Enhancing the ISA

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of law, said the Government would review the Act to “enhance and update provisions under the ISA” and review certain aspects of it but declined to provide details.

The above is an excerpt from the Star (Read the full report here)

 

What does he means by enhancing the ISA? To give the Act greater power or to dilute it?

 

Among Malaysians, some call for the Act to be abolished because of its draconian and inhumane nature due to the fact that ISA detainees are at all not given the right to a trial thus be committed into automatic detention, which are in my opinion clearly breach the idea of fundamental justice in particular the right to be heard or in Latin, Audi Alteram Partem.

 

Though draconian as it seems, some quarter of the Malaysian public stresses the need of such preventive law in order to safeguard the interests of the people. I think that there is a bitter truth in that view. In the age where danger and chaos do not come in the form of invading army but in the form of elusive enemies I believe that there is a need for such law to exist.

 

Though my stand is in favour of continued existence of the law, it is my sincere hope that ISA is to be reviewed and then amended so that it powers be restricted and will not be used arbitrarily. Clear distinction must be made between who are the real enemies of the state from those who are merely objecting against the state. Let it be the law that protects the people, regardless or their race, religion nor their political party, and not the one that oppresses them.

 

 

 

Oil Woes

<a The price of oil hit a record high above $135 (USD) a barrel on Thursday – more than twice what it cost a year ago.

 

The price of oil keeps on rising on the global market due to the most basic principle of economics i.e. supply and demand. That principle being a salient part of capitalism that is now being aggressively applied by the oil traders worldwide who are laughing and cashing on the situation will soon become the bane of the citizens of the world.

 

High oil prices will of course give effect to the prices of all other tradable items. Food prices and the costs of amenities will soar causing serious burden to the majority of the public.

 

Couple with the global food crisis the scenario seems to get worst. Nothing is more dangerous than masses of people who are hungry and feeling exploited. Histories of revolutions all over the world, such as the French revolution and Bolshevik’s, bear testament to that fact.

 

On the Malaysian perspective, the Malaysian government for the time being will bear all these troubles by spending billions of ringgit for subsidies, keeping public dissention and outcry at bay. But what will happen when the government is no more capable to absorb the high prices of commodities?

 

Something needs to be done quickly. A solid national plan needs to be hatched so that these issues can be addressed. So enough bickering amongst yourselves oo Malaysian politicians (of self-claim leaders). The Rakyat are more interested in living in a prospective environment rather than witnessing the never-ending Malaysian political drama. It’s about time for us all to work together for the good of the nation and not for personal interests.