Very busy morning.
But I wanted to write this real quick.
Both NST and the Star printed in huge words: DEFIANCE!
This to me is a clear indication: they are trying to provoke the Malays, painting the protesters as Indians who have gotten too brave for their own good, and are arrogantly and violently demanding things that are not theirs.
Once again, the state media wants to engineer another May 13, instead of preventing one.
If the editors and those who pull their strings believe in a God, I recommend repentance. And fast.
State media = Barisan Nasional media
So the BN government is inciting racial riots?
It certainly looks that way going by the how the news was reported in the state controlled English language newspapers.
The government Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese language newspapers no doubt gave a distorted view too.
Objects were thrown at the police, I clearly saw the tear gas canisters being returned, still emitting their CS gas, to their rightful owners!
I’m not surprised that the state-controlled newspapers would spin the story to put the HINDRAF rally in a worse light. Since when have anti-establishment events or happenings been reported objectively or even reported at all in some cases?
Looking forward to your report on yesterday’s events.
Sometimes you really wonder what the ruling class are thinking.. To engineer another 13 may is crazy. no one can control a mob (unless it is based on a personality cult like Mao). it is a fire that once ignited burns with its own will, consuming everything including the starter until its fuel is spent. history has shown ample examples.
If they are trying to provoke the Malays, isn’t that called making Seditious remarks using our National Newspaper ?
i totally disagree with Hindraf ’s claim, but i respect their right to peaceful assembly . read more about Hindraf appeal to Gordon Brown to refer Malaysia to World Court (&) and International Criminal Court
http://mahaguru58.blogspot.com/2007/11/hindraf-s-anti-malaysian-appeal-to-uk.html
I urge all (if any) whom subscribe & buy these papers to stop doing so now – & to tell everyone you know to do so immediately.
Hot off the BERNAMA website
“KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) — The Tourism Ministry today expressed its concern that street demonstrations could adversely affect the industry if allowed to continue.
Its minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said although he was worried about the matter (street demonstrations), so far no foreign country had issued any warning to its citizens about visiting Malaysia.”
What is this fella talking about,?
The peaceful rallies, if they had been allowed to proceed, would have not been widely reported worldwide.
What caused the trouble and upset to everyone was the intimidating police roadblocks which began four days prior to the date of the 25 November 2007 rally and racial profiling of those pulled over, together with the brutal assaults by the police and para military forces.
In the final analysis the government’s own incompetence was the root cause of the negative publisity overseas.
Dude, Citizen Raj has a point. It’s time to take the fight to the media.
someone told a big fat porky… we all saw the photos taken at batu caves. no water cannons? tear gas not used? and what’s that? no violence? feral indians and angelic police?
get a grip, you dying log!
CS GAS
Some of the tear gas cannisters used on Sunday 25 Nov. 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, bore the marking 560 CS.
There are photos of these cartridges.
A similar gas is used by the Israelis against the Palestinians.
This gas is potentially lethal.
This article is of interest.
The Journal of the American Medical Association
August 4, 1989
Vol. 262, No. 5
From the Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Dr. Hu), and Department of Internal Medicine (Dr. Epstein), Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Epidemiology (Dr. Hu) and Occupations Health Program (Dr. Kelsey), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass; Physicians for Human Rights Somerville, Mass (Dr. Fine); Department of Interns Medicine, Cambridge (Mass) Hospital (Dr. Epstein) American Medical Student Association, Preston, VA. (Dr. Reynolds); Duke University Medical School, Raleigh NC (Dr. Reynolds); and Graduate School of Public Health Sciences, State University of New York-Albany (Dr. Walker).
Tear gas has gained widespread acceptance as a means of controlling civilian crowds and subduing barricaded criminals.
The most widely used forms of tear gas have been o-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS) and (-chloroacetophenone (CN).
Proponents of their use claim that, if used correctly, the noxious effects of exposure are transient and of no long-term consequences.
The use of tear gas in recent situations of civil unrest, however, demonstrates that exposure to the weapon is difficult to control and indiscriminate and the weapon is often not used correctly.
