Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen 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 soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt 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 death in the hands of MACC smacks of torture and, to say the least, is shocking. We know that when torturous methods are used to extract information from a person, such a practice or practices are not only unjust and unethical, but also evil. No wonder death itself was the definitive statement of this wickedness!
Why was Teoh Beng Hock interrogated in a manner that is unethical? There are more questions to that tragic death of Teoh than there are answers. Why was he interrogated till 3.45am? We all know that information extracted under duress or torture is unreliable. So, why make efforts to distort the truth?
Teoh is a polical aide to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hean Wah who was being investigated for allegedly having paid RM2,400 for 1,500 Malaysian flags used in the Merdeka Celebrations in 2008, but seemingly with no supplier having delivered the flags. Who is really at fault? And why interrogate an aide who is not the accused person for this measly sum of RM2,400 from 6.00pm to 3.45am. Why torture the person till the wee hours of the morning? Why work in the dark? Those who accused of Jesus of blasphemy also worked in the dark. Unethical practices, like corruption, are known to flourish in the dark areas of life.
Havenāt the dailies consistently reported on cases of ācorruptionsā where millions of Ringgit were siphoned off with no action being taken on those prominent corrupt figures? Awakened by the death of Teoh, the public are questioning the MACCās selective method of interrogation on certain people. Todayās citizens read and discuss much about the events of the country and they are aware that the crimes committed by the poor are nowhere near those who commit crimes to build their palatial mansions.
Nevertheless, the death of Teoh and the outcry of the public point to some corrupt practices. The death of Teoh Beng Hock demands that MACC be brought to court for a fair trial and not be āstudiedā by a Royal Commission. Herald Malaysia
