Irene fought many evils and lived selflessly
YOURSAY 'She was the modern-day David against an evil Goliath.'
Veteran activist Irene Fernandez passes away
I Wonder: Tenaganita chief Irene Fernandez is one of a very rare few, the most brave, vocal and righteous daughters that Malaysia ever has, who has enjoyed the highest respect and trust from all Malaysians except those corrupt ones.
Irene, we are proud of you. Our highest salute to you. RIP (rest in peace).
Headhunter: My condolences to Irene’s family. She's one outstanding and inspirational Malaysian who never received recognition from the government for her tireless effort as a humanitarian, and who unselfishly sacrificed herself for others including all those who are interned, rotting away in concentration camp conditions and forgotten by others.
She will have her place in His kingdom.
Adsertor: Irene is a great daughter of Malaysia, a heroine daring to stand up for justice, truth and equality. We are proud of you.
We thank you for your great contribution to the betterment of our country. We salute you and may you rest in peace in the bliss of God.
RR: May God bless her soul. Very few women would have stood the tests and tribulations she went through.
Perhaps the Indonesian government should bestow an honour on her for speaking for the welfare of the Indonesian citizens in our ‘concentration’ camps.
Roti Chanai: She had fought many evils and lived selflessly. We salute her and may her soul RIP.
Lim Chong Leong: Irene was fearless when confronting and exposing the evils done by our government against the poor, abused and helpless.
She was one against many, but she stood firm. She was the modern-day David against an evil Goliath. RIP, my friend.
Dr Suresh Kumar: They say the best 'seva' (service) to the Lord is to serve the downtrodden, the weak, the meek, the sick and the destitute. Irene's serenity even in death is a testimony to the immense happiness, satisfaction and joy she derived from this 'seva' to her Lord.
In the face of severe harassments and prison sentences, she soldiered on with her untiring humanitarian work and refused to be intimidated by the authorities.
I propose that the First Lady of the United States and all the countries whose workers Irene fought for tirelessly, recognise her for her exemplary humanitarian work and bestow upon her a befitting award posthumously.
May your soul rest in peace, sis.
MA: God bless you and the work you have done to bring dignity to the marginalised and our fellow humans cast away by our very own society.
We should all emulate you, especially during this period of Lent where your works shine like a beacon to us the ordinary guys. Rest in peace, dear friend.
Pemerhati: Irene Fernandez was harassed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad for revealing the cruel treatment of the migrants by Umno’s lackey enforcement agencies.
The dictatorial Umno regime has a symbiotic ‘you help and protect me and I help and protect you’ type of relationship with the judicial and enforcement agencies.
When Irene revealed how the enforcement agencies were robbing and ill-treating the migrants, Mahathir protected the enforcement agencies by punishing her for telling the truth and keeping her tied up with court cases on trumped-up charges for many years.
The enforcement agencies and the judiciary return the favour to Umno and BN by keeping a blind eye to their various crimes such as their massive corruption and theft of billions of the people’s money, the rape of an under-aged girl in Malacca and the murder of a Mongolian girl.
Irene was truly a brave Malaysian who tirelessly fought the evil, criminal, corrupt, kleptocratic and dictatorial BN regime.
Ong Guan Sin: Irene tirelessly and courageously defended the voiceless and fought those who had been exploited, marginalised and abused. Your deeds will be remembered.
505 Rakyat: God is with you Irene, you are an inspiration to us all. You spoke for those who had no voice, those who were persecuted, those who had nothing and you suffered for speaking up against evil.
Heaven is yours now and your soul is certainly in the company of God.
Single Malt: Irene was a brave woman who fought hard against tyrants and stood her ground until her last breath. She will be remembered especially by the stateless foreign workers in detention.
James TCLow: A 'Spartan' in her very own right, she is an epitome of a fearlessly courageous woman.
DrPhil: Indeed, she was a towering figure with a good heart. You will be missed.
Aries46: I only wish this lovely women, a hope for the neglected and oppressed foreign workers, had live longer.
During the many long years that she was persecuted, I used to be amazed at Irene’s strength and perseverance to her noble cause that gave her the courage to withstand the mental torture and cruelty brought upon her merely for highlighting the real life situation of the most abused and exploited lot of our labourers.
Due recognition, though posthumously, must be given to her by the United States, France and others who have stood up for those that have selflessly served this nation despite being victimised by the BN regime. RIP dear Irene.
Looliloo: I ask myself often why God takes away from us those who fight to defend the weak, the oppressed and the downtrodden, whilst the rest of the scum are still alive and kicking.
My Opinion: The Old Testament's prophets lament, "The wicked prosper." But it is the righteous that shall enter the kingdom of God and the wicked to fiery hell. Let the BN goons prosper. Irene is now joining those righteous who have gone before her.
SusahKes: It is a sad thing to have you departed before you could see the dawn of a new Malaysia.
But when that day arrives, and when the history books are written without fear or favour, your name will be mentioned as one of the true heroes for the downtrodden. RIP, Irene.
CQ Muar: Another bright light is dimmed. I am deeply saddened by the news of Irene's passing.
In our hearts she'll always be cherished and remembered for all the sacrifice she had rendered; a true icon for human rights and a rare jewel amongst a sea of unjust garbage in this country.
We love you with all our hearts - RIP, and may God shower you with peace and tranquillity. You have left behind a legacy most priced.
Negarawan: Irene's passing is not only a great loss to the country but also to the world. The mistreatment and injustice to migrant workers in Malaysia continue today. We need more people like Irene Fernandez.
May God bless Irene abundantly, may her soul rest in peace and let perpetual light shine upon her.
Papspulus: To the family of Irene Fernandez, what moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch. We may not understand why she left this Earth so soon, or why she left before we were ready to say goodbyes.
But little by little, we begin to remember not just that she has died, but that she had lived. And that her life gave us memories too beautiful to forget. May the comfort of God help you all during this difficult time. Please accept my deepest sympathies.
Whatif: Bless you, Irene. You had fought the good fight. You can now rest in peace.
Ferdtan: Irene Fernandez was a saint for the downtrodden migrant workers of whatever colours and religions. There is no way to fill that void by her untimely passing.
My favourite song ‘Into the West’, sang by Annie Lennox - the award winning song of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ - rang out loudly with her demise.
Part of the lyrics: “Lay down. Your sweet and weary head. Night is falling. You have come to journey’s end. Sleep now and dream. Of the ones who came before. They are calling. From the distant shore. Why do you weep? Across the sea. A pale moon rises. The ships have come to carry you home.”
We don’t know her personally and yet we all felt a huge loss. We pray to God to bless her.
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