Mengecam Penahanan Ahli Parlimen Sungai Siput

Mengecam Penahanan Ahli Parlimen Sungai Siput
The Police-State Has Begun!
Najib, is your AG anti-Islam? Does your administration condone the vilification of Islam?
Where’s the 1 Malaysia, Datuk Seri?
Pakatan condemns Bersih 2.0 ban
Hisham outlaws Bersih 2.0
Sungai Siput MP, five PSM members held under emergency law
Najib blasts Ambiga, PAS over Bersih rally
Usah berdalih Black Iskandar ... NIEI pun ada kaitan CIA
Pembangkang demo depan di Bukit Aman malam ini?
Waris Rashid Maidin kesal heret namanya diheret dengan perhimpunan haram Bersih
Najib,outlaws Bersih...
Najib’s ‘Ali Baba’ government
Bersih and the aftermath
“Yellow, Yellow, Dirty Fellow.”
Where’s the 1 Malaysia, Datuk Seri?
Pakatan condemns Bersih 2.0 ban
Hisham outlaws Bersih 2.0
Sungai Siput MP, five PSM members held under emergency law
Najib blasts Ambiga, PAS over Bersih rally

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 05:27 PM PDT

Kenyataan Media

Saya mengecam penahanan Ahli Parlimen Sungai Siput, Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj bersama lima yang lain di bawah Seksyen 3(1) dan Seksyen 4(1) Ordinan Darurat. Selain Ahli Parlimen Sungai Siput, turut ditahan adalah M Saraswathy, Choo Chon Kai, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan dan Sarat Babu. Peruntukan tersebut membolehkan pihak berkuasa menahan individu terbabit selama 60 hari tanpa bicara.

Sebagai Ketua Pembangkang Dewan Rakyat Malaysia, saya menegaskan penahanan Dr Michael Jeyakumar di bawah Ordinan Darurat merupakan suatu penghinaan terhadap amalan Demokrasi dan Institusi Parlimen negara ini. Beliau selaku Ahli Parlimen yang dipilih berhak menyuarakan hasrat rakyat yang mahukan pilihanraya yang bersih dan adil.

Beberapa hari ini pihak pemerintah cuba memintal fitnah dengan mengaitkan tuntutan Pilhanraya yang bersih dan adil dengan gerakan subversif. Sedangkan sudah beberapa kali Sekretariat Bersih menegaskan perhimpunan yang bakal diadakan pada 9 hb Julai 2011 ini merupakan perhimpunan aman. Malah Sekretariat Bersih sedaya upaya berbincang dengan pemerintah agar tuntutan berkaitan pilihanraya dapat dilaksanakan. Akan tetapi gesaan dan tuntutan itu ditolak dengan penuh keangkuhan. Sewajarnya pemerintah tidak perlu gentar dengan tuntutan yang berharap membawa kebaikan buat rakyat dan negara Malaysia.

Saya menggesa pemerintah dengan segera membebaskan semua yang ditahan kerana dituduh terlibat dengan Bersih termasuk Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj dan lima yang lain. Saya juga menuntut pemerintah menghormati dan mematuhi prinsip Kedaulatan Undang-Undang serta Perlembagaan sepertimana yang termaktub dalam Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Ketua Pembangkang
Dewan Rakyat Malaysia

The Police-State Has Begun!

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 12:38 PM PDT

Good news to foreign tourists/funds/investors that stayed away, you were right.

Najib, is your AG anti-Islam? Does your administration condone the vilification of Islam?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Malaysianinsider reported yesterday that, whilst speaking to a large crowd in Pasir Putih, Kelantan, Najib said that BERSIH 2.0 chairperson Ambiga was 'the one who threatened Islam'. No elaboration on when and how she is supposed to have made the threat. A vile and unsubstantiated allegation. I've known Ambiga for over a decade now and [...]

