Documentation

NEW EDUCATION REFORMS OR DR. M’S OLD OBSESSIONS?

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 2 Feb 2020

Since the prime minister’s “temporary” takeover of the Education portfolio, the country has waited with bated breath wondering what radically new education reforms Dr. Mahathir has in store for us. Now he has announced the reintroduction of the old policy of his first term in office that English will be the medium of instruction for the teaching of Science and Mathematics. His Deputy Education Minister has tried to fend off opposition to such a move, by saying that this is not yet policy despite the fact that the Prime Minister’s announcement is clearly stated in the video broadcast.

PH GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE ACTION AGAINST MALAYSIAN COLONIALISTS IN PNG

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 31 Jan 2020

Dr Mahathir and the PH government praised Sarawak Report (SR) for its expose of the 1MDB scandal. One could say Pakatan Harapan should thank SR for their victory at the GE14. They cannot now ignore SR’s latest report and film exposing the exploitative and oppressive record of Malaysian logging and plantation companies in Papua New Guinea. (Sarawak Report, “Sarawak’s Logging Tycoons in Papua New Guinea,” January 2020)

Custodial Medical Unit: Timely Reform to Police Lockups

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) welcomes the announcement by PDRM’s Management Director, Datuk Abd Rahim Jaafar on the introduction of custodial medical units to address custodial death in police detention.

WIRE-TAPPING IS A GROSS ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 13 Jan 2020

In their exuberance over the exposure of wiretapped conversations of the former Prime Minister, some Malaysian NGOs have sanctioned the release of these audio recordings by the MACC, carelessly muddling through historical facts in the process and justifying the legality of the process.

PM SHOULD TAKE OVER THE HOME MINISTRY TOO

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 12 Jan 2020

While our nonagenarian Prime Minister has proactively taken over the Education portfolio – albeit temporarily – simply because he sees that the minister concerned had to be removed and important reforms need to be implemented, may we suggest he does the same with the Home Ministry? For while education concerns the application of so called “soft skills” that take time to come to fruition, the failings of the Home Ministry concern questions of life and death of human beings and the fundamental liberties of Malaysians. Therefore, we propose that our talented PM also considers taking over the Home Ministry temporarily in order to clear these rather pressing issues that confound the Malaysian public. After all, he was also Home Minister during Operation Lalang in 1987.