security Act for possession of a firearm. At the Federal Court, Liew was unrepresented and proceeded to tell the court that he was guilty and did not wish to appeal his death sentence. When court was adjourned, his family tried to pass him a bible but was prevented from doing so by the prison warders. A commotion ensued and made the news the next day. When I read the report, I thought, “Hey, this guy is a Christian and he had just told the court to go ahead to hang him.”
I called the office at Pudu Prison and arranged for an appointment to see Liew. When we met, he confirmed that what the newspapers reported was what happened in court. I listened as he told his story of how he got into crime. It was a pitiful story of a boy growing up in the slums and being influenced by the gangs. Soon he was committing crimes. The law caught up with him. Possession of firearms was a capital offence. Liew was not yet 30 as he faced the gallows. Since his case was over, I offered to write a petition for pardon on his behalf to the King. I would not charge him any fees. It was a favour to a fellow Christian. Liew agreed. Over the next one year, I would visit Liew. As he spoke no English or Malay and as my Chinese was vitually incomprehensible, I always brought along a Chinese pastor with me to encourage and minister to Liew.
One day, Liew’s family called me. They said the prison had called to say that Liew will be hanged in 3 days time. I told them I would do what I can. I called the prison and then the palace to find out what happened to Liew’s petition for pardon. Eventually, I was told that it was rejected and the court had issued a warrant for his execution. I went to see Liew with his family. It saddened me that our friendship over the past year was coming to an end. Liew said that he had made his peace with God and he was not afraid. I asked him if he would consider doing some good with his death by donating his organs. He agreed. Over the next 2 days, I went to the General Hospital to find out the procedure and paperwork for this sort of thing. On the eve of his execution, I came to see Liew one last time and gave him some papers to sign to donate his organs. I bought him a meal from the prison canteen. Then we said goodbye and I told him we will meet again one day.
I arrived home late in the afternoon, went to the backroom of my house and laid down on a bed. I did not want my wife and child to see the tears I shed for Liew. In 12 hours time, Liew will be taken from his cell (at 5.00 am the next day) and be hung by the neck till he was dead.
Suddenly, my wife walked into the room and said, “Karpal Singh is here to see you.” Read the rest of this entry »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for April, 2014
