There is now the “smoking gun” proof of the conspiracy or complicity of Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Umno official organ, Utusan Malaysia, to subvert the 1Malaysia concept and destabilise Malaysia to justify a Operation Lalang2 crackdown on civil liberties with mass ISA arrests to prolong Umno hegemony.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin made the preposterous claim in Sabah when opening the Beaufort UMNO general meeting that Pakatan Rakyat is hiding behind the planned Bersih 2.0 rally with a plot to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) Goverment.
He alleged that the opposition’s agenda was to create a momentum among the people to hate the government by raising various issues beyond the call for clean and fair elections.
He warned: “They are trying to use street demonstrations against the government to achieve their road to Putrajaya,’’
Today, Utusan’s Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia warned that Pakatan Rakyat will use next month’s Bersih 2.0 rally to trigger an uprising similar to the popular protests which toppled Egypt’s Mubarak regime and now threatens governments in Libya, Syria and Yemen.
It alleged in its Maulana Arrif column that “those who intend to mass in the capital on July 9 to demand electoral reform have lost faith in democracy after realising they cannot win federal power through the ballot box”.
It warned: “Peace is no longer important to them. They want only to seize power and install their leader as Malaysia’s prime minister using whatever means possible.
“The enemies of Islam, both humans and syaitan-syaitan (devils), are working to aid them”
These allegations are as wild, irresponsible and reckless as the screaming front-page headline by Utusan Malaysia on 7th May 2011 raising the bogey of a DAP plot to create a Christian Malaysia – when there is no iota of evidence whatsoever and there has been no commensurate action against the perpetrators of such seditious and treasonous utterances after more than six weeks!
Pakatan Rakyat and its component parties of PKR, PAS and DAP are fully committed to the democratic process to bring about political change and the formation of a new federal government in Putrajaya via the ballot box and not by any extra-constitutional or undemocratic means.
It is UMNO and the UMNO leadership which must demonstrate its full commitment to the democratic process and unquestioned loyalty to the Malaysian constitution by declaring that they will fully accept the verdict of Malaysians through the ballot box – even if it means the end of Umno hegemony and Barisan Nasional rule with their replacement by a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government comprising PAS DAP and PKR in Putrajaya.
#1 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 4:41 pm
It has been clear since Muhyiddin became DPM that he is Mahathir’s proxy.
So whatever mahathir is, so is Muhyiddin: a mirror image.
Therefore, if malaysians do not want a repeat of the draconian, repressive adminsitration that when this “doctor was in the house”, then BN must be gven the boot.
When the doctor was in the house, the house went through murky depths, corruption mushroomed and mother of all cronyism gave birth.
Utusan is their mouthpiece. Najib doesn’t even know when the adder bites. behold, najib, the Ides of march is come.
#2 by Godfather on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 5:32 pm
We all know why they are fearful. They see what is happening with Hosni Mubarak and his family and cronies. They see what is happening with Ben Ali and his cronies. Soon they will see what will happen with Saleh and his cronies.
If any one of us is in UMNO’s shoes, we would be fearful too. The world today is such that they can run, but they know they can’t hide. We will find them.
#3 by limkamput on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 5:32 pm
Bersih rally participants must appoint among themselves a leader of every ten people or so. They must be completely disciplined and not be provoked into reaction no matter how unreasonable the provocateurs are. I believe if the people are discipline, steadfast and orderly, there is nothing much the police can do. 300,000 police can not control 27 million people if the people want to demonstrate their feeling/frustration to the world.
#4 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 7:30 pm
It is an evolving scenario of 5 aspects (1) ruling party is scared over developments in the Middle East (street demonstrations substituting ballot box as agent for change). (2) Opposition facing rigged electoral practices is stonewalled from winning (3) Also Anwar facing the state apparatus seemed to have no reprieve except leveraging what’s he best at – oratorical power over Reformasi crowd (4) since TDM’s exit there’s power vacuum in which power elites struggle for power; (5) convergence of Bersih, UMNO Youth and Perkasa on 9th July provides a security situation that even police acknowledges.
Theoretically a combination (1) to (5) provide classic opportunity for Bersih 2.0/Opposition support of it to be sacrificed as a perfect pretext/bogeyman notionally for a power grab by one group of elite to ease the other out on national security grounds. It has happened more than once before (only detailed facts events personalities are different but principle is the same) if the take on what happened on May 13 by the redoubtable RPK were to be believed!