Severe traumatic injury from exploding tear gas bombs as well as lethal toxic injury have been documented.
Moreover, available toxicological data are deficient as to the potential of tear gas agents to cause long-term pulmonary, carcinogenic, and reproductive effects. Published and recent unpublished in vitro tests have shown o-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile to be both clastogenic and mutagenic.
Sadly, the nature of its use renders analytic epidemiologic investigation of exposed persons difficult.
In 1969, eighty countries voted to include tear gas agents among chemical weapons banned under the Geneva Protocol.
There is an ongoing need for investigation into the full toxicological potential of tear gas chemicals and renewed debate on whether their use can be condoned under any circumstances.
Tear gas is a weapon that has become familiar to the world. Hardly a week goes by without press reports of tear gas being used in a public setting, typically the dispersal of demonstrators or the subdual of a barricaded criminal. Recent years have seen the use of large amounts of tear gas in several countries, including Chile; Panama; South Korea; and the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Israel.
Tear gas is actually the common term for a family of chemical compounds that have been otherwise referred to as “harassing agents” because of their ability to cause temporary disablement.
Some 15 chemicals have been used worldwide as tear gas agents.
Four of these- chloroacetophenone (CN), o-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS), 10-chloro-5, l0-dihydrophenarsazine, and (-bromo-(-tolunitrile- have been used extensively.(1) In the United States, Britain, and Europe, CN and CS have been employed most widely. o-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile, in particular, is a weapon that has gained widespread acceptance as a means of controlling civilian populations during disturbances.
The widespread use of tear gas agents naturally raises the question of their safety.
Relatively little, however, has appeared in the mainstream medical literature regarding their toxicology. In general, authors of review articles have averred that, if used correctly, the noxious effects of exposure are transient and of no long-term consequence.
Much emphasis has been given to the findings of the Himsworth Report, the results of an inquiry by a committee appointed by the British Secretary of State for the Home Department following the use of CS in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in 1969.
In addition to investigating the use of CS in Londonderry, the committee reviewed a wide range of scientific data. Its main conclusion was that while exposure to CS can be lethal, most likely in the form of toxic pulmonary damage leading to pulmonary edema, such an occurrence would only be at concentrations that were several hundred times greater than the exposure dosage that produces intolerable symptoms.
Many questions remain, however. Epidemiologic inquiry following the use of tear gas under actual field conditions has been almost completely absent.
Nat, until the thinking public boycotts the MSM, they’ll continue to convey the wrong lying message in the most selfish sycophantic way. Even a 20% reduction in circulation would deliver a sound message to the unconscionable noose papers.
Violence beget violence, you think the malays dont feel intimidate or provoked by the event? I was listening to a conversation between an Indian and Malays in a coffeeshop a day after the demonstration. When asked, the Indian guy said, “now they know the power of the Indian”. And the Malay guy said “who do you think you are?”. Fortunately its a conversation between two friends, what if its a conversation between strangers, with a groups of few young blood? While we want to point at other people’s mistake, look too at our own, for example, I’ve never thought of the race issue when reading the title of “defiant” until you brought it up, could it be you that are trying to press for racial war?
nat: that would be the last thing i want, and the first thing i would fight against. but i accept your comment in the spirit it was given, and will try to reflect on it, thanks.
I don’t think they want to engineer another May 13. Its more like they don’t have their thinking hat on. The Sun, which brain-wise is the best in town, clearly stepped back.
Stupidity is what caused crises in this country for decades. Dr. M especially had many but smart enough to get out of it each time. Badawi don’t have the smarts to get out of a real crunch and another May 13 can occur because of plain stupidty which there are still plenty around especially when they think they don’t have it anymore…
Well, “Defiance” could also be seen in another light. It reflects the stubborn but persistent crowd and the organisers. The general reporting is definitely not fair, lacks the credibility we deserve as readers. But realising the limitations in which the media work, the editors and writers sometimes need to be creative. So, you can look at the title two ways – defiant as law breakers or defiant as standing your ground.
