The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should overrule the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and lift the ban on Bersih as the three grounds given for the ban under the Societies Act do not stand scrutiny and will only expose the government and country to public disdain and international scorn.
For instance, the first ground – “Being active and sparking an atmosphere of unrest and worry among the multiracial community in the country”.
Bersih is not guilty of this charge. Those guilty are Perkasa and Umno Youth, with the former even threatening another May 13 with warning to the Chinese to stay indoors and to stock up food and UMNO Youth in front of PKR headquarters threatening violence and chaos. Why have Hishammuddin acted against Bersih the innocent party while done nothing to the culprits, Perkasa and UMNO Youth as if they enjoy immunity and impunity for committing crimes.
Reason 2: “Spreading propaganda to incite the people to topple the government by distributing certain leaflets”.
In the first place, could a government be toppled by “distributing certain leaflets”? This is a baseless and groundless charge as could be established in any challenge to the authorities to produce evidence to back up this ridiculous allegation.
Reason 3: “ Its activities have given a bad image to the country, which can threaten and undermine public order, security, economy and the country’s sovereignty and affect the harmony of the multiracial community.”
Again it is Perkasa and Umno Youth which must plead guilty to this charge not Bersih. Now, with the outrageous ban on Bersih, the Home Minister is himself guilty of giving Malaysia a bad image which will cause great loss of public and investor confidence in Malaysia detrimental to Malaysia’s economic interest and national unity.
Will Hishammuddin ban himself from committing such disservices to Malaysia?
#1 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 1:36 pm
Time is past using rational arguments that PM should overrule Hishammuddin. Firstly is PM in total control of UMNO? Secondly aren’t the PM & Hishammuddin of the same view on Bersih? Thirdly if either or both were not, will they be pushed aside by right wing elements within their party hell bent on squashing Bersih and if possible the Opposition and its leaders? Now the ban is put into effect. It is not conceivable that it will be lifted. What then? Is it a trifle sanguine to think that the ban has little effect??? It makes Bersih an unlawful coalition. They can now arrest all the organizers and place them in Kamunting. How is the march by supporters to proceed if they arrest all its organizers and leaders tomorrow? On the statement, “PR parties have ordered their members to support the rally, with PAS asking its million-strong members to turn up on July 9”. How is PR to participate in the political process to deny BN 2/3 majority much less make gains in coming election if its core politicians/parliamentarians supporting Bersih were arrested?
#2 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 1:37 pm
On the argument that street protest will still proceed Tahrir Square style is it sure that Bersih will get the numbers on the streets to form the critical mass? Just the other night I was talking to people who know Ambiga. They all spoke well of her. They wondered why she was doing this. These were educated people in private & corporate circles, solid Middle Malaysia, definitely not pro government or BN. What’s shocking is that they were asking, “what’s this Bersih all about”! This makes me think that other than those who regularly surf the alternate media and blogs in the Internet many average Malaysians are either ignorant or oblivious o what Bersih stands for and what’s at stake. How are they to join the protest?
#3 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 1:38 pm
Are our protesters adroit and dexterous in using technology (eg sms) to group or regroup in different places in the face of police/security forces’ attack? Other places where street protests were successful, there is greater level of unemployment & unemployed youths angered formed the critical mass. Here many Mat rempits and Silat opponents are on the Ruling party’s side. Protesters in other places were of comparatively homogeneous in culture race/religion : here we have different groups where race & religion cards can be better leveraged by the powers-that-be. We have opposing groups marching against Bersih. Can Bersih galvanise critical mass when leaders are absent (incarcerated) considering these differing conditions?
#4 by boh-liao on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 2:27 pm
NR n HH very smart 1, now they can arrest any1 linked 2 BERSIH 2.0/yellow under ISA
Label them as communists, undesirable agents, whatever; let them rot in lockups
正中下怀 一网打尽 good strategy
Then call 4 a quick n sweet GE, guaranteed 2 win handsomely 4 NR, UmnoB/BN
#5 by monsterball on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 2:53 pm
Najib is powerless.
His sole mission is to win 13th GE and that he has the power.
Hishammudin doing his part.
Where Najib dares to overrule him.
Once the crooks are not united…each and everyone will suffer.
Furthermore..Najib needs to consult Rosmah and so far…better bright ideas not available.
The only clear sign seen is building up a reason not t have 13th GE…if their surveyors give Najib nothing but bad news..showing all stunts not frightening Malaysians at all and all the propaganda works in papers and medias…not getting more votes for BN.
To upset it further..racial clashes are considered…involving deaths.
Will he dares to do it to save his own skin?
#6 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 3:17 pm
HH merely took instructions from Najib.
So…….it’s Najib’s orders.
Jib is scared stiff.
#7 by Thor on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 3:40 pm
Silly moderater!
My comment got struck out two days continuosly.
Frust and waste of time typing, man!
I quit!!!
No more comments from me for now!
Bye…! Bye!!!
#8 by Loh on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 4:31 pm
Bersih is declared illegal so that the police can arrest. There will then be resistance to arrest. There will then be violence. It can then lead to a declaration of emergency. Parliement would be suspended, and election will be postponed until Najib gets all the opposition party leaders to form 1Malaysia party, or else like what his father said in 1970, there will not be a parliament unless constitutional amendment could be effected.
With that all foreign investors will leave and Malaysia will take after the position of Myanmar in ASEAN. Najib wouldn’t do it because that hurts the country, so you think. But who cares about the country?
#9 by boh-liao on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 5:58 pm
#2: They wondered why she was doing this. These were educated people in private & corporate circles, solid Middle Malaysia, definitely not pro government or BN. What’s shocking is that they were asking, “what’s this Bersih all about”!
Ya lor, those ppl must b shocked n wondering Y Ambiga wants 2 lead rakyat 2 clean d streets of KL 大扫除 on 9.7.11 in yellow T-shirts
They tot mayb Ambiga listens too much Streets of London
“Let me take you by d hand n lead you through d streets of KL
I’ll show you something 2 make U change your mind”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzkrzrxQPJc&feature=related
#10 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 3 July 2011 - 6:19 pm
Issues of democratic governance and importance of clean elections are discussed more in alternate cyber media. Invariably most bloggers analyst & commenters (other than pro UMNO or pro govt or pro TDM or pro facist) would support the Bersih March. But how many of these come out to actually march? From anecdotal evidence based on just asking people, average Malaysians who don’t regularly surf the alternate media (especially the educated ones who are not die hard pro govt, and many even critical of it) I am surprised that they don’t know much of Bersih. The other day I was just asking an independent director of a public listed company (a 65 year old accountant by profession) what he thought of Bersih, and he said “I don’t agree with the way it is protesting on the streets of KL disrupting traffic trade and other people’s livelihood. Surely there’s other way to protest and make views known.” Of course I hold no claims that those so called average joe on the street are representative of average Malaysians – you all should conduct your own enquiries here- but I don’t sense it is a broad based popular thing amongst people (other those frequenting blogs & alternate media). That is why I ask “where’s the Bersih’s calculations that there will be a critical mass from sufficient number of people other than those directed by their political parties to protest) on the streets.