Where’s the 1 Malaysia, Datuk Seri?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

The Malaysian Insider
July 02, 2011 JULY 2 — Of course, any visit to Kelantan makes a politician a bit more religious in his outlook. Datuk Seri Najib Razak is no exception. But Kelantan doesn't make anyone less Malaysian or less inclusive. Yet the prime minister chose to use his visit to Kelantan today to lash out at Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan in a very base way. The kind of attack one expects from others but not the political aristocracy that has given us two Umno presidents and two prime ministers. "Who doesn't know Ambiga. She's the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu," Najib told a 20,000-strong crowd here, referring to the Bersih chief who once took up a case involving the faith and the new PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu. The prime minister's remarks were carried by Radio Malaysia news at 1pm. The station also played public service clips against the rally and praising the prime minister as leader of all Malaysians. What happened to duelling over policy and issues that matter rather than dwelling on personalities? Why go down this low road of talking about people rather than confront the issue? Such methods are more suited for the likes of Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The only difference today is that the Umno president is a lot more eloquent. His attack betrays the ideals he has espoused in 1 Malaysia, of a united country where economic and social reforms will make us a developed nation by 2020. What use is all these potential wealth and unity when we talk about people in such a derisory tone? It might be a crowd of Muslims in Kelantan but that doesn't mean one should put down a person as an enemy of the faith. This country is secular. This country tells the world it's polite, that Malaysia is truly Asia. But our prime minister today showed an unpleasant side of stooping so low to make a personal attack. A side that betrays his own ideals and casts a shadow on our international image. What a pity. He was doing so well to charm Malaysians to support his government and its policies.

Pakatan condemns Bersih 2.0 ban

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 07:52 AM PDT

By Clara Chooi
July 02, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders expressed outrage tonight at the Home Ministry's decision to outlaw Bersih 2.0 ahead of its rally next week, but declared that the clampdown has not spooked them into withdrawing their support. Electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 has invited all political parties to join its march for free and fair elections but the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have snubbed them, saying PR's victories in Election 2008 is proof there is no fault with the current system. "We are more determined now to demand for more democratic space in society. I do not see any reason whatsoever for the minister or Umno to crack down on the people just because they are demanding free and fair elections," PKR deputy president Azmin Ali told The Malaysian Insider. He pointed out that Bersih 2.0 was a loose coalition of "legal and registered" civil society groups exercising their rights to call for electoral reform and, as such, there was no reason for the movement to call an end to its July 9 rally. The Gombak MP also told Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who issued the order to outlaw Bersih 2.0 effective July 1, to stop turning the administration into a Middle Eastern-style dictatorship. "We have made clear our position that this rally must be a peaceful one. But Perkasa and Umno Youth, their reasons are just to provoke and create chaos," he said, agreeing that the government was practising double standards by failing to outlaw the latter two groups. Malay rights group Perkasa and Umno Youth, led by its chief Khairy Jamaluddin, plan to take to the streets on July 9 in two separate protest marches. The home ministry issued a four-paragraph statement today outlining the reasons for its banning of Bersih 2.0, including that the coalition had sparked an atmosphere of unrest in the country, that it was spreading propaganda to incite the people to topple the government and that its activities was tarnishing the country's image. PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub today denied all three allegations and challenged Putrajaya to prove its claims. "Where does it say that Bersih is unlawful? This so-called propaganda are merely lies, we have even raised this (Bersih's requests) in Parliament before. This is merely an act of desperation by Umno-BN," he said. In an SMS tonight, PAS central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said "definitely no" when asked if the ban would deter party members from participating in the rally, adding that Hishammuddin should instead order the police to direct traffic and ensure public safety on July 9. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang described the ministry's decision tonight as politically motivated and questioned why an identical clampdown was not imposed to thwart Perkasa and Umno Youth's rally plans. "Why no similar declaration on Umno Youth and Perkasa who were even more irresponsible in provoking a situation of tension and hatred? I do not think any right-minded person can accept this declaration," he told The Malaysian Insider. He added that by banning Bersih 2.0, the government was declaring to Malaysians that fighting for free and fair elections is an unlawful act. PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said it was no surprise that Hishammuddin had decided to ban Bersih 2.0 since the latter had already declared the coalition's signature yellow T-shirts as illegal earlier this week. "The T-shirt ban was using Section 7 of the ISA (Internal Security Act) and needs gazetting before it can be enforced. Clearly, the ministry has no regard for the laws in this country. "[Hishammuddin] and (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) might as well declare Malaysia a police state since they are allowing mindless zealots — Perkasa and various other Umno-sponsored silat groups — to run amok all over the country while blatantly clamping down against any related Bersih individuals using all state apparatus and agencies at their behest," she said in an SMS to The Malaysian Insider.

