By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 23, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders are bracing themselves for a possible repeat of the infamous 1987 Ops Lalang crackdown when election watchdog Bersih 2.0 stages its mass protest in the capital this July 9.
The leaders, many of whom were among those arrested during the crackdown, told a press conference today that they feared the government would again flex its muscles and embark on a spree to detain all leaders participating in the rally.
“As former Ops Lalang detainees, we must ask if they are preparing for an Ops Lalang 2,” said DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, one of the 1987 detainees.
PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said recent events surrounding the Bersih rally signalled the likelihood that the Najib administration could launch yet another dragnet to silence opposition dissent.
“I am worried. I am worried that (Bersih chairman Datuk) Ambiga Sreenavasan will be arrested under the Internal Security Act… and so will some other Bersih members and opposition politicians.
“It is like in 1987… whereby provocations that involved the prime minister himself (then Umno Youth leader) are the issues at hand but yet, the opposition becomes the scapegoat. Like me, many other representatives became victims at the time,” he told a press conference after attending a PR presidential council meeting in Parliament this afternoon.
Ops Lalang was launched on the morning of October 27, 1987 to clamp down on social activists and opposition politicians. Two dailies were also closed along with two weekly newspapers, and 106 people were arrested under the ISA, including Lim and his son, Guan Eng, who were both held for 18 months.
Earlier, Lim had urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and the entire BN Cabinet to join Bersih 2.0 in its march, which calls for free and fair elections.
Instead, Umno minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who is in charge of home affairs, said yesterday that the police would haul up Bersih leaders as well as those from Perkasa and Umno Youth, both of whom plan to hold separate rallies on July 9.
Today, Lim expressed disgust at Hishammuddin’s announcement, saying this ultimately meant that the Umno vice-president had failed to understand Bersih’s purpose.
“Bersih is proposing a peaceful rally. Bersih wants to see real democratic change in the country. Umno Youth has its own reasons but Perkasa has been making very provocative, seditious and treasonous statements… Ibrahim Ali has even declared himself a war general for preparing for bloodshed that day,” he said.
#1 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Thursday, 23 June 2011 - 10:40 pm
OH, oh…oh.
Father and son may just become cellmates again under ISA.
This time there may be more than 1 pair of father and son team.
YB LKS can share same cell as Karpal Singh and LGE can share same cell with Gobind Singh Deo.
But can you imagine, this may also be an epoch-making, historical moment for Malaysia. This may be the first time A Chief Minister of a state, the Pearl of the Orient no less, who may be incarcerated for speaking out for thwe freeedomms and liberties of the people
Wow! Malaysia Boleh. Najib juga Boleh. mahathir lebih Boleh. Muhyiddin ikut Boleh!
#2 by drngsc on Thursday, 23 June 2011 - 11:45 pm
Yes, we all fear that. The signals would seem to suggest that is likely. I hope not, but I fear the worse. An organisation in panic and pain, will strike out blindly. I do not know the pain of Ops Lallang. Never been there. I don’t look forward to it. But this pain, we must bear, for our king and our country.
It should make us all more resolved to march as we must on 9th July.
We need to change the tenant at Putrajaya.
#3 by bruno on Thursday, 23 June 2011 - 11:49 pm
Op’s Lallang is definitely in the works.The GOM is just waiting for the right timing to press the green button.They have to stirred up the tempo to another level to justified the guise of their stepping in.They have to be seen that their actions are a preventive one to safeguard the peace and security of the people and country.
Their paid mecenary type of goons will be going all out in the next days to achieved their masters objectives.Some physical things might happen too.What was initially seen as a peaceful rally or demonstration has now turned out to be a potential confrontation of two opposing groups.Umno and its affiliate NGO’s have turned this once seemingly peaceful rally into a very dangerous net sum zero game of no return.
