Bersih clearly played out by Najib

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.

People are smart enough to see through their lies. It would be a miracle if at all Bersih gets the permission, permit and proper security support to have its rally in a stadium.

Please consider the state stadiums instead. Shah Alam, perhaps?

Jack Leong:
 What is this, BN? You ask Bersih to rally in a stadium instead of disrupting traffic flow. And now that the organisers agree to hold it in a stadium, you direct the stadiums not to allow the rally to happen?

Good men:
 It looks like they actually want to force Bersih out onto the streets so they can round everybody up under Emergency Ordinance.

Quigonbond:
 The Agong has already said that Bersih 2.0’s aims are noble, so it’s a matter of the government facilitating its gathering. It looks like there are going to be a lot of parties who menderhaka (committing treachery), not the least Umno itself, the police, and some stadium management who somehow owe their livelihood to Umno.

Michael Celo:
 Now with Merdeka Stadium predictably out of reach, and with time being short, please go for the Shah Alam Stadium.

Except for the problem of accessibility being less convenient than Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Merdeka, the Shah Alam Stadium has more than double the capacity.

Now it’s also a great time for Bersih to be creative, to bring to life a campaign(s) – not necessarily involving a gathering(s)/rally(ies) of people – but, say a Bersih Day once-a-week during which time we wear yellow until changes come.

Constantly publicise it via the online media, and coordinate these messages through a clearly dedicated Facebook/Twitter account.

The BN/Umno government is pushing all of us into a corner, and if left with no alternative channel for release, we will break out of this as innovatively and as creatively as we can.

Podeh: S Ambiga, you and Bersih 2.0 will be given the run around by the BN. Finally it’ll be too late to hold anything – indoors or outdoors. You have been outwitted, period.

Bersih wants rally at Stadium Merdeka

4EverMalaysian:
 The police must stop all kind of harassment, stop arresting the rakyat and creating all sort of nonsense tactics immediately. Please show some respect for the Agong.

Both the government (including the PM and home minister) and Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) must follow both the Agong’s and the rakyat’s wishes. No two ways about it.

Lau Eng Shinn:
 If the police do not stop the intimidation and harassment and release all the detainees today, we should continue with our planned walk for freedom.

Anak Bangsa Malaysia:
 To the police, Hishammuddin Hussein and Najib, be aware of what the Agong wants from you. Free all those detained for calling for “free, fair and clean” elections. Do not harrass all those who support Bersih 2.0. Set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on this matter.

Najib – what is your commitment to Malaysians? You said you are the PM, you have the power. Remember who gave you the power – the people. In fact you almost lost the elections in Pekan in 2008, don’t you forget that.

The Agong has spoken his mind and any average Malaysian will come to realise that the Agong is not too happy with you and your government for manupulating the Election Commission to your advantage.

The Agong being agreeable to the conditions of Bersih to have the rally albeit in a stadium is the strongest sign yet of his consent to improve the electoral system in Malaysia.

Fair Mind: What’s the point of allowing Bersih to rally in Merdeka Stadium when the police prevent people from attending the rally? What is the point of rallying when Najib does not implement the demands for clean elections?

Najib is a wily snake. He allows Bersih the stadium, but leaves it to the police to prevent people from attending and leaves it to the EC to refuse the demands of Bersih.

He made use of the EC, police and even the king. Malaysians have been cheated by him.

That’s why, Najib is sitting in Putrajaya while the rest are still trying very hard to pass even the preliminary stage of presenting the grouses to the government, which will be thrown into the wastepaper basket. That’s how clever Najib is.

Confused:
 How come people in Perkasa do not criticise the police actions as being disrespectful to the Istana, since the Bersih rally has been sanctioned by the Agong? I thought Perkasa members are the protectors of the Istana?

Audrey Teow:
 In my opinion, the rally should have gone ahead in the streets. Doing it in the stadium takes out the whole purpose of having a rally, which is to gain attention from international media, to bring attention to the rally’s cause.

Densemy:
 Royal commissions, Malaysian-style are an empty exercise and a waste of money from which nothing conclusive will arise and nothing will be done as a result of the findings.

The only commission that will have any impact is a people’s commission, and Bersih just opted out of that possibility by running away and hiding in a stadium specifically chosen to be inaccessible and make the rally irrelevant.

