Sunday, October 08, 2006

PAK LAH, PAK RASHID, PAK NON, PAK ROBERT

WHAT THE PAK? What is it with the ex-convict the newspapers affectionately call Pak Rashid (real name Salleh Talib)? Is it because he's a "Pak", just like Pak Lah, the US$34 million Pak Robert, and Pak Non?

The NST got his picture on the front page again, kissing the hand of the Perak Raja Muda as the Menteri Besar faithfully stands in ceremony. Utusan Malaysia has the story, too, with a picture of him receiving some royal gift. It's Berita Harian's top story for the day, too.

The story is there staring at our faces: crime does not pay. But some of our editors seem to be telling us that 30 years behind bars, for armed robbery, can get you p(a)laces, several days' worth of front pages in the mainstream media, and a possibly lucrative shoe contract!

46 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:44 pm

    ClarkGable Pulau Duyung
    Rocky's Bru,
    This is a clear case of 'unjustified attack' on Pak Salleh.The man had paid for his crime.If by telling his story would even salvage only a soul from leading a life of crime that is all worth it.
    That was a reasonable posting by Berita Harian and NST on exprisoner, you dont have to burn the whole net to kill 3 mosquitoes.
    Shame on you,show some compassion in this month of Ramadan.
    You are clearly out of your rational thought in this article ,more like terminator mission...at times you need to be reminded of your bad deeds too,nobody is an angel. .you are not an exception...there you go Rocky

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:02 pm

    Tolong tulis lah pasal geic, pak hishamuddin aun. dl kolum dia pg 12 (bh)dia tulis pasal pak rashid banduan yg dpt pardon tu. pg 11 reporter dah tulis satu pg topik yg sama. tak ada idealah. standard geic macam reporter je. pg1 pun ada story sama. tulislah hentam LKY. lebih memalukan, kat bawah kolum, dia bagi note lagi beritahu reportenya juga ada tulis topik yg sama! baca JJ punya kolum pun ada mesej yg baik.pasal ICT.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:34 pm

    Salam Bru,

    'Unchain the Shackel,
    Shackel them be...
    unchain the melody,
    'make it 'LET IT BE'

    Wassalam.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:28 pm

    Bru,
    30 years is a long time. this guy committed a serious crime and paid his dues. i would not want my children to make that kind of error in judgment which would cost them the rest of their lives. like you said, CRIME DOES NOT PAY. this was a favorite topic of our primary school teachers come composition, or essay-writing, time.
    this guy pak rashid is living proof that crime does not pay. the papers should take advantage of this, tell his story i such a way that will deter our youths from even thinking of going astray, of short-cuts to wealth, of committing any kind of crime.
    that the newspapers portray, instead, his status as the person who served the longest time in prison is - yes, you're right - rather disturbing.
    the papers should not turn an ex-convict - any ex-convict - into a celebrity. anyone with a celebrity status will be made an icon, a hero, by some members of our society, especially the children. we don't want salleh to become our hero. he's a painful lesson about the consequences of crime. he was a young man who paid dearly for his foolishness. that's what he is and he would do society good to be that and not something more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:32 pm

    this guy committed a heinous crime and paid for it. give him a break man. rocky, what's happening to you. show your compassion man.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10:49 pm

    i don't see the need to put that ex-con who was jailed 30 years on any front page even if it meant to deter public from doing any crime. our newspapers, royaltied, vips and whatever you call them, they have old habits of worshiping and looking up to the wrong people, at the wrong time for the wrong reason.

    *Stars*

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:25 pm

    with permission Bru,

    Concerned Dad,

    hmm.no easy solution but try watch again that old film Pual Newman and Dusty Hoffman in 'Pappilon'

    Probably the answer is there.

