Anyone heard about fights and gangsters and blood and such in Johor Bahru? No? Well, let me recount a story I heard - and for this story, I must attach disclaimers. I’m just repeating the story. I do not want to perpetuate lies. I suppose whether you think I’m doing so or not is a matter of opinion.
In any case, let me recount for you the aforementioned story. Some time in mid-July this year, a fight broke out in Kota Masai, Johor Bahru, in which a Malay bloke was beaten up by Indian thugs, who proclaimed Kota Masai “their†hunting ground. These same Indian gangsters, apparently, challenged Malays to step into their territory.
I don’t think Malays like being challenged, especially when they perceive this soil to be theirs and theirs alone. So, as you might expect, all hell broke loose. Some.. people started trickling down from the surrounding environs of Johor Bahru and even from other states, ready to.. “Gempur†is the word, I believe. According to the person telling me this story, it wasn’t long before the gathering flood of Malays forced a konfrantasi.
It sorta happened like this, I’m told. About 2,000 to 3,000 Malays congregated in Kota Masai, Johor Bahru. There were a sea of people was how it was described to me. When the fight finally broke out, it was learned that the Malays who were there dwarfed the Indian gang, of whom there were only 300. So very Thermopylae, don’t you think?
I was told that someone had beaten two Indian men to death. The police, effective protectors of the people and upholders of truth, justice and the Malaysian way arrived at the scene a little too late. And what have the police done since? No one knows. Heck, I don’t even know if the story is true.
But it’s a good gangland sorta story isn’t it?
So, back to the present again: PM Abdullah Badawi says..
Rumours that racial clashes have occurred in Pasir Gudang, Johor, are “lies, lies and nothing more than lies,†said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The Prime Minister said the rumours were an attempt to create an uneasy atmosphere, incite anger and tension among the people.
If at first I was inclined to believe that story above was a lie, now I’m not so sure. For those who aren’t living in Johor Bahru, what you wouldn’t know is that cops from Bukit Aman have been setting up roadblocks, scouring the neighbourhood and such for the past two weeks. They’re doing all of this because, I’m sure, the rumours PM Badawi is alluding to are all lies. Aren’t they?
What’re the rumours, by the way? If you haven’t received the sms about an impending fight on this coming 30th August, you’re among the many. I certainly didn’t receive it, but that’s probably because I make love, not war.
I’ve also heard many versions of this rumour. It’s taken on many iterations: there are rumours that there will be a fight in Taman Cendana, which is like six kilometers from Kota Masai; there are rumours that there will be fights in Danga Bay and Pasir Gudang, and everywhere else in-between.
Then there’s a friend who insists he’s got the story right: that the “original fight†is between drug addicts, just that these drug addicts happen to be Malay and Indian. A disagreement arose between a Malay dude who paid frequent visits to a block of flats somewhere in Tmn Cendana or some such. The Indians at the flats didn’t like it, they beat this Malay dude up. The Malay dude had backing and his “backing†beat up an innocent Indian dude, and so on and so forth.
Whatever the story, it’s now a semi-national incident with the PM in damage control mode. You gotta love this country, man.
Comments (8)
sounds like kg baru all over again
People. Dont take the specifically. The point here is not the 25 and 29 age guys. The point is WE do have problem in the whole country of these kind of news.
Take it up. Clean them up.
Supposing what PM Badawi and the rest is true. Just supposing only. Why then the need for so many FRU and Bukit Aman cops? The logical reason would be to head off any incidents brought about by incitement by the sms’s that went out. Fine, no problems with that.
But there’s no smoke without fire, as they say.
apparently, rumours of the indian-malay sectarian clash had trickled over to this side of the border as well. unofficially, those who frequent JB had been told to avoid unnecessary travel cross the border unless necessary.
interesting article to read. matured ppl tend to understand such situation. maybe the govt was worried that there were too many baby brains in msia
A friend related how FRU trucks arrived at Danga Bay shortly before midnight or so, about 10 of them. Seems they took the rumours that there would be “molotov cocktails” on scene seriously. And yeah, there were 3 roadblocks to Pasir Gudang, apparently.
