Background
Malaysian Member of Parliament for Seputeh and Executive Council member of the State of Selangor (State Minister responsible for Investment, Industry and Trade), The Honourable Teresa Kok, was arrested on 12th September 2008 under dubious circumstances. She is the highest ranking political detainee in recent years.
The controversy started when an article was published in local pro-government Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia quoting former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo’s commenting that Teresa Kok had ‘advised’ several mosques and suraus (community prayer hall) not to use loudspeakers to broadcast their azan prayers. Kok responded that she had nothing to do with the issue and said she would take action against Mohd Khir and the author for slandering her.
The truth of the matter is, in February 2008, a petition sent to the Kinrara Mosque calling for the lowering of the volume of the religious lectures which often follows the prayers, and not the prayer sessions. The petition was signed by 189 residents from Section 5, Bandar Kinrara.
The petition was handed to the UMNO state assemblyman for Sri Serdang Mohd Satim Diman. The residents had asked for consideration in the matter as the religious lectures can go on for more than an hour. A copy of the petition was forwarded to Kok’s office by the residents as the Sri Serdang constituency borders her area of Kinrara.
As a result of the comments made by Mohd Khir, MP for Kota Raja, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud of PAS lodged a police report against Mohd Khir and the blog, saying that Mohd Khir’s statements were “maliciously intended at raising the anger and anxiety of Malay-Muslims in the country and to incite their hatred against party leaders in Pakatan Rakyat, particularly DAP”.
Steven Ee, the person who presented the mosque with the petition on behalf of the residents, said that the petition was his own initiative, and that a copy was sent to Kok because she was the nearest state assemblyperson there apart from Mohamad Satim.
In addition to that, the Kinrara Mosque committee and Kota Damansara Mosque officials have confirmed that Kok was not involved in the residents’ petition in any way. The Kota Damansara Mosque explained that a damaged amplifier had resulted in the calls to prayers to be made without the aid of a PA system. Both mosques have since lodged police reports against Mohd Khir.
There are currently 65 others detained under the ISA, including five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) movement, which represents the ethnic Indian community.
Also arrested on the same day as Teresa were prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and a journalist Ms. Tan Hoon Cheng (who was subsequently released in less than a day due to public pressure).
Timeline
- 12nd September 2008, 11.18pm - Teresa arrested at the entrance to her condominium compound
- 13th September 2008 - DAP lead by Sdr Lim Kit Siang called for a Press Conference at DAP National Headquarters, Petaling Jaya
- 13th September 2008 - Candlelight vigil infront of DAP National Headquarters and at Bukit Aman police station
- 13th September 2008 - Emergency CEC meeting on latest ISA arrests
- 14th September 2008 - Launch of online petition to Free Teresa, RPK, Hindraf 5 and all ISA detainees, and abolish ISA
- 14th September 2008 - freeteresa.dapmalaysia.org was launched
- 14th September 2008 - Candlelight vigil at Teresa’s Seputeh constituency service center
- 15th September 2008 - Candlelight vigil at Teresa’s Kinrara constituency service center
- 15th September 2008 - Abolish ISA protest and Malaysia Day celebration at Stadium Kelana Jaya, attended by over 20,000 Malaysians
- 16th September 2008 - DAP’s Nationwide candlelight vigil
- 19th September 2008, 1.30pm - Teresa was unconditionally released
