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speak up!
A friendly makeover for Home Ministry
Scene: Coffee Bean, Jaya One
MOHAN: Wah, our young home minister,
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, seems to
be very busy, doing this and doing that. Now
here, now there. On Thursday, he announced
that he would be making surprise visits to
police stations.
Chong: Saturday’s demonstration against
the ISA is probably something of a baptism by
fire for him after hardly four months on the
job.
Mohan: Maybe it would nudge him to
move forward quickly to amend the ISA which
he had already said he would.
Mohan: Meaning that if he did it at the next
meeting of the Dewan Rakyat it has nothing to
do with Saturday’s demonstration.
Chong: Yes. But whatever it is I seem to get
the impression that Hishammuddin is trying to
change the traditional forbidding, malevolent
and cold-hearted image of the ministry to one
that is people-friendly.
Azman: Ya, man. As a journalist I always
shudder at the prospect of being formally
invited – or summoned, if you like – to meet
some officials or other of the ministry.
Mohan: What do you expect of a ministry
responsible for internal security. Under him
are agencies like the police and that special
section known as the Special Branch, often
associated with knocks on your doors an hour
or two after midnight.
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Anti-ISA protesters don’t represent majority
I REFER to “Why do Malaysians march?”
(Comment, Aug 3). The protesters are a negli-
gible minority. Just because they are loud and
obnoxious does not mean that they are the
majority.
Even developed countries such as the US
have their own version of the ISA such as the
Patriot Act. In Malaysia, only sharks, those who
hang around criminals and who commonly
associate with them, are the only ones con-
cerned with the ISA.
Ordinary law-abiding rakyat are more con-
cerned about getting food on their tables, the
improvement of the economy, the increasingly
high cost of goods, etc.
I am not against demonstrations, but it
must be for the right cause and at the right
Azman: Maybe you are right,
Chong, the home minister wants a
better image. For instance during a
meeting the editors had with him
recently, he gave the impression of a
friendly home minister. He chuckled
and laughed a lot. He told us to write
whatever we like.
Chong: He said that?
Azman: Yes, he did – as long as
what we write and print does not
affect or undermine or goes against WhatTheySay
the interests of the nation.
Chong: What do you think, by Zainon Ahmad
Cikgu?
Zain: I think we should leave it at that for
now. Anyway I am impressed by his effort to
clear the backlog of applications for citizen-
ships. And the newspapers flattered him by
frontpaging a picture of him going through the
application forms surrounded by boxes and
boxes of them. I am happy and I am sure many
other people are happy too.
Chong: Why are you happy?
Zain: Some nephews of mine who studied
abroad came back with foreign wives. These
women have been here for years and have
many children who are citizens but they them-
selves are still not citizens. Unfair, I think.
Mohan: A little patience, Cikgu.
Azman: It is not easy to change an image.
Take the police for instance. You know what
the force’s image is like. To change the image
time, such as when the majority of the rakyat
are really oppressed and we, the rakyat, really
do not have other avenues to seek relief.
As shown by the last election, the rakyat
can have their say. If the majority of the rakyat
is really sick of the ISA, they will throw the
present government out.
I am sick of politicians and their cohorts
who exploit people who do not know better
than to put their body and perhaps life on the
line just to earn some mileage for their political
agendas while these politicians themselves
enjoy a fat allowance, luxurious and comfort-
able living.
I am disappointed that the Pakatan Rakyat
has not done more to improve the livelihood of
the common rakyat and has instead resorted
of policemen into enforcers who
are clean, incorruptible, efficient
and friendly will take some time.
Chong: I don’t know whether
changing their uniforms from
beige or grey and khaki to a dark
blue about a decade ago was the
right thing.
Zain: In the 1950s and 1960s,
the policemen and policewomen
wore a small oval badge showing
a handshake, to indicate that the
law enforcers were friends of all.
I don’t see them anymore.
Mohan: I think making visits
to police stations to ensure that those who man
them understand that they too are part of the
attempt at image change is a good thing. Also
to understand their problems and their needs.
Chong: Surprise visits?
Mohan: Yes, surprise visits.
Azman: I don’t think in these days of
handphones there can be any real surprise
visits. Now that he has announced the visits,
policemen at airports who see him arriving
will call their friends to say “he’s here.”
Zain: I agree with you. Even in those days
of no handphones no one could really be sur-
prised. When I was a teacher in Langkawi in
1973 no inspector of schools could surprise us.
We always knew when they would be in town.