In the eyes of the people and international observers the actions of this lowdown government of ours has sunk down below the standards of third world countries like Zimbabwe.It has dug its political grave so deep that a Bersih rally or not this coming GE, it will surely feel the people’s wrath and it will be totally decimated.
#4 by voice2009 on Thursday, 23 June 2011 - 11:59 pm
One of cronies commented AGONG is just a symbolise of Malaysia
It told us that they have no respect of rulers
It also told us they have no respect of citizenship rights
Have the BESIH success in 9 JULY
Bring Malaysia clean, fair, transparent election
Have a win in election by clean, justice, anti-corruption government administrators
Have those corrupted politicians to be charged of corruptions
Start the journey in 9 JULY
#5 by bruno on Friday, 24 June 2011 - 12:58 am
MS. Ambiga and her Bersih steering comittee has done a tremendous job in taking the fight for cleaning a corrupted EC to the doorsteps of the corrupted Umno government.Even before the widely announced rally date of July 9, 2011 is more than two weeks away,tremors can be felt at the war room of Umno’s party headquarters.
It has send shockwaves all across the nation and Umno warlords are now in a panicked mode.These warlords have reacted in a very negative way by hiring paid mecenaries to go all out to threaten the opposition and create havoc.They are trying to intimidate the rally supporters from participating by crying for violence.They are going to create as much trouble as possible to justify a crackdown for the authorities by using the draconian ISA.
Ms. Ambiga and her steering comittee, you guys have achieved your objectives by causing Umnoputras going down on their knees.And in the process of doing so have shot themselves umpteen times in the feet.Now let cooler heads prevailed and not give the authorities any satisfaction for any opputunity to clamp down on rally organisers and participants.
Cancell the Bersih rally.Then consolidate all the manpower for the coming GE.The people have the numbers.Let the people punish Umno and its partners in crimes MCA and MIC in the coming GE.This coming GE will have Umno and BN at its weakest.Opputunities come only once in a lifetime.This is the most opputune time for Umno to be history.
#6 by monsterball on Friday, 24 June 2011 - 4:38 am
KOTOR is opposite to BERSIH.
Participating BERSIH walk means KOTOR buggers asking for trouble.
Najib is pinned to the wall.
Operation Lallang2 is his last resort.
Do that..he will be voted out by a bigger majority.
Don’t do that…survey shows majority Malaysians want a change of government.
Do that and hope trouble starts from the streets…is his best opportunity to declare Emergency Rule…cancel 13th GE for few years and hope Malaysians want so call peace and harmony…to vote BN in again.
It has reached a stage…Najib knows BN time is up.
They cannot accept defeat in an election.
They must govern forever or else many big fishes will be investigated and go to jail..under PR.
He has said he will defend PutraJaya with his life.
He is not stupid.
Why does he say that?
It is Operation Lallang2 to shut Oppositions mouths and Emergency Rule if Malaysians take to te streets to protest.
Fight terror with terror will start…ignoring who are the ones started it.
First Philippines…then Indonesia…more than 40 years ago…fighting for freedom and won.
But in Malaysia….we have just started.
#7 by k1980 on Friday, 24 June 2011 - 7:22 am
Wonder what would happen if Mat Sabu and Abraham Ali get to share the same cell in Kamunting?
#8 by dagen on Friday, 24 June 2011 - 11:33 am
Yes monsterball.
Anti-bersih can mean only one thing. KOTOR.
That is really wot ibrahim bin perkasa’s planned anti-bersih rally is all about. A KOTOR exercise.
#9 by mwyee on Monday, 27 June 2011 - 3:04 pm
Anti communist allegations are out of date as the rise of China demonstrate that even the communists are turning capitalist and with the nation registering growths of 8-9 percent a year, is sought to be emulated by developing nations. Is our government leaders/security forces so “insecure” as not to recognise this economic and political trend. Even Russia is prospering with its capitalist leanings. As such being paranoid against modern “communism” in a modern and rapidly developing country such as Malaysia will only show to the world that we are still living in the past or are we?