#5 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 7:32 pm
Ambiga, a liberal, lawyer dedicated to laws. She thinks in terms of what “ought to be” (sure why have democratic elections if they are rigged?? So Bersih 2.0 – after Bersih 1 that galvanized enough support for Opposition to take 5 states in 308, so fear is imagine what Bersih 2 might achieve!) and not “what is” or “what may be” (Power is be all and end all a prize, with all due respect to Ku Li’s quote!). It is rough arena here. Too deep interests are vested in present system. Amiga genuinely will endeavour to play fair and have a peaceful crowd. She can control her side (yes) but what about the opposite side, can she control and is she naïve to think that she can? Playing fair and by the rules by the other side is not on the cards!
#6 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 7:40 pm
Amiga has no notion the kind of situation that she is creating that allows others to exploit. If people would adhere to democratic principles and rule of law there is no reason for Bersih to be organized in the first instance. After more than 50 years loss of power is not an option. As for as power grab this kind of factionalism has happened even before the 50 years; as far as using the pretext of national security and higher good of public and nation as an excuse for clamp down & power grab.
The idiom “smoking gun” is great. When a gun smokes it means incontrovertible evidence that the gun has fired. There is however another idiom – “Going up a Creek without a Paddle”, which it what Oppostion has to ruminate! When push turns to shove and (continuing the smoking gun metaphor), if (hypothetically) the gun really fires, then what shield has the Opposition against the bullet or Ambiga from being considered a collateral damage within a wider backdrop of ruthless power play – let alone weapon to retaliate? Moral Indignation & weapon? Does that suffice alone? Aren’t you up a creek without a paddle?
#7 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:02 pm
There is no question in my mind that Muhiyiddin is a closet extremist. Its not simply just a DPM playing his role of being the Malay-ultra flag-bearer vs the PM more moderate stand.
Muhiyiddin is lying literally in public – past DPM, including Mahathir, have said and demand things that are extreme playing to the ultra gallery but they did not lie. Muhiyiddin is the first one to lie. Mahathir actually lied only when he was PM (Suqiu incident e.g.) and Mahathir, at the end of it, now especially is still an extremist. Muhiyiddin is taking it one step further, further than anyone has ever done.
Muhiyiddin is not simply playing to the gallery. He is what he says he is because he is NOT that good. Furthermore, there is really no longer room for the ‘will do the moderate or right thing once I am in power’ approach. The national debate has moved on from the hypocritical ways.
Muhiyiddin is an extremist that will split this nation apart should he rise to the top position and lead this nation to ruins.
#8 by limkamput on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:23 pm
Sage, you know what, your greatest assumption in whatever you wrote is ceteris paribus. The renegades may try whatever means to stay in power, but the people, despite the ongoing indoctrination and coercion are not that dumb any more (hopefully). We shall see.
#9 by dagen on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 12:07 am
Oh come off it. We were not borned yesterday. We hv been through 12 GEs. We know what GE entails and above all the consequence of throwing sufficient votes behind the preferred candidate and party. The candidate will win and the party will rule. So we all know well that pakatan wants to win and to rule the country. Indications are strong that pakatan will in fact win in GE13. This is not an umno toppling exercise by pakatan. This is more like a rejection of umno by the people. Of course umno has grown much too arrogant to see the very marked diff between the two.
How can I put it simply? Listen umno. Get the hell out of putrajaya come GE13. Is that clear enough? So no guessing how I will vote huh? Oh boy i might as well be clear about. I will vote anyone but umno. So go and suck your thumb boy.
#10 by novice101 on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 3:18 am
It is plain to all that Muyhiddin is out to sabotage Najib but Najib is the only one blind to it.
Najinb has not even lift a finger against his deputy though Muyhiddin has not bothered to veil his intention. This really defies all logic, has Najib lost his courage and is prepared to surrender to Muyhiddin?
#11 by novice101 on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 3:21 am
It is plain to all that Muyhiddin is out to sabotage Najib but Najib is the only one blind to it.
Najib has not even lift a finger against his deputy though Muyhiddin has not bothered to veil his intention. This really defies all logic, has Najib lost his courage and is prepared to surrender to Muyhiddin?
#12 by passerby on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 3:57 am
Muyhiddin and Najib are playing:- head umno win and tail non-bumi lose. If you think there is anything in between you non-bumi, you must being big-head vegetable (dreaming).
The only think there fear is bersih and truth as is like the thieves of light.