Open Letter – Cabinet should end the “madness” unleashed in past week


The Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister,
Cabinet Ministers.

Cabinet should end the “madness” unleashed in past week with police required to arrest those wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, yellow virtually becoming a colour of crime and “Bersih” a dirty word

I am writing this short Open Letter to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and all Ministers to ask the Cabinet at its meeting this morning to end the “madness” unleashed in the past week with the police required to act unlawfully to arrest those wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, yellow virtually becoming a colour of crime and “Bersih” a dirty word.

The statements firstly by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar warning that lives might be lost despite firm assurances and commitment by Bersih 2.0 organisers and supporters of a peaceful and orderly rally while ignoring the inflammatory incitements and provocations of UMNO Youth and Perkasa and secondly by the Deputy Election Commission Chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar castigating Berish as stooges and “catspaw” of Pakatan Rakyat have raised serious questions in Malaysia and internationally that the two national institutions of the police and the Election Commission could be independent, impartial and professional in dealing with Bersih 2.0 call for free, fair and clean elections in Malaysia.

This is the last opportunity for the Cabinet to end the “madness” where the police are required to act unlawfully to arrest those wearing the Berish 2.0 T-shirt as well as other related Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia,virtually criminalising yellow as a colour as well as rendering “Bersih” as a dirty word.

The slogan used at the beginning of the Mahathir premiership, which went on for 22 long years, was “Berish, Cekap, Amanah”. How low Malaysia has sunk that exactly 30 years later, the word “Bersih” is justification to trigger police repressions!

Malaysians and the world are watching. Let not July 9 come to symbolise the degeneration of the Prime Minister’s Government Transformation Programme into a repressive regime even worse than the worst of the Mahathir administration with Operation Lalang as its notorious trademark.

Bersih Chairman Datuk S. Ambiga has undertaken “to do everything we can to make sure it is peaceful”, inviting the police to suggest the route for Bersih 2.0 and “we will follow their directions”.

The police should extract similar pledges of peaceful and orderly rallies from the Umno Youth and Perkasa counter-protests firmly holding their organisers to their commitments.

Let us show the world that Malaysia is capable of holding peaceful and orderly assemblies and rallies without creating any law-and-order problem to demonstrate that under the Prime Minister’s GTP, Malaysian democracy has come of age as other developed democracies.

  1. #1 by Thinking Two on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:21 am

    Everybody is sensing The General Election is about to come.

    TO ALL THE PAKATAN MEMBERS AND MPs, IT IS A TRAP BEING SET UP. THE TROUBLE MAKER IS GOING ALL OUT TO CATCH ALL OF YOU AND AFTERWHICH, DISSOLVE PARLIMENT AND CALL FOR GENERAL ELECTION.

    BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO OTHER BETTER WAY OUT. THEY DO WANT UNITY. THEY WANT CHAOS. THE MORE THE MERRY.

    PAKATAN, BE SMART!!!!

  2. #2 by drngsc on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:22 am

    Please allow me to add my bit.

    Dear Government of Malaysia,
    Please join us to walk, to show that you are for clean, free and fair election. Your absence may show that you are not for free and fair elections. That is bad. The whole country knows that the current electoral process, is neither clean, free or fair. We keep telling all and sundry that you are elected by the people. What you forgot is that less than 50% of the electorates elected BN / Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi ( in fact you have never been elected yet ), and UMNO / BN elected you to take over.
    Please come and walk with us, to show that you are for clean, free and fair elections, so that when the next General Elections come, you have a chance to win it cleanly, freely and fairly. And you can stand tall, having been duly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia, cleanly, freely and fairly.
    Seen that way, Mr Prime Minister, BERSIH 2.0 is good for you.

  3. #3 by boh-liao on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:27 am

    They r ‘as mad as a hatter’ liao lor, 无药可救 yellow fever, gone case what
    Watch your back, LKS, dis cabinet no care 4 Bersih 1, but cekap in tangkap 1

  4. #4 by wanderer on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:28 am

    Time for being a goody is over…you simply cannot expect decency from the the lowest 7th tier low lives…bombastic thugs!
    Let our fighting spirit be as one and vote these SOBs out of Putrajaya…
    “If there is a will, there is a way”

  5. #5 by Loh on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:45 am

    Najib apparently has a different mindset. He considers anybody coming out to the streets to call attention to issues are against him. That is why he said that he could mobilize 3 million UMNO members to the streets. One wonders whether he meant that the 3 million unthinking UMNO members would be there to show their support for government policies including the action against people holding assembly, or he meant that the 3 million members could pretend to be running amok.