    Wassalam

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous12:46 am

    Believe me, my initial reaction to all this hype about his release was similar to yours. Until today. Read the interview in NST today, and this guy made a coupla notches up in my books. It was very inspiring. Although I hope nobody would be inspired to rob lah. Hope the man finds his well-deserved happiness live well.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous1:23 am

    Aku ingat kau ni wartawan yang bertanggung jawab...tapi sebenarnya tak ada perasaan kesian...patutle kau disingkirkan dari NST. Berhati perutle sikit...orang tu dah taubat. Selama ni aku sangat respect kat tulisan-tulisan kau rupanya kau ni tak tahu nak maaf orang. Orang yang tak tahu maafkan orang lain sebenarnya tak akan tahu membalas budi.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous1:25 am

    ya la bru...i cannot agree with you on this one. what pak leh did 30yrs ago was totally unacceptable but by highlighting on this guy, it should atleast serve as a deterrent for criminals-to-be to think long and hard before committing any crime.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:31 am

    Escapism. Like Mawi and Siti's wedding, the Malay papers have found a new subject that will allow them to escape into a world where hard realities in life - war, strife, the demonising of Islam, lky, NEP - don't exist. Why nst is as keen in the man, is mystery. Or maybe its no mystery at all: that it is just keen on the Raja Muda? Seems like he's getting preferential treatment from the nstp group, or nobody else feels that? p.s. how much does he charge to make a pair of shoes?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous8:42 am

    Adalah menjadi tanggungjawab akhbar bukan setakat untuk memberitahu tetapi juga mendidik para pembaca. Dalam kes ini, akhbar perlu mengenengahkan (highlight) akibat2 (dosa) jika seseorang itu melakukan jenayah dengan tujuan untuk mendidik. "Angle" penulisan kenalah betul tanpa menjejaskan nilai-nilai berita.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Saya fikir ini bukan "serangan" ke atas Pak Salleh. tapi lebih kepada cara media mempersembahkan seorang bekas Banduan.

    mengapa kita perlu memperbesarkan kisah seorang banduan yang berada 30 tahun dalam penjara?

    Apakah sumbangan beliau kepada negara berbanding rakyat Malaysia yang membanting tulang mepat kerat memajukan negara ini?

    Ini bukan bermakna kita mahu menghina atau menyisihkan pak salleh. Tapi cara dan kaedah kita mengharga Pak salleh agak tidak wajar sama sekali.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:19 am

    Never mind Rocky...I am with you. Its still OK the n/papers highlighting the ex-convict stories. BUT once or twice is more than enought. Not everyday lah. Don't do it overboard lah. Don't make him the hero for our Malaysian lah. A lot more heroes in Afghanistan or in Iraq which is more meaningful stories. I challenge all the editors...if you all think the story about the ex-convict can sell your n/papers and with high morale value, don't stop follow him everywhere he goes, whatever he does, what ever he says. if that you all think all Malaysians want to know. We want to see your limit.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous10:54 am

    Rocky, Rocky, Rocky,

    You see the story as "crime does not pay". Everybody knows that.

    Did you see this story:

    "While 30 years of isolation from the mass public may put most of us off of life, here is a man intent on making his life meaningful again after serving that time in prison.

    Pak Salleh was sent to prison in 1976 for his role in an armed robbery. Today a free man, at an age where most people are thinking retirement, he is gung-ho about moving on with life, even starting a family.

    This is one of the marks of a true man; accepting his mistakes, serving his sentence, and ever-willing to repay society in one way or another.

    Pak Salleh has also received support from leaders, which have always been keen to make society accept repented members.

    To Pak Salleh, the world is now once again, your oyster. So go play fair! All the best!"

    Rocky, can you apologise for this error in judgement? Surely even you have committed sins before.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Brader Rocky;
    Dalam kemarahan sdra terhadap media perdana jgnlah sehinggakan sdra "menyerang" Pak Rashid atau Pak Salleh. As most of the comments put it, he has paid for his crime.
    Why dont give him a chance. He paid 30 years of his life for a mere RM50k. Lost his mother during that time.
    cheerios

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous11:27 am

    I share with you,Rocky. The guy committed a crime. He paid for it (spending his jail terms), and in return he got his freedom. That's it. Fullstop!