Hisham outlaws Bersih 2.0

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 07:47 AM PDT

The Malaysian Insider
July 02, 2011 KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Electoral reforms movement Bersih 2.0 has been declared illegal by the Home Ministry effective July 1 for causing "an atmosphere of unrest," a week before its planned July 9 rally. The ministry issued a four-paragraph statement outlining the reasons for the ban by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. It gave three reasons for the banning of the movement, adding it was an unregistered group despite fulfilling all criteria to form an organisation under the Societies Act 1966. The reasons given for the ban are: i) Being active and sparking an atmosphere of unrest and worry among the multiracial community in the country; ii) Spreading propaganda to incite the people to topple the government by distributing certain leaflets; iii) Its activities have given a bad image to the country, which can threaten and undermine public order, security, economy and country's sovereignty and affect the harmony of the multiracial community. "Because of this, the home minister has declared the Bersih 2.0 organisation as going against the law under Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966 effective July 1, 2011," read the statement signed by Registrar of Societies Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman. Shortly after the declaration, PKR vice-president N. Surendran came out to condemn Hishammuddin's action as unlawful, and added that it was also unconstitutional as the Federal Constitution allowed the freedom of association. "How can a movement for fair elections be a threat to security? How can a peaceful assembly with a noble, democratic purpose be a threat to public order?" he asked in a statement tonight. The human rights lawyer then said PKR wants the government to revoke the order and free all those held for involvement in Bersih. Bersih 2.0 is a coalition of 62 groups seeking electoral reforms to provide for free and fair elections. It has planned a rally on July 9 in the capital city to press for its eight demands, but police have said it will not allow any demonstrations on the day. At least two other groups — Perkasa and Umno Youth — have said they will mount counter-protests against the Bersih rally. The Najib administration has used state-run media and special sermons during Friday prayers at mosques yesterday to criticise the Bersih rally, which is the second such demonstration asking for electoral reforms. The first in 2007 saw an estimated 50,000 people take to the streets in the capital city before they were dispersed by riot police armed with water cannons and tear gas. Bersih 2.0 expects a higher turnout this year due to more widespread publicity courtesy of social media. Pakatan Rakyat parties have ordered their members to support the rally, with PAS asking its one-million members to turn up on July 9. Several rallies in support of Bersih are also being planned in major cities across the world on that day.

Sungai Siput MP, five PSM members held under emergency law

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 07:44 AM PDT

By Shannon Teoh and Melissa Chi
July 02, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Police have re-arrested Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and five other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members for 60 days under the Emergency Ordinance, which allows for detention without trial. The six were due in the Butterworth courts this morning as a seven-day remand order had expired after their arrest for promoting the Bersih rally last week. It is understood that the six have been sent to the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters. Twenty-four others held with them were brought to the courts today. They are being represented by senior lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah, a former Bar Council president. Police have arrested more than 100 people this past week in connection with the Bersih rally, declaring its yellow T-shirt illegal. The latest to be arrested was Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu last night. PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan told The Malaysian Insider that the six individuals were immediately re-arrested following their release from the Kepala Batas police station earlier today, and claimed they are being held on "fabricated charges". "This is a Bersih clampdown. I think the arrest of the six shows that this is the consequences for people doing a normal campaign. This is how the government uses this draconian law," he said. He said several lawyers have volunteered to file habeas corpus writs on behalf of the detainees, with some already waiting at the Bukit Aman police headquarters. On its website, PSM also listed the litany of allegations arrayed against its member, holding these as evidence the police were being used as a political tool by the government. These ranged from minor infractions such illegal assembly to allegations as grave as "waging war against the King". "These highly inconsistent charges only go out to show mala-fide behind the arrests and subsequent detention of the PSM political activists," it said. The party then demanded the unconditional release of all its arrested members