    It is unlikely that Bersih will be able to bring out three million persons to the street. So Najib can count the numbers after he tells the police to do their duties to ensure that Malaysians are free to assemble as provided under article 10 of the constitution. Najib should also understand that even his 3 million UMNO members consider elections in the country as free and fair, Bersih should still have the right to offer its opinion to the remaining twenty million Malaysians.

  6. #6 by Loh on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:57 am

    Except for this para: {The era of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was an exception and only because he was a visionary and a pragmatic leader, and an act that is hard to follow. The trend for all future leaders will assuredly be one term, as there are just too many in the queue to be the next prime minister.}, the article is well written by Mathias Chiang at http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/41565-barisan-nasionals-sledge-hammer-reaction-to-the-bersih-rally-on-9th-july-2011

  7. #7 by Bigjoe on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 10:18 am

    What Najib really should resign to is that he is NOT going to keep his job. The game is over for him if he is reasonably intelligent and has an ounce of patriotism left in him. He should simply decide to plan his exit and what he wants to leave behind. Everything else is easy to decide after that.

    Najib holding on to his job is first going to cost us the people and the country, then UMNO/BN and then himself eventually. All he is doing is make everyone pay for him and then he will pay for it himself eventually. Its sheer prodigal impetulance and undeserving of the legacy his father left and those that came before him.

    The logical choice for himself and for this nation as well as for his party is to simply plan his exit and ensure those that will follow will do the job he has failed and will do what he has just mouthed only i.e., turn his PR-mostly policies into actual implementation and reality.

  8. #8 by k1980 on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 10:19 am

    Would the 30 PSM members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, be arrested if they had the photo of the Agung on their yellow T-shirts?

    From malaysianchronicel—-
    14 of its women members detained in a recent crackdown have been “kicked on the legs”, “pushed and spat on”, told to drink water from the toilet bowl and forced to change clothes in front of male officers.

  9. #9 by best4rakyat on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 10:21 am

    Still God Willing if anyone wish to can make it for people with no secret agenda unseen in the heart.
    Hope IGP can have the wisdom to show he is really showing his good capability by working out a proper route for this truly people’s peaceful rally.Never pack your near next retirement as one like those before you giving a police-state image to the world for your wrong move.
    For PM Najib Razak why so difficult to discard negative perception about Bersih2.0 to link it with politics and we know is not so difficult for your wisdom to accommodate rakyat’s Will for just.
    Simply as an example just join in like what you were or still are doing with effort of meeting your people and simply we can have it at area such like lake Titiwangsa,won’t you?
    It is in your hand till now and before 09 JUL whether you are still one good PM or exceptional leader loving his people and nation as you often wish to!
    Decision is with you today!

  10. #10 by Godfather on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:00 am

    Government is not in control; Special Branch is. Their report to the cabinet suggests that there will be widespread violence and that the Police may not be able to control this. Hence the whole cabinet has gone bananas – not knowing what’s the best course of action, and hence the directive has gone out to catch anyone wearing yellow. They can detain 2000 people, but can they detain 200,000 ?

    Only one way to find out. There will be no violence but there will be water cannons and tear gas. Like everything in Bolehland, it will be one-sided, but it will be the beginning of the end for the other side.

  11. #11 by monsterball on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:21 am

    he People Power is so great against Najib…that his madness will go on and on until people submit to his will out of fear.
    He told his rouges to round up 3 million voters,
    He did not tell them how to do it.
    Every time he speaks about the people….he knows he does not have the majority now. He knows he is loosing more and more votes….and it seems the police have taken over the task.
    He knows Malaysians have checked and rechecked he is totally not sincere.
    How to have 13th GE…without something new and win?

  12. #12 by tak tahan on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:24 am

    All of this noble and sound advice could be similarly as saying singing song to the moronic cow and bull.It will not have any impact on them except by the Rakyat’s side-kicks and back-kicks from Bersih rally and GE13.Kick their buts out comes GE!

  13. #13 by Thor on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:27 am

    Water canons and tear gas will not dampen the courage and spirits of those rallying in Bersih 2.0 this time.
    Got a tingling sense that it’ll rain on that day and will definetely turn those tear gas and chemical water into worthless thing.
    I’m sure Big brother is watching!

  14. #14 by Thor on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:46 am

    EC deputy cheif says that we must be proud of our elections law.
    This fella is definetely showing his true colour indeed!

