Sivin Kit's Adventures

Archive for the ‘RoH Malaysia’ Category

In recent times, the lawyers are often seen as the new “clergy” of every day life. What would life be without them?

At our recent forum, Andrew Khoo, lawyer and great personal friend helped to bring about a greater awareness how even from a legal perspective, it cannot be reduced to merely the letter of the law.  The following questions he raised highlighted by Alwyn in his on going series, Against Corridored Thinking (Shamed But Not Ashamed, Pt.4) shows what I mean.

• who decides what morality, let alone public morality, is?

• if morality is begotten of religion, then whose religion sets the standard?

• how would we define ‘gender equality’? (here some of us were introduced to the acronym, "LGBTIQ")

• what’s the importance of sexual morality vis-a-vis other facets of morality? why is sex such a ‘big deal’ (and has it always been the case)?

• how do we navigate between private notions of morality and public law?

• should privacy legislation be practised, and what exceptions would there be?

Below are extra notes to get the brain juices bubbling!

• Not speaking on behalf of the Bar Council
• LGBTIQ- politics & gender- what does this mean
• FC amended after signing CEDAW- inserted gender- cannot discriminate based on gender
• Interesting to present test case- person of trans-gender being discriminated against. Would the courts recognise transgender as sub-set of gender
• Only covers government, not private employment contracts?
• Politics of gender- in itself raises many questions
• Public morality- who decides what public morality is? Vote? If not, who decides?
• Government said ‘majority support death penalty’- government tends to take role of guardian of morality.  Get elected, therefore anything they say have support of majority of citizens?
• Public morality- not just sexual morality. Other aspects e.g. pedestrians crossing the road- motorists driving dangerously
• Is it moral to say might is right? Weight of government thrown behind
• Criminalisation of homosexuality. S.377 Penal Code. Insertion of objects into anus/vagina- if practising homosexual – automatically act of lovemaking is criminalised. Victorian ideas of what can or cannot be done. Being gay is criminalised but being lesbian isn’t. Certain sexual acts between lesbian which would not fall into s.377.
• If derived from religious values- then whose religion? Islam- dominant religion? Consensus of other religions? Sexual rights- look at Malaysia’s record- people who are victimised because of what they are e.g. trans-gender community. Nobody really protecting their rights to be who they are.
• Government’s response- want us to be a Western country. No established religion accepts gay marriage. Values- whose values should be replicated or indorsed in legislation.
• One view- laws should not enforce morality, should be amoral. Not supporting any particular perception of morality. Is that possible?
• R v Brown- prosecution of assault and battery- sado-masichistic activities. In the privacy of their own home. Old case- changing moralities.
• Public has a right to interfere with your privacy if it feels that what you are doing is repugnant to public policy.
• Public policy informed by moral values- whose moral values?
• E Wong, Chua Soi Lek, VK Lingam- ‘victims’ of expose of an activity through an invasion of privacy.
• Draw distinction because Chua Soi Lek went to a hotel?
• No privacy law in Malaysia at the moment. Should have a law on privacy. All laws have exceptions. What kind of exceptions will you allow? Intrusions based on public policy. Potential exposure to a crime. Would E Wong’s case fall within such an exception? Malay Muslim boyfriend- potential to prove khalwat?
• Innocent victim to attempt to show evidence of a syariah related offence. Is it justifiable?
• Needs public debate about what should the general principles be and when exceptions would be applied
• Feminist perspective- added protection for women to recognise reality because a particular category of community that is more at risk?

The Edge Malaysia featured the Forum in their piece, When the private becomes public, today. This is how Melody Song the writer draws readers to consider the matter at hand.

It would be easy to say that the distribution of Elizabeth Wong’s private photos was a gross invasion of her privacy. Scrape beneath the simplistic judgement, however, and many more questions emerge: What is private and public? Who defines the private sphere? What moral justification is there for the private life to become public knowledge?

Dr. Sharon A. Bong brings refreshing multidisciplinary approach to the matter, with a specific focus on feminist and religious insights. I think amongst the panel she left quote a few memorable phrases like “Shamed but not ashamed”  which forces one to relook at how this discussion on morality both private and public plays out.

