By Emmanuel Joseph | July 08, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

JULY 8 — Every single Malaysian should be outraged .The government’s response on Bersih so far has been disappointing, rash, highly immature, overtly political and downright ridiculous. The response of enforcement agencies supposedly independent of the government appears to mimic this incredulous, fear-mongering answer to calls for what are essentially the right of every basic democracy — proper elections.

Objections to this peaceful rally has been prayerfully chanted every 30 minutes or so on television, condemning, and mocking this rally, almost as if Bersih was conjuring a merry band of thugs to terrorise the neighbourhoods of KL. The confiscation of Bersih-related items are also uncalled for and with little basis. What harm can yellow T shirts and logos do the country?

The police’s absurd and outlandish reaction by posting roadblocks across the capital is a gross waste of resources. Given our police force still cannot nab, say the Bangsar acid splasher, what good will manning 240 stations across the city do other than bring traffic to a near standstill? I remember an MCA leader proclaiming Bersih would stop ambulances in their tracks. Whose conscience would it be if someone died because of these desperately illogical actions?

The reason given is equally incredulous. Would not weapons be readily available at shops throughout the city? At all the roadblocks, was a single parang found? Are not these weapons readily available from shops in and around the city centre? What purpose did this serve other than to inconvenience the million or so residents living and working in the city?

How can a T-shirt possibly equate to reviving communism ? Have BN leaders walked around the Curve, Midvalley or Times Square? How many people wear caps, insignia and T-shirts with communist and Nazi logos? Are you going to arrest them all? If wearing a T-shirt with Chin Peng’s face on it is being influenced by communists, Umno should be hauled into jail as it not only has a close rapport with the Chinese Communist Party, their Youth wings have an active leaders exchange programme! Or does a different set of rules apply to different sides of the political fence? Clueless quarters are even trying to make communism a “Chinese problem”.

When last I looked, Rashid Maidin,Wahi Annuar, SA Ganapathy, and Abdullah CD were not Chinese. How is the colour yellow or a logo a national threat? Is a mere word with a cursive “I” more dangerous than a swastika or a hammer and sickle?

Despite the unjust nature hurdles thrown at them for simply wanting to exercise their democratic, fundamental right to assemble, both by the authorities and NGOs that appear to be aligned to those in power, even threats of physical violence, the organisers agreed to a compromise, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself granted them an audience. It was noticeable that Tuanku never used the word illegal to describe the rally.

Renegading on the earlier promise, the government has pressed on with this intimidation tactics to keep the people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly

How in any way does any of the eight points denote anything political or racial in nature? Yet, hopelessly they try to paint it out to be a political and racial issue. The political twist failed when it was pointed out that the committee was headed by non-politicians. Then they played the racial card by associating martial arts associations and such.

How can it be anti-Malay when two of the largest Malay-based parties support it, along with four National Laureates!

The government have succeeded only in turning a peaceful walk, not unlike a marathon or parade often held in the capital, into a full out militarised zone with arrests and seizures and threats of chaos and roadblocks. The city is in a virtual lockdown and it’s said to be worse tomorrow.

It appears, the government, and not Bersih, is perpetuating unrest and unease among peaceful Malaysians. This spectrophobic, xanthophobic, ablutophobic madness should stop. If we cannot be allowed to disagree, to assemble and to speak, are we still a democracy?

Please, stop this madness. We are your neighbours, your brothers and sisters, your friends. We are Malaysians, too.

* Emmanuel Joseph reads The Malaysian Insider.