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