vox populi big thumbnail ‘It will not be appropriate if I never thank the police brothers for once for allowing us to exercise our right in holding this anti-ISA candlelight vigil. Thank you for being very understanding.'

On Anti-ISA vigil turns into peace march

Sambulingam Wisvalingam: We have made our point! We have made it very loud and clear! Abolish ISA, release the Hindraf heroes, RPK and the rest immediately!

We came with candles in our hands and love in our hearts. We kept to our word that this will be an ahimsa (non-violence) vigil and it was indeed.

Malays, Indians, Chinese and our brothers and sisters from East Malaysia all stood along together and sent a clear message that Hindraf is not a terrorist organisation as claimed by the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government but rather is a representation of the citizens of Malaysia who ‘Believe In God' and practice ‘Loyalty To The King And Country'.

They who have always believed in ‘Upholding The Constitution' and respecting the ‘Rule Of Law' which eventually results in ‘Good Behaviour and Morality'.

Dear Prime Minister sir, there is no truth in your government's claim that P Uthayakumar has led a movement that has links with any terrorist group. There is no base in your accusation that Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy and the rest were a threat to our beloved motherland Malaysia.

Please drop all those accusations and free the Hindraf heroes from what you have once said, the ‘draconian and barbaric' ISA detention immediately.

Until and unless the Hindraf lawyers are freed, we have no any other choice and will be pushed to carry out various unique protests. The choice is actually yours Mr Prime Minister sir.

It will not be appropriate if I never thank the police brothers for once for allowing us to exercise our right under Article 10 of the federal constitution. Thank you for being very understanding despite not allowing us to hold our vigil at Dataran Merdeka.

Last but not least, Hindraf is proud and thankful to the 5,000 over supporters of all walks of life and from all races who gathered and supported this peaceful candlelight vigil.

YBs, NGO members, bloggers and Press friends, your presence was very meaningful to us. We seek your continuous support in this event. This struggle to abolish the ISA and free the ISA detainees needs to be carried on.

Vaazhge Hindraf, Abolish the ISA!

Frankly Xroy:

Salam Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir Dan Batin .

It is a splendid occasion for the prime minister in true spirit of Hari Raya to free all those prisoners of conscience who have been jailed under the ISA on this day and promise the rakyat that this piece of legislation will be reviewed.

It is 'Eid Mubarak and a blessed 'Eid', that is the greeting in many Islamic countries.

This is an occasion for compassion, this is an occasion for forgiveness, this is an occasion for celebration, and let him lend meaning to the words ‘Maaf Zahir dan Batin'.

Set them free and let us celebrate a great festival in a great way.

Beaman:

This government is only capable and good in harassing the rakyat with the ISA but cannot devise any plan to fight the pirates that affect our international business.

They can even go to the International Court to lose an island which clearly belongs to Johor and that affects our national integrity.

One day, this present and the previous cabinet should be held accountable for all the decisions they made that were not in the interest of the nation.

No more tidak apa attitude. Decisions made must be followed with accountability and responsibility.

On Who makes a better PM?

Timo Finian: Comparing Najib Abdul Razak with DSAI is like pitting an actor with a real-life character. While the former has literally acted his way to the top on a silver platter, the same cannot be said of the latter who has literally been through the mill so to speak.

Unfortunately, due to the inability of some Malaysians to know the difference, the former will clinch the premiership albeit for a short tenure.

Just enough time for him to show his true colours and for Malaysians to see through him for what he really is.

To put it in a nutshell, he will be the final nail in the BN coffin.

On Perak councillor sacked, special panel to probe sex scandal

Shirina Rashid: In response to the recent Zul Hassan scandal which has been reported in the Malaysian media, I would like to say bravo to those for taking a stand against a councillor allegedly gone off the rails.

Good men who stand up against these kind of scandals have given us fellow Malaysians hope that there are a few good men who still exist and will not condone indecent or corrupt practices by important men who think they can get away scot-free just because they hold important positions to go with their names.

A person who stands as a Perak Tengah district councillor is always the one who should be a proper role model for his people including the youths of Perak. Sadly, this is not in the case of Zul Hassan who had recently admitted accepting sexual bribes.

We will not tolerate men in our society who think that it is acceptable to be corrupted and indecent in the line of duty all in the name of greed and power.

Corruption is unpleasant and it affects everyone from all walks of life in society. Who can deny that corruption leaves more than a few victims to suffer in its wake?

This latest scandal calls for all Malaysian citizens from all walks of life to come out and continue the fight against corruption and the corrupted men out there. We salute the anti-corruption lot in their fight for transparency.

We definitely need more honest men somewhere in Malaysia who can prove that corruption does not pay.

On Samy: Pakatan's claims on demolition confusing

P Sivakumar: Samy Vellu shouldn't try and be a ‘hero' on the recent Ampang Hindu temple demolition in Selangor.

He being the MIC president should take equal responsibility by giving a clear explanation to Hindus as to why the MIC members at Ampang did not inform him at the impended time of demolition.

In fact if MIC members had informed him, he could have averted the demolition being MIC president and a partner of the ruling government coalition.

His role of MIC president is one of responsibility for all Hindu temples in the country.

The Indian community has not forgotten the serious allegation by former the Selangor MB that it was Samy Vellu who ordered the demolition of a temple just days before the last Deepavalli that led to the mammoth peaceful demonstration by Hindraf.

Samy Vellu has forgotten or pretending to forget the long string of sacred Hindu temples - some which historical backgrounds - that were torn down without the consent of Hindus when he was a minister and the sole representative of the Indian community in the cabinet.

The Pakatan state government should conduct a full investigation and give a clear explanation to Hindus and all Malaysians on this matter as it is of public importance .The findings should be made public and should include remedies like rebuilding the temple and an apology ( The writer is president, Malaysian Indian Business Association ).

On Hadhari, human rights, hypocrisy

Henry Too: The writer wrote that Malaysians ‘speak up for the rights of Bosnians, Chechens, Palestinians, Pattani Malays'. He could also have mentioned that the Malaysian government also spoke up on behalf of the Rohingyas of Burma.

In fact, there was no initial excitement until the Malaysians found out that the Rohingyas were Muslims. However, we remain strangely silent in the fight between the Tamils and the Singhalese in Sri Lanka or the atrocities committed by the Hutus against the Tutsis or even the killing of Shiites by Sunnis (and vice versa) or the attack on the Christian minority in Indonesia by Muslim extremists.

It is apparent to me what our policy in such matters is very simple. We shout human rights when non-Muslims victimise Muslims. That is the sole acceptable equation. Any other equation such as non-Muslims vs non-Muslims (as in Sri Lanka or Rwanda or Georgia) or Muslims vs Muslims (as in Iraq or Pakistan) or Muslims victimising non-Muslims, if not acceptable, at least do not warrant our condemnation.

Why do we condemn the Russians over Chechnya and not over Georgia? No prizes for the correct answer.