    Unfortunately, here, in this country, they can have more than freedom. The can become celebrities! Going p(a)laces!

    Fikirlah sikit!

    Hantu Gigi Jarang

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:29 am

    you are probably off the mark on this one, bro.
    perhaps it is the way you wrote it. i get your point that the papers should have highlighted the point tht "crime does not pay" and not glamourise this guy's post-prison pre-occupation.
    this guy paid his dues. 30 years is a mighty long time.
    a little advice to you, bro..don't lose it, bro. keep it professional. you were hitting at the off-the-mark play-up of this "crime-does-not-pay" point by the papers but your headline was not a good play, if i may.
    careful bro. so far you have been doing a great job. dont lose your credibility.
    some things are just not worth commenting unless you can comment on them effectively to get the desired effect.

    cheers and selamat berbuka puasa

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous11:35 am

    narrowband,

    i think that was bru's point. This guy has a story to tell. The story should have been about him and the 30 "lost" years. his repentance,regret and what he thinks his life would have been had he not gone to prison.
    I do agree with rocky bru that yes, this man has a story but let's not romanticise his life now.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous11:46 am

    Pulau Duyung...hmmm..interesting...a location of no value wic suddenly a close knit fren of the premier whom we have all not heard before and a multimillionere at such a young age has been given permission to develop (or tarnish) the place.
    But the residents are cursing the development, saying its all bad and nothing good has come out of it. Isnt Ferrari's Jean Todd your neighbour Mr Clark Gable..or is he?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous12:20 pm

    Bro,
    Tell those morons not to divert our attention from this present sickening haze thats clouding our minds and stop wasting time with ex-cons. Come on, what can a crook who lived to rob and yes , he's paid his price, teach us what we don't already know ? Of course,I'm sure all you sympathisers for this ex-con out there know what to teach your kids, right ? We dont have to wait for the longest serving inmate to tell us that!!

    In the meantime try taking our neighbour Indonesia, to task for burning and polluting our skies and do you know how many people are affected health-wise because of this haze!Can we seek compensation from the Indonesian government ?

    GO OUT-SIDE NOW, EVEN AS I POST THIS COMMENT, AND SEE FOR YOURSELF THE STATE OF OUR SKIES !

    No wonder more people go to blogs to know the truth and honest state of affairs !Keep it up bro.

    "Happy Deepavali to all my Hindu friends and Selamat Berbuka Puasa to my Muslim Friends"!

    Cheers !
    shanghaistephen.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous1:07 pm

    rocky, so far you have been doing a very good job. keep it up, but a piece of advice for you. don't lose your objectivity. don't obsessed by going after your enemy or enemies. once you lose your objectivity you lose your credibility. don't end up like the great jeff ooi.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous1:24 pm

    Guys!

    Rocky's Bru is talking about IRONY-lah. I am not so surprise the message got lost on some people.

    The main IRONY is this ex-convict, Pak Rashid or Pak Salleh. He gets the adulation and admiration many of us honest and God-fearing citizens, whose biggest crime is probably littering in an already littered park or beach, can only wish for in our wet dreams.

    The other IRONY, the bigger IRONY, are the editors and newspapers. They have no time for Tun Mahathir and no guts to take on Lee Kwan Yew and his Singapore Temasek but they have all the time in the world for featherweight stories like this longest surviving inmate, like Siti and the Malauysian Idol. I don't if its right that "Anonymous" said his GEIC wrote a piece in Berita when two other stories also appear on the same day, but there you go! (Ini hari, ada lagi kah?)

