I have just watched the video clip from Malaysiakini on the demolition of the surau in Kampung Berembang. It is very frightening for a citizen like me who have been very proud of my country [tag]Malaysia[/tag] for the harmony, peace and mutual respect that we had experienced so far.
I do not stand on any side of any political parties and I usually do not like to fan any fires where races and religions are concerned. In fact, I am very proud of the fact that many of my blog readers and people who linked me or I linked them are not the same race and religion as me.
But this time, I am ready to make an exception. I cannot bear to watch children being punched by adult who is carrying out his task in uniform. It can be clearly seen on the video. The surau was packed with hysterical, crying and frightened children. The shadow of a uniformed man was inside and you can see the hand hitting someone much shorter (smaller) than him.
I have always thought that [tag]Muslims[/tag]/Malays are the strongest race/group in our country because they have what most of us other races don’t have. I.e their mutual love and total self sacrifice for Allah. The one and only God. I always thought that they would be totally stuck to each other through their love for Allah. But what are we looking at here? Chaos, fights, people fainting, getting injured, women being dragged…..
The sight of JAIS doing the negotiation sort of sickened me.
Screenshot of video from Malaysiakini.
Why? Because whoever is in charge of the state/country ought to have the foresight that in a tense situation like these, they need someone of bigger authority. Someone who has the respect of all parties. Someone who can call the shots. Where is the Menteri Besar? Or some Cabinet Minister. Don’t they realised how grave the matter is? Demolishing a surau? This is a legitimate surau of Muslims. This is not some teapot, for God’s sake! Then again, maybe someone thinks he is a hero in his Western suit and tie. Or maybe the others are smart in not getting involved.
I know the houses of the [tag]Kampung Berembang[/tag] are illegally built. But what I can’t understand is:
1) How did the people of Kampung Berembang managed to live on that land for so many years? Who allowed that? When it was just a single squatter house, why didn’t the authority do anything about it?
2) Whatever happened to all those claims that [tag]UMNO[/tag] is fighting for the [tag]Malays[/tag]? Why do we have families living in tents (since the [tag]Ampang[/tag] council tore their house down) in deplorable conditions? I can see many small children. My heart breaks for them. UMNO has failed them.
3) What is the intended use of the land after they have evacuated?
4) Have the penduduk of Kampung Berembang been given any form of compensation/relief since their roof and shelters were torn down?
5) Did any of the ruling party been there to provide them the necessities like what was done to victims of natural disasters? Certainly the weak and the poor deserve some kindness?
Sadly, I just realised that uniformed bodies are have lost their shine. From police who turned hired killers (re the Mongolian model’s murder) to these who acted like gangsters. I know the men were merely carrying out their duties. I hope they can sleep tonight.
NOTE : If you wish to comment, please keep all the anger to yourselves or blog it at your own blog. I just want everyone to be aware of this situation but please remain calm because everyone will end up in a lose-lose situation if it is dealt with wrongly.
*trying to remain calm* No comments. Tenkiu. *doing deep breathing*
Wonder why this news is not in the newspaper today?! What has our country turned into? 🙁
Actually “calm” is quite beyond me when I saw the House of God being demolished like that. Allah curse the tyrants in this country, ameen!
– MENJ
It is really unimaginable, to think that they will demolished a house of God, but leave the house of a mortal gatekeeper untouched.
Lillian, just enjoy the weekend. Have the McD fillet-o-fish extra. They are back!
Aunty, i will try my best to answer the question 😛
1) From experience on squatters issue, usually, the land concerned in the first place was considered worthless and no development was to take place in the area, therefore, they allowed the squatters to squat there, however, as time and progress moved on, development is required in the area, usually, the land, if it is State land, is awarded to some “deserving crony” for future development and therefore, the squatters are asked to move out and the buildings demolished.
2) UMNO is fighting for the Malay’s, yes, but only Malays who are in direct way has influence in their political situation, many a times, grassroots level are left with the basic neccesities or left unlone. Worse if the case that in the previous election, that certain area has seen a higher record of votes towards the opposition, thus, UMNO would ignore the development of the area…and I’m not kidding here.
3) Some wonderful mega project or something that’s up to the Crony of the UMNO people in power.
4) As they are squatters, West malaysia policy on this is usually NO but on some cases, if they are living on extreme poverty a token amount of RM500 is given (what can u do with RM500 nowadays??)
5) nOPE, they have been given notice to move and therefore they should have moved elsewhere by now, that’s the policy.
reason I know this, for the first 5 years of my working life, I was dealing with Native Land Settlement issue and have compared West Malaysian Squatters resettlement modus operandi with the one Implemented in Sarawak.
OOps!! errr..did I cross the line there? hehehe..Was only answering Aunty’s question. hope I didn’t touch on too sensitive an issue…..sorry if I did
Touching on another point, which is the House of God being demolished.
Irregardless of what faith, all construction of the House of God is subjected to the approval of the Government and the Local planning authority.
In the case above, it was built illegaly and therefore, it was not approved by the local planning authority or the JAIS. Therefore, even though it is a building made for the Worship of God, it has been built illegally.
On this matter, the Catholic Bishops Confrence of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei has a strict guideline on the building of churches and chapels which is to be subjected to the Government’s approval and only then can it be built. As in the case of the church is Shah Alam, the delay was due to the Selangor Govts reluctance to approve the building but you never saw the Church going on ahead and building it without approval.
Therefore, Muslim’s should also adhere by the laws that’s stipulated by the government of the day on this matter and there shouldn’t be complains or uproar against the authorities when the building is torn down. Building a mosque or a surau illegally does not make the building legal and does not in any way therefore justify its construction. Take for example of the case of the now infamous “Satay House” where the developer constructed a Surau next to it, in the hope that by building a house of worship illegally next to his illegaly built business premise would therefore sanctify and legalise the building and operation of his Satay house, but this is not so, not according to the Law or even the Syariah Law, and thus the surau and the satay house in question was demolished.