Najib blasts Ambiga, PAS over Bersih rally

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 07:38 AM PDT

The Malaysian Insider
July 02, 2011 PASIR PUTIH, July 2 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak lambasted Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and PAS for the planned July 9 rally, telling people here the Islamist party will do anything to capture Putrajaya. The electoral reform movement has called for a rally to press for free and fair elections but the Najib administration is taking all measures to stop the demonstration which is a repeat of a 2007 rally that drew some 50,000 people in Kuala Lumpur. "Who doesn't know Ambiga. She's the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu," Najib (picture) told a 20,000-strong crowd, referring to the Bersih chief who once took up a case involving the faith and the new PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu. The prime minister is in Kelantan for a day-long visit. Najib's remarks were carried by Radio Malaysia news at 1pm. The station also played public service clips against the rally and praising the prime minister as leader of all Malaysians. Najib said Mohamed was willing to be deputy to Ambiga as a means to get power for PAS, which has ruled Kelantan since 1991. The PAS No. 2 is no longer in Bersih although the party supports the movement. Bersih, comprising 62 groups, has vowed to continue with the rally although police has said it will not issue permits. The government has also issued a special sermon for Friday prayers yesterday to criticise the rally apart from state-run media castigating the protest without specific reference to Bersih or the rally date. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday there would be no more room for discussions, and warned the organisers — Bersih, Perkasa and Umno Youth — to be prepared to be arrested if they did not abort their respective rallies. Bersih has asked the police to suggest different routes and directions for the three groups on July 9 to ensure that its rally goes off without a hitch. Among others, the group is demanding that the government ensure a clean and fair general election, reforms in the postal voting system and an extended campaign period of at least 21 days. The first rally, also organised by Bersih, was held in 2007 and saw some 50,000 people take to the capital's streets. The gathering eventually descended into chaos when the police deployed tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators.

Usah berdalih Black Iskandar ... NIEI pun ada kaitan CIA

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 03:25 PM PDT

Pembangkang demo depan di Bukit Aman malam ini?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 12:32 PM PDT

Waris Rashid Maidin kesal heret namanya diheret dengan perhimpunan haram Bersih

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 11:32 AM PDT

Najib,outlaws Bersih...

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 10:11 AM PDT

The Registrar of Societies has declared Bersih - or The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections - an unlawful organisation effective from Friday, said ROS director-general Abdul Rahman Othman.

According to Abdul Rahman, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had made the order under Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966.

In a statement out on Saturday, Abdul Rahman said Bersih had been creating unease and tension amongst the people. He accused Bersih of spreading pamphlets urging Malaysians to topple the BN government.

The ROS also said Bersih's activities were harmful and had dented the country's image, threatening public order, security, economic prosperity and national sovereignty.

Afraid of the people, ban is unconstitutional and void

In an immediate reaction, Pakatan Rakyats leader slammed the order. "This shows how afraid BN is of the people," said PKR vice president Tian Chua. Unlike BN, Pakatan supports the rally and have been accused of hiding behind Bersih to further its political cause.

Bersih is actually an umbrella body of 62 NGOs, each registered in its own capacity.

According to human rights lawyer N Surendran, the ban was void and unconstitutional and Hisham had abused his powers. Surendran, also a PKR vice president demand the order be revoked immediately, and all who had been arrested for Bersih-related activities be released.

"We strongly condemn the act of the Home Minister in declaring Bersih unlawful under s.5 Societies Act 1966. How can a movement for fair elections be a threat to security? How can a peaceful assembly with a noble democratic purpose be a threat to public order?" Surendran said in a statement late on Saturday evening.

"The order made by the Minister is void and unconstitutional. S.5 Societies Act is in flagrant breach of Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution which guarantees the rakyat's freedom of association. The Minister also abused his powers in issuing the order as his motives were political and intended to stifle criticism against the BN govt. We demand that the order be revoked immediately and all those arrested in relation to Bersih be released at once."

Fears a people's uprising especially amongst the Malays

Bersih, an elections watchdog body, had planned to gather citizens in a march on July 9 to deliver a memorandum to the King, demanding the implementation of 8 electoral reforms before the next general election.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, however, fears the rally may spark a people's uprising against his BN coalition, especially amongst the Malays, the BN's traditional voter base. There is also speculation that he is unwilling to make any electoral changes as he believes BN may lose federal power if the free and fair elections were carried out.

This is not the first time that BN has resorted to outlawing a people's movement to cut down on political dissent. In 2008, it outlawed the Indian Hindraf movement and detained 5 of its leaders under the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

source:malaysia chronicle

Hisham isytihar BERSIH 2.0 pertubuhan haram

Pakatan condemns Bersih 2.0 ban

Pakatan: Fitnah KDN mahu halang Himpunan Bersih 2.0

Mungkin Bomoh Siam Akan Diguna Untuk Halang Bersih

cheers.

