Update: Press Statement version below

Looks like Fu Ah Kiow also had a little birthday present for me. Malaysiakini:

The police are investigating five Malaysians for posting seditious messages on the Internet, the Dewan Rayat was told today. (Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow) said one of them had already been arrested and investigations into the case are in its final stages.

The police are considering whether to charge him for the alleged offence, he added. Met at the Parliament lobby later, Fu said the arrested individual was PKR webmaster Nathaniel Tan, who was hauled up in July over a ‘seditious’ comment posted on his blog.

:P :)

But check this out:

As for the four others, it included an email containing seditious remarks pertaining to race. The rest are a company director, whose company website carried a seditious posting, one ‘Dr Ng Seng’ who posted a seditious article on the Prime Minister’s Department’s website and student Wee Meng Chee for his satire of Negaraku posted on Youtube.

For those that might have forgotten, I was arrested supposedly on account of a comment that was posted on my blog (which I had even taken the time to moderate).

The commenter left a link clearly indicating the original source of the comment’s content (it was in fact one of two pages).

Nonetheless, the police saw fit to arrest me for allegedly publishing official secrets.

This morning, colleague and friend, Nik Nazmi brilliantly pointed this out:

If I am responsible for comments in my blog, isn’t YAB Abdullah Badawi responsible for comments on his website, and not the so-called “Dr. Ng Seng?”

Maybe Mob can help get a poster ready: Free Dollah Now!

:)

Double standards aside, I must say this: Believe it or not, I’m not usually one to go on and on about freedom of expression. The category in my blog even uses a different term: Responsible Free Speech.

That said, if the police continue to recommend prosecution in this case, I will take it as nothing less than an attempt to intimidate all bloggers and Malaysians trying to speak the truth.

I must conclude this due to the absolute baselessness of any connection they could possibly draw between me and ‘publishing official secrets.’

It’s baloney, and part of my experience while under investigation (at some point under ASP ranked cops now being investigated for corruption) gave me great cause to believe that their entire case on me is built on goofy google searches and an daft inability to differentiate between terms like ‘posts,’ ‘comments’ and ‘moderation.’ That and finding scapegoats, of course.

But don’t take my word for it. Read the comment, read the original post, or read anything in the blog and feel free to tell me whether I’ve slandered or incited anyone.

*

Intimidation is a wearisome thing. It annoys me, and makes my loved ones anxious :(

But one must take these things in stride, keep a stiff upper lip and all that (it’s going to be ok, sweetie!).

The outpouring of support when I got kidnapped damn near moved me to tears, and I know that should anything happen, I can count on all of you again.

You have no idea how much that means to me.

You know, there’s a second part to ‘Lawan tetap lawan!’ that is not heard as often: kawan tetap kawan :)

[Read more →]

Tags: my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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Lotsa videos floating around, and I hadn’t had time to go through many (CowboyKampung’s might have set the standard?). I just watched this one, from the ever hardworking macanhitam:

The videos reminded me about how art makes life transcendental. Make things bigger than they seem, especially to those of us mired so deep in things that they seem painfully mundane. Breathing life into legends, and making legends from life.

And now we have a chance to be the stuff of legends, to have stood up when it counted, and to say that we did our duty.

*

I was a bit shy to see my own face, and shots from the deeply touching vigils people had for me when I was in lock-up.

But then I slowly understood what it means: that today I walk for all those who walked for me. For those who stood by me when I felt what it meant to live under tyranny. Today I give back, if only a little.

Given the PM himself has threatened us (see Nik’s pantang dicabar vs pantang ditipu), and that roadblocks are already all in place, maybe it’s not safe for all the old uncles and aunties who lit candles for me to walk the streets tomorrow.

If so, then we young ones must walk for them, and be brave for them.

They’ve given so much, the least we can do is give back to their grandchildren.

I know I’ve been given so much, by so many.

So I hope the steps I take tomorrow show that no candle was ever lit in vain, no sacrifice made without gain.

That I am thankful to be free, but must never sacrifice for my own comfort, the freedom and well-being of others.

Tags: Event, my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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Malaysiakini (heh, lt actually <3 ) was nice enough to ask for some comment regarding the return of my belongings, which happened yesterday (at last!! :)

Sorry I didn’t blog about it yet, but wanted to keep the focus on the Lingam/Fairuz crisis.

I never feel I say it enough, so thanks once again to everyone for all your love and support - I truly appreciate it! :D

Here’s the statement I put together in full. Background info in my earlier statement. Do note the pretty unexpected part about the cop who turned up on theSun frontpage on corruption charges today - strange coincidence!

*

On Monday, October 22nd, I received a phone call from DSP Victor Sanjos notifying me that the police intended to return my belongings. The main items included one desktop, one laptop, my handphone, some CDs and some documents.

