Najib endorses silat groups despite their threat to Bersih
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Najib Razak on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 12:35 pm
by Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider
July 07, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described silat and other self-defence exponents as the third line of defence in the country, including a group that has threatened to wage war against electoral reforms movement Bersih 2.0.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak (centre), Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (left) and Tan Sri Omardin Mauju at PSSLM’s 50th anniversary. — Picture by Boo Su-Lyn
The Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM) had challenged Bersih for its refusal to abandon a planned rally on July 9 to call for free and fair elections.
“I believe if there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from without and within, ‘anak-anak lincah’ will rise to fight them,” said Najib in a fiery speech last night.
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Are police waging war against the Agong?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Najib Razak, Police on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:44 am
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jul 7, 11
‘Who are the communists – the rakyat or Umnoputra? They are doing what Mao Zedong had done by clamping down the rakyat.’
DAP: Continued clampdown an affront to Agong
Swipenter: The Umno regime and PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) must immediately desist from harassing the Bersih 2.0 supporters and release all those who are detained under Emergency Ordinance immediately now that the Agong has spoken and a compromise has been reached.
The Agong’s consent in meeting S Ambiga and two others and the go-ahead given by Najib to have the rally to be held in a stadium is nothing short of acknowledging the legitimacy of Bersih 2.0.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih clearly played out by Najib
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Najib Razak on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:36 am
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jul 7, 11
‘Now that Bersih 2.0 organisers agree to hold the rally inside a stadium, Najib directs the stadiums not to allow it to happen.’
But Stadium Merdeka refuses Bersih’s booking
Rayfire: The authorities will use all avenues to stop the rally. They have already started with their so-called weapons find. PM Najib Razak was just appearing to be nice when he offered them to rally in a stadium, knowing for a fact that his minions will ensure that no such thing happens.
Yesterday they made commuters to KL angry hoping they will blame Bersih 2.0 for their woes but that didn’t work.
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Wake up, BN doesn’t play by the rules
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jul 7, 11
‘How come a ‘titah’ from Agong can be ignored by BN government? Is this a crisis of sorts about to begin between the royalty and Umno?’
Home minister: Bersih still illegal
SusahKes: This is precisely why Umno will never learn – not until they are sent to the political wilderness.
If S Ambiga didn’t meet with the Agong or refused to back down from the rally, then she and Bersih would be labelled as traitors. And the likes of Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein would have a field day portraying them as such.
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Councillors in the dock: Another one for the books
Malaysiakini Vox Populi | Jul 7, 11
‘Malaysia will enter the Guiness Book of Records as a Third World country for disallowing the wearing of yellow.’
Yellow tees: 11 councillors to be charged tomorrow
Ong Guan Sin: The case will surely collapse as there is no basis of circumstances and law to support the ‘illegal’ declaration against Bersih 2.0 T-shirts. It is a total waste of public resources to pursue the case.
As a 1Malaysia government so fond of setting itself key performance indicators (KPI), this waste of public resources should be factored into its KPIs – the rakyat will judge you accordingly. In fact, the public resources are abused in this case to just inconvenience and burden the good people of Bersih and its supporters.
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Roadblocks to check for weapons? My foot!
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jul 7, 11
‘How can you prevent anything just by sitting in your tent or waving all the cars to go through? You are merely causing inconvenience.’
Traffic gridlock in pre-Bersih rally roadblocks
Zzzz: I commented in Malaysiakini earlier that the authorities will make it very difficult for people to move about. You can bet that come this Saturday, they will make it 10 times worse than yesterday morning.
They aim to make it impossible (at all cost) for people to get together to rally, regardless of whether or not the rally is held in the stadium. Or whether Bersih is legal or illegal.
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Gov’t briefing on Bersih threat comes unstuck
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Human Rights on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 8:44 pm
By Terence Netto
Jul 6, 11 | MalaysiaKini
A briefing yesterday by the police and the Election Commission meant to give credence to government claims that the planned Bersih march was fraught with the threat of violence came unstuck when it ran into a thicket of sceptical questions from those being briefed.
