Tian Chua, Haji Shaari Sungip dan Hishamuddin Rais telah ditangkap dibawah akta ISA lewat petang tadi. Ini dipercayai untuk menggagalkan perhimpunan Gelita 14 (Black 14) pada April 14 nanti yang bakal diadakan diluar pejabat SUHAKAM di Menara Pernas, Jalan Raja Laut. Gelita 14 adalah lebaran hitam dalam sejarah Malaysia kerana ia hari dimana Anwar dijatuhkan hukuman enam tahun penjara.

Penangkapan ini bermakna Mahathir cukup gentar dengan kebangkitan rakyat yang semakin meningkat sejak akhir-akhir. Ada beberapa sebab untuk beliau menggeletar:

1. Detik 14/4/2001 tahun ini jatuh pada Hari Sabtu.
2. Anwar tidak dibenarkan mendapat rawatan luar
3. Keadaan teruk Anwar (berkerusi roda, berbalut dipinggang) telah diketahui ramai semasa diperkuburan kerana banyak tersiar khabar dan gambar.
   
4. Doktor Hoogland tidak akan merawat Anwar di Malaysia kerana itu bukan terbaik buat merawat seorang pesakit.
5. Sikap Kerajaan dalam isu membedah yang lebih mementingkan kepentingan politik daripada kepentingan kesihatan.
6. Anwar perlu dibedah segera sebelum hujung bulan ini - jika tidak beliau akan menderita kesakitan dan mungkin lumpuh sepanjang hayat.
   
7. Rasa simpati kepada Anwar sudah lama terpendam dan tidak dapat dinyatakan dengan berkesan kerana asyik terhalang.
8. Keadaan ekonomi yang semakin mencekik nasib dan hidup pelabur saham, operator kilang, penduduk setinggan, pekerja bank, petani dan penanam kelapa sawit, dll.
   
9. Lapuran polis Datuk Fauzi Rahman didiamkan sedangkan lapuran polis terhadap Ezam diambil tindakan dalam 24 jam walaupun ternyata Utusan melapur dengan penuh kepalsuan.
10. Warga tua dan pekerja yang diperjudikan wang pencen mereka dalam KWAP dan KWSP untuk time dotCom.
11. Ahli Umno sendiri dijangka turun padang juga kerana kecewa dengan cara Mahathir menangani masalah negara serta tidak mengendahkan tuntutan BBM.
    
12. Shahrir sekali lagi memberi komen Mahathir menggugat masa depan Umno. (Sila rujuk rencana ABC di bawah)
    
13. Kebimbangan ia meleret sehingga menjejas Perhimpunan Agung Umno.

Dan banyak lagi masalah sehingga Mahathir sendiri mengaku ketika memaki MTUC kerana mahu berpiket bulan Mei nanti. Mungkin masalah dengan Daim sahaja sudah memeningkan kepala. Sepatutnya Mahathir sedar semua masalah ini akan tiada jika beliau berundur segera. Malangnya dia mahu bekerja sampai mati pula......

The Star

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp? file=/2001/4/10/latest/431Threearre&sec=latest

Tuesday, April 10, 2001

Three arrested under the
Internal Security Act

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Parti Keadilan Nasional leaders and a social activist were arrested under the Internal Security Act on Tuesday ahead of a planned rally to mark the second anniversary of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's jailing for corruption.

They were party vice-president Tian Chua, supreme council member Haji Shaari Sungip and controversial filmmaker-social activist Hishamuddin Rais.

Tian was picked up at around 5pm at his office in Lucky Garden in Bangsar while Hishamuddin was arrested at his Bangsar Utama office.

Shaari, the Jemaah Islah Malaysia president, was arrested at his Ampang house at 5.30pm.

It is not clear whether there will be more arrests.

The rally, to be held outside the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia office in Jalan Raja Laut, is to mark the two years after Anwar was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for corruption.

The former deputy prime minister was subsequently sentenced to another nine years' jail for s###my.

Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said he was informed of the three arrests but Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian Mai could not be reached for comments.

In Parliament, Home Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi offered no explanation for the arrest of Tian Chua.

''I have no information at this moment. So I can't give you any answer,'' he told Mahfuz Omar (PAS - Pokok Sena) while replying to points raised on the Third Outline Perspective Plan.

Mahfuz told Parliament that Chua had been been arrested in his office under the ISA.

Last year, three Keadilan leaders, Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor, Ruslan Kassim and N. Gobalakhrisnan, were arrested for a similar first anniversary gathering.

The protest, which was to commence at the city's main mosque and culminate in a march to the Agong's palace, ended in a melee of clashes as baton-wielding riot police backed by water cannon chased hundreds of demonstrators across busy downtown streets.

Dozens of protesters were eventually arrested and charged in court with illegal assembly.

In 1998, Shaari was arrested under the ISA for activities which could threaten national security.

According to AFP, Benjamin Hasbie, the federal police press spokesman, said he was unaware of the arrests.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newslink/nat/newsnat-10apr2001-40.htm

Mahathir leadership under fire

Senior figures within Malaysia's ruling UMNO Party are questioning the leadership of Prime Minister Mahathir.

The criticism has been triggered by UMNO's failure to retain the support of Malay voters.

Two and a half years ago Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister shortly after he openly suggested that UMNO under Prime Minister Mahathir had to change.

Ever since UMNO lost the majority of Malay votes during the 1999 election and in subsequent by-elections such criticisms have been common.

A recent Malay rights forum openly accused the leadership of UMNO of being out of touch.

Now an UMNO supreme council member, Shahrir Samad has told the ABC that Mahathir will become a liability if he does not change.