Teresa Kok dan Makanan Anjing; Dua Biji Telur, Nasi dan Kuah

How do you budget for food on RM5.80 a day? Starve.
Thats what most Malaysians on low incomes do.
Rice and eggs, rice and dhal or rice and ikan masin. Grow your own ulams around the house. And sometimes children go to school hungry.

These are the realities for some of us lumped into low income category.
In some ways, I am glad that our MP Teresa Kok had this experience.
Now she can talk about poverty and starvation on our behalf.

Most of out low income workers only get about RM600 or maybe less a month. Out of that money, some has to me set aside for transportation and rent/housing. How much do you think is left for food?

Dijamu 'seperti makanan anjing', dakwa Teresa
Jimadie Shah Othman | Sep 19, 08 9:55pm
Exco kanan kerajaan Selangor, Teresa Kok yang dibebaskan daripada penahanan bawah Akta Keselamatan dalam Negeri (ISA) menghabiskan tujuh hari dalam penjara di balai- polis “antara Sentul dan Jalan Ipoh”.

Menjelang pesta kuih bulan Ahad lalu, dua hari selepas ditahan, wakil rakyat Seputeh itu berkata beliau sedih kerana pada waktu itu beliau sepatutnya berada bersama ahli keluarga.

“Saya sedih memikirkan perasaan mereka di luar tanpa kehadiran saya,” katanya dalam sidang media di ibu pejabat DAP di Petaling Jaya petang tadi - lebih dua jam selepas dibebaskan di balai polis Jalan Travers, Kuala Lumpur tengah hari tadi (foto kanan).

Pesta kuih bulan merupakan sebuah perayaan yang penting bagi masyarakat Cina. Pada hari itu, semua ahli keluarga berkumpul bersama-sama untuk makan besar.

Ahli parlimen Seputeh itu juga mendakwa, beliau dijamu “seperti makanan anjing” - dua butir telur rebus, timun dan kuah dua kali sehari pada waktu makan tengah hari dan makan malam.

Katanya, beliau ditempatkan dalam bilik kecil 6 x 8 meter dan dikehendaki memakai baju lokap sepanjang ditahan bawah akta kontroversi itu.

Pada sebelah malam, tambahnya lagi, beliau tidur bertilamkan papan sahaja di sebuah bilik berudara tidak segar.

Beliau hanya diberikan dua bantal apabila diminta, katanya. Bagaimanapun selimut dibekalkan.

Teresa juga berkata, beliau pada mulanya tidak dibekalkan dengan sebarang bacaan untuk mengisi masa lapangnya.

Apabila perkara itu diberitahu kepada polis di balai berkenaan, mereka bertanya kepadanya sama ada beliau memerlukan Bible, al-Quran atau kitab agama Buddha.

“Kamu bagi Bible, Quran, kitab Buddha, kamu bagi apa-apa saja, saya baca. Lepas itu, polis bawa saya sebuah Bible,” katanya yang beragama Kristian.

Atas permintaannya beliau dibekalkan dengan akhbar setelah beberapa hari “tidak tahu-menahu apa yang berlaku”.

Teresa juga berjaya “mencuri” udara segar dan berhawa dingin apabila dibawa bertemu dengan pegawai penyiasat setiap hari pada jam 5.30 petang.

Untuk dibawa ke situ, pada hari pertama sahaja beliau digari, selepas itu tidak lagi selepas dibantah.

Menyatakan kekesalan atas penahanannya itu, Teresa berkata belaiu tidak boleh faham bagaimana beliau dikatakan mengancam keselamatan negara sebagai alasan untuk menangkapnya di bawah akta itu.

“Bila saya tanya mereka tidak boleh jawab. Mereka kata itu arahan daripada pihak atasan,” katanya.

“Ini bulan Ramadan, bulan suci, ini dosa. Kenapa tangkap orang yang tidak bersalah.”

Sepanjang tempoh penahanan itu, menurutnya, beliau memberikan kerjasama penuh dengan menjawab semua soalan yang diajukan pegawai penyiasat kepadanya.