Unfortunately, we still need to read between the lines to guess if there is some signal from the media of what they actually want to say.
I suggest that if you are really mad with the media, write them a letter, be calm in your letter but challenge them on their ethical values.
Clearly on several accounts of ethical standards, they fail. Accuracy, fairness, independence etc. And say that you recognise the role of the media and the challenges they face, but they should not compromise the quality and truthfullness of the information you deserve.
And also don’t subscribe if you really think they have betrayed your interest. But i think they need to be confronted by your complaints. In a way we can help them tell the govt “you see what this has done, you cannot hold us hostage to the laws, we have to do our jobs properly” something like that lah we hope the editors will say to the govt.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
I am a Malaysian citizen, and I am a subscriber of ASTRO Satellite TV Broadcast here in Malaysia. Recently I have subscribed to the ASTRO News Package which contains Al Jazeera and other foreign news media.
I was highly looking forward for the international news broadcast on all of the stations provided by the package when I had shocking news from our local news station claiming that the foreign news broadcasters are lying and making stories without properly acquiring the real facts and they are very good actors !!! Furthermore these claims were also made by our government’s politicians.
Now, this is rather disturbing and disappointing for me as I have only subscribed for the service for just a few days and I’m being bombarded with such claims. This eventually made me to think:
Am I an IDIOT to subscribe, pay and end up watching acts and lies
OR
Is there is any conspiracy going on here????
I clearly understand the fact that Al Jazeera has a strong principal called the Code of Ethics and you strictly follow it. But the claims by the politicians and local media here make me to think otherwise.
The claims below were broadcasted on 27-November-2007 in TV3 news station. Similar claims were also made in other local newscasters. This is just a few of the claims.
1. TV3 news station claimed that the foreign media cannot be trusted as they do not report the actual news.
2. YAB Datuk Sri Samy Velu claims that there were only 4,600 demonstrators on 25-November-2007 and NOT 50,000 or any other number as claimed by the foreign media.
3. TV3 news station said that the questions thrown at the Information Minister of Malaysia by Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera’s name was mentioned) was to purposely create a scene to show that Malaysia is in kiosk situation and Al Jazeera purposely built up the story from the real one. They also mentioned the criticism made by the Information Minister to Al Jazeera.
(Prior to sending the mail, I did some research on the net and actually found the video clip of the above Interview in Youtube. And I actually laughed myself out listening to the reply given by our Minister. Pity him for his language. But in the Malaysian news channel TV3, they only provided the “CLEAN” version of the transcript and the actual call was not aired. This makes me even more confused!!! Who is telling the truth here???)
Now, if Al Jazeera is telling lies,
It is high time for Al Jazeera to review back their Code of Ethics and provide the truth for the people. If you can’t do it then don’t cheat the entire world. And don’t broadcast your news at all. I am not a fool to keep paying for acts and lies.
And if Al Jazeera is NOT lying,
Well, what the heck. The damage has already been done. No one in Malaysia is going to listen to your news anyway due to the “VERY GOOD” publicity done by the Malaysian politicians and the local media. By the way, did I mention that our local media could also be received by our neighboring countries like Singapore and Thailand?
FINAL CONCLUSION
It is not my intension to insult Al Jazeera, other foreign media, our local media or the politicians. If you feel offended by this email, I sincerely apologize to you. Whatever the scenario is, all that I want (and the rest of Malaysian citizens who are in my situation want) is the truth. Since Al Jazeera’s and other foreign media’s names have been badly damaged here in Malaysia, Al Jazeera and the other foreign media’s SHOULD do something to fix it back or you may start loosing your viewer in Malaysia.(and its surrounding countries too)
I hope you could keep my details confidential and properly investigate on this issue (just incase if you don’t trust me) and find out the real truth behind such a drastic claims by our local media. That is if you still follow your Code of Ethics.
Yours truly,
A concerned viewer.
PS:
1. i am also forwarding this mail to other foreign media for their response.
2. i will be posting this transcript in the internet via blogs so that the viewers around the world will be aware that this matter has been brought to your attension and for them to express their views.