The origin of better food for ISA detainees
Teresa Kok's detention under the infamous Internal Security Act nonetheless had a silver lining to it. Kok, who had described the food given to her during her seven-day detention as “worse than.. er … similar to dog food”, sparked criticism from both Syed Hamid and the Utusan, who blasted her for the comments.
Kok, who initially denied making the remarks, also said that during her detention in a badly ventilated six-by-eight-feet cell she was given only water and bread or two boiled eggs and some curry for her meals.Kok accused her detractors for harping on the issue so as to trigger Malay sensitivities regarding the animal. Kok accused both Utusan Malaysia and Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar of “zeroing in” on her choice of words, instead of addressing the issues related to the injustices of the ISA.
Kok had earlier told Malaysiakini she did not purposely use the term’dog food’ in order to offend Malays. “Perhaps, as my friends have suggested, I should have said the food given to me in detention was worse than cat food,” she added cheekily.
Kok had earlier told Malaysiakini she did not purposely use the term’dog food’ in order to offend Malays. “Perhaps, as my friends have suggested, I should have said the food given to me in detention was worse than cat food,” she added cheekily.
The statement nonetheless prompted a response from one Government Minister who promised serious investigation. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T. Murugiah said he would personally meet with Kok soon to gather her input, and also visit the police station where she was held.
He said he wanted to know who bought the food, where it was bought, how much it cost, what the allocations are for meals for detainees, and what type of food is supposed to be served.
“I am shocked with Kok’s comments on the food she was given while in detention and I will be handing in a report on my findings to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,” he told reporters after launching a football tournament between Tamil vernacular schools from Selangor and Kuala Lumpur .He said anyone arrested should be treated with respect and given proper food, and if Kok’s claims were true then what was done to her was patently unfair.
Murugiah, who is also the Public Complaints Bureau head, said the comments also put the Government and the police in a bad light. “The Government’s credibility has been damaged and I want to solve the problem as well as ensure there is no such recurrence in the future,” he said, adding that he was upset with the entire episode.During his investigations, Murugiah found that only RM4.50 was spent daily to feed each detainee and suggested that the allocation be increased.
He said he wanted to know who bought the food, where it was bought, how much it cost, what the allocations are for meals for detainees, and what type of food is supposed to be served.
“I am shocked with Kok’s comments on the food she was given while in detention and I will be handing in a report on my findings to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,” he told reporters after launching a football tournament between Tamil vernacular schools from Selangor and Kuala Lumpur .He said anyone arrested should be treated with respect and given proper food, and if Kok’s claims were true then what was done to her was patently unfair.
Murugiah, who is also the Public Complaints Bureau head, said the comments also put the Government and the police in a bad light. “The Government’s credibility has been damaged and I want to solve the problem as well as ensure there is no such recurrence in the future,” he said, adding that he was upset with the entire episode.During his investigations, Murugiah found that only RM4.50 was spent daily to feed each detainee and suggested that the allocation be increased.
Senator T. Murugiah was however taken to task by Syed Hamid who slammed Murugiah for implying that those in police custody were not given proper food.
He advised Murugiah to look after his own ministry and said it was not his job to complain about the quality of food, which he claimed met international standards.
He advised Murugiah to look after his own ministry and said it was not his job to complain about the quality of food, which he claimed met international standards.
However Senator T. Murugiah stood firm on his move to meet Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok to probe her allegation of being served poor food while in detention under the Internal Security Act."As a junior (deputy) minister and head of the Complaints Bureau, I am receptive to criticism, but investigating complaints, even from the opposition, is one of my responsibilities." He said the government could not afford to practise double standards and that Kok's allegations of being served food that she compared to dog food, had tarnished the image of the country. Murugiah said he had obtained the green light from his minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, to meet Kok.
At least one former ISA detaineee has come to the defense of Teresa Kok. Former Internal Security Act detainee Dr Jeffrey Gimpoi Kitingan remembers being hungry all the time while in two-year detention in the early 90s. “It was not because we were not given any food. Our rations were meagre,” recalled Kitingan, who is Sabah PKR chief. “So we had to supplement our rations.” Supplementing the rations was easier said than done.Unlike at the canteens in normal prisons, where one could buy food and drinks, the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak didn’t have any such facilities. However, as luck would have it, Kitingan and four of his fellow inmates managed to catch a small snake on two occasions and a bird on a third occasion.They set a trap to one side of the courtyard where they were allowed to exercise, and made a barbecue of the animals over a crude fire.
Their luck however ran out after that.They didn’t snare a single animal for the rest of their stay there. The animal population around Kamunting must have been depleted by the hundreds of thousands of hungry detainees who made their way through Kamunting over the years. “During that time, you could see all of us in the camp getting skinny,” said Kitingan, who was held for allegedly planning to take Sabah out of Malaysia. He denied the charges.
Their luck however ran out after that.They didn’t snare a single animal for the rest of their stay there. The animal population around Kamunting must have been depleted by the hundreds of thousands of hungry detainees who made their way through Kamunting over the years. “During that time, you could see all of us in the camp getting skinny,” said Kitingan, who was held for allegedly planning to take Sabah out of Malaysia. He denied the charges.
adapted from
http://teresakok.com/2008/09/24/dont-turn-isa-into-outcry-about-dog-food/
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/20/nation/20080920195312&sec=nation
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20080926-90119.html
http://ngobalakrishnan.com/main/?p=280
So who won ? There is an interesting clue- Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. Nobody in his right frame of mind ( this also applies to those in the wrong frame such as Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar ) is going to mess around with an MP from Sabah. Not at this point of time.
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