I also think that broadening the conversation to include the voices concerning sexuality rights stretches us which is very needed when we want to narrow the focus on a given subject matter (in this case on the rights of privacy). There is always the bigger picture to consider.  And how unintended consequences or ripples would be generated from what may seem to be confined to what’s of immediate concern from the front page of the papers.

Here’s the notes for Dr. Bong’s segment. Again please note these are notes, and once the Mp3s are up on both Friends in Conversation and the Micah Mandate, you would get the fuller picture and context on what was being said:

Christian and feminist standpoint

Hiding from Humanity, Digust, Shame & The Law- Martha Nussbaum

Shame & disgust feature very prominently at the core of the controversy that precipitated the public forum today. Human condition to feel shame & disgust at ourselves. Human frailty. At times disgusted with our physical appetites and lack of control of our own mortality.

Catholic viewpoint- born with original sin. Born with imperfection.
Challenge at how shame & disgust should not be used to regulate society from a legal perspective.

To shame somebody – would not think twice if a sex offender were shamed in public. School prefect- believed in shaming people who littered. Sign saying ‘Litterbug’- pick up rubbish during recess. Shame & disgust used emotively from a legal perspective to regulate public morality. Contradicts- because she feels in the first instance- evokes fundamental human dignity & respect. Play up on shaming and naming- operate from feeling of disgust- soon, will be part of a certain force that erodes human dignity and respect.

Divides us. Entrenches social hierarchy. Dangerous, insidious way- brand people as ‘normal’, others as ‘abdnormal’. Brand some as pure, some as impure. Some as moral and upright, some as immoral. Hugely problematic.

Tyranny of normal. So often, each of us expected to conform to what is considered as values that are normative- not questioned, a ‘given’. Regulation of sexuality at the core of this controversy. Regulation of female sexuality pretty soon leads to the defence of marriage as an institution. Why is a single woman a threat to the institution of the family? Because she is a sexual being. Sex only seen for pro-creation, reproductive features- extends the male progeny. Hostility towards single woman who is sexually active because she goes beyond, withdraws from male-control of a woman’s reproductive capacity. Whole sexuality which is not just about reproductive capacity.

Even to E Wong’s supporters, if had given informed consent to being photographed- would it be problematic? If want to eroticise her sexuality and it was consensual, would that be a problem to her gallant defenders?
If did not already have a track record of public service, would the same defenders be so quick to come to her defence?

Research currently doing- speaking to people in same sex partnerships. How do they fully live out their sexuality and while being Christian/Muslim/Buddhist..etc.. thank God she wasn’t gay. Would be more difficult for people to defend her.

Said in her press conference- her best defender- not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single woman. I have broken no law. Stand by fundamental principle in democracy that everyone has a right to privacy.

Bringing religion back into areas like sexuality, women’s rights and human rights.

Easier to talk about rights to privacy than sexuality rights. This controversy- sexuality rights at the core of this controversy.

While she is shamed by this, she is not ashamed of her sexuality. Powerful statement to be making.

As a Christian and feminist, these are not contradictory subjectivities. Always believed that religion is a source of affirmation of human dignity and human sexuality. Often, religion used to justify repression of sexuality and denunciation of dignity. Standpoint- believe that religion is a source of affirmation of intrinsic human sexuality and dignity.

In practising that, do our part of begetting heaven and earth. Christ came so that we could have life and have it abundantly.

While we did not have a big crowd, but the quality of the speakers and interaction was superb.  There was a sense that we just got started with more questions and angles to approach the subject matter.  But I suppose that is what we could achieve with the time we had. 

Masjaliza’s participation bringing in a particular Islamic faith perspective was very enlightening.  After the forum, I overheard a little buzz on an alternative view on polygamy which I’d be interested to pursue further with Sisters in Islam on another day.

For now, I’d put up whatever video clips I managed to take to give a feel of the conversation we had on Saturday.

Alwyn Lau as usual is the first to get some thing out in the blogosphere with his post Shamed But Not Ashamed (Pt.1)

Below is some notes just to give a little bit more content from Masjaliza’s segment (with thanks to Jo-Ann Ding) . Once we get the audio ready, then those interested can get the full talk.

Islam respects personal dignity and personal privacy although this is not always the experience in Malaysia.

Hadith-

1. He who conceals the nakedness of a Muslim, God will conceal his nakedness both in this world and hereafter.
2. Hashim Kamali included in his book- if you try and expose the nakedness of the people, you are likely to promote corruption among them.

