What are the messages that MY want to put across by
allowing
A minister to grace the book launch of former SG ISA
detainee?
Because of the author's race?was once Editor-in-Chief of Utusan
Melayu?
Or most like answer,to show SG lack of ''press freedom, freedom of
speech and democracy ''.....
"Said Zahari, in his book, recalls the strike he had led
at Utusan Malaysia to champion press freedom, freedom of
speech and democracy which culminated in him paying a heavy price
for his action -- spending 17 years in detention, "said (MY
Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin)Zainuddin.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- The New Economic Policy (DEB)
has succeeded in producing a big number of Malay professionals,
many of whom have made a name for themselves in major cities in the
world like London and Dubai, said Information Minister Datuk Seri
Zainuddin Maidin.
Zainuddin said that since the NEP was implemented, many Malays had
become doctors, pilots and engineers who are not only serving the
country but also making it big abroad.
"It is said that some of them earn as much as RM50,000 a month in
big cities like London and this has made them decide not to return
to Malaysia but to continue with their careers in those places
because of the lucrative income," he said.
Recalling the early days of the NEP, Zainuddin said the western
media objected to it when it was introduced by the late Tun Abdul
Razak in 1971 and to this day it continued to get the same reaction
from such media.
"If there was no NEP, we will still be talking about poverty
distribution but today we are talking about unfair distribution of
wealth," he said when launching the book "Dalam Ribuan Mimpi
Gelisah" and its English version "The Long Nightmare" authored by a
former detainee, Said Zahari, at the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP)
here today. Both versions are published by Utusan Publications
& Distributors Sdn Bhd.
Zainuddin said there are people in the country who have forgotten
that thousands of children of farmers and fishermen got to further
their studies locally and abroad and became professionals, which
changed the identity spectrum of the Malays, all made possible
because of the NEP.
He also said that it gave added strength when a person could see
things outside of the ideology he or she holds and be able to give
views based on facts gathered from exposure, observation and
experience.
On Said, who was once Editor-in-Chief of Utusan Melayu, Zainuddin
said he was a true blue-blood of the newspaper.
"Said Zahari, in his book, recalls the strike he had led at Utusan
Malaysia to champion press freedom, freedom of speech and democracy
which culminated in him paying a heavy price for his action --
spending 17 years in detention, "said Zainuddin.
Said, who is now 79 years old, was under detention in Singapore for
17 years since 1963 under the Internal Security Act. He had once
led the Partai Rakyat Singapura.
The book is a description of the struggle Said and his wife
underwent during that period.
Said, who was present, said he wanted Malaysians, especially the
younger generation, to read the book to get to know the many
aspects of the nation's history which might not be available in
other books.
"In my view of the history of political developments and the
struggle for independence, there are moments in history that have
gone unrecorded and untold," he said.
-- BERNAMA(Pl note this is the MY government news agency)
Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin launching the book "Dalam Ribuan
Mimpi Gelisah" and its English version "The Long Nightmare"
authored by a former detainee, Said Zahari (next to Zainuddin).
Pix: Noraini Ahmad
2.courtesy of Singapore Demoralized Party
