Day: October 28, 2017

Former Ops Lalang child activist says nothing has changed

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News

Pic from FMT News

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty years ago, while other children were learning nursery rhymes in kindergartens, Tania Fernandez was becoming familiar with phrases like “detention without trial”.

The daughter of late human rights activist Irene Fernandez, recalled how she was only six years old when she became part of a group that supported families of those detained in Operasi Lalang, launched on Oct 27, 1987.

She said she remembered a warm atmosphere among the people who considered each other as family when she went along with her mother to the gatherings.

“One song that stuck with me and still means a lot to me today is ‘We Shall Overcome’,” she said at an event organised by Suaram to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Operasi Lalang at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.

Tania said she found it unfortunate that the state of human rights and civil liberties in Malaysia is as dire today as it was back then. Read more →

77 NGOs demand apology from Dr M over Ops Lalang

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: The Star Online

PETALING JAYA: A group of 77 NGOs are demanding an apology from former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the arrests of 106 people and the closure of three newspapers during Operasi Lalang 30 years ago.

“We demand a public apology and a sincere expression of remorse from Dr Mahathir for depriving so many innocent Malaysians of their freedom and the torture they went through during Operasi Lalang,” it said in a statement on Saturday.

The group added that Dr Mahathir must apologise for the “assault” on the Malaysian judiciary in 1988, which saw the removal of former lord president Tun Salleh Abas and other Supreme Court judges.

“Dr Mahathir owes an apology not only to all the victims of Operasi Lalang, but also to the former Lord President and the Supreme Court judges that he sacked in 1988,” it said.
Read more →

Ops Lalang: Absolving Dr M is like absolving Hitler, says Kua

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News

Pic from FMT News

KUALA LUMPUR: Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong has condemned the actions of some Pakatan Harapan politicians in absolving former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad from any blame for Operasi Lalang, which took place in 1987.

He said their willingness to forget who was behind the arrests of more than 100 Malaysians under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) in October 27 that year, was akin to absolving Adolph Hitler for being the reason why World War 2 started.

“It’s like saying Hitler had nothing to do with it and that it was because of fascism and therefore, Hitler does not need to apologise,” he said in a speech at the start of an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of Ops Lalang, held at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.

Mahathir, who is now Pakatan Harapan chairman, has been insistent Ops Lalang was a police decision and that although he was home minister at the time, he had no say in the matter. Read more →