Surah-

1. Ch 24: 27-29- Enter not houses other than your own until you have asked for permission and saluted their inmates. If not, enter not until permission is given. If you are asked to go back, go back.
2. Asking for permission to enter up to 3 times. If it is not granted to you, you must return.
3. Greeting precedes conversation.
4. Beware of suspicion for suspicion may be totally untrue and may be the worst form of lying. Do not spy on one another and do not expose one another’s hidden failings.

Support not barging into people’s houses and rooms.

Malaysia one of the few countries where morality is regulated by law.

In other countries, although sometimes there is  Muslim majority, don’t always have a snoop squad having the power to barge into people’s homes. Laws codified which allow for these kinds of abuses and intrusion into the private lives of people.

1997- 3 young Muslim women were arrested. People sometimes don’t realise that it’s against the law- Syariah Criminal Offences Act – to take part in beauty pageants.

Policing of morality in Malaysia- application and substance discriminates against women.

Beauty pageants for women – women arrested but male body-building competitions- men are not arrested.

Need to understand that women are policed differently from men. How women should behave and dress very different from how men are to behave and carry themselves in public.

Catch-all phrase- ‘insult to Islam’- perform at pubs- bands with Muslims – men charged with drinking liquor in public, women charged with insult to Islam or dressing indecently.

JAIS officials arrest women- they were sued because woman asked to relieve herself and was photographed.

Club raids- Muslims one side, Non-Muslims on another side. Then men one side- test for drinking, women on another side- look at the way which they dress. Humiliation that takes place. Uses religion to back this.

Park byelaw- s.294 Penal Code- possibly cover indecency. Kissing couple in KLCC park. Various ways in which morality and decency can be policed.

Thanks Kevin Thomas   for excellent touches at the last minute.

The revelations regarding the private affairs of Selangor Exco Elizabeth Wong and the ugly manner in which it has been hijacked by some parts of the media and political parties have raised many questions. For example:

"Was it right for her to be shamed in this manner?"

"Would it be different if this happened to a male politician?"

"Should she resign?"

"Are we being hypocritical for judging her?"

Beyond the immediate fallout of this episode on the personal lives of those involved and the political landscape in the state, the surrounding events are symptomatic of an underlying dysfunctionality in how our society deals with issues of gender and morality, especially when it involves someone in the public eye.  Sadly, this deficiency in our mindset has allowed "gutter politics" to go on an unbridled rampage, to the shame of all Malaysians. 

Whilst there has not been a shortage of expressions of outrage and disgust, there is an urgent need for a more considered response that brings together a wider range of perspectives.  As we approach International Women’s Day, join us for a conversation on these issues, which brings together perspectives of faith, gender studies, human rights and morality.  

Date:            Saturday,7th March 2009

Time:            2.30pm – 4.30pm

Venue:          Bangsar Lutheran Church

                      23 Jalan Abdullah off Jalan Bangsar

                      Kuala Lumpur

Programme:

2.30pm  Opening remarks by Rev. Sivin Kit of Bangsar Lutheran Church

2.40pm  Presentations by speakers:

Masjaliza Hamzah

Programme Manager, Sisters-In-Islam

Dr Sharon Bong

Senior Lecturer in Gender and Creative Writing, Monash University

Andrew Khoo

Malaysian Bar Council Human Rights Committee

Irene Fernandez

Director, Tenaganita

3.40pm  Conversation between speakers and participants

4.20pm  Closing remarks by Fr. Jojo Fung of RoH Malaysia

4.30pm  Refreshments

This event is free-of-charge but registration is required.  For registration and enquiries, please contact Yoon Yew Khuen (yewkhuen@gmail.com).

Organised by: Friends-In-Conversation, RoH Malaysia and The Micah Mandate

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About Friends-In-Conversation

Friends-In-Conversation is a friendship of followers of Jesus who are committed to creating a space where conversations about faith convictions lead to the enrichment of all spheres of personal, social and national life.  We are also in friendship and conversation with people of other faiths, to deepen mutual understanding and appreciation, as a foundation for constructive partnerships in a pluralistic society.  We believe that creating a space for such conversations requires the firm foundation of friendship – hence the importance of trust, humility, generosity, affirming speech and emphatic listening in all our engagements.