    I agree with AMLG and some other "Anonymous" posters that Pak Rashid/Salleh can be a lesson and that society (we) should show compassion. But we can't overdo it because it will send the wrong message. Let's not forget the "Melayu Mudah Lupa" message. For what's said and done, armed robbery (which sent this man to prison 30 years ago) was and is a heinous crime. Pak Salleh has served his time but now he must serve society. Not the other way round, never the other way round. We don't owe him a living, period.

    Imagine this, guys: a 27 yr old crook is sentenced for 40 yrs prison todaybecause he raped a 6 year old. He gets pardoned 31 years from now. Do we celebrate his freedom, put him on front page, fete him with royal jelly?

    Yep, ironically, we will not. Over our dead bodies!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous1:48 pm

    Pulau Duyong,

    The media should look at what they are doing to your island, man.

    Not waste time and valuable space on cheap compassion for an ex-robber. Satu dua kali, oklah, tapi dah dekat satu minggu!

    Don't get me wrong. I pity the man too. Good luck to Pak Salleh (he sure doesn't need it right now).

    But good night and good luck to the Trengganu people who are gaping at RM200 million going down the patrick drain!

    (And those people, Clarke Gable, sure need the luck since the media is not ever going to expose the robbery - yes ROBBERY - there. Not armed robbery but this Patrick twisted some arms and many locals describe what is being done as daylight robbery).

    And Bro Rocky, thanks for the Deepavali posting. Any updates?

    Happy Deepavali (and selamat Aidil Fitri and selamat berpuasa Ramadan to all my Muslim friends.)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous2:57 pm

    Samalah dengan cerita Mat Rempit...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous2:57 pm

    rocky bro,

    i know you. you are a compassionate guy. there was a reason you made this posting on mr repented ex-con.
    it was certainly not an attack on this guy, as some commentors believe. you were playing the professional credible editor. you were merely saying that the papers could have pursued a better angle.
    and i agree with you. i think people are seeing this old man, forgetting that he committed armed robbery as a young man. yes, he paid his dues. now he is out and has to make a living, to serve society whatever. you know, i don't need to read his story to know that what he did was heinous and a 30-year jail is a stiff sentence.
    you see, rocky. sometimes your message is lost in those who are so ready to find your fault.

    That said, YOU ARE DOING A DAMN GOOD THING, THIS BLOG OF YOURS.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous3:02 pm

    hello hello hello people -- clark gable and you others,

    where in his posting did rocky bro attack Pak Salleh?
    Sorry, cant find anything to that effect.
    Rocky bro would be the last person to be unjustified, unfair, irresponsible, heartless yadayadayada in his posting.
    It was fair comment on his part about the amateurish treatment of the story of Pak Salleh.
    It is just so amateurish to be highlighting his meeting with the regent, his shoe-making venture.
    I am sure Rocky bro wishes Pak Salleh all the best in his life.


    go bro

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous3:29 pm

    Bro,

    Bak kata SUKARNO,

    'Jika semua kesalahan boleh dimaafkan,tidak ada gunanya Tuhan menjadikan Surga dan Neraka.

    Selamat Berpuasa.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous3:33 pm

    For a crime committed this man was put behind bars for 30 years. Whether he has repented of his deeds and desire to lead a normal life in society, will only be known after some years has passed by. Anyway what choice did he have behind bars, but to grow old and keep on reflecting on the "if's" in his life. We can only sympathise with him that many years had been wasted due to his folly, but does that make him a celebrity to be feted by the royals as well as the editors of the land! And Dear rocky, what is this about a shoe contract....Why shoes! dont' you think AP's would have been more appropriate!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous3:59 pm

    Jualan Raya
    Jualan Deepvali
    apa berita dia ada
    semua cerita basi

    jualan raya
    jualan Deepavali
    kalau nak beri insaf dengan air mata
    tak perlu jual orang punya story

    jualan raya
    jualan deepavali
    bikin crita baru
    menyerahlah diri.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous4:32 pm

    *TypicalProgrammer*

    Everyone please read the article properly as you have read LKY 'apology' letter. Where did he attack Pak Salleh? Which line did he said Pak Salleh does not deserve the treatment he is having right now? If you read the article properly he was condemning the way papers action to potray Pak Salleh. The reports are misleading by showing the wrong perspective of the story. Surely all the readers here should have realise that since most the readers here realise the true comments of LKY.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous5:27 pm

    cut some slack will ya. this man has served his time. he should be given an opportunity to start a new leaf.

    if we, the so called good and law abiding citizen does not give him the chance, who else?