Najib’s ‘Ali Baba’ government

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

"Ali Baba" in the Malaysian business world is a term normally used to describe main-contractors who grab contracts and then pass them down to other companies, normally after pocketing a nice profit without lifting a finger.

And Najib Razak is arguably the biggest "Ali Baba" practitioner in Malaysia.

It is not just the dirt flying high and low from the purchase of the Scorpene submarines, for which French authorities are now investigating kickbacks to his his friend Razak Baginda's Perimekar but the "Ali Baba" practice also extends to the way he governs Malaysia.

Right now, Najib Razak has sub-contracted the governing of Malaysia to his cousin, Hishamuddin Hussein, UMNO roughneck-groups such as Perkasa, and the Inspector-General of Police.

In Najib's ying-and-yang concept of reality, only good things should be associated with him. All the rest of the manure and faeces should be thrown over to the 'hired help'.

More likely than not, Najib learnt this skill during his days of thunder in 1987-1989, when as UMNO Youth chief, he led an illegal assembly in Kampung Baru. And to his everlasting shame, it was there that he uttered the promise to "bathe this Keris with Chinese blood".

Not the sort of press you would want when you are prime minister. And Najib has learnt through the years to hunger for the limelight. His ego, never small, has ballooned thanks to encouragement from his equally wants-to-be-loved spouse, Rosmah Mansor.

During the Sarawak Election of April 2011, whenever Najib was in town, the authorities went to great pains to maximise his airtime without Chief Minister Taib Mahmud in the picture. On most walk-abouts and BN rallies, Taib was intentionally left out so that Najib could be the people's hero.

This preoccupation with maintaining a "good" image has hampered his inability to lead as a leader. Of course, there are those who say it is not just about good image but that it only shows Najib is a political coward and incapable of making decisions.

Be that as it may, Najib will only be seen making the 'good' and 'right' decisions. He can only be seen playing 'good guy' and no viliian roles for him. Hence, the directive by the authorities to tar the Bersih march as an "illegal rally".

Wilder than Bigfoot

Bersih 2.0 can be credited for letting loose some of the wildest and most absurd stories imagNot even inable, even outshining the one-time idea that Bigfoot was running wild in the wilderness of Johor.

The nation has gone crazy under the weight of the UMNO 'spin' and its media apparatus have released just about everything it has to demonize and paint the Bersih march black.

The Malaysian police have cooked up a story that Communist elements are making a comeback to mainstream politics in Malaysia. Cuba would be happy to hear this. It is also worth noting that China, which Najib now professes to admire, has just celebrated the 90th anniversary of its communist party. So what sort of mixed signals is Najib sending?

Really, it is waste of time figuring out because it is just an excuse. Who wants to be slowed down by being a Commie in this day and age? Only Cuba is still staunchly holding onto the idealism of Communism to the hilt. Even China has converted itself into a form of Capitalistic-Communism whereby they now have a growing number of filthy rich businessmen eager to take on the world economy. But really, that is not the point for Najib and the Malaysian authorities.

The fact is they really lack the grey matter that usually resides in the cranium. Penang police grabbed whatever excuse they could lay their hands on and to make it even more offensive, the court upheld their decision to save them embarrassment. Not a thought was spared to the 30 ethnic Indian activists who have to suffer the rotten conditions of the police lock-ups. Is this not institutionalised bullying and racism?

The real bad guys

Then, the questioning of national laureate A Samad Said by the police under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967, which relate to unlawful assembly. Such a move should be viewed as an attempt to gag all writers in Malaysia.

So far, the actions taken by Najib, his cousin Hishammuddin and the police mirror those by Communist forces in Russia, China and the Khmer Rouge, which went to great lengths to imprison and murder not just writers and poets. But also thinkers, political activists, dissidents and basically anyone who got in their way.

At a time when Malaysia is going through intellectual-bankruptcy, censorship will only backfire. It won't help in the efforts to build a knowledgeable and smart society. Instead, the Government of Malaysia has created an environment that repels intellectuals and induces fear in all artisans.

And a nation that stifles and kills its artisans is a nation without a soul.

A nation that confines its writers, poets and thinkers is a nation empty and void of any substance.

It is an empty shell of a society, without any sparkle of ingenuity or inspiration.

Tell us if we are wrong. Is it not then, the supporters of Bersih who are not acting like Communists but rather the police under instructions from a running-scared prime minister and UMNO-BN government.

