Seeking ISA answer in Parliament

Today is the first day of Parliament sitting after a long break during fasting month and Hari Raya.

I am quite happy to be able to come back to Parliament as I have been longing to blast the Barisan Nasional government over my ISA detention.

When I walked into the Dewan Rakyat at about 10.10am, it was question and answer time. I saw Minister of Home Affairs Syed Hamid sitting in the front bench opposite me.

He looked at me and I gave him a stare without a smile. I gave him the ‘evil’ look.

I then glanced through the oral questions on the day’s order paper, hoping to get a chance to ask supplementary question from any of the questions listed.

I then spotted a chance to say my piece in the Dewan Rakyat when I saw oral question number 8 where the MP for Kuala Langat was to ask the Minister of Home Affairs on steps being taken by the government to address the problems of children who have been kidnapped and have not been found (Malay version: Tuan Abdullah Sani bin Abdul Hamid (Kuala Langat) minta Menteri Dalam Negeri menyatakan apakah langkah-langkah Kerajaan untuk mengatasi masalah mangsa culik kanak-kanak yang masih belum ditemui.

I then waited for an hour and prayed quietly that the speaker will allow me to ask supplementary question on this oral question.

Thank God, no one stood up for supplementary question except the MP who raised the question. And I.

The Speaker, Pandikar Amin then allowed me to ask the supplementary question. But at that time, Syed Hamid already left the Dewan Rakyat, the oral question was then answered by Chor Chee Heung.

I asked him what about the kidnap of a Member of Parliament like what had happened on me when I was dragged away by police officers and put under the ISA on 12th September.

I said the manner I was arrested was like kidnap like what we see in movie, and I was not allowed to make calls as my mobile phone was taken away by the police.

I said I was kidnapped for seven days until the Minister of Home Affairs declared that I was no more a threat to national security. I said how can this happen to a MP and how can a MP be denied of carrying out his/her duty and be kidnapped by police just based on an article that’s published in a newspaper and blogs in internet?

Speaker Pandikar Amin then tried to stop me from speaking further with a smile on his face.

I refused to give in, I told him that we should take this seriously as one day the Speaker might be kidnapped under the ISA and all of us might need to organise a campaign to save him.

When Chor Chee Heung replied, he then said I can put my experience in another form and raise again in future as my question was not related to the original issue raised.

Normally, when I ask tricky questions like this, I will be disturbed by the UMNO backbenchers, but to my surprise, when I raised this supplementary question, no one made noise from the BN seats, and some of them have smiles on their faces.

During lunch time, when I was waiting for a car to go out for lunch, I met Syed Hamid at the entrance of Parliament building. In the past, I will normally smile at him or shake hand with him, but I don’t do this now cos I can’t smile at him anymore.

I said to him, “So, this is the man who put me under the ISA.”

Syed Hamid quickly denied his involvement and said there is nothing to do with him. I said he has no sympathy for me. He said he cannot agree with me on the understanding of the issue. He then entered into his car.

Hi hi, I won’t let him go, I will continue to make noise over my ISA detention in the Parliament.

Teressa Kok