    I think history has proven time and time again, if we keep on shunning ex-cons, they will go back to the old habits. like the junkies who keeps on going back to the drug, because each time someone missplaced their shoes, they would be blamed for it.

    when they wanted to find decent job, society don't trust them. we shouldn't give them the opportunity to get back to the old crooked ways, instead of saying that they are worthless scumbag who deserved none.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous6:03 pm

    In Malaysian jornalism Bru, the trick to longevity, safety, tranquality and popularity is to write not about politicians, civil servants and an assortment of other crooks and thieves stealing billions of ringgits of taxpayers money but about some ageing crooks and small time criminals being pardon for their crimes. An armed robber who spent 30 years in jail and is being pardon is not likely to sue you or remove you from your cushy jobs which your didn't deserve in the first place. Try to write something mildly sensible about the PM, his son and son-in-law, as you may have Siberia staring at you. Even a rambling blogger got the boot for dishonouring the PM's honour. It didn't matter if the poor soul was telling the truth. So why should Khalid, Hisham Aun, Manja and Azman stick their necks out. Even the straight talking Datuk Khalid is not straigh-talking anymore. He has discovered that the safer way to safeguard his rice pot and his children education is not to have a punchy column. Hisham and Manja cannot write a punchy column even if they want to. So write about half bit thieves and robbers, giggling starlets and other powerless souls who do not harm the power to rake away their auspicious titles, their cushy executive suites and their power rides. Kali and Brendan? Well, if Hisham is a third-rate propagandist, Kali and Brendan are spies and copywriters. With that Bru, we should not wasting money on the sheet. Like the sound of sheet. Will not smear your blong with the other word that has the same sound.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous6:08 pm

    Bru Master,

    I must say that I do agree with the majority and do feel that this poor chap does deserve a break. 30 years is a long time and he has paid his dues. Lighten a bit lah! It is after all Ramadhan....

    salam

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous7:12 pm

    NST etc. have either no value system or they threw it to the wind to get the extra copies sold in the kampong. No way will be be anywhere near Herald Tribune or NYT. Is there a body that does rating like how they rate our Unis. That should be interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous8:43 pm

    NST etc. have either no value system or they threw it to the wind to get the extra copies sold in the kampong. No way will be be anywhere near Herald Tribune or NYT. Is there a body that does rating like how they rate our Unis. That should be interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous8:47 pm

    NST etc. have either no value system or they threw it to the wind to get the extra copies sold in the kampong. No way will be be anywhere near Herald Tribune or NYT. Is there a body that does rating like how they rate our Unis. That should be interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous10:25 pm

    Without discussing the merits and demerits of this reformed criminal, the mass print media have employed the classic diversionary tactics by writing about him, the haze, renewing driving licences,everything else EXCEPT expanding on
    'the apology that was'nt',
    'sale of sand issue',
    'Parkway still holding interest in Fomema despite purchase by khazanah',etc.

