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I dreamt of Teoh Beng Hock. He was looking at me, silently.
I whispered: “Was it an accident, suicide, manslaughter or murder?”
There was no response.
I asked: “Some say that you were free by half past three, but you chose to stay behind in order to rest. Is this true? Is it because your bed at home is not comfortable?”
Beng Hock said nothing.
I asked again: “It appears that you did not even notify anyone that you were free to go but opted to stay behind instead. Did you not know that all your loved ones and your friends were worried about you?”
Half turning, Beng Hock appeared to be moving away. “Please don’t go!” I pleaded. He stayed.
“Are the things I hear true? Should I believe them?”
He remained silent.
“Say something, please?”
After a pause, Beng Hock finally spoke. “You know, I had made arrangements to register my marriage the next day. I was looking forward to a good family life”.
I stubbornly persisted: “I heard that you had your car with you that night. Why did you not drive home immediately? Isn’t home the best place to rest?”
Beng Hock ignored me again.
“Do tell me! I am a lawyer. I will disclose the whole truth on your behalf!”
As soon as I said it, I realized how silly I sounded. Surely I cannot possibly tell the world : that the truth is such and such, and I know it because the deceased came to me in my dream and told me so!
In embarrassment I quickly added: “Please give me a hint, let me know where to start looking. I promise that I will do what I can to uncover the whole truth”.
Instead of responding, Beng Hock suddenly asked me: “Is every single life precious? Why is it precious?”
“Of course every life is precious! To live is obviously about preserving life, treasuring life”.
Beng Hock did not bother about my reply, and carried on: “Every life is precious because each of us has our own missions during our brief stay. Mine has just ended. Yours and those of millions of other Malaysians are continuing. One of your missions is to unearth the truth about my death, and then to act upon the uncovered truth”
Rather hastily I replied: “But what is the point when whatever we do can never bring you back?”
He looked at me for some time, before slowly speaking: “Do you not think there will be many others who would suffer the same fate in the future if nothing is done? Whom can they turn to for help? Whom will you turn to if you become the target? Remember this, he who bothers only about his own turf will be buried alone in it when the grass catches fire.”
I had no reply to offer. I was overcome with shame.
Beng Hock turned and, with the blood on his finger, wrote a few lines on the white wall, before gradually disappearing, "If the world has not abandoned justice and love, let women and men rise where I have fallen and act to halt the spread of these corrupt pollens and then my death will not be in vain".
At that moment I awoke, soaked in cold sweat, outraged and ashamed.
~ Written by Lord Lobo, Advocate & Solicitor.
"Kita tidak boleh bergantung kepada orang lain untuk menjayakan perjuangan kita," katanya sambil menambah, Pakatan Rakyat, sepertimana juga BN, tidak menangani keperluan golongan terpinggir.
"Tetapi kini masanya sudah tiba bagi kita bergerak kehadapan bersama dengan gelombang 'Makkal Sakti' rakyat," kata beliau yang juga setiausaha agung penaja parti itu kepada kira-kira 2,000 penyokongnya di Klang.
HRP akan meneruskan memperjuang tuntutan 18 perkara Hindraf.
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"Saya telah mengenal pasti 15 kerusi parlimen dan 38 kerusi DUN... dengan kira-kira 20 hingga 46.2 peratus undi kaum India di kira-kira sembilan kerusi," kata Uthayakumar said.
Menurutnya, buku tersebut dihasilkan sewaktu beliau ditahan selama 514 hari di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).
Uthayakumar dan empat lagi pemimpin Hindraf telah ditahan di bawah ISA pada 2007 sejurus selepas menganjurkan protes jalanan besar-besaran kaum India di ibunegara.
(a) every person who, before, during or after an election, who directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives, lends, or agrees to give or lend, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure, any money or valuable consideration to or for any elector or voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or voter or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector or voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act as aforesaid on account of such elector or voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election;
Mahathir, who retired in 2003 but remains an influential political figure, slammed Najib's move to roll back an affirmative action program for ethnic Malay Muslims, including scrapping a requirement for Malays to own 30 percent equity in some sectors in the financial services industry.