Yoda from the Jedi Council and Harry Potter's twin brother

UMNO-owned Utusan newspaper has found it convenient to blame Christians for supporting Bersih 2.0. After demonizing Bersih chief Ambiga Sreenevasan as anti-Islam, the UMNO-owned newspaper reported that the group calling for electoral reforms was being funded by foreigners such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation from Germany and the Canadian Allied Foundation.

How Utusan made the connection between Christians and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Canadian Allied Foundation is beyond reason. It is like saying Yoda from the Jedi Council in Star Wars was Harry Potter's twin brother.

Yet, the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre too had strong ties with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The MSRC was formed by Razak Baginda, Najib's good friend and alleged proxy in the purchase of RM7 billion Scorpene submarines. He was also controversially acquitted of abetting in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a beautiful 28-year old translator who allegedly was also mistress to both the men.

Once again, Utusan and Najib have shot themselves in the foot. From stirring racial and religious tensions to spinning outright lie, both are now disgraced. At least Utusan is just a tool, a hireling. Whereas Najib is the the PM, the leader of the nation. Who should be responsible when the chips are tallied up.

The same goes for IGP Ismail Omar and Hisham too, despite the blood ties. For should there be tragedy or bloodshed, Malaysians won't allow anyone to get away anymore. So think carefully, do not blindly follow orders. And to those who issue, do not be too sure you won't be held be responsible just because you delegated the bad-guy role to your juniors.

Monsters in just 2 years

And while the nation crashes and burn under all the UMNO madness, where is Najib Razak the Prime Minister who spun the 1Malaysia slogan? Where is Najib Razak as the Prime Minister for all Malaysians?

Sad to say, he has disappeared amid the madness. The Najib administration has effectively removed all forms of civil rights belonging to the citizens of Malaysia as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.

In his by-now twisted mind, Najib feels justified to take away these liberties in exchange for his stay in power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Imagine, it only took 2 years or so to create such monsters in Najib and Rosmah. What would happen if they were allowed to stay on?

- Malaysia Chronicle

Bersih and the aftermath

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Vetrivel

These are the events surrounding Bersih and the aftermath that we expect will happen.

As with my previous experience during the Hindraf rally, here are few tips and information on how the government will handle the rally, the participants and public relations as well as conclude it.

Buses were stopped by the numbers all over Malaysia. Any bus moving out from south or north were held and checkpoints by police from various states and taken away from questioning. Even those who were heading for weddings and receptions were not spared.

People were checked randomly and even police checked handphone messages and SMSes as well as bags, and in some cases harassed people into admitting they are attending the rally.

Newspapers/media go to extreme conclusion to vilify anything to do with the rally.

The police will appear like clowns as they start random arrest of people and give the most ridiculous reasons: This time they have already started the circus with trumped-up charges which will not stick. (Remember the terrorist link to Hindraf which was supposed to be part of the LTTE in Sri Lanka?)

Massive roadblocks not only to KL but the whole of Malaysia as well. All highway entry points around Klang Valley will be monitored, KTM stations, LRT stations (maybe even shut down). Minimum three blocks for a 45km distance (for example, Kesas — one block per toll).

Frighten, create fear, chaos, use all means necessary till the day of the event.

On the day of event (which happened on November 25, 2007):

1. People started to move one night before but were stopped from entering KL. People denied stay in hotels and all cars were checked, people patted down and phones checked.

2. The group that decided to go and wait in Batu Caves (as a sanctuary waiting for dawn) were the most unfortunate. They were locked inside the temple gates and sprayed with chemical water. Over 2,000 of them were stuck inside and even after the rally they were not released till nightfall!

3. Divide and rule: Police swarming all over the city to block groups gathering and becoming bigger. This will be used again. Those who tried to reach KLCC were blocked at Jalan Ampang and never could join the main rally.

There were two versions of the rally — one on the other side of the city (Jalan Ampang/Jalan Tun Razak/Gombak/Sentul/Jalan Pudu/Jalan Cheras) and the other which was at KLCC and areas surrounding it. The cops and Rela manage to break the crowd into even smaller crowds and attacked them easily. The cases of those arrested were from the Jalan Ampang side (which was the smaller group) and easy to handle. The KLCC side had hardly any arrest being made due to the sheer size of the crowd.