Present at the briefing which was held in a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur even as Bersih’s top leaders were being granted an audience by the king at Istana Negara, were some 30 members comprising leaders of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), Suhakam, and a couple of NGOs. Read the rest of this entry »
Why am I not surprised?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Election, Hishammuddin, Police on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 8:21 pm
By Shanker
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 6 — So, the Home Minister remains adamant that Bersih is an illegal outfit, notwithstanding that the highest Ruler in the land has implied his acquiescence by meeting with Bersih representatives yesterday.
Sigh … what else can we say about Umno that hasn’t been said already? The whole world has taken flight at an unimaginable rate in this 21st century; changes are happening all around the globe — just witness Thailand’s maturity in the democratic process … Read the rest of this entry »
Is Putrajaya joking about Bersih?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 8:14 pm
By The Malaysian Insider
July 06, 201
JULY 6 — The circumstances surrounding the July 9 Bersih rally have been changing since the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin issued a rare edict and met both the prime minister and Bersih leaders.
Somethings haven’t changed. Bersih is still outlawed. Wearing their yellow T-shirt with the word Bersih will land you in the lock-up.
Government agencies like Stadium Merdeka are waiting for the Cabinet to direct them whether to accept Bersih’s application. The police are waiting for Bersih’s application which must state the venue. Read the rest of this entry »
Protestors in pro-Bersih clothes will be arrested, warns Deputy IGP
By Clara Chooi
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Despite being allowed to hold a stadium rally this Saturday, protestors found with pro-Bersih 2.0 materials will still be arrested, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said today.
This, he said, was because the coalition was still deemed an unlawful organisation and any item, whether “songkoks or T-shirts” are still disallowed.
“On clothing or items with Bersih motifs on them, as far as we are concerned, Bersih 2.0 has been gazetted as illegal so anything to do with Bersih 2.0 will be wrong, will be disallowed and we will take action,” he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters this afternoon. Read the rest of this entry »
PR backs Bersih’s Merdeka Stadium plan, expects 300,000
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, nation building, Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 6:17 pm
By Melissa Chi and Lisa J. Ariffin
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) announced today that they supported Bersih 2.0’s proposal to have the rally in Merdeka Stadium on July 9, although the request to use the stadium has yet to be approved.
“So Pakatan Rakyat supports Bersih to hold their rally in Stadium Merdeka although in the latest report, the prime minister, especially the home minister, took a turn and had purposely given all kinds of excuses not to allow the use of the stadium,” Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters here after a PR Leadership Council meeting. Read the rest of this entry »
A royal rebuke for Umno, says Aussie don
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Election, nation building, UMNO on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 6:14 pm
By Stephanie Sta Maria
July 6, 201 | Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: Bersih earned a spot on Australia’s airwaves today with an Australian sociologist describing the royal intervention as a “rebuke” to Umno and the government and an acknowledgement of the organisation’s legitimacy.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Abidin issued a statement on Monday saying street demonstrations would do more harm than good.
This prompted Bersih to request an audience with him, which he granted with rare speed yesterday. Bersih afterwards announced its decision to move the rally off the streets and into a stadium. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite royal audience, Hisham says Bersih still illegal
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Hishammuddin, Police on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 4:17 pm
By Shannon Teoh | July 06, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
PUTRAJAYA, July 6 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein insisted today that Bersih is still outlawed, saying that neither an audience with the King nor relocating the July 9 rally to a stadium could turn the electoral reforms movement legal.
However, the home minister said that Bersih could still apply for a permit for the July 9 gathering using “other methods.”
“No, they are still banned, still illegal. Nobody can be above the law. Just because Tuanku met them, doesn’t mean they are no longer illegal,” he said, referring to the audience granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to Bersih yesterday, after which it accepted the stadium offer.