Penasihat Pilihan Raya Pas negeri, Datuk Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah berkata di dalam sidang akhbarnya semalam, "Kita menjemputnya datang ke sini esok atau lusa bagi memberikan ruang kepadanya untuk berkempen. Sekiranya beliau datang esok program pertamanya ialah sidang media di Markas Induk Pas kerana kita kesiankan wartawan yang bertanya dia setiap hari".
Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Kelantan Mustapha Mohamed berkata bantuan itu adalah sebagai tanda ingatan kerajaan kepada warga Manek Urai.
"Ini sebagai tanda ingatan daripada kementerian dan juga dapat meringankan beban rakyat di sini," katanya dalam satu sidang akhbar di Pusat Operasi Barisan Nasional (BN) Manik Urai di sini Ahad.
Mustapa berkata sebagai permulaan 300 pelajar telah menerima bantuan itu mulai 5 Julai dan kesemua bakinya akan menerima secara berperingkat.
Terdapat 10 buah sekolah rendah, 12 menengah dan sebuah sekolah aliran Arab di Manik Urai.
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"Ambik dik ambik.... Tapi UNDI kita tetap UNDI PAS"
"Undi Undi Undi"
"Tapi.. Tapi kita mane bleh undi"
"Takpe... kita minta kakak, abang, ayah, ibu, nenek, tok, sedara-mare kita undi PAS"
"Betul... Betul... Betul"
MOSCOW 1 Julai - Operasi kasino dan pusat perjudian mesin slot di seluruh Rusia mula ditutup hari ini, apabila pihak berkuasa negara ini menguatkuasakan undang-undang baru yang lebih tegas sebagai usaha melumpuhkan industri perjudian di negara tersebut.
Puluhan ribu rakyat dijangka akan hilang pekerjaan berikutan pelaksanaan undang-undang baru tersebut yang ditandatangani Presiden Vladimir Putin pada tahun 2006 dalam usaha membanteras ketagihan 'candu judi' dalam masyarakat.
"Mulai pukul 7 petang (11 malam tadi) semalam, semua dewan perjudian mula ditutup," kata salah satu notis yang dikeluarkan kepada dewan perjudian mesin slot di selatan Moscow.
Pusat-pusat kasino pula dijangka mengalih operasi atau menukar kegiatan masing-masing kepada kelab poker, sesuai dengan saranan pegawai undang-undang Rusia yang mencadangkan permainan poker yang lebih berkonsep kesukanan.
Pelaksanaan undang-undang itu turut menamatkan era kelam kabut apabila ahli perniagaan dan kegiatan gengster menjadikan kasino-kasino di tengah Moscow bagi mengaut keuntungan yang luar biasa pada tahun 1990-an.
Tugas khas melaksanakan undang-undang itu telah dikuatkuasakan di ibu kota Rusia, kata jurucakap kerajaan bagi bandar raya Moscow, Maria Sokolva kepada agensi berita Ria-Vonosti.
Bermula 1 Julai, kasino di Rusia mungkin hanya boleh beroperasi, jika ia berada sekurang-kurangnya 1,000 kilometer dan lebih dari Moscow.
Kawasan yang terkenal dengan zon perjudian haram di kalangan rakyat Rusia ialah di barat Kaliningrad meliputi kawasan sepanjang laut selatan Azov, daerah Altai di Siberia, dan kawasan yang jauh di pedalaman Primorye, berhampiran utara Korea dan Jepun.
Tetapi kebanyakan pengusaha industri perjudian sedang berusaha mencari kawasan baru di sana untuk memindahkan operasi mereka.
Pelaksanaan undang-udang itu akan memberi impak besar kepada Moscow, yang mempunyai 524 kasino dan dewan perjudian, dan masih terdapat 109 buah lagi kasino beroperasi di selatan bandar raya Saint Petersburg, sehinggalah undang-undang itu kuatkuasa. - AFP