The 'new' Michael Jackson

I still prefer the 'old' Michael Jackson

Jackson, the “King of Pop” who once moonwalked above the music world, died as he prepared for a comeback bid to vanquish nightmare years of sexual scandal and financial calamity. He was 50.

He died Thursday at UCLA Medical Centre after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known,” his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Jackson’s death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and then The Associated Press just minutes before the nightly network news began. The anchors relayed the news at the top of their broadcasts, though CBS and ABC quickly moved on to their prepared obituaries for Farrah Fawcett, who died earlier Thursday.

Read Teresa’s Statement

A Sad Tale

On 12 September, about eight thirty in the evening, I was at my home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. While enjoying my yew char koay (fried dough stick), I was worried about the show cause letter issued to Sin Chew Daily, and anxious about the days ahead for my newspaper.

Suddenly, a group of plain cloth police officers appeared at my front gate. The person who started to identify the group and the purpose of this visit was a woman officer. She was also the only one in her uniform.

Through the gate, she told me that I have to follow them to the Police station, in response to that I told her that unless they have a warrant of arrest, I will not open the gate. At the same time, I immediately rung up the legal adviser of our company and my direct superior, seeking their advice.

Later, the female officer told me that they are arresting me under Internal Security Act, therefore a warrant is not required. On hearing that, I was immediately was prepared for the worst.

I have to act calm, comforting my parents and reassuring them that my colleagues would be waiting for me at the police station to render assistance. When I was taken away, my parents acted strongly, they kept on asking the police to accord me with proper treatment.

I was brought to Seberang Perai Tengah IPD (district head office), and I was placed in a chilling cold room while waiting for the police to begin their paperwork. I was accompanied by a female officer who seemed to be trembling as a result of the low room temperature as well. To break the silence, I initiated a conversation. She told me, “You seemed to be very calm.”

I told her, “I am arrested under the Internal Security Act, even though I am scared, I have to face this reality. But I am worried about my parents, friends and relatives, they must be very worried about me.”

To be frank, I was very cool-headed. I believed that there must be a lot of people out there supporting me, giving me the strength that I need, so I must stay strong, to be with these people who are supporting me.

The police recorded all my personal belongings, these were later taken away from me. After that, I am considered ready to be sent to the Police Contingent Headquarters in Penang. When I was brought out of the police station, I realised that a lot of my colleagues in the media, together with representative from different parties and groups were already waiting outside the Police station to show their support. Seeing this,I was deeply touched, I could no longer hold my tears.

When the police car arrived at the station’s entrance, my superior, Puah Eu Peng, our Northern Region Manager, tried to halt the car with his body, to slow the police car’s movement. He knocked at the window, to make sure that I was in the car and gestured to show me his support.

I instantly wiped off my tears, I realised that a lot of them are staying with me, I must be with them as well.

After taking my thumbprints, I was given my dinner and arranged to spend my night in remand. It was not to my knowledge that my colleagues in the profession and people from different groups and parties were there to show their support, right outside that station.

I requested the female officer to keep the lights on. She told me not to worry, she will not switch off the lights. The police also informed me that I would be meeting my parents tomorrow morning at eight. I have spent a very long time, thinking of everything that I have to tell my parents. I have lost touch with the outside world this is my only opportunity, I must cherish it, to clearly explain everything to my parents.

After clearing my mind and organising my thoughts, I tried to sleep while lying on the wooden bed with the company of the mosquitoes and the noise of water dripping. I have no idea what tomorrow holds for me, but I know I have to be in my perfect condition to handle everything.

I have never suffered from insomnia and this very night, I finally experienced it. Deep down in my heart, I know that those who care about me, would also be experiencing the same, my heart wrenched thinking of that.

At 6 o’clock in the next morning, when I was about to wash up, the female officer passed me the clothing brought by my parents. I was surprised; everything was new, the toiletries, t-shirts, shorts, panties.

I later discovered that the ‘parents’ that the police officer was referring to were a bunch of my colleagues. While waiting outside the Penang Police Contingent Headquarter, they have prepared all these for me. They were uncertain when I would be released, but they told themselves that they must get these necessity items ready in the briefest time possible.

I met my parents and bided them goodbye, the police informed me that they would bring me to the Police Headquarter in Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur. My heart sank, I told myself this is the beginning of it, I must brace myself for everything.

After few turns of event, I was eventually brought to the Perak Police Headquarter in Ipoh. After a brief interrogation session, I was brought back to Penang Police Headquarter again.

It was here, where I was interrogated further. I told myself to keep my mind clear, I must tell them the truth, and respond appropriately.

After the interrogation session, I was brought to see another higher-ranked officer, he told me, “We can both go home now!”. Both of us turned to the clock on the wall, the time was 2.25p.m.

This my 18 hours under ISA. I have gone through a lot

After being released, I received a lot of messages, telephone calls and bouquets. My colleagues in the press, representatives from political parties, society leaders, schoolmates, classmates, friends and relatives have visited me at home. Of course, not forgetting the readers and the public who called up or visited Sin Chew Daily’s office in Penang or the Head Office in Petaling Jaya.

Calls, messages, well wishes, and visits from readers and friends. To all of them, I have to express my deepest gratitude. During that 18 hours which was filled with a lot of uncertainties, I felt that there is some unknown strength that has supported me throughout, I knew it must be from you all, those whom I knew or have not met!

I realise that our journey is still full with challenges and obstacles, so we have to continue the same righteous spirit and courage that we have all shown this time! Our society needs this spirit, to build a better tomorrow.

