6 Jun 2006

SINGAPORE: Policeman who nabbed racist blogger gets award

Wasn't the charge 'Sedition' and not racism? I am also somewhat stunned into disbelief that the only way the Singaporean authorities can track a blogger down is with a lone police officer sitting at a computer.

Please tell me that the online security system is trying to play down their capabilities?


Station Inspector Mohamed Zulnizan Mohamed Arsis arrested blogger for comments against Malays

Straits Times
Monday, June 5, 2006

By Khushwant Singh


Station Inspector Mohamed Zulnizan Mohamed Arsis stayed awake for the better part of two days tracking down the blogger who posted racist remarks in October last year.

For his devotion to duty, he will be among the 335 police officers to receive commendation certificates today from Police Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui.

The 32-year-old inspector started tracking the blogger when a police report was made about his comments against Malays.

Inspector Zulnizan said: "I knew I had to check that particular blog every two hours so as not to miss any posting by the blogger's friends. If not, some of the postings would be replaced with new ones.

"Within a day, I found out what school he was in. Then I found out his address and he was arrested."

The 17-year-old blogger pleaded guilty and was placed on probation for two years and ordered to do 180 hours of community work for Malay welfare organisations to clear his misconceptions about Malays.

Inspector Zulnizan, a father of two sons aged four and two, said his teacher wife used to complain about his irregular hours but has now come to realise how much he enjoys his work.

Sleuthing also suits another award winner -- 32-year-old Staff Sergeant Mohammed Juanda.

"Every assignment requires a different approach -- a different cover," he said.

He is one of the five members of the Orchard Task Force, commended for making 27 arrests last year in cases involving theft, pickpocketing, credit card fraud, robbery and rioting in the Orchard Road area.

Date Posted: 6/5/2006


16 comments:

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Whilst many would consider racism abhorrent (although the same people might giggle at a "racist" joke), I don't think racism in itself ought to be a crime.

It amazes me that if you insult local etnicity with a racist slur, you can be hauled into court as a criminal.

But if you scream "Bloody ang moh motherf***er!" at a caucasian, you get away with impunity.

Sure, the Malay cop had every right to feel insulted, and to go after the "cheeky little runt". The best recourse would have been to SHAME this little prick in public (which did occur as a consequence to him being charged).

Seditious speech? No. In my view that is stretching the law a bit too much. By that reasoning anything the govt doesn't like could be "seditious" in nature.

Anonymous said...

matilah_singapura fails to take note of the rationale behind the Sedition Act, which partly is to prevent any inter-racial/religious conflict. As such, the blogger's racist remarks had to be seen as a criminal offence because of its inherent threat to our society's fabric.

Of course, no argument about the shady side of this very Act, which could be used to suppress those not toeing government line.

Discerning Singaporeans would understand that our laws would be fine and acceptable IF there wasn't gargantuan room for abuse.

Anonymous said...

Please stop talking a load of bollocks' where I come from a Chinese is a bloody chinaman, A Malay, Indian or Paki are wogs, and a caucasian is referred to a white honkey.

These sentiments are commonly spoken. But in Siangapore sit takes some stupid half educated Malay copper to decide he has been insulted. People grow up and look at the real world.

Anonymous said...

While our dear anonymous animatedly describes such racial stereotypes as normal and should be responded to with less sensitivity, he/she (I suppose another ang moh expousing his Western sensibilities?) fails to see the danger of going overboard.

He/she probably has not seen the offending blogger's post which drips of utter venom and hate. If he/she is so adamant about us being less uptight, I would love to see how this anonymous ang moh condones racial hatred in the form of Nazism, anti-Black and anti-Aborigine, anti-Islam racism, all borne from the likes of his Western brethren.

Don't nonchalantly dismiss issues on race when you have your own real problems on your turf.

louist said...

People seem to think that the policeman gets to decide the fate of the offending blogger once he tracks him down. If only it were so - I'll be a policeman too!

The inspector was probably only involved in apprehending the suspect, deciding whether or not a crime was involved is (if I'm not wrong) the job of a judge.

Sedition and racism - yes, sedition was the charge, but in Singapore it's rather all-encompassing and public racist commentary qualifies.

And as for tracking down a blogger with a lone police officer, well. Why not look at it another way? What if that was simply the easiest way to go about it? What do you want, they activate their entire force just to go looking after one blogger?

