Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
A sticker to remember Ganapathy's death By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Malaysiakini : And because of the propaganda for some, Kugan will always remain the
“suspected luxury car thief” who died in custody even though the ex-cop
who killed him received three years in jail and had to pay the family a
reduced (after appeal) amount.
Deaths and torture that occur in
prisons and immigration detention camps are met with a raised eyebrow by
the public, arrogant indifference by the state security apparatus and
of course deflections by the political class.
Remember in the case of N Dhamendran who also died in custody, what did the home minister at the time, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, say in that case? “So, to blame the entire police force as a form of protest is not fair.”
The late Irene Fernandez,
who spent decades and at great personal cost exposing the underbelly of
our criminal justice system asked: "Why is there so much resistance
from the home minister and prime minister to investigate these cases
independently, and to hold those responsible for these deaths
accountable?
“Are they afraid that an independent and transparent police commission will open up a Pandora's Box?"
In Ganapathy’s case, the cops were found to be negligent
and what is the Madani state going to do about this? What is the
government led by a leader who has claimed he was nearly beaten to death
in police custody going to do about this?
Well,
according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail with regard to all
these prisoners with medical conditions: "The police are also studying a
proposal to place 'hospital or custody' reminder stickers in police
vehicles as a reminder to send injured or sick detainees to the hospital
for treatment.
"This 'hospital or custody' reminder is practised in the UK."
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Yes, because we all know how effective stickers are in maintaining oversight and accountability.
Of
course, nobody wants to talk about the creation of an Independent
Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), which always comes
up whenever someone dies in custody but then is forgotten in the news
cycle.
And of course, the ruling regime will side with the state security apparatus when it comes to this issue.
The
fears of the rank-and-file are not really centred on the complex web of
political patronage but rather on the banal everyday dysfunction of the
state security apparatus.
Eight years ago, two siblings detailed
the horror they experienced when they were detained by the state
security apparatus. You can read about it here
along with the feeble attempts by the police higher-ups for the
brothers to make a “police report” which they said would be investigated
fairly and transparently.
All these cops who allegedly have a
problem with an independent body “punishing” them are the kind of cops
who believe that working without oversight comes with the badge.
They
are also worried that other cops who so far have been compliant to
orders that they know are wrong or are just afraid that they would lose
their jobs if they do not follow orders, would realise that now there is
an independent body watching over them.
And this is what really
scares the top brass of the state security apparatus. You see in cases
like Ganapathy's, it is the cops lower down on the food chain whose
behinds are on the line when it comes to these types of deaths.
If you notice, our cops are growing side ways
Once
they know that there is an independent body watching their every move,
they understand that their bosses cannot cover up their apathy,
indifference, lack of professionalism, or even abuse.
The top
brass understands that those on the lower end of the totem pole are not
simply going to follow orders because they understand that if anything
goes sideways, they will be held accountable.
Can you imagine the
kind of state security apparatus we would have if the cops were afraid
of the sanctions they would get if they did not carry out their duties
responsibly?
Can you imagine the kind of police force we would
have if the cops understood that the lives under their charge meant
something more than just a statistic that most people would probably
forget in the next news cycle?
But fear not outraged readers, stickers are on their way.
