Yasmin: Front page apology from Kosmo

Kosmo has made a front-page apology to the family of the late Yasmin Ahmad. All of us who have to make quick decisions, especially in the media, where the deadline can be punishing, understand.

Mistakes are made daily in the newsroom. Sometimes we make poor judgment calls. Unlike other professions, we cannot hold back our work to the following day. This is especially so for those working at the news desk section. The editors and reporters at Kosmo have acknowledged their over-sight.

As a fellow journalist, I understand their problem. I hope the various advertising associations would also respond accordingly. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Let's give our support to TV3 for its effort to pay a tribute to Yasmin Ahmad this Saturday at 9pm. The Majalah Tiga special edition will be followed by the screening of "Mukhsin."

Yasmin Ahmad: Journos angry over Kosmo article

Journalists in Malaysia often stay away from criticising the writings of another journalist, be it in another publication or an online portal. It's an unwritten rule. As much as we do not agree with the views or slant of the article, we refrain from voicing our unhappiness as we believe in the freedom of expression.

Those of us in the Malaysian media already have to grapple with so many laws that affect our profession, so the last thing we want to do is to take on another brother or sister from the same trade. But the recent article on Yasmin Ahmad in one publication has touched a raw nerve of many journalists. Yasmin, after all, worked with many in the media and advertising industries.

The said article in Kosmo on July 27 has led to a group of former and working journalists to send a protest letter to the management of the newspaper. It's unprecedented, as far as I can recall. Strong language has been used.

In the petition that has been circulated via email among the media, it said, among other things, "Yasmin's family was grieving and at their most vulnerable" and yet the newspaper "saw it fit to run a story that showed utter disregard for the late Malaysian filmmaker, her family and the many Malaysians, who still mourn her."

Referring to the article in question, the journalists - who started the ball rolling - noted that the article was written "less than 24 hours after she was buried at a time when her family was still reeling from the shock of her death."

At the same time, the associations representing the advertising agencies and advertisers are also acting against the newspaper and Penang-based Kwong Wah, which had translated that offensive article.

That again is unprecedented as punishment against a newspaper has often come from the government or a political group but never the advertisers, or via a protest from fellow journalists.

This blogger would not want to reproduce the article here as a mark of respect to Yasmin.

Like most Malaysians, we will remember Yasmin for her many legendary work. She deserves that respect, more than anything else. She was a human being and certainly she had her weakness and shortcomings, like everyone else.

But in her world, she wanted to bring out the decency of multi-racial Malaysians. Hers was a world of people divided into two kinds - the good and the bad. Not the colour of their skins or the languages they spoke. Let's keep that legacy alive.

I spoke to the reporters at Kosmo to hear their side of the story. They pointed out that they had paid their tribute to Yasmin, pointing out the many stories recognising her talent. The article on her past, they said, was merely to inform readers of the other side of Yasmin, which the readers were not aware.

The editor took my call politely and thanked me for my views and criticism. That's their side of the story. I do not think there was any malice but it was perhaps poor judgement on their part. There is also the question of human decency, which they have overlooked.

We will miss you, Yasmin Ahmad.

Click on image for a video farewell

I am finally able to sit down and pen some thoughts about film maker Yasmin Ahmad. On late Friday evening, I received an SMS from Engku Imran, the CEO of Suria FM, informing me that Yasmin Ahmad had passed away. He has been keeping a vigil almost every day at the hospital. While we knew the award-winning film maker was fighting for her life, the news still came as a shock.

I have never had a chance to meet her. I certainly regretted that. Many of my friends and colleagues shared with me the many wonderful things about her. For me, like most Malaysians, we admired her many heart-stirring commercials.

We looked forward to her Petronas advertisements at each and every festival. They were real, and most of all, she reminded us of the beauty of multi-racial Malaysia. If our politicians failed miserably, certainly she single-handedly showed us what being Malaysian meant.

Through her many films, she ventured into subjects regarded as taboo and sensitive in Malaysia. A Chinese boy falling in love with a Malay girl with liberal-minded parents. I cannot remember any single Bahasa Malaysia movie using a Sam Hui song as a track. Except Yasmin.

Just read the comments on the Net and Twitter, she had such enormous appeal. She would be missed for sure. It's so terribly sad that she would no longer be with us. There was so much more she could do. She was working with TV3 for future projects when she collapsed. But God has his plans. Rest in peace.

Put politics aside, let's find the answers

Parents’ wish: Teoh Leong Hwee (second from right) and his wife Teng Shuw Hor want a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up to investigate their son’s death.

In my column, On The Beat, published in The Sunday Star today, I wrote...

LET’S put politics aside. Most of us have never met Teoh Beng Hock, the aide of a Selangor exco member, but Malaysia is angry with the circumstances leading to the death of this young man.

A man who is a novice to politics has died in a most tragic way with his body found sprawled on the fifth floor of a 20-storey building after a 10-hour grilling by the Malay­sian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

A decent man, son, husband- and father-to-be is tragically gone, at a time when he and his loved ones were about to start a new chapter in their lives the next day.

