I SUPPORT 100% - Are you with me?

Hey, let’s cut this racial crap. Let’s get rid of all this bullshit. We will fight for the release of the HINDRAF 5 because they are innocent victims, not because they are Indians.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

What’s with this FREE THE HINDRAF 5 campaign? Hey, I too support the HINDRAF 5. I too want them freed. But I do not agree to a FREE THE HINDRAF 5 AND ONLY THE HINDRAF 5 campaign. I want to see a FREE ALL ISA DETAINEES AND ABOLISH THE ISA campaign. Is that too much to ask for? And why should I not want to ask for that?

Since the ISA became law in 1960, an estimated 6,000-10,000 people have been detained under this draconian detention without trial law. No one knows the correct figure because the government does not reveal the actual figures -- so we can only make an educated guesstimation. But we act as if only five Indians were ever detained under the ISA. Hey, hear this, an estimated 6,000-10,000 Malaysians have been detained under the ISA, not just five Indians. And do you know how many still languish in the Kamunting Detention Centre? And how many are there still in Simpang Renggam under Emergency Ordinance detention, all victims of detention without trial because there is no evidence to put them on trial?

I also hear shouts calling for the detention of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad under the ISA. I am against that. If the ISA is wrong then it is wrong. We can’t use a wrong law to do what we think is the right thing and then try to pretend it is right. Rape and murder is wrong. But if we arrest a foreign spy who works against the interest of this nation, can we then rape and murder her and then say it is right because she is an enemy of the state? Wrong is wrong and can never be right, whatever the reason we may have in doing that particular wrong deed.

Okay, today, five Indians have spent the last few months under ISA detention. Yes, five Indians who are alleged to be dangerous people who have links with Sri Lanka Tamil Elam terrorists and who plan to bomb and kill innocent Malaysians. But Malaysians do not believe this allegation. Malaysians do not trust the government’s version of the ‘truth’. Malaysians know that this allegation is false. The only reason these five Indians have been detained is because they oppose the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government.

What about the scores of others who are still under detention in Kamunting, some for more than six or seven years? They too have been accused of having links with international terrorists groups. They too are alleged to have planned to bomb and kill Malaysians. But no one cares about them. If they are Malay-Muslims then the allegations must be true. But if they are Indian-Hindus then the allegation is false. We can believe that the government will detain Malay-Muslims because they are really and truly terrorists and the government is not lying. But when it comes to Indian-Hindus then the government is lying.

Do you know that many Malays have been detained under ISA just because they left Islam to become Christians? Do you know that many Malays have been detained under ISA because they do not follow the Sunni sect of Islam but believe in the Shi’a or some other sect? And these people are not ‘stupid’ kampong people. These people are university lecturers and professors who are well-educated and well-read and, after much research, decided that some other religion or some other sect of Islam is more accurate and correct.

No, not only five Indians are still in Kamunting. Many others are there as well. And you people reading this do not even know how many are still in Kamunting. And you also do not know why they are still in Kamunting. And you do not know because you do not care. But you know about the HINDRAF 5. That is because you only care about the HINDRAF 5. And you do not care about the others because they are not Indians.

Hey, let’s cut this racial crap. Let’s get rid of all this bullshit. We will fight for the release of the HINDRAF 5 because they are innocent victims, not because they are Indians. And we must also fight for the release of all the others because they too are innocent victims, just like the HINDRAF 5.

And what about BSA Tahir? He too has spent many years under ISA detention? What was his crime? None! Is he a threat to national security? No! Is he a danger to Malaysia? No! Did he plan to bomb and kill Malaysians? No! Then why is he under ISA detention? He is under ISA detention because he was the adviser to the Prime Minister’s son’s company and they exported centrifuges to Libya. Why is that considered a crime? It is considered a crime because Libya is not America’s friend. But if Libya were America’s friend then that would not pose a problem and it would not be a crime.

So, BSA Tahir will be under ISA detention until the day Libya kisses and makes up with America. So, until then, we shall fight for the release of the five Indians but not for the release of BSA Tahir or the many Malays who are also under ISA detention just because they wanted freedom of religious beliefs.

No, I will not support the fight for the release of the HINDRAF 5 if the fight is because they are Indians. I will support the fight for the release of the HINDRAF 5 if the fight is because the ISA is cruel and NO ONE should be detained without trial. And that would include everyone still in Kamunting, not just the five Indians.