About RoH Malaysia

RoH Malaysia is an ecumenical group of Christian theologians, clergymen, social scientists and activists which aims to encourage and empower Christians for creative theological reflection and societal involvement. RoH is an acronym for Revolution of Hope. Roh is also a Malay word which means "spirit" and shares etymological roots with the Biblical word for God’s Spirit which hovered over the world during its creation, and is now in us, amongst us, and is all in all through the Resurrection.

About The Micah Mandate

The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy group that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.

It was good for Friends in Conversation to slowly reemerge again.  This time with INTR.Asia  Father Jojo Fung and I felt led after the last RoH Malaysia event to organize a mini-follow-up conversation.

The main goal  was for us to engage in conversation on the relevance of themes and models brought up by theologies of liberation in Asia for the Malaysian context. In conversation with Jojo what we hoped to do was to carve out space where we can start this kind of open learning process together.  For me, personally the fact that Roman Catholics and Protestants can come in this manner is most enriching and challenging.

Father Jojo presented a theological interface of the Malaysian Barefoot Theology with Pieris and Sobrino, part of which has been published in EAPR.  Joseph Ng, SJ who did a STL in Pieris Asian Theology of Liberation added on with more in depth comments.

I was facilitating the event as a novice compared to the two Jesuits above … and tried to interact with the ideas presented more from the pastoral and missional lens influenced by Lesslie Newbigin.

This was really not for the fainthearted. But we came  together to explore a more contextualized approach for us in Malaysia. Especially, for those who are already engaged in the issues through their work, to explore theological models to center our efforts with the liberating power of the Gospel.

My good friend Alwyn Lau as usual is the fastest blogger to put some thoughts out in the world wild web for more conversation.  I’ve included some pictures interspersed between his notes to give a visual picture of the enriching event on Friday night, 28 November 2008 at Bangsar Lutheran Church!

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God of the Poor

by Alwyn Lau

Learnt some new things last night at BLC where I listened to Fathers Jojo Fung (see my short write-up on him) and Joseph Ng share on liberation theology and God’s heart for the poor in Asia:

• 1. Jesuit priests can be distinguished by at least 3 characteristics, a) gritty casualness in dressing, b) profound depth of theological reflection and c) striking gentleness and calmness in responding to criticism/objections.

• 2.There are some truly remarkable missionaries cum thinkers cum religious symbioticians in the Roman Catholic faith, and Aloysius Pieris stands tall among them.

• 3. One unique path to deeper spirituality with God may be to drop all of one’s pre-conceptions of God and take a plunge into new baptisms (or allowing oneself to be initiated) into other faith-communities (Pieris into Buddhism, Fung into Shamanism, etc.). "To the Jew, one becomes a Jew. To the Gentile, one turns Gentile. To the pagan, a pagan" – so that all avenues are covered in the work of salvation (1 Cor 9:20-23) and that one gains a fresh experience of the spiritual universe?

• 4. John 14:6 – "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" -, traditionally used to proof-text the ‘exclusivity of Christ for salvation’ may be less a soteriological ‘How To’ and more of a Christological ‘Trust-Me"(!). Brian McLaren explains the different perspective, although (no doubt) some disagree.

• 5. The human knee-jerk reaction of avoiding hardship suffocates the impulse to be in solidarity with those experiencing hardship. The active alleviation of suffering and oppression, therefore, may be inseparable from the choice of experienced suffering.

• 6. Restating 5), ‘going barefoot, i.e. voluntary poverty, helps puts us in touch with those for whom being bare-foot isn’t an option. ‘Taking off’ our shoes is a way of putting ourselves ‘in’ the shoes of the poor.

• 7. The famous question from Jesus, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:13-15) should be posed to the poor, with serious Christological and missiological consequences i.e. who Christ is and what the Church’s calling should be could take serious turns if we listen carefully to the poor’s view of Jesus, regardless of their formal faith-confessions.

• 8. The poor reflect the kingdom of God because they form the loci of Jesus’ actions and very presence i.e. in a way reminiscient of the Church being one with the Body of Christ (Acts 26), the poor are paradoxically ‘equated’ with Jesus (Matthew 25:45).

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To be fair to Alwyn he did post first but it was focused on his own presentation and the feedback from it  . Read on.

* * *

It was, from the start, unlikely that many would find the below presentation totally agreeable, but I appreciate the feedback nevertheless (from ROH Merdeka 2008 participants and non-participants alike).