There are many unanswered questions over how he died and Malaysians with any conscience should speak up and demand answers.

It’s not a question of protecting the integrity and credibility of the MACC; the issue here is about knowing the truth.

Malaysians find it hard to accept any suggestion that he committed suicide nor can we accept any insensitive innuendoes over his death.

The job is now with the police. They must investigate the case professionally, efficiently and quickly. We want the findings to be transparent. In fact, the Government should accept the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, with the power to call up witnesses. This is the only way to satisfy the public who have questioned the credibility of our institutions.

That will also prove that the Government has nothing to hide and is as interested as everyone else to get to the truth.

The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have both given their assurances that the case would be investigated thoroughly and when the Cabinet meets on Wednesday, it is most certain to be a top item on the agenda.

For more, click here...

Teoh Beng Hock: The truth must be known and told

It's a shocking piece of news. The death of Teoh Beng Hock, the political secretary to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, has raised many questions. He is said to have fallen to his death following questioning by the MACC at its state headquarters in Shah Alam. The interrogation is said to have started from 5pm on Wednesday until 3.45am on Thurday. He is said to have rested at 6am.

The question is what happens from then until 1.45pm when Teoh's body was found on the 5th floor of an adjacent building. The MACC has said that he is not a suspect. If there is CCTV footage in the building, then it could perhaps shed some light into his movements. He is supposed to register his marriage today, raising more concerns about the situation.

It's understandable that his death has upset party members, friends and members of the public as there are mysterious circumstances. The integrity of the MACC has been questioned, purportedly for selective prosecution and fingers have been pointed at the MACC. The emotional outburst is expected but it would be best to let a full investigations be carried out first. Not many people would want to hear that but that is the only option.

The truth must be told. Those responsible, if there is any element of foul play, must be arrested and penalised. Those with information must come forward and certainly it would be better for allegations to be backed with evidence.

The MACC on its part must review its standard operating procedure. All questionings must be recorded from all angles. In Hong Kong, the ICAC would not even allow a person being questioned to sit on a table with edges. He faces a camera in front and a camera on his back. That is the extend the ICAC would take and for the sake of its own integrity, the MACC has to consider this move, if it hasn't.

It does not matter what political beliefs we have, the death of Teoh is tragic and sad. It should not have happened at all. Everything must be done to find out the truth. Given the background of the incident, where the MACC was holding him, the investigations may be best handled by the police and a Royal Commission of Inquiry. That could be the only way to satisfy the public.

Manek Urai: PAS scrapes through

The BN lost the by-election narrowly to PAS but their campaigners can hold their heads high. They put up one helluva fight and almost walked away as the victor, which many had predicted would surely go to PAS. The immediate question following the by-election is this - has the Prime Minister pressed the right buttons and is the hard work beginning to show?

The series of feel-good promises by Najib Tun Razak on his 100th day in office must have made an impact. There were other factors including the PAS in-fighting, which must have left some impression on the minds of the voters. PAS deputy president Nasaruddin Mat Isa made a last minute entry into the area but his admission that he was initially banned from campaigning did not help. Retracting his statement did not help for sure.

But the lure of development mattered the most. The promise of a RM7million bridge could not be ignored. Beside the strong campaigning by the Deputy Prime Minister, another personality which helped made the difference was Mustapha Mohamad. Known as Mr Clean, he has plenty of admirers in Kelantan. The fact that there was no element of sabotaging within Kelantan Umno showed that they have united.

Umno must be very encouraged by the results of this by-election, losing by only 65 votes. This could just be the beginning for the BN in Kelantan. But for PAS, their supporters would say that a win is still a win, even with a majority of one vote.

Wee Choo Keong gets backing from Azmin Ali

PKR MP Wee Choo Keong has the support of party vice-president Azmin Ali (picture). The Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman has asked that Wee be given a chance to explain his allegation that a Selangor state exco member has ties with the underworld. He wants Wee to be allowed to explain to party leaders clearly so that the party leadership understands the issue better.

The controversy seems to have deepened with Azmin claiming that Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has been summoned by PKR leaders to explain several party grouses. Today, a group of PKR Youth members handed Azmin a memorandum detailing unhappiness over the appointment of local councillors. The same group is said to have staged a protest at a ceramah by Anwar Ibrahim last week.

The Malaysian Insider reported that Azmin continued his tirade against the Selangor state government, trading barbs with state exco member Teresa Kok at the state assembly today. Kok had earlier called Wee a "shit stirrer." Wee - who has come under criticism by state exco member Ronnie Liu - wrote in his blog today that he welcomed police investigations into his allegation.

If Wee has bad blood with his former DAP comrades, particularly Liu, the PKR problem is between Azmin and Khalid. The relationship between the two is essentially functional. Selangor state exco member Elizabeth Wong, who had to stay away from politics for a while following the nude photo controversy, is said to be a victim of Pakatan Rakyat's murky politics in the state, where the stakes are high.