There was only one rest house and when
rooms were booked by the education depart-
to this sort of tactics. The holding of the dem-
onstration is a routine game for PR especially
the PKR.
How many lives will be improved by abol-
ishing the ISA. Twenty, 30,100, 2,000? For that
matter, I am not even sure whether the lives
of the majority of the 15,000 protesters will
improve as a result. Sure the demonstration
leaders might get promoted in the party, but
the ordinary members would only have gained
a few bruises..
Come on PR, wake up and get serious.
There’s always two sides to an argument,
people who want to climb to power like to
argue that the ISA is draconian. They put the
fear in you that one day you could be arrested
and locked up without trial. I am not afraid
Allow PTAs to meet on science and maths
THE role of the parent-teacher association is
tested more than ever now. Its main respon-
sibility is to represent the interests of the
parents of its school as far as the welfare of
the students is concerned.
The issue of the teaching and learning of
science and maths in English warrants just
that. Being a national issue and having a direct
impact on our children, parents as guardians to
the largest stakeholders in the education sys-
tem, the “rakyat”, are being unjustly obstructed
by the authorities to speak their mind on the
issue at hand.
The prime minister had earlier stated that
the government will listen to the “rakyat” on
this issue. He is open to suggestions before its
implementation in 2012.
There is a growing group of parents who
want their children’s schools to be considered
being given the exemption or option to retain
the existing policy. Such an exemption – a good
government initiative – will create a tremen-
dous amount of goodwill and allay the anxiety
of many parents.
The PTA constitution provides for the chair-
man, the committee members or the parents
to compel the PTA to convene an extraordinary
general meeting (EGM), subject to a minimum
of seven days’ notice, to discuss a specific mat-
ter of importance.
However, in recent days, a number of PTAs, in
several states, have had their desire to convene
such meetings to address this issue stymied by
either the principal of the school or the district
theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 4 2009
ment in Alor Star we teachers would know.
You see the resthouse in Kuah, Langkawi, was
also our only watering hole.
Chong: Of course, one other reason why
police stations have to have a friendly image
and sophisticated equipment is because more
politicians visit them nowadays.
Azman: Why huh?
Chong: To make police reports lah!
Azman: Yes, that’s right. Nowadays police
stations seem to have become popular desti-
nations with politicians, including MPs and
members of the state assemblies.
Chong: Some young politicians seem to
think that they have not arrived until they
have marched to a police station to file a report
against a government action or another politi-
cian. It has also happened when politician A
lodges a report against politician B and the
next day politician B files a report against A.
Mohan: No one seems to have been spared.
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when he was
prime minister, also had reports against him.
Of course reports have also been filed against
Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Zain: Making police reports seems to have
provided such joy and delight to politicians
that a group of 29 assemblymen decided to do
the filing together, probably exulting in the or-
giastic feeling that the togetherness brought.
Chong: And to top it all one politician even
told a rival politician that if he didn’t do it he
would do it for him.
because even if I am put on trial, I can’t afford
the high fees charged by lawyers. So the best
course for me is to obey the law.
The holding of this demonstration has only
convinced me that the ISA must stay. Actually,
I would be pleased if the government locks up
the masterminds of the demo under the ISA.
However, I am sure the government would
not take their bait and act wisely instead by
charging them under some other law, like
disturbing the peace, etc. I just hope that the
magistrates will have the common sense to
throw them in jail for the maximum time al-
lowed.
Pro ISA
Via email
education office. This is in contravention of the
law that protects the rights of the parents, who
are members, of the PTA.
As the registrar of the PTA, the director of
the state education department, must ensure
that the staff of district education offices do not
interfere with PTAs wanting to exercise their
legal rights. Principals should be advised and
reminded of their roles as advisers to their PTAs
and to not obstruct the voice of the parents
who only want to do what is correct in accord-
ance with the law, being civil and legal.
Parents are keen to speak and act on this
important issue. A civil and legal avenue, such
as through convening an EGM, exists but ob-
stacles have been placed to inconvenience and
disallow such a platform to be exercised.
If parents are not allowed to speak for their
children on educational matters, legitimately
through the PTA, where are we expected to
go? Another public demonstration? At the next
general election?
As much as we abhor public demonstra-
tions, sometimes this appears to be the only
way out for the “rakyat” to be seen and heard,
as exemplified by recent public outcries.
We are civilised parents who want what we
believe is best for our children and expect the
Education Ministry to do the same. Therefore,
allow PTAs to exercise their rights immedi-
ately.
Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim
Chair Parent Action Group for Education