Some parts of JB, therefore, were on lockdown.
But nothing’s happened. :)
interesting read…
this is the reason why ppl read blogs and not newspaper…
Ven. Phra Piya Thammo,
Rumah Pangsa
Blk A-7-9- Jln Padang Tembak,
11400 Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia
Dear Devotees,
Before I commence of my letter-writing toward. All of you, I would like to inform all of you that I am not satisfy with the lawyer, Dato YIP KUM FOOK due to his bad inspirit impressions because he sent an inspector to come to our Buddhist Temple to arrest me without any good reason, moreover, the lawyer, YIP KUM FOOK is not satisfy with Chief monk.
When the Chief monk had me to go to his Temple already and he went away and left me alone to take care until Chief monk come back to the Temple first and he also told me not to leave the Temple if any committees or the chairman want to chase me out, you don’t leave the Temple at all understand? Then I said, alright? To the chief monk! On the second Day, YIP KUM FOOK came to our Temple and talk to me. He tired to make some inquiry from me and he asked me, where I come from? I told him that I came from Penang.
Then, I told to the lawyer (YIP KUM FOOK) that the chief monk came to Penang and fetch me and invited me to accompany him to go to his temple in K.L. I am not aware that YIP KUM FOOK is not in a good terms with the chief monk, chief monk already in this way, YIP KUM FOOK try to create trouble with me unnecessary. That is why, the lawyer want to chase me out of the Temple. Then I asked the lawyer, why you want to chase me out of the temple? Moreover, the Temple is not belonging to you, UNDERSATAND? Then, I asked him, who are you? I don’t know you at all, you have no right to chase me or control me at all, UNDERSTAND? You are just like a layman only. Do you know the regulations that any the chairman or committee cannot control the monks and the Nuns at all, also UNDERSTAND?
I scolded him like that. Then the lawyer (YIP KUM FOOK) is not satisfy with me and he told me that he will called the police to come to the Temple and arrest me. I told him to go ahead and called the police to come and arrest me. I won’t run away, I said to him like that. I have done nothing wrong toward you, why you want to arrest me? He said, he doesn’t like me to stay here. I asked him, why? Again. After this he got very angry with me, then he phoned up to the police and the police came to the Temple and told me to leave the Temple.
I told to the inspector of the again, 1 am sorry, I won’t leave the Temple because the chief monk had instructed me not to leave the Temple without his consent, UNDERSTAND? Then the inspector told me to leave, again. I told him I cannot leave the Temple because the Chief Monk hasn’t come back yet. This time, the inspector got very angry with me and he took out his handcuff and try to threaten me, then I immediately show off my hands for him to lock me up but he scare, then again, the inspector told me leave the Temple again but I still don’t want to leave the Temple.
Then I phoned up to the chief monk again and I told him that the inspector insisted want to arrest me, you better come back to settle the case for me. After this incident, Chief Monk came back to the Temple and take me to go to another temple and stay their. That’s all about this incidents! Last of all, I would like to inform all of you, that no committees or the chairman can control all the monks and Nuns at all also UNDERSTAND? “They are higher than the King,” also! So how can the laymen, the committees and the chairman to control them: – EVEN THE KING ALSO RESPECTED THE MONKS AND NUNS. Why the chairman doesn’t respect the monks and nuns? They will carry the sins later on, UNDERSTAND?
Yours in Dhamma
Ven. Phra Piya Thammo
Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-48272710
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the men, aged 25 and 29, were nabbed on Tuesday and have been remanded to help in the investigations. The suspects are said to be private sector employees. Mokhtar stressed that the allegations sent via text messages were all false. ( Story link )Click here to reada blogger’s take on the issue. Posted in: Front Page | Comments (0)
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