By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 29, 2011
PUTRAJAYA, June 29 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today T-shirts with messages in support of Bersih have been outlawed because they were related to an illegal assembly.
“The Bersih T-shirt is related to an illegal assembly, then whatever they are wearing is illegal,” he told reporters.
Police officers have been arresting activists and opposition members wearing Bersih T-shirts ahead of next weekend’s rally and counter rallies organised by Umno Youth and Perkasa, all of which the government has said will not be given police permits.
However, the Bersih organisation has not been declared illegal nor has the word “Bersih” been gazetted as such.
Hishammuddin did not mention today under what law the T-shirts would be considered illegal.
Speaking at a press conference here, he also rejected claims that the police clampdown on those supporting the July 9 march for electoral reforms was politically motivated.
“On whose part? I can ask the same thing to them,” he said, implying that it was Pakatan Rakyat (PR) who were politicising police action related to the Bersih rally.
The Umno vice president also promised that action will be taken against the Umno Youth members who had surrounded the PKR headquarters on Monday, when they allegedly threatened to burn down the office.
“I told the police to treat them as with Bersih. Nobody is above the law,” he said.
Police officers have also raided the Bersih office in Petaling Jaya today, according to steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah.
She told reporters here in Parliament that 20 policemen were currently raiding the premises, and claimed that a search warrant was not issued prior to the raid.
Activists under Bersih and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties are gearing up for the rally this July 9, the second such gathering calling for electoral reforms.
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 dispersed, however, and resulted in chaos when the police deployed tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators.
The historic event has been partly credited for PR’s record gains in Election 2008, when the opposition pact was swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.
#1 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 2:56 pm
Instead of ensuring security n orderliness 4 rakyat 2 exercise their fundamental democratic rights 2 express their wishes of a clean election system, d UmnoB/BN gomen is acting unreasonable n suppressing rakyat by all means
Wearing yellow T-shirts is now a crime, by what logic n whose authority, we wonder
What a SHAM, which is in his name
Many schools r having their sports days, wonder if students fr YELLOW HOUSE can now wear their yellow T-shirts
Let’s all wear yellow T-shirts n C what d polis can do
Don’t b surprised he n his cousin will hold unsheathed keris soon n yelled 4 d bloood of Bersih; history tends 2 repeat itself
#2 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:14 pm
Kerismuddin:
“….then whatever they are wearing is illegal,” he told reporters.”
Hishammuddin, has anyone ever told u you are not smart at all.
Now, all of BERSIH’s Phua-Chu-Kang yellow boots, yellow underwear, yellow socks are all illegal.
Smart boy… woof, woof.
#3 by monsterball on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:17 pm
I have never heard of a more ridiculous law as this.
They are afraid millions will wear and Malaysians can see the wind of change against them.
It is another cover up that millions of Malaysians are against them that they don’t want others to know….and loose more votes.
#4 by DAP man on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:18 pm
Even before the BERSIH rally BN has lost huge number of votes.
#5 by Taikohtai on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:26 pm
Looks like UMNO’s top brass have turned yellow themselves. What happened to their feared krises? Seems no one is afraid of them anymore eh? Instead they call on their [deleted] to do their dirty jobs when they should be patrolling the streets.
And UMNO youth members not so brave after all but preferring to hide behind the police line eh? C’mon, you want to govern the country or display your sissy side only?
This is just a battle and when the WAR is finally declared, nothing is going to stop the next TSUNAMI coming Putrajaya’s way!
#6 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:30 pm
Remember:
“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me” – Martin Niemöller
Note: Replace “Jew”, “Communist”, n “trade unionist” with “PR”, “Bersih”, n “Yellow T-shirt”
Members of MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP, etc – Y so silent like church mice? Burning your yellow T-shirts n undies?
“D smallest minority on earth is d individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim 2 b defenders of minorities.” – Ayn Rand
#7 by Loh on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:34 pm
The law on sedition act against people who could cause security risk by his words or actions. If the Bersih T-shirks have printed words that could cause security risk, wearing it could have legal implications. But if the words printed on the T-shirks cannot be said to be seditious, then the statement of the Home Minister to declare that the T-shirks are illegal has no legal basis, and it is ridiculous.
The home minister should explain how the Bersih T-shirks have become illegal.
#8 by rahmanwang on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 3:59 pm
holy rubbish.
My family & I was given a t-shirt by Breeze advertising BREEZE Bersih.
If we wear it will we be arrested?
#9 by jus legitimum on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 4:12 pm
These Umno goons are really good for nothing,forever abusing their power.How on earth wearing a yellow T-shirt is deemed illegal?People all over the country should wear yellow shirts or T-shirts starting today and see what these idiots can do.Why all the eunuchs MCA,Gerakan and MIC hiding under the Umno sarong are keeping so bloody quiet?
#10 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 4:30 pm
Hello Hishammuddin, cukup ke ruang penjara untuk beratus-ratus ribu orang BERSIH?
You are mishandling such a simple event….proving u just don’t have class-lah.
Maybe, you could help finish BN lebih cepat if you arrest more people everyday. Tak cukup-lah arrest 10 or 20 people a day. The rally is going ahead no matter what. So you must start arresting people by the thousands daily, otherwise they will all march on July 9.
Take the advice, bro. Good luck to BN.
#11 by Cinapek on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 5:16 pm
The colour of the national football team’s jersey is yellow.
So Hisham, how?
#12 by bclee on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 6:11 pm
Our King should come out and said something because YELLOW IS ROYAL COLOR. how can you ban yellow color! Hisap pudin has insulted the Sultan. under which law???
#13 by Loh on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 - 6:25 pm
Article 10 (1) (b) states: all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;
Article 10 (1) (a) states that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;
The police may issue any regulations which are not in conflict with the constitution. The constitution offers all citizens the right to assemble, and the police cannot have any regulations to deny people their application for the convenience to assemble. Hishsmuddin should realize that the so-called permit that the police is supposed to issue relates only to police arrangement for ensuring that the assembly turns out peaceably. The people are free to assemble even if the police do not make necessary arrangements. The persons assembled may be charged for any reasons, such as in violation of traffic rules and the like but they cannot be charged for the reason that the assembly is illegal, since there is no law in the land to declare that people do not have the right to assemble. The police is clearly failing in its duties if it was not able to serve the people to exercise their rights provided by the constitution. The police could have imposed reasonable conditions so that the assembly could be conducted peaceably, but it cannot deny people the services such that the assembly could be conducted. Indeed the issuance of the permit is the indication that the police would do its work professionally. In denying the permit, it only means the police is shirking its responsibilities and the people are to fend for themselves without police protection. The assembly would still be peaceably if the police stay in the barracks, but the Home Minister intends to disrupt the meeting with police chasing the people now that he has declared illegally that the people are not allowed to assemble. The home minister violated the constitution in declaring the assembly illegal.
#14 by Joshua on Thursday, 30 June 2011 - 6:59 am
Illegal leaders had gone worst in all ways and we need to save the nation from further rot..
Royal Commission of Inquiry on Election Commission is the only way to stop the rot..
http://fresh-air-in-iggg.blogspot.com/
#15 by on cheng on Thursday, 30 June 2011 - 9:17 am
will it come a day, that they made all schoolkids, army, police, undergrad, teachers, uniforms etc carry a UMNO logo,