Some responses raised to the idea that peace-making, reconciliation and forgiveness must be the Church’s defining role (in politics and all domains of life) included:

• Jesus has many facets, not merely the suffering/dying one e.g. His Temple action
• The Church also has a prophetic role to play i.e. Christians have a responsibility to rebuke the world as the Biblical prophets did
• "Love thy enemy" doesn’t apply to societal/institutional evil (e.g. we are not called to love apartheid)
• One doesn’t tell an abused wife to ‘love her husband’
• The book of Revelations was filled with tirades against Rome (e.g. it labeled Rome a beast)

A good friend even said that whilst he wouldn’t mind inviting Ahmad Ismail (who made racist remarks against Malaysian Chinese) to dinner, he would also call UMNO to fire him.

* * *

This time Sherman Kuek beat Alwyn Lau in terms of giving a quick overview. Since it’s out here, let me repost it for regulars to my garden I hope to give my reflections on the event later.

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The people of Malaysia – a country fraught with its unique struggles amidst the dreams we share as a nation – need a sense of hope that our country will and can one day be the haven we all desire it to be.

Much has happened in the past one year leading to the March general elections. Upon the announcement of the election results, there was largely a cheer of exhilaration among the rakyat who decided it was time for a change in the state of the country’s political affairs.

But within several months after that, many were once again disillusioned like never before when they found that their hopes were perhaps illusive.

With this background in mind, the Revolution of Hope (RoH Malaysia) organised their annual Merdeka event on 10 and 11 October 2008. If last year’s theme was Merdeka 2007: A Revolution of Hope, this year’s event was themed Merdeka 2008: A Restoration of Hope.

RoH Malaysia is an ecumenical group of praxis-oriented theological and social scientific thinkers which aims to effect ripples of change among Christians, empowering them for creative theological reflection and greater societal involvement. The team consists of a mix of theologians and people trained in fields of the social sciences, lay people and clergy, researchers, grassroots activists and structural activists.

In this Merdeka 2008 event, the respective members of the team presented their analyses from a variety of perspectives. Beginning with the current Malaysian context, highlighting the hopes and challenges experienced by the nation, the team members then began to facilitate further thinking on the part of the participants by provoking reflection from theological, spiritual, pastoral and practical perspectives.

Participants were then divided into various groups – the corporate professionals, the NGO workers, pastors and church leaders, and youth – and led them through a thorough action planning process to contribute their little bits to the restoration of the nation. Because there is a praxis orientation in this gathering, the Merdeka events are usually deliberately preserved as small events. This year’s Merdeka 2008 had about 40 participants.

According to a number of the participants, two points highlighted in the event that most impressed them were, firstly, that our hope in the midst of social engagements must not rest on a false expectation of a this-worldly utopia. It is a hope that is cast far into the future, a Christian hope for the fullness of the reign of God to be actualised in this world order. The realisation of this historical event would be an inevitable and would be something worth hoping for when we embrace faith like little children.

Secondly, they were reminded that engagement in social concerns must not cause Christians to pander to negative rhetoric and verbal violence the way many anti-government bloggers and politicians are doing. The Christian community, in its social engagement, must always embody a way of mutual respect. In our endeavour to uphold justice and peace, our Christian values of respect for the dignity of our neighbours must not be compromised.

RoH Malaysia is committed to a non-partisan position in its political stance. As a team, they neither stand in support of nor against any political party in Malaysia. Their utmost concern reflects the concern of the Body of Christ: justice and peace. As they seek to uphold the dignity of the marginalised in society, they are committed to articulating their concerns regarding relevant issues in accordance with the theological and ethical standards of the Church. That these articulations pertaining to any socio-political reality implicates upon particular political positions and parties does not at all or at any time reflect a spirit of political partisanship on their part.

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It’s on folks, and we welcome more to join us … read on!

On October 10 – 11, a group of friends and fellow pilgrims on the journey have decided to bring our minds and hearts into a common focus. You are invited to join us along the way.

Spend 1 ½ days with a team of cutting-edge theological thinkers and social scientific thinkers like Tricia Yeoh, Rev Dr Jojo Fung, Dr Helen Ting, Dr Sherman Kuek, Rev Sivin Kit, Veronica Ann Retnam, Alwyn Lau, and P. Sakthivel as they describe, interpret and analyse the current state of our nation from a Christian perspective. Together, we will then try to work out a concrete plan for a restoration of hope for Malaysia.