    These are issues brought up before but no clarifications have been forthcoming. Why don't the mass media concentrate on the REAL issues instead?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous10:49 am

    I'm sorry but guys, I think we missed Rocky's point. Thanks anon@11.35. Actually I realised that after a second read. Whoops.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous12:06 pm

    Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong signing in:
    Probably i was wrong in accusing Rocky,s lack of compassion nevertheless he has to be reminded that there are bigger robbers within our mist ,present time and glorified by Kali's NST propagandist.Thus it should be no wrong on their part to highlight about a reformed prisoner.
    I would be happier if Rocky were to remind them about the bigger crooks that raping n sodomising the country.
    My father homeland ,Pulau Duyong,was just a hotbed of poverty habitated by poor fisherman.How hundres of millions spent to build worthless "Glass Mosque",Centre for monsoon cup and world clss marina ,just passed through these people without them gaining any benefit, is really the thing that boiled me.
    No doubt ,the 3 stalls made killing during monsoon cup by selling coke at RM3 per bottle,but thats about all ...basically the robbers rob them and Trengganu people too.
    Just for the sake of knowledge ...in June last year a RM2 dollar company was formed and then awarded RM250 million to stage the much touted Monsoon Cup....that to me a day light robbery...worse than Pak Salleh Crime by thousands times over.

    Therefore Dear Rocky,
    STAY FOCUS....your domain is not petty crime reporting,yours is for much higher calling....we will be there with you.

    Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong wishing you ,Rocky and fellow muslim,bloggers Selamat Hari Raya maaf Dzahir dan Bathin and Happy Depavalli to all Hindu Bloggers.
    My muslim name Amr Dhab.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous12:31 pm

    Bru, does the AP report below not sound familiar to you?

    I think we are as desperate as the Americans about our "I am the PM" PM.

    NEW YORK - Those people wearing "Stewart/Colbert '08" T-shirts can stop hoping — Comedy Central's fake news stars have no intention of making a run for the White House.

    Jon Stewart said the T-shirts promoting him and
    Stephen Colbert "are a real sign of how sad people are" with the state of affairs in the country.

    "Nothing says 'I am ashamed of you my government' more than 'Stewart/Colbert '08,' Stewart told an audience Sunday at the New Yorker Festival. He was interviewed by the magazine's editor, David Remnick."

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hey all of you Morons!

    While you guys believe you are giving your two bits worth on Pak Saleh or whatever, person or persons that we all do not like are transferring all of their ill-gotten gains into a foregn banks, namely London. How is this big chunk of money managed to leave the country without due process! Well, someone from very high up, very high, in the Finance Ministry allows it since this person or persons are his buddies! Morons, you are all being tricked again and you Morons are easily being intellectually waylaid (an oxi-moron actually to say mrons to have intellectual)by the smart ones, especially by mamak and squinty and ugly Chinaman from across the Selat!
    Forget about Pak This and Pak That money are being taken out of the country by fabricator and others and you morons are so oblivious to the happening!

    P.S. on other matter Yes Pak Rashid should have not been given the celebrity status but then those who gave him that status are morons, eh! So what can we say!

    I am writng this while gasping for oxygen in my environment, which I was told by someone thagt on any given day KL only has about 7% oxygen that we have to breath in by everyone, including Morons, and if the oxygen level in the Klang Valley falls to 5% we will be in deep shoot!! We will all faint and possibly die, so dont let the oxygen level to droop at the 5% mark! So to help maintain this level I urge Morons to stop breathing in the much less oxygen supply that we still have in the environment at the present moment! I am serious!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous6:12 pm

    Pasquale honey,

    It is any different now? We do not know what or who to believe anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous9:50 pm

    inilah dia malaysia - a guy who can't sing elevated to millionaire status, mat rempit embraced by the politicians and an ex-con is given a hero's treatment. only in malaysia.
    no offence against pak rashid, he served his time and is a role model citizen but that doesn't change the fact that he was a convict - armed robbery mind you.
    for the newspapers and politicians to celebrate this guy shows that we really are short of individuals to look up to as role models.
    what a shame.
    maybe a mention in the malaysia book of records next?

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous9:40 am

    errr who says I can't sing ?

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous11:36 pm

    Guys, guys:

    Newspapers have been or are putting bigger and crooks who have not served time or repented in tehir front pages and first few pages lah. So what's the big deal about Pak salleh? He has served 30 years and repented.

    ReplyDelete