On Wednesday, October 24th, I went to the Commercial Crimes Department with my lawyer Amer Hamzah to meet DSP Victor.

It was an odd feeling, walking through the building for the first time with footwear and without handcuffs.

DSP Victor was polite but surprised at the presence of the lawyer, feeling that it was unnecessary.

The meeting was cordial, but all business, as DSP Victor proceeded to go through the checklist of materials.

He appeared to indicate that there would be no further action against me, but obviously, no guarantees were given.

I met a number of people that were involved in my detention, including ASP Nordin, who had overseen my remand hearing. He seemed a little more pleasant now that he was no longer attempting to block my access to legal counsel.

My items have all been marked with liquid paper, and it is likely that I will keep them there as a reminder of how fragile our freedoms are under the present repressive government.

I am also hesitant to begin using my electronic applications just in case they have been bugged or otherwise tampered with. I may seek expert assistance and advice in this matter.

Incidentally, one of the two police officers featured in today’s front page of theSun, ASP Hong Ken Hock, was one of the many police officers who interrogated me in the course of my detention.

He has now been charged with falsifying witness statements. I dearly hope that my statements and belongings have not been tampered with in any such way.

While the High Court has dismissed the challenge to the remand order, we have filed an appeal to the Appeals Court and are still hoping for a positive judgment to ensure that a precedent is set preventing any such kidnapping as I experienced from happening to anyone else.

There may also be some legal precedent showing that the manner in which the police held my belongings for such a long time was in fact illegal. My lawyers are continuing to study this matter.

In the wake of the Abdul Malek decision, we also cannot rule out the possibility of filing a civil suit against the government.

By far the most important consideration is how to ensure such irresponsible arrests and confiscations never again happen to any Malaysian citizen.

Tags: my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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The High Court decided not to review my remand, deciding that the matter was academic and that any judgment it made “tidak akan membawa apa-apa kesan.”

I couldn’t disagree more, Yang Arif. The last thing this review is is academic.

What we were trying to do was to set a precedent that will stop the police from kidnapping clearly innocent citizens, and using monkey tricks to deny arrestees their right to confer with legal counsel.

I’m disappointed, if not terribly surprised.

Thanks to lawyers Siva and Amer Hamzah for their work though. We will be taking the matter to the Court of Appeal.

Tags: Judiciary, Law Enforcement, my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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Thanks so much to Malaysiakini and YB Lim for being so kind to reproduce this letter :)

I refer to the malaysiakini report PM: No Internet crackdown.

I am terribly saddened by the fact that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would claim that the police actions taken against me could be considered the ‘normal process of law’ and ‘standard procedure’.

What he seems to be saying is that standard procedure includes:

1. Sloppy investigative work

No individual or institution with even the slightest understanding regarding the workings of the Internet and blogs would suspect me of being the author of the accusations against Johari Baharum.

2. Kidnapping

I was arrested by a group of five or six policemen in a darkened basement carpark with no one else around at 5pm. The police did not inform a single person as to my whereabouts until continued demands by my friends and family finally forced the police to reveal my location just before 11pm.

3. Denying me access to legal counsel

My lawyers were not informed of the time and place of my remand hearing. My repeated requests to have someone call my lawyers were all ignored. It is only by luck that human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar happened to be present at the Magistrate’s Court for another hearing that my lawyers were notified of the hearing. Furthermore, after my lawyers arrived, the police were relentless in their astoundingly unsophisticated attempts to deprive me of my constitutional right to consult with my legal counsel in confidence.

If these are indeed ‘normal processes’ and ‘standard procedures’, then incidents like that which occurred in Pantai Batu Buruk in Terengganu merely confirm the fact that Abdullah and his government are turning Malaysia into a police state where intimidation and brutality are the order of the day.

Tags: Law Enforcement, my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
1 Comment »

At last!

And last one!

Really sorry for all the ridiculous self-indulgence. Just noted that I hadn’t compiled all the videos, and figured the one month anniversary was a good a time as any.

And to be perfectly honest, the last few days have been mentally hectic, so this helped take some load off :P But I promise, back to regular planning and hopefully half-decent blogging now!

Tags: my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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Sorry if there’s been some problems viewing the videos, trying to get them fixed.

Are all these videos just an excuse not to do some actual writing? Maaaybe :P :)

Anyway, this is one of the KeADILan emergency response team - my colleagues who dropped everything on a Friday night from all the work that comes from their high profile positions to try and help make sure I was ok.

Polytikus isn’t in this video, but truly, she was there every step of the way, enduring the intense experience bravely (she’s also not feeling very well right now, so all warmth, prayers and love would be most appreciated).

As always, mere “thank you’s” can’t do my appreciation justice, but thank you, nonetheless!

Tags: my arrest by Nathaniel Tan
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