The bigger crowd around KLCC was broken up by chemical water and the best weapon was teargas. Hundreds of teargas canisters were fired which make people run helter-skelter and easily broke them up.

4. Not to forget, the helicopters flying extremely low to intimidate as well as give information to the cops/Rela on best locations to attack and disperse the crowd.

5. Provoke first blood. The rally was extremely peaceful and people sat down near KLCC by the thousands and patiently listened to speeches when sudden showers of teargas fell onto a peaceful crowd. Menacing batons, AK47s and marching police armed to create violence among a crowd with old people, women as well as handicapped people. Do they care?

6. Time and again the organisers controlled the crowd and got them back into submitting peacefully to walk and give the memorandum. But every time they gathered the people, they became easy targets for water cannons and teargas. Teargas stung like crazy. It choked the people like inhaling fireworks and caused nausea, difficulty in breathing as well as lots of tears and phlegm. Those sitting were stampeded upon and became easy targets again.

7. How or why police got hurt as claimed? Nobody knows but be prepared for gory pictures of policemen being hit by stones or any retaliation by the rakyat to make the news.

8. No damage at all. But be prepared for news claiming millions were lost to damage and even more due to loss of business. Get ready for images of massive damage for the government to claim: " I told you so."

9. Eventually it may take hours for the rally to be over: But expect mass arrests, do not retaliate against the police, surrender peacefully. They are looking for people who fight back, they want to provoke and will provoke.

10. Take photos. These are evidence. We had Lau Weng San (now assemblyman for KampungTunku) who did maverick work and had excellent proof of police brutality.

11. International news networks and journalists will cover this event, nevertheless the government will give say everything is "OK".

12. Special Branch infiltration. There will be many Special Branch officers who will be part of the rally and even may get arrested and go to jail. That's their job, to gather information and infiltrate. Be prepared for these people. They maybe of any race. Hindraf claims one such person even became one of the main leaders who headed the group and was ready for even ISA.

Aftermath

• Expect the government to claim victory because i) the memorandum not delivered ii) a smaller crowd than expected iii) only some people from a certain community came for the rally iv) participants were unruly v) haram is the keyword

• Expect massive arrests and expect people to be charged unscrupulously

• Expect the ISA

• Expect demonisation of rakyat

• Expect the unexpected.

* Vetrivel reads The Malaysian Insider.

“Yellow, Yellow, Dirty Fellow.”

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 08:24 AM PDT

Yellow washes whiter than white. So why are some people turning it into a dirty colour?

Some two decades ago, I was in high school. And in my school, houses were named after past headmistresses who had greatly contributed to it. If you were in the red house, for example, you were Shirtliffe. If you were in the yellow one, you'd be Cooke. There were also Maclay for blue, Prouse for purple and Green for, well, you know.

Being competitive when it came to sport, each house would have a specially prepared jeer or taunt reserved for the rest. For instance, detractors of Shirtliffe — the house I was undemocratically shoved into — would chant this at members of that house:

"Red, red, botak head."

And if you were a Cookie, you'd get this gem instead:

"Yellow, yellow, dirty fellow."

I can't speak for the rest of the students but I actually wanted to be in Cooke house because the jeer was so… nothing. I mean, if this was all about sport, what was so nasty about being dirty? In fact, if you were dirty, you were probably good at sport.

Cooke House cheerleaders, back in the day. | Source: Wikipedia

Yellow is a great colour. It's bright. It's happy. It's classic and tasty. Pacman is yellow. The smiley icon is yellow. For crying out loud, nasi kunyit is yellow. At my wedding, I had sunflowers everywhere and everybody knows they're yellow. My invites were a mustard shade. Actually, so was my son when he was born. Nothing some ultraviolet light didn't fix, of course, but he didn't look too bad, jaundiced.

When Coldplay first burst into the music scene with "Yellow", I had it playing on loop for almost two weeks. In fact, I decided to eat only yellow foods for a week after that. You know, durian, egg noodles, yellow peppers and zucchini, egg yolk, bananas. My then-boyfriend was very quiet that same week. Must have been racking his brain for a covert way to halo out of this psycho's apartment.

But if you think I was bizarre, what do you call all that fanfare surrounding the Bersih rally? How about Cirque De Strange? Because for a movement whose objective is to ask for fair elections, there sure is an excessive amount of artillery directed at it. First, the police was summoned to crackdown on ground activities leading up to the rally. Then the army was suggested. Round about the same time, the ISA was hinted at.