RR:
 It is rather very strange that the police are talking about enlisting the help of the Army to confront the rakyat when the king has instructed that Bersih 2.0 can hold the rally indoors. This is an open defiance of the king.

It appears the police will make it very difficult to issue a permit even for an indoor rally. Logic dictates that the organisers just have to inform the police of the venue and time, and the police – who serve the rakyat – should be there to facilitate traffic and crowd control, and to stop any untoward incidence that most likely would be perpetrated by spoilers like Perkasa and its associates.

JBGUY:
 The BN government is disrespecting the king by going against his recommendation. The rulers must not allow the government of the day to kill the aspirations of the rakyat. We will stand behind the rulers, so long as they are on the side of justice.

Anonymous:
 It looks like a game is being played here. To offer a stadium option to Bersih, and yet the stadium authorities disallow it. Are they forcing the rally back to the streets again? If Agong has agreed, how can the stadium reject Bersih’s application? Something is not right here.

Also, if the king has met with Bersih, how can it still be illegal and the home minister continued to insist it is an illegal organisation? This is all very confusing. Which means that anyone in yellow who walks into the stadium will be arrested.

So much for compromise. This is all a smokescreen.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:36 am and is filed under
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Can Putrajaya be trusted?

By
The Malaysian Insider

July 07, 2011

JULY 7 — Events over the past week have brought to question whether Malaysians can trust the Barisan Nasional (BN) government? And if not, can Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has made great strides to reclaim the coalition’s popularity, regain the people’s trust?

Let’s look at some of the events this week that has likely undermined not only his support but also his 1 Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.

Najib’s offer of a stadium for rally instead of electoral reforms movement Bersih marching through town pressing for free and fair elections.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin had interceded and got Bersih to agree to the prime minister’s suggestion which was carried by the media, including the Umno-linked pro-government TV3 television station.

What has happened since then? The prime minister has passed the entire matter to the police, saying they have a final say whether the rally can be held in a stadium. Meanwhile, the Cabinet met yesterday and decided that Bersih cannot use any stadium in Kuala Lumpur because it is an outlawed organisation and might cause a nuisance.

Add to that is the police applying and getting an order to restrict 91 individuals, including Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, from entering Kuala Lumpur this Saturday.

Are any of these actions done in good faith? Can we trust the word of a government especially when it comes out of the mouth of the prime minister? Or has he been economical with the truth and never wanted to find a solution to Bersih’s demands.

And what about his endorsement of a silat group as the country’s third line of defence just days after the group threatened to go to war against those who rally on July 9? While Najib has every right to praise anyone he desires, it leaves much to be desired that he is endorsing a group that is prepared to go to war inside the country.

“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.

“But tonight, we do not gather to fight,” added the prime minister, saying “We do not gather to wield the keris (dagger). We gather for the loyalty and unity of our country,” and “We do not fight the non-Malays. We embrace them as fellow citizens.”

Yes, the prime minister is right. We are all Malaysians but to endorse a group that is prepared to wage war against fellow citizens over philosophical differences is definitely not what Malaysians should expect from a national leader.

Can Malaysians trust Putrajaya and its current occupants? It is a question that can only be answered in the next general elections. Just like the success of Bersih will be reflected when everyone agrees that the next general elections is free and fair.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 10:45 pm and is filed under
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Cops: Restriction order against 91 individuals

by
Regina Lee

Malaysiakini

Jul 7, 11

The police have placed a restriction order on 91 individuals, including organisers of the Bersih 2.0, Perkasa and Umno Youth’s Patriot rallies.

The order is to stop any of the 91 from being present at several spots in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

“This means that anyone (on the list) caught present at these areas will be arrested on sight,” said the city deputy police chief Amar Singh.

Top on the list are the Bersih 2.0 steering committee members, including Ambiga Sreenevasan, Wong Chin Huat and Maria Chin Abdullah.

Also on the list are Pakatan Rakyat leaders, such as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat, his party’s deputy-president Mohamad Sabu, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and social activist Hishamuddin Rais.

Fourteen from Perkasa, including its president Ibrahim Ali and other top leaders such as Ab Rahman Ab Bakar and Syed