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Bersih and the fall of reason
By Art Harun
July 06, 2011
JULY 6 — “I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.” ~ Thomas Paine
The events unfolding before our eyes in the past few weeks say a lot about us as a collection of individuals; as a society and as a people. What is clear, however, is the sad fact that when we are faced with adversity, we tend to lose our head and retreat into the same old dark and cold cave of emotions, of irrationality and of convenient rhetoric. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia: A police state
By Tommy Thomas
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 6 — Death Threats. Bomb Threats. Warning on Revocation of Citizenship. Preventive detention. Arrest of hundreds for wearing Yellow T-Shirts. Banning of Organisations. Prohibition of Peaceful Marches.
Is one describing Burma? Or Zimbabwe? No: this is Malaysia in July 2011, in its 54th year of independence.
Has paranoia gripped the decision-making elite in Kuala Lumpur? But for its grave repercussions, one would have to laugh at the disproportionate overreaction and incompetence of government agencies in recent weeks. Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih and the inane responses
By Sakmongkol AK47
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 6 — This present government has developed one distinguishing characteristic not unlike the previous administration. If the previous administration was maligned as being uninspiring and sleeping through its job, this present government isn’t that far from being similarly aspersed. How so?
It has shown it has a knack of being inept at handling small shocks to the system. Many of us for example are not supporters of Anwar Ibrahim, but the manner the government handles the Anwar affairs — whether it’s the sodomy 2 charge or the recent video clip showing a person resembling Anwar in a sexual tryst, the administration has shown its ineptness and incompetence. Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih 2.0: A long march to freedom
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, nation building on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 11:09 am
By Keruah Usit
Jul 6, 11 | MalaysiaKini
ANTIDOTE The new sanitised Bersih 2.0 rally is now purer and whiter. Thanks to the Agong’s intervention, the rally for free and fair elections will be confined to a stadium.
This change of scene will make the rally easier to control, from premier Najib Abdul Razak’s point of view. It will also dampen some of the supporters’ enthusiasm.
Being hemmed in, demonstrators will inevitably curb some of their long suppressed drive to show their defiance of the ruling coalition and its faithful enforcers in the police force. Read the rest of this entry »
Hishammuddin and Police should respect and uphold the YDPA intervention by full co-operation with Bersih
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Hishammuddin, Human Rights, Police on Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 10:07 am
The Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the police should respect and uphold the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s wise and just intervention in the Bersih 2.0 impasse by full co-operation with Bersih to make the July 9 Bersih 2.0 stadium rally a peaceful and orderly one as well as end all harassment against persons for wearing Bersih T-shirt and other paraphernalia and release all such items seized in past 10 days.
Hishammuddin and the police should pay special heed to advice by the Yang di Pertuan Agong in his special statement on Sunday where he said: Read the rest of this entry »
Will ‘fortress BN’ fall?
By Sheridan Mahavera | July 06, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — It may be known as Barisan Nasional’s (BN) fixed deposit in the Malay peninsula, but a recent straw poll showed that more than 30 per cent of Johoreans want Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in charge of the state and country.
Though this is low compared with other states, it could be a bellwether of how ordinary folk all over the country feel towards the ruling coalition.
Except for the 2008 elections, Johoreans have always given BN near-unquestioning support. Even as the DAP and PAS won the most number of seats of any non-BN party in that year (six state and one parliament), some of their candidates also lost their election deposits campaigning in south-eastern Johor.
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The economics of compassion
by Erna Mahyuni
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 06, 2011
JULY 6 — The ETP is meaningless. Or at least it is to the man on the street. “Where do they get the numbers from?” a fellow I know asks me. The only numbers that mean anything to him right now are the prices of his food.
His shi cha (iced Chinese tea) and his chap fan (mixed rice) cost more these days while he isn’t earning more. And that is the reality for most Malaysians as we find prices rising while our incomes remain flat.
If the middle-class are feeling the pinch, what more those in the lower-income bracket? While the government spends millions on labs that are supposed to fix whatever problems we have, the poor remain poor.
I get angry when those who know nothing of poverty claim that with hard work, anyone can buy what they want or be who they want to be. Poverty is called a trap for a reason. It is easier to fall out of wealth than to come into it. And for those already poor or born into poverty, the odds are against them from the start. Read the rest of this entry »