  15. #15 by Thor on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 11:58 am

    Jib: “You cakap banyak bagus”.
    “Saya banyak suka!”.
    “You datang besok”.
    “Saya kasi you cheque!”.

  16. #16 by best4rakyat on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 12:06 pm

    Also please never forget for Bersih2.0 to request PM Najib’s help calling all the 3millions UMNO members likewise plus MCA and other BN parties to come along in KL rally.
    If possible all just wear yellow T-shirts or yellow batik shirt.
    We must show to the world finally all malaysian as 1Unity to move on with coming time for our Nation’s future,why hesitate to do?
    Cannot possiblly be just dream to open a way transformation! Are you fellow with us with no excuse?

  17. #17 by best4rakyat on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 12:33 pm

    Daulat Tuanku,Daulat Tuanku,Daulat Tuanku!
    Kami sebagai rakyat ingin memohon maaf dan juga pertolongan Tuanku kami yang amat dihormati berapa fahaman yang benar disini yang bukan bertujuan politik

    Assalamualaikum Dan Salam semua,

    Rakyat seluruhan ingin minta laluan Tuanku mengizinkan dan memanggil supaya YAB Perdana Menteri negara akan memenuhi permintaan rakyat
    bersama-sama rakyat menghadiri perjumpaan yang mulia dalam sejarah pada hari JUL09.
    Kami rakyat hamba Tuanku juga faham kesetiaan dan kejujuran agak penting bagi negara Malaysia.Ketika dipadang harap yang akan disempurnakan oleh IGP dengan anggota polisnya
    kami semua juga akan pakai baju warna kuning sebagai simbol kejujuran royal kesetiaan kepada Yang Dipertuan Agong Malaysia yang dicintai sebagai anah buah negara!

    Sekian demi negara kami memohon dan berdoa.Terima kasih.

    Yang jujur,

    -Rakyat Malaysia-

  18. #18 by k1980 on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 12:39 pm

    Mr Ai Gee Pee,

    My sons along with their classmates and millions of other school kids belong to Yellow House in their schools. As required by the school rules, they have to wear their yellow Tshirts which must be bersih whenever they attend house practice as well as the annual school sports day.

    So, Mr Ai Gee Pee, will these kids be arrested by your polis for wearing such items? And will the arrested female students be required to do nude squats for the entertainment of your oh-so-brave polismen?

  19. #19 by k1980 on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 1:40 pm

    Tiangong 1 about to launch
    11:09, July 01, 2011
    Email | Print | Subscribe | Comments | Forum

    The ‘mad’ malaysian cabinet shivers over yellow t-shirts while other countries forge ahead—-

    According to China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE), the Tiangong 1 target spacecraft, which will carry out China’s first space rendezvous and docking task, has been successfully gone through a series of evaluation test and was transmitted to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 29 to be given a final check before launching.

    Since the Shenzhou 7 successfully accomplished a series of extra-vehicular activities on Sept. 9, 2008, China has proceeded to develop space rendezvous and docking related techniques. After two years of strenuous efforts by the scientists, Tiangong 1 target spacecraft has been successfully assembled and passed through failure detection.

    As scheduled, China will launch the Tiangong 1 target spacecraft and the Shenzhou 8 in the third and fourth quarters of 2011, respectively, to realize China’s first space rendezvous and docking.

  20. #20 by isahbiazhar on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 1:49 pm

    Repression and silencing anybody now is not acceptable.If the government feels the procession will turn into riots,it is the duty of the government to deploy enough police to see the situation is under control.It is a well known fact that the fear the governmernt is more on the next election where the outcome is definitely in the negative.Losing the election means many in the government will be behind bars for corruption and cheating the coffers.People in Malaysia have realised like the middle east countries that no one man or a party can rule forever enjoying the booty at the expense of the pèople who suffer day to day.A change in the government does not mean that the people will not suffer, but at least there is a way to become better.For 60 years till mahathir the coffers had gone tom people in the government only.We are behind most countries by 30 years because the BN and the UMNo had accepted corruption as away of life.Now the people have rejected it and want to build a nation where corruption and cronism will not be part of life.Moving towards that has brought fear to the present government.

  21. #21 by monsterball on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 1:52 pm

    Carry a bag of salt..morning tower and a bottle of drinking water.
    Go to Anwar’s blog and learn to walk light.

  22. #22 by mizu on Friday, 1 July 2011 - 9:06 pm

    So scare for what? People marching only. Where got gun? Got yellow shirt only. What trouble can we do? Why so terrified??

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