YOURSAY | ‘Whether there is a trial or not does not provide an excuse to cover up such an important fact.’

Altantuya immigration records kept secret because of trial

Commentable: Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are you for real? You really do not mind looking and sounding ridiculous, don't you?

There is a whole lot of difference if you do not reveal a fact and that of denying the existence of a fact.

The denial of the existence of a fact, due to reasons such as the alleged erasing of entry record into the country is nothing but an attempted cover-up.

Whether there is a trial or not does not provide an excuse to cover up such an important fact. To let a fact re-emerge after more than eight years of cover-up is simply disgusting.

People like you and the rest of your colleagues in the cabinet deserve to be ‘erased’ come the next general election (GE), if not earlier.

CQ Muar: What a silly response from Zahid. What kind of government would display such ridiculous contradiction?

At first, it was revealed that there was no record of Altantuya Shaariibuu's entry into Malaysia, and now the home minister claimed this fact was kept secret until the conclusion of the trial.

With such clowns leading the country, no wonder the whole world is constantly humoured.

Ipohcrite: Somehow, this new revelation by the deputy prime minister reminds me of a previous statement regarding an unrelated case - that he met with the mysterious Saudi donor of the RM2.6 billion found in the prime minister's personal accounts.

That statement was met with utter disbelief and ridicule. Enough said.

Lim Chong Leong: But the Altantuya murder trial said it was not relevant. And all parties including the prosecution, the ‘appointed’ defence team and the judge concurred that it was not relevant and prevented it from being even raised by a witness.

So why keep it a secret from the public?

6th Generation Immigrant: These are all hindsight schemers covering up their tracks after the facts were revealed in courts.

These are typical acts of many criminals - create and tell lies when caught and then counter the lies with more lies as the days past, so much so they do not know what is true or real at the end of the day.

Tempurung Kelapa: Maybe Altantuya's ghost came and keyed in the entry? The Malaysian government ‘semua boleh’.

Behind The Malaysian Insider’s happy tombstone

Martha: Former The Malaysian Insider (TMI) journalist Abdar Rahman Koya, it's terribly sad to read what you have written.

What we can offer you and your former colleagues are our prayers and God's blessings. And to the government whom we have placed our trust in, may you be damned.

Baiyuensheng: Sigh, I know the feeling of having to lose a job. In my case, it is just a matter of time. You worry about how you are going to repay the loans and how you can afford the university fees now that your children have grown up.

Worst, if you have passed 50 - who will hire a donkey? There were endless sleepless nights and almost daily prayers - you become philosophical almost by instinct, as if this would help. You feel better at times, but most times you feel anxious.

If I had the money, I would buy TMI and get all the 60 staffers back to continue the good work even if the business is commercially challenging; RM10 to RM20 million in losses a year is nothing.

Not Convinced: A media company cannot continue to lose about RM6 million a year as had happened to The Edge’s TMI.

While we can wax lyrical over the need for independent media, at the end of the day, we will have to put money where our mouth is.

In this sense, Malaysiakini subscribers are doing just that. Those who want independent media to survive will have to dig deep into their pockets to support it.

1Citizen: This is the effect of democracy a la Malaysia. It is extremely difficult to make an honest living, especially for those with talent. But then talent is God-given.

There is a different kind of God, one that is being praised no matter how unjust he is, who cares only for his own survival.

One nasty decision affects countless lives, including mine for where else can I get the real truth; Malaysiakini is beginning to feel the discomfort and it shows.

I can't wait for the next GE if there will be one. If not, I pray God will show me the means (‘halal’ of course) to migrate to where democracy goes beyond elections.

I sincerely offer my prayers to the lot of you. Every cloud has a silver lining. I really hope so for your sake.

Snake-in-the-Grass: I don't know much about TMI, but Malaysiakini is more than enough for me. You tried to write much about nothing, spin and verbosity.

As far as I've gathered from a few TMI articles (posted through BeritaMalaysia), it's lots of speculation and far from the solid reporting of Malaysiakini . Sorry, but no offence meant during your ‘bereavement’.

Appum: Forget the negative comments. If you guys had done a bad job, you wouldn't have to close down under this regime.

All news portals need advertising fees to survive so serious readers, whether paying a subscription or not, shouldn't complain.

Fogbom: You fought the good fight. You battled daily for eight years to preserve the free speech that we have. You spoke the truth as you saw it.

Tyrants triumphed and silenced you. But tyranny will come to a crashing defeat one day. They always do. May the gods protect you! I shall always miss all of you.

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