I have finally been freed, but I hope Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin and all those detainees under the Internal Security Act, could be released as soon as as possible. If the authorities think that they have broken the law, they should brought to the court of law to receive transparent and fair trials.

Anakdesa – Well, now we know how it was to be “protected” if your life is threaten! 

Which Is Which

 KUALA LUMPUR WENESDAY: Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has apologised to non-Malays over the racial remarks made by a Penang Umno division chief.

The action by the DPM reminds me of an old malay saying ‘orang lain berak, lain orang yang cuci’. Well in this case it looks like Datuk Ahmad is the person that ‘berak’ and our DPM the ’tukang cuci’. 

Which Is Which Again Please?

PUTRAJAYA, THURS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged all non-Malays not to regard a recent remark by an Umno division chief which offended the Chinese community as reflective of Umno policy. 

Information Minister Datuk Shabery Cheek and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took on each other in a live-over television debate on the fuel price increases tonight.
night and afterwards proclaimed that it had been a good clash of words.
After the hour-long debate, based on the opposition party’s election pledge “Today we form the government, tomorrow we reduce fuel prices,” Shabery said he left it to the leadership to evaluate his performance.
Anwar said it was not a matter of winning or losing but the debate was a “good forum and healthy discourse towards addressing the propaganda against the PKR”.
The debate, telecast live over Bernama TV, TV9 and Astro Awani, was held at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka before 200 guests comprising political party members and the media.
It was moderated by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka chairman Johan Jaafar and two other panellists – current affairs weekly Siasah editor Zulkifli Sulong and Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor Nordin Kardi.
Anwar, in his opening remarks, said if the Pakatan Rakyat were to form the government tomorrow, it would bring down the petrol price by 50sen a litre.
He mentioned various measures, including reducing the standby capacity of Tenaga Nasional Berhad from the current 40% to 20%, to find the funds.
He said the subsidy to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) had caused national oil company Petronas and Tenaga losses.
Shabery on the other hand reiterated the government’s stand by repeating earlier arguments that the government needed to reduce the subsidies for petrol which were being enjoyed by the rich and their big cars, instead of being channelled to development projects for the poor.
He added that the subsidies benefit foreign oil companies based in Malaysia instead of Malaysians.
Shabery said countries like Venezuela and Iran which had low oil prices had high inflation rates, adding however that some countries like Norway had succeeded in building strong economies despite high oil prices.
He also accused Anwar of taking advantage of the hardship of people for his own interest- now, and during his student days in the 1970’s.
Shabery also took potshots at Anwar, saying he had supported the very policies on the IPPs that he is opposing now, when he (Anwar) was deputy prime minister.
He added that Anwar had been for the International Monetary Funds (IMFs) measures to be implemented in the country during the last financial crisis in 1998.
Anwar responded saying that one cannot compare Norway to Malaysia as that country’s per capita income was 10 times that of Malaysia’s.
He said while Iran and Venezuela had high inflation rates but low petrol prices, Malaysians have to put up with high inflation rate and high oil prices.
He said instead of using the subsidy savings to bail out ailing companies and provide incentives for large companies to come to the country, it should be used for the poor.
He added that the lack of proper management had caused a lot of leakages to the government funds.
Anwar said the accusation that he supported detrimental IMF measures for the economy during the 1998 financial crisis was a slander that had been propagated over the years.
“And I am willing to debate on this with world economists,” he said.
In closing, Anwar said something had to be done soon or the economy would bleed severely and that Pakatan Rakyat would continue to push for more measures to revive the economy.
Shabery meanwhile said the government was not into populist sentiments but was looking at the long-term effects of the rising oil prices to the economy.
Earlier, a ruckus broke out outside the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) when four press photographers were assaulted by DBP security personnel.
The cameramen from theSun, Berita Harian, Channel News Asia and theEdge Financial Daily were assaulted by the men as they were trying to leave the Press area upstairs of the hall to go to the lobby below to get pictures of both Shabery and Anwar.
They were prevented from leaving by the personnel who held them back. When they resisted, they were kicked.
The media were later allowed to go downstairs and police took control of the situation by asking everyone to disperse from the DBP grounds.
The Pressmen lodged a report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters later tonight.

I don’t understand what kind of MPs we have in the Dewan. They know very well that the dewan sessions are live telecast and yet they are behaving worst then the street kids. The Dewan is a place to voice out the rakyat’s grivences through their respective MPs but what we see the MPs are acting like gangsters. MPs are suppose to be educated and honourable but what I see here is otherwise. DEPLORABLE ATTITUDE! WASTE OF PUBLIC FUND paying them salaries especially the ministers! SHAME ON THOSE ACTING LIKE HOOLIGANS

The Pakatan Rakyat today welcomed the Sabah Progressive Party’s support for its motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the Pakatan Rakyat welcomed Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun and Tawau MP Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui’s support.

“We welcome anybody’s support. The country is facing many problems at the moment and the Barisan Nasional has failed to keep its promises that were made to the people before the March 8 general election,” Dr Wan Azizah said.

She was speaking to reporters after receiving the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), which carries the “Datuk Seri” title, from Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with his 70th birthday celebrations.

“They have won but the price of fuel still went up. Since they have broken their promise to the people, now is the time to put forward a motion of no confidence in the country’s leadership,” she said, adding that the motion would be presented to Parliament on Monday if allowed by the Speaker.

She denied that the Pakatan Rakyat was creating chaos in the country by filing the motion as claimed by the BN.