HOwever, having said all that, the issue of Kampung Berembang is Legaly wrong in the sense that the residents of the said Kampung are given the right of appearance in Court on the matter on April 30th 2008 and therefore, no works should have been undertaken on the demolishment of the area for the constuction of the mega project.
What cannot be tolerated in this action is the manhandling and brutality (if it can be called such) by the authorities in the handling of this matter. However, we are looking at one side of the picture and that is of the NGO’s (malaysiakini) and the villagers concerned, we have yet to listen to the side of the authorities concerned on it. Usually authorities figure in this matter are only there to ensure that the demolishment and the people there are unharmed and any manhanlding by them could be a result of an earlier attack by the villagers towards the authorities or towards the workers involved. (this is of course my assumption on the matter and I could be wrong, even though I know our Police force nowadays are corrupt and useless, but a benefit of a doubt should be given to them, one black sheep does not mean that all are bad) They are called there to protect first and foremost, those with legal rights to be there and that is the demolishers and the authority figure present.
I was here. kthxbai.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives†(2 Peter 3:10-11)
I dun care about the duty carried out by the enforcement team or who’s right or wrong. What I care about is that children were involved. 1 small argument between 2 adults can give a young child nightmares. Apa lagi when they are treated that way by big, bad men in uniform! What happened to common sense?? Or perhaps these are children of people that makes no difference in UMNO. Or perhaps this is Kampung Berembang and not Bukit Damansara? Like the banner says “Rakyat tidur dlm khemah, menteri tidur dlm rumah mewah”.
I can’t wait for the next election. Power back to the people!
My colleagues and i was sharing ghost stories a few days ago, and one of them said, “Ghosts are nothing to be scared about…humans are more scary!”
How true…. 🙁
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi – So passed the glory of this world.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
And so therefore, as the glories of the world passes on and the world and the structures of the world can be destroyed, but the Word of God remains forever and thus therefore, what is far more important the structure of the World or God’s word?
True, that gross injustice was done here, but, the question comes, who is actually in the right? The right of a citizen to construct structures at land that is not theirs? Is the authorities concerned right also in their insensitive handling of the case? To both question, the answer is NO.
Before we judge and condemn this matter further on who is right and who is wrong, allow me to present this allegory to you all,
A land, that is yours, with title and rights bequethed unto you, was resided for 30 years by other people who never paid any form of rental or have seeked your consent to construct dwellings in that place, however, you have no use for the land at the time and you let them be, but one fine day, you had a financial windfall and you decided to develop the land, what would your reaction be? What actions would you take? Think on that issue before anything else.
another allegory,
imagine that a friend in trouble, moved in with you because he/she could not afford a place to stay, she stays on, contributing nothing to the rental or utilities, treat your house as your own for years, what would your reaction be? What would you do in this situation, be honest with yourself with the answer.
This is exactly the same case as what the landowner is facing now, of course, it is in a larger context, but the root problem is still the same.
It is easy to blame the authorities and as I stated earlier, indeed they were wrong in their harsh actions taken, but, I will still give them a benefit of a doubt until the case is fully investigated for the harsh treatment that they have recoursed to. However, as soon has pointed out, they are instilling hatred by their harsh actions, but once again, i reiterate, let us wait for the full investigation before coming to our own judgment.
the “treat your house as your own” should be read as “treat your house as HER own” instead
QV – Your input is very much appreciated. But hor…we normally don’t see both sides of the stories unless it favours the ruling party. The masses do not see what we bloggers/internet savvy people get to see. The news is hidden in a tiny column in a very mild manner. Yes, Malaysiakini is a one sided story but that video shows too much brutality.
terence – I am heading out to McD soon! Wuah…I was so happy when the flyer dropped out of my morning papers.Thanks for your offer of the free meals but never mind lah, next time I belanja you CKT instead lah.
Yup, but as stated, one sided, it don’t really show how the attack was provoked…oh well, as said, let the authority investigate the matter and let it rest, have a good weekend aunty
The initial reaction after watching the video would be to condemn the authorities’s used of force and brutality towards children and women.
However, one have to wonder why there were children and women place there in the first place. If they were placed there to sensualize the matter. Their objective has been met.
like wat u r doing ref to : tell me..this is not happening to our country.
That is why I said in my Inhuman, cruel, uncivilized post ~ “It sounds like we have a group of “legal gangster†as our municipal enforcement officers. Yet, someone said Mat Rempit can help to the snatch thief problems, do you want them be your law enforcement officers?”
I WAS HERE!!!
*hands thermometer to check QV’s temperature* LOL (points to comment #16)
Wingz – What did you see?
Teh See – Well, this is usually the case. Then again, if the parents of the children are there and that building is the last fragment left, it is probably the only shelter. The parents have no where to send the kids, they have to be there to fight the last battle. The parents probably place high trust that no one will harm their kids in anyway, no matter what. But they were wrong in that assumption, I guess.
About why none of those VIP was present :
So that they can avoid the blame.
They can simply claim ignorant.
TehSee,
Let me ask, will you sponsor millions to build a new home for this people? It is easy to talk in a so called “neutral” ground. They must spend every effort to protect their home.
What the people face is a law. Yes, they build the house in illegal ground, but they have stay there for so many years. Because of “technical issue”, they can never legalise the land but let people big MONEY to legally acquire the land.
What is the purpose of the law? What should we do when when objective of the law skewed .
I am merely providing another aspect of the issue on hand. Trust me. I am angry over this as well. However, there are so many things that I am disappointed with my country that I love for sometimes now. However angry alone will not solve anything.