Friday 3 June 2011

A Batu Pahat Icon: Dr. Kua Kia Soong

I wonder how many of us knew that Dr. Kua Kia Soong was a BP High School boy from 1962 to 1966? Arrested twice under the Internal Security Act, he has been campaigning actively for a more accountable, transparent government. Now, as a director of SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malayis or "Voice of the Malaysian People, a human rights organization) he is again in the limelight recently in pushing the case of Malaysia's purchase of two French SCORPENE submarines to be opened up and heard in a French court. The submarine deal was tainted by allegations of kick-backs to senior French officials and a Malaysian company, Perimekar which acted as the middle-man for the Malaysian government. Also involved in the allegedly shady deal was a Mongolian lady, Altantuya who was murdered and her body blown to pieces with C4 when she was in Malaysia attempting to collect the US 500,000 commission promised to her.

Dr. Kua is however, more well-known for his account of the May 13 1969 incident.

Read more about him in an interview with The Nutgraph.

SUARAM is in the midst of a campaign to raise funds to pay legal fees of French lawyers handling the case. For an update on the latest development on the SCORPENE case, view the video clip below.





Summary of the video clip from Malaysiakini.com

The French court is expected to hear the case involving alleged kickbacks in the French-Malaysian submarine deal soon, said the complainant for the case and human rights watchdog SUARAM According to SUARAM director Cynthia Gabriel, French prosecutors have concluded the initial investigations and an application for an open trial was made in late March. "Our lawyers have advised us that it could take anything from the next few weeks or the next couple of months until a judge is appointed (for the open trial)," she told reporters today. Gabriel added that the delay involves bureaucratic requirements, and because the matter is politically sensitive in view of France holding its general election soon.

Full story here.

1 comment:

  1. Datuk Yip Kum Fook is very stupid and dirty to Buddha and MCA in Malaysia...MCA is very weak. Now, so many MCA members jump the party and also the Samnak Sambodhi Buddhist Temple, now the local people do not enter because they do not like the committee members, maybe the temple will no longer be one day, must be close according to our prediction.

    Instead, we must inform Datuk Yip Kum Fook about opening a lawyer's office to cheat the people's money and lie to the Malaysia government about lawyer...we know you are very well, from the beginning of your business furniture and playing politics in Kepong

    Many lawyers also don't like him because he is not a real lawyer...his title is a lawyer bought from a UK institution (no need to learn and practice about law)..Better close or close the office… it is a shame for Malaysia….

    From Uncle Lim, Taman Ehsan, Kepong

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