Then it got exponentially stranger even as it got a lot scarier.

Suddenly, Mao Sze Dong was behind the rally with Jesus funding it from abroad. Then the YPDA was under attack with possibly self-detonating pamphlets and t-shirts that fired implosive bullets. Meanwhile, the Goldsteins of the world were dragged into the fracas when the Head of the Organising Committee was labelled an anti-Islamic agent of Jews. Even the Silat body of Malaysia decided that Malaysia needed saving from the Yellow Shirt Brigade and offered to do a silat demonstration on participants of the rally.

To be honest, I had to sit down for a while to figure out how everything linked and why scaremongering tactics were being employed to such a feverish extent. After a quick search on the Internet, I came to this:

"Politicians, more than anyone else, understand this [read: Fear] as a fundamental characteristic of human beings. They cultivate it and exploit it as fully as possible. Whether we speak of a Warfare State, like the United States, or of a Welfare State, as exists in France and Quebec, both types use fear to keep their populations in check. If it is true that modern democracies are dependent on public opinion, it is equally true that public opinion in turn is largely dictated by fear." [Source]

After a few ohms, however, I arrived at this:

"Fear trips up those with much to lose, and logic becomes collateral damage."

In other words, even as politicians choose to utilise Fear to control the population, they are themselves victims of Fear itself. And it all comes down to Power. Fear wants to retain Power in the grip of its Master, so Fear over-cranks the Accusation lever to destroy its Master's nemesis. What is good is heavy-handedly painted out as bad. What is clean, painted black. What is a t-shirt, tagged seditious. "Yellow, yellow, dirty fellow!"

Along the way, every little thing related to the object of Fear would be subjected to an overly fertile imagination. Bringing about hallucinations that could make a hardcore druggie proud. I for one am personally waiting for an announcement that beyond yellow shoes, buses, cars and t-shirts, grass is banned because anything green has components of blue AND yellow in it.

The thing is, Fear is what needs to be kept in check before it breeds a kind of addictive greed for continuous power. Before it births Fascism. Before it transforms into an unforgiving Bully and a desperate and blind one at that. Oftentimes in its desperation, Fear can forget to make sense. In its blindness, it can fail to see that the common Man still has its faculties intact, and can reason things out. It ignores the fact that even as it causes its host to lose its marbles, it compels others to pay special attention to bullshit.

If Wisdom still lurks somewhere in the cavities of their heads, leaders will rise above Fear and use this moment of truth to prove their worth. To do this, sacrifices must be made. To accomplish this, admissions must be made and fuzzy logic, abandoned. Take for example, the popular argument in Malaysia that the EC is fair as it is because the Opposition won a few states with the current system in 2008. This is fuzzy logic in sheep's skin. Just because the Opposition had won, it doesn't mean cheating hadn't occurred. In fact, victory was achieved despite fraud at play. Wisdom would see that this is true.

Any ruling party that feels, after decades of power, that it's still the best choice for the people compared to the Opposition, needs to let go.

Yes, let go.

Stepping down defies the Ego but it is cleansing, humbling and ultimately empowering. For years, now, we've heard about internal factions plaguing our very own ruling party from the inside. Here's the deal though: You can spend an obscene amount of money on PR to try and cover up the flaws but the Truth always finds a way to creep out. It's the same with products. If you're a car that doesn't run well, no amount of advertising dollars is going to prop you up. As more and more people experience you, they'll conclude for themselves that you're a dud and duds just don't live very long in a free market economy. Think of it this way — the Rakyat is there to keep the government honest just as Consumers are there to keep a product or service honest. Wisdom, would appreciate this.

I personally feel that any ruling party that has ruled for a long time and is losing its potency, should allow itself to crumble. This way, the bad apples can make way for sincere nation-builders to rise to the top, whatever rot there is can be arrested, and the party, healed.

Sacrifice the limelight if only to regroup and give others a chance to make a difference until you're ready to come back.

Admit to your faults and take that first step towards healing.

Rise out of the pit that has darkened your vision and noble manifesto over time.

Reject the Black of self-deception and return to the light.

That bright, yellow light.

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Posted by Lisa Ng on 2 July 2011. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry.

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