There is a certain open ended-ness (or “open source”-ness) in the agenda more so because we cannot orchestrate end results prematurely in times like today. But what we can do is to converge our individual efforts, cross-fertilize ideas, cultivate new networks, and work out baby steps forward together.

We worked out a basic framework we can all explore together … this is a chance also to affirm existing efforts as well as forge new ones. Shall we the Church in all it’s shapes and sizes, forms and functions … emerge from our slumber or sense of inadequacy … and converge towards a future together with all our unique gifts and contributions?

Dates

10 October 2008, 1.00 pm – 5.30 pm

11 October 2008, 9.00 am – 5.30 pm

Venue

Bangsar Lutheran Church

23, Jalan Abdullah

off Jalan Bangsar

53000 Kuala Lumpur

Registration Fees

RM 10.00

(for materials, refreshments and lunch on 11 October)

Closing Date

8 October 2008

For enquiries or registration, please contact roh.malaysia@gmail.com

Download the flyer here to pass the word around, have a look at what’s planned and also get a brief profile of the panelists.

My friend and fellow companion with RoH Malaysia, Rev. Father Jojo fung, S.J., sent me what’s burning in his heart, and what’s on’ his mind.  One thing I admire about him is his ability to integrate creative constructive thinking with on the ground active engagement with reality.  Plus, he’s simply fun to be with as a fellow human being!  So, I confess my bias, I think what he has to say is  worth your time.

Malaysians of the civil society movement for democratic space, who anticipated the desparate government of the day to resort to few high-handed tactics to defend their hegemonic powers, were nevertheless appalled by the arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA, the most draconian legal institution, a legacy of the British Administration against the communist insurgency that a post-colonial nation like Malaysia should have abolished.

The government has abused its mandate of a simple majority by arbitrarily arresting Teresa Kok, Seputeh MP and Selangor executive councilor and Raja Petra Kamarrudin, editor of Malaysia Today and blogger-Pahlawan. The critical-minided populace, resisting the imposed “idiotic culture of bodoh-ism,” has unmasked such an arrest as yet another deluding political ploy, only to demonstrate a desperate attempt of a floundering power, sinking under the weight and filth of its own corrupt practices and the resultant fragmentation, to simulate and display its fast deflating and hollowing might in the use of the ISA.

Raja Petra Kamuarrudin has been hailed by many civil-minded Malaysians as the symbolic voice of a new dawn in Malaysia, a suara kenabian zaman modern, equivalent of a prophetic voice of our times, whose voice has become the conscience of the people, and the representational voice of the populace whose cries are: “after 50:45 years of governance, cukup lah !!” Fed-up lah kita!!” “Time for change, either from within or change from without !!”

Contradictions of contradictions. How is it that a journalist of integrity is arrested when a bigoted politician of UMNO is sacked but at large, getting away with such inflammatory racist remarks? How is it that a reporter has to be purportedly protected under the ISA of all laws, but is released the next day, under pressure from BN Components and pressure from the civil society? Is she any safer? The contradictions has besieged the ruling party, contradicted by all sides, including its component parties, betraying an growing political disarray within the party and cabinet, leading to the very question of its legitimacy to govern with consistency and integrity. 

The hideous crime committed against the rakyat is not “outside” as it is “inside,” within its own fold. It is known widely that the same hegemonic power has eroded the rule of law, crushed the independence of the judiciary, prostituted the sanctity of Article 11 and the Federal Constitution, violated the fundamental liberties of Malaysians to the freedom of worship, equal access of the marginal communities, freedom of association and speech, desecrated the environment, debased the police, the Immigration, and the politicians on the altar of insatiable greed and lust for power. These hideous crimes are the scourges of our nation, the plagues of the rakyat ! These crimes have made a real mockery of the religions of our nations, Islam no less.

The muffling of voices dissident does not mean the decimation of the dispirited. A crushed spirit never prevent the unleashing of the insurmountable surge of the energy breaking forth from below for a dawning of a clean, just and violent-free Malaysia. Onward with the democratic struggle in Malaysia !!!

                               Jojo M. Fung, SJ

                     September 16, 2008.