For instance, you could probably track down the blogger by requesting for IP addresses from the host and so on, but in this case the blog site is not Singaporean and might not comply with our requests, or might take awhile to revert. For all you know, they did try this method and set the inspector on the job simultaneously, just that he got the job done first.

I don't find it particularly impressive, the method used in tracking down the blogger, but neither do I think there's anything wrong with it.

Although I am not supportive of every single thing the government does, I also think it is ridiculous to abandon rationality and choose to criticise everything that happens regardless of circumstances.

Anonymous said...

anonymous will not comprehend his or hers venemous remarks until he looks at the real world and watches or reads just how westerners look at the subject. England, France and Germany, and the US take the most hateful racial attacks in their stride. Singapore is unable to deal with racial problems.
The government treat the mus.lim population with kid gloves because they do not wish to lose their votes. So the whole business ismpolitical not genuine rational.

Anonymous said...

"While our dear anonymous animatedly describes such racial stereotypes as normal and should be responded to with less sensitivity, he/she (I suppose another ang moh expousing his Western sensibilities?) fails to see the danger of going overboard."

This post itself _is_ racist.

Should think twice, before you dumb bastard write something that is not consistent within itself.

Anonymous said...

who the fuck cares?

Anonymous said...

Next think you know calling fat people fatties would be deemed seditious too. Silly country, silly laws, sillyzens.

Anonymous said...

I just found it amusing on one side to be exceptionally sensitive on seditious issues, but writing a comment that is itself can be classified as that by the very same standards.

However I think it is ridiculous.

Maybe my tolerance for hypocrisy (very common in Singapore) is not that high.

Anonymous said...

In terms of policing work, this is a very minor case. Trivial, almost. Just sit in front of the computer and look at postings on a blog. Many of us do that for hours every day, what's the big deal?

So the only reason he got the award, is to give the media/PAP another chance to warn the populace against making "seditious" or "racist" remarks.

Anonymous said...

Generally,

What people fail to realise is that 'inflammatory' is not an evil in itself. What is an evil worth censure is the conditions that are allowed to continue that serve as the basis upon which sensitivities grow. i.e. discrimination. It is 'discrimination' that is inflammatory and NOT attempts to address them. If we had proscriptions against 'inflammatory speech' during the times of slavery, we would have seen all abolitionists imprisoned for 'inciting race problems' by seeking to end the slavery of Africans, and, of course, slavery would have continued to this day - not that it is not continuing in more 'modern' forms. By sweeping 'sensitive issues' under the carpet in the guise of maintaining social stability, what is actually being achieved is the continuation of the status quo and the relegation of certain sectors of the population as second class citizens and the institutionalisation of those policies and perspectives that achieved this dubious 'stability'.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
dfgd said...

Anonymous comments have been disabled for the next few days until this idiot goes away...

"It's been historically proven. **** Malay-Muslims are the world's most sensitive race on earth!!!

Everyone must give way to them. They cannot tolerate any remarks. Alamak! Do you see any Chinese, Indian or other races complaining like a little girl???

Even the bloody Mudlaysian garmen pleads for "sensitivity" in its dealings with the hated Sinkapoor garmen.

So sensitive, go & die, lah!!!

******* Malay-Muslims are so sensitive & easily inflammed that they readily hurt & maim others to vent their spleen - so much for ***** Islam "a religion of ****" and their cult leader DJ Profit Mohd "**** BE UPON HIM"!!!

Their shameful action in S'pore's history:

1. Maria Hertzorg case in the '50s
2. Racial riots in the late '60s
3. JI plot 2001

So much so tt spineless, gutless papsmear regime must give "special status" to them, what with free education, free welfare just so they won't regress anymore than they already do & resort to crime, for crying out loud!!!

Station Inspector Mohamed Zulnizan Mohamed Arsis: ****ing Bo Lampah Babi ... come arrest me ... nah _|_ !!!

By Anonymous, at 6/07/2006 07:11:44 PM "

Recruit Ong said...

Soci well said! steady bom pi pi lah!

lim peh salute you!!! :)

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I was wondering how long it would take before those old racial hatreds started to surface.

Perhaps PapaLee is right (god help us!)—that the state must wedge itself between race/religious/political ideas, and ban the discussion of them wholesale.

When people can finally agree to disagree, agreeably, maybe this sorry excuse for a republic will advance a rung up the ladder of "civilization".

In the meantime, folks, just embrace your inner bigot and continue to savage each other like jungle beasts.

Hey, for me, it's ENTERTAINMENT!