“Saya tulis jawapan untuk semua soalan. Semua yang ditulis sama seperti apa yang dinyatakan dalam blog. Saya sangat telus,” kata Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kinrara itu.

Penahanannya genap tujuh hari lalu juga disifatkan seperti sebuah penculikan.

“Polis sekat kereta saya, mengetuk cermin mengatakan ditahan di bawah ISA,” katanya.

Beliau juga mempersoalkan polis yang tidak membenarkannya membuat panggilan telefon sewaktu awal-awal ditangkap sedangkan, katanya, beliau layak mendapat satu panggilan kepada keluarga dan peguamnya (foto kanan).

Beliau juga tidak dibenarkan pulang ke rumah untuk mandi dan menukar baju terlebih dahulu.

Oleh itu, Teresa, memberikan nombor-nombor telefon penting kepada pemandunya supaya penangkapannya itu dapat dimaklumkan.

Dalam sidang akhbar penuh ceria yang dihadiri beberapa pimpinan DAP dan PKR dan kedua ibu-bapanya itu, beliau berkata akan terus bekerja sebagai exco dan wakil rakyat kerana “ada banyak kerja untuk dibuat”.

Beliau berkata akan lebih sibuk daripada dulu.

Ditanya sama ada polis menyatakan sebab pembebasannya, beliau berkata tidak.


Sunday September 21, 2008 MYT 6:34:04 PM
RM5.80 a day not enough for meals, says Murugiah
By CHRISTINA KOH


IPOH: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s claims that she was served meals resembling dog food during her ISA detention have led to an investigation into the quality of food for suspects in police lock-up.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T. Murugiah said he wanted to first determine if it was true that only RM5.80 was allocated for each detainee’s meals per day.

“If it is true, then it is definitely not enough especially with the price of goods going up. A detainee needs to have breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“Breakfast would cost you at least RM2.50, while a good lunch would be a minimum RM3.50 and dinner RM3.50,” he told a press conference here on Sunday.

Murugiah, who is the Public Complaints Bureau head, felt that each detainee should be allocated about RM10 daily for meals.

He pointed out that suspects detained to assist investigations had not even been charged in court yet or were considered guilty of any crime.

They (detainees) should be treated well. Even in prison, we must treat them as human beings, he said, adding that he would appeal to the Prime Minister and Home Minister to increase the allocation.

Murugiah said he and bureau officials would meet Kok on Monday at her Shah Alam service centre to get her statement.

The investigation, he said, would include paying a visit to the Jalan Travers police station where she was held and to the restaurant that supplied the food.

“We want transparency. I’m quite serious about this and I dont want this to be swept under the carpet. I’m not happy that this news has gone international,” he said.

Murugiah reminded the public that his public complaints bureau (03-8888 7777) had a lot of power to investigate any complaint against any civil servant, ministry or agency.

“We don’t need to get permission from any ministry. We can just walk in, do the investigation and take immediate action.

“If you’re afraid to go to the police or the Anti-Corruption Agency, come to us,” he said.

Last week, Kok drew attention to the food she was given during her seven-day detention at the Jalan Travers police station.

She was freed on Friday after being accused of petitioning a mosque to reduce the volume for the azan, something she has vehemently denied.

Sunday September 21, 2008
Government to probe claims ‘dog food’ served to Kok


KLANG: The Government will investigate claims by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok that she was served “dog food” during her detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T. Murugiah said he would personally meet Kok soon to get more details and also visit the police station where she was held.

He said he wanted to know who bought the food, where it was bought from and how much was paid.

Murugiah said he also wanted to find out how much money was set aside for meals for detainees and what type of food was supposed to be served to them.

“I am shocked with Kok’s comments on the food. I will be handing in a report on my findings to the Home Minister and the Prime Minister,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Murugiah, who is the Public Complaints Bureau head, said detainees should be treated with respect and given proper food.

If Kok’s claims were true, he said, then such treatment would be unfair to her.

He said the DAP leader’s revelation had put the Government and police in a bad light as the international media had highlighted it.