By The Malaysian Insider
July 06, 201
JULY 6 — The circumstances surrounding the July 9 Bersih rally have been changing since the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin issued a rare edict and met both the prime minister and Bersih leaders.
Somethings haven’t changed. Bersih is still outlawed. Wearing their yellow T-shirt with the word Bersih will land you in the lock-up.
Government agencies like Stadium Merdeka are waiting for the Cabinet to direct them whether to accept Bersih’s application. The police are waiting for Bersih’s application which must state the venue.
And now Datuk Seri Najib Razak is saying he didn’t promise to see Bersih over the rally and that it’s up to the police to decide whether the rally can proceed.
Is this a joke?
Can the government of the day stop stonewalling Bersih or waffling about where the electoral reform movement can have their rally? All this drama has made a mountain out of a molehill and makes the royal audience yesterday just a scene from a farce.
Last anyone checked, Najib is the prime minister and Malaysia is not a police state. That means he can order the police to issue a permit for a rally and tell the stadium authorities to host the event.
Take a large deposit. Impose conditions but don’t keep throwing up roadblocks to frustrate the rally. Enough has been done to snuff it out but it keeps getting bigger to the extent that it can actually realise Barisan Nasional’s nightmare of being booted out of Putrajaya in a free and fair election or actually, even in the next elections.
The government’s action today reveals that it might be having second thoughts or is getting cold feet about the Bersih rally. It also shows how insecure the Najib administration is over a coalition that just wants free and fair elections.
This insecurity and waffling have made them the butt of jokes and a source of anguish over the kind of leadership that exists in the country.
The King interceded and Bersih has acted in good faith to accept conditions put forward by Najib. It’s his turn to reciprocate and do the right thing.
Or confirm that this is a police state and let the citizens decide whether it should remain so in the next general elections.
The Najib administration can influence that decision by not treating Bersih as a joke. For the joke might be on the government later.
#1 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 8:22 pm
They are behaving like PETULANT CHILDREN. Except in the adult world its called TREASON and SEDITION…
#2 by novice101 on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 9:09 pm
Yes, this is a joke, but this joke will be on Najib!
#3 by voice2009 on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 9:11 pm
If inside not allow
How about outside
At least tried your best get inside but they don’t co-operate
Outside is quite near the request
#4 by novice101 on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 9:11 pm
“That means he can order the police to issue a permit for a rally and tell the stadium authorities to host the event.’
No he can’t because Ibrahim Ali says he can’t do this! And that’s an order!
#5 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 9:46 pm
If one studies the king’s edict carefully, the king has full confidence and high expectation on the PM to find a solution for the Bersih gathering. Now we have a joker PM who passed the stadium buck to cops.
#6 by hiro on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 10:20 pm
Perhaps the PM never really intended to grant any permit to Bersih 2.0, instead choosing just to get Bersih 2.0 off the streets so that even if the federal government reneges on the promise, the bet is Bersih will be sporting enough not to renege on its promise to the King. And perhaps the PM has further anticipated that Bersih will take to the streets again, that’s why the road blocks are still on.
But the PM should be aware that Malaysians will not soon forget this cynical maneuver obviously made in bad faith.
The PM should be reminded of the electoral consequence of the previous administration clamping down on the first pacifist Bersih walk. Don’t be influenced by self-serving advisors who could well be working for others, who will eventually delight in your downfall. If you push Bersih to a corner against the King’s advice, Bersih 2.0 will march on Saturday and you will only have yourself to blame for all the bad international press you will receive in the event of police brutality.
#7 by negarawan on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 11:05 pm
The use of ISA and police harassment against peaceful demonstrators and for wearing anything yellow is the way UMNO governs Malaysia, by use of brutal force, imprisonment, life threats, trumped-up charges. UMNO politicians can make highly seditious statements against other races and religions, no action taken. UMNO politicians can show pornographic video in public, no action taken. Anyone else holding a peaceful candlelight vigil, the police use brutal force and send them to prison, and then the corrupt judiciary charge them with fabricated charges. Is this UMNO corrupt and brutal government what we want? The world community needs to really know how brutal and corrupt UMNO is and impose worlwide sanctions on UMNO politicians, who are worse than Apartheid. Let’s vote UMNO out for a better and brighter Malaysia.
#8 by rockdaboat on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 11:54 pm
The people are really angry now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#9 by cseng on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 11:55 pm
The PM is hidding behind PDRM and permit, if PM could not face 8 sensible points of reform, this is a stupid joke.
If the PM dispence all his forces to bully Bersih, to do away with their rally, that is a dirty joke.
If even the King has to be roped in, Bersih agree to get into stadium, still they pee in the pants, that is no joke.
#10 by k1980 on Thursday, 7 July 2011 - 7:16 am
//Government agencies like Stadium Merdeka are waiting for the Cabinet to direct them whether to accept Bersih’s application.//
Don’t be surprised if jibby tells Bersih to build its own stadium for its own gathering. By the time the stadium is completed, the 13 GE is over with bn regaining its 2/3 majority.
The king should declare jibby and his gang as ‘derkaha’
#11 by best4rakyat on Thursday, 7 July 2011 - 8:43 am
What consequence for ‘liar’ who never keep words and promise?
It is going to be recorded in the history of Man soon the day come.
Just have another 48 hours to go and we see….!
Daulat Tuanku and I was making to learn YDPA our King is above all his subjects. except ‘King Of Kings’ where we are taught to praise for the truth and honesty without fear.
#12 by dagen on Thursday, 7 July 2011 - 8:45 am
Umno started a joke which started the whole world laughing. But umno clearly did not realise that the joke was on themselves.
#13 by balance88 on Thursday, 7 July 2011 - 10:23 am
If the other agencies like PDRM and MACC are so independent then why are there selective prosecutions. Opposition – everything must be by the law. BN- bend the law to suit them,
Clearly, the police is harassing the public with all the road blocks. Seems like the govt is making a mockery of our King. I thought our King acted sensibly on this issue and it was refreshing to see someone respected, like our King, out there with a clear head.
Our PM must understand that as a leader of the country, he has the final say on this. That is why you are the leader. You cannot chose to be leader when things are going well and chose not to be a leader when events are problematic preferring to pass the buck to someone else to be the fall guy.
And, please respect our King.
#14 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 7 July 2011 - 10:36 am
Is not joke. Its serious because we have found ourselves a government of ADOLESCENT – the worst kind, its about sheer immaturity, spoilt childish incompetence and stubborness and all that comes with it.
Failure is almost certainty and BN is the one doing it all by themselves. We handed the keys to the house and its run by wild children that have lost control of themselves and everything.
The country is in CLEAR and PRESENT DANGER – from BN. Treason, sedition, subversion of law and order by BN- Clearly NOTHING is off the table and in fact very likely, perhaps certainty.
WE ALREADY HAVE A COLLAPSE OF GOVERNMENT. The issue is not disorder but HOW to bring back order and it begins with getting rid of UMNO/BN..
#15 by Joshua on Friday, 8 July 2011 - 2:16 am
Putrajaya has been joking for 53 years as the illegal leaders run the nation down and out.
The people should take the blame as well for the complacency when the good times were around.
Now bad times are emerging and people feel the pinch albeit a bit late.
I had raised the storm of fraudulent GE2004 but that storm did not go far and wide.
It takes Bersih 2.0 to make the impact to bring the awareness of this storm on fraudulent elections across the nation and world now and so much so that the ugly head is appearing in every facit of the illegal Government which cannot be tolerated any longer.
So an Interim Good Governance Government should be installed in the nation now.