We walked in peace until…
By Adrian Ng
July 13, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 13 — The night was quiet. The usual buzz that surrounds KL on a Friday night was missing. I walked from Masjid Jamek LRT station to the hotel through Masjid India bazaar. Not many police were sighted and business was still operating as usual. The crowd was mainly tourists.
I met up with Padma, Jo and Kavilan in the hotel. My roommates were Albert and Bakri – Haris Ibrahim’s younger brother. As the night was still early, Padma, Jo and I chilled out at the hotel’s rooftop café. From above, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) looked deserted. Streets were empty. So were Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Kuching. The police had barricaded and blocked access into KL, advised people to stay at home. A helicopter with spotlight was seen flying low every 15 minutes around town, inspecting every inch of it. KL was on a self-imposed curfew. Read the rest of this entry »
The home minister should resign!
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Hishammuddin, Police on Wednesday, 13 July 2011, 12:18 pm
By KJ John
Jul 12, 11 | The Malaysian Insider
I think Minister of Home Affairs Hishammuddin Hussein should resign. He has failed miserably in “managing the proper conduct of the Constitution and discarded reasonable rights of the citizens”, even after the King made his intervention and publicly made his views known. The King is our Head of State.
Allow me to state my reasons for my call vide this column. Bersih 1.0 and Bersih 2.0 are non-legal organisations. This means that while they exist in real space and time, they are not legal entities in the corporate and legal sense under the laws of our nation. Read the rest of this entry »
A very Malaysian impediment – Singapore Straits Times
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 13 July 2011, 12:18 pm
KL better off without ‘padded rolls, vote buying’, says Singapore ST
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 12, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Malaysia’s top leadership would be better off working to deliver its promised reforms and give substance to the 1 Malaysia vision than stoop to a partisan approach in dealing with dissent, the Singapore Straits Times said today.
The influential daily also remarked in its editorial today that last Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 rally here has thrown the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition on the backfoot even though it managed to deliver a counter-punch to the civil society movement.
The Singapore paper is privately-owned but is often seen to reflect the republic’s establishment voice, which appears keen to keep its current good ties with Putrajaya while protecting the republic’s interest. Read the rest of this entry »
Truth is inconvenient
By Christine SK Lai
July 13, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 13 — It’s the first time in my life I joined a demonstration. Do I like demos? No way. Was I scared? Of course; it’s no “walk in the park, picnic on the grass”; you know what to expect when it has been declared illegal and everyone is being warned by everyone else from the King to the church to well-meaning friends to stay home and be safe.
Actually that was what I intended to do as a law-abiding citizen and obedient sheep; at least it was until I was challenged by my own children with certain thought-provoking questions like… “Ma, where would the world be if Martin Luther King just prayed and didn’t march?” “Ma, where were the Christians when six million Jews were systematically led to slaughter by an evil dictator?” Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia: Rich but not free
Editorial
The Jakarta Post
11.7.11
The leaders of Malaysia are laboring under an old paradigm that says you can have development or democracy, but not both. We have news for them: You can be rich and free at the same time. Malaysians deserve both and they deserve it now — not sometime in the future.
The lengths the government went to in trying to prevent and then break up the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday shows that the nation’s leaders were still not prepared to let go — even when an increasing number of Malaysians of all races have been pressing for more freedom and justice.
The rally, defying a government ban, went down as the largest in Malaysian history. It was significant that representatives from all three major races participated. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia: Police use brutal tactics against peaceful protestors
Amnesty International
11 July 2011
The UK government must press Malaysia’s Prime Minister on freedom of assembly during his visit this week, Amnesty International said today, after peaceful protesters in Kuala Lumpur were met with police violence and 1,667 arrests at the weekend.
Police arrested peaceful demonstrators, fired tear gas canisters directly at protesters, and tear gassed a hospital compound on 9 July, in attempts to stop the electoral reform rally known as Bersih 2.0 from gathering in a stadium.
One protester, 56-year-old Baharuddin Ahmad, collapsed near the landmark Petronas Towers while fleeing teargas and was pronounced dead later in hospital. Read the rest of this entry »
Crackdown 2.0 in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 13 July 2011, 10:28 am
Wall Street Journal
JULY 12, 2011.
With its response to Bersih 2.0, a rally for electoral reform, the government has created an environment of fear and repression
Based on the evidence of this weekend’s rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians aspire for a more competitive political system than what they have. Also based on this weekend’s evidence, Prime Minister Najib Razak isn’t prepared to give it to them.
An estimated 20,000 or more people peacefully gathered in Kuala Lumpur Saturday to call for free and fair elections. Their complaints included vote-rigging and gerrymandering of constituencies to the ruling party’s benefit. Bersih 2.0, as the rally was called, was the biggest event of its kind in four years. The original Bersih (the word means “clean” in Malay) called for electoral reforms in 2007.
As with the original rally, this one was met not by understanding from the government but by police deploying tear gas and water cannons. More than 1,600 attendees were detained and released late Sunday. One demonstrator died from a heart attack. Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih rally important, but not a game changer
By Ong Kian Ming
Jul 11, 11 | MalaysiaKini
COMMENT It is far from easy to objectively evaluate the political and electoral impact of the Bersih 2.0 rally in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, especially when one was in the middle of the said rally, receiving ‘presents’ in the form of tear gas canisters from our beloved police force.
But given the huge amount of press attention and public spotlight in the lead-up to and during the rally, it would be remiss not to consider the possible political and electoral repercussions, especially since the first Bersih rally was seen as being instrumental in sparking off the March 2008 electoral tsunami. Read the rest of this entry »
BN’s reaction to Bersih is to insult all races, says DAP
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Lim Guan Eng on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 11:59 pm
By Shannon Teoh
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — DAP has flayed Barisan Nasional (BN) for resorting to disrespecting all races in the aftermath of Saturday’s Bersih rally which the opposition insists was multiracial in nature.
Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that threatened by mounting public pressure, “BN has once again stopped to its racial games,” referring to attempts by Umno-owned media to portray the gathering for free and fair elections as a ruse by non-Malays who are making use of Malays for their own political gain. Read the rest of this entry »
Deliver votes, not crowds, MCA
By The Malaysian Insider
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 12 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek boasted today his party could match Bersih 2.0’s crowd in last weekend’s rally calling for clean and fair elections.
“To gather ten or twenty thousand to demonstrate is nothing great. MCA can organised 50,000 if you want me to do it, anytime,” he told reporters at Wisma MCA here today. Read the rest of this entry »
Mat Zain wants Altantuya accused retried
By Debra Chong
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim urged today Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step in and relook the Attorney-General’s (A-G) prosecution of two policemen now on death row for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
The retired cop accused the A-G of mishandling the case, which reflects a miscarriage of justice as the motive for murder was never found. Read the rest of this entry »
When the ordinary became extraordinary
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Human Rights, nation building on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 8:20 pm
— Scuba gal
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 12, 2011
JULY 12 — I’m as ordinary as it gets. I live in a decent-sized condo, in a fairly popular middle-upper class neighbourhood. I married my husband in my early 30s. I’ve got a decent job in a well-regarded private corporation, where I’m middle management.
No children just yet but we’re trying for the average number of two. On the weekends, we do what most Malaysians in our circumstances might do — head to the cinema, have a meal at one of KL’s many malls, catch up with family and friends.
Recently, I had to answer a little profile write-up for work. When asked “what’s your biggest achievement?”, I could think of nothing I’d done so far that qualified. Yes, I’m that ordinary. Read the rest of this entry »
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
— Esther Goh
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 12, 2011
JULY 12 — “Are you ready to die for the country?” I asked as I walked together with Simeon heading from Mirama Hotel on Jalan Maharajalela to Petaling Street.
My honest answer to my own question was, “No. I don’t believe I should die now. When I’m only 24. There is so much more that I want and believe I can do for my country.”
“But what if it takes bloodshed for people to wake up? What if we were the ones to go — so that people will finally realise the need for change?” was Simeon’s reply. Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih 2.0 “bersih”ed me!
— Lt Col (R) Aw Yong Tian Teck
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 12, 2011
JULY 12 — As I headed for the LRT station to enter the city on the morning of July 9, I was both fearful and determined — fearful that a “May 13” type violence would erupt, and afraid of being arrested. Yet, I was determined to break this shroud of fear that had gained intensity over the last two weeks from reading the newspapers, watching television and listening to coffeeshop talk.
I nervously joined a predominantly Malay group outside the KTM building. From those whom I glanced at a bit longer, I received courteous smiles. I soon started to join them in shouting “Hidup Rakyat” or “Hidup Bersih” and punching the air as we strolled along. When they shouted calling upon “Allah”, I suddenly became conscious of the present controversy concerning the use of the word by non-Muslims, reducing my voice to a murmur. Read the rest of this entry »
Merdeka when I was six, true democracy at 60?
Allen Lopez
Malaysiakini
Jul 12, 11
COMMENT
When the Tunku raised his hand to the cries of “Merdeka”, I was on the cusp of turning six.
On 9 July 2011, as I approach 60, I was among those who rallied at the Bersih 2.0 carnival. Yes, it was a carnival. And what a carnival! The atmosphere couldn’t have been more convivial and peaceable.
The gathering was diverse, emblematic of the Malaysian identity – Indian, Malay and Chinese; young, middle-aged and old; priest and laity; rich and the not-so-rich; politicians, NGOs and the ordinary voters.
A truer representation of what Malaysia represents would be hard to replicate. We came because we wanted to – for love of our country.
It was as simple as that. Read the rest of this entry »
TBH RCI report – 3 weeks and not released yet
Posted by Kit in Teoh Beng Hock on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 4:11 pm
Memorial Service: Teoh Beng Hock - 2 years later on 15/7/11 (Fri) 8pm at Dewan Serbaguna, Sri Kembangan
The Cabinet has been sitting on the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the death of Teoh Beng Hock for three weeks since it was first submitted to the Yang di Pertuan Agong on June 22, 2011.
This is most inconsiderate to the Teoh Beng Hock family members as well as inefficient, as in developed democracies which fully upholds the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance, Royal Commission of Inquiry reports are invariably made public at the same time they are submitted to the heads of states.
There is no need for the government of the day to study the Royal Commission of Inquiry reports concerned as to whether they are in agreement or otherwise, as the RCI reports are commissioned in the name of the people and country.
If the government has any views and decisions pertaining to findings or recommendations of Royal Commissions of Inquiry, they could be made public subsequently.
As in another four days it will be the second anniversary of Teoh Beng Hock’s mysterious and unusual death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, the Cabinet should not sit on the Teoh Beng Hock RCI report any further but must act responsibly by releasing it immediately to the public tomorrow itself in line with the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance and in time for Teoh Beng Hock’s second death anniversary.
Was Tiong Lai “blackmailed” into telling untruths about Tung Shin Hospital?
DAP MP for PJ Utara and National Publicity Secretary Tony Pua was rightly outraged and accused the MCA Deputy President and Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai of “lying through his teeth” when the latter denied that police had fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Maternity Hospital during the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally on Saturday.
Pua has also rightly demanded the Health Minister apologise to the hospital authorities and Malaysians for his statement as Pua is not only an eye-witness but a victim of the wanton, reckless and unforgivable police attacks on the Tong Shin Maternity Hospital,
Liow’s action was cowardly and indefensible, going against the weight of eye-witness accounts and increasing pile of videos and pictorial evidence. Read the rest of this entry »
Al-Fatihah – Top lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse dies at 74
Posted by Kit in Announcement on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 3:45 pm
By Melissa Chi
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
Raja Aziz Addruse
He was elected a commissioner of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in 2006. Raja Aziz was the third Malaysian to be elected to this prestigious post after former Lord President Tun Mohd Suffian Hashim and senior lawyer Param Cumaraswamy.
Raja Aziz (picture) was elected Bar Council president three times, the first from the 1976-1978, then 1988-1989 and then for the 1992-1993 term.
He appeared before the courts in a variety of high-profile human rights and rule-of-law cases. He was the lead counsel for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy I case.
He was also a member of the Malaysian National Society of Human Rights.
He studied law at the University of Bristol.
“Fundamental liberties no longer exist; this is a harsh thing to say but the courts don’t seem to think that fundamental rights are important.
“To me, the constitution now means nothing because it can be changed at any time,”
Raja Aziz had said at a session themed “What the Constitution means to me” in 2007.
The senior constitutional lawyer said on the last day of the 14th Malaysian Law Conference that the checks and balances that were in the 1957 constitution did not exist anymore.
Tan Sri L.C. Vohrah, a long-time friend of Raja Aziz, and a retired High Court judge, had described Raja Aziz as “a man of immense integrity and a self-effacing person” who deserved to be elected to the commissioner of the ICJ position.
Raja Aziz will be buried after Zohor tomorrow at 1 pm at the Kiara Muslim Cemetery.
Pua: Liow ‘lying through his teeth’ on hospital attack
By Clara Chooi
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — DAP MP Tony Pua today accused MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai of “lying through his teeth” when the latter denied that police had fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Maternity Hospital on Saturday.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP, who was among the group seeking refuge in the hospital during the chemical bombardment, demanded that the health minister apologise to the hospital authorities and Malaysians for his statement. Read the rest of this entry »
The days of gatekeeping are numbered
By Alexis See Tho
July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
Wong waved his hands in the air. “The tear gas canister was right in front of me!” he said.
The 22-year-old working adult was one of thousands of young Malaysians who went to Saturday’s rally that saw tens of thousands of people in the city centre.
Some of them weren’t die-hard supporters of Bersih’s call for clean and fair elections. Some like Wong were there “just for the fun” while others were relentless in their pursuit for the “perfect” photo.
Thousands of protestors and onlookers were at the rally with their cameras and snapped away at everything they saw. Some gung-ho ones even stood between riot police and protestors eager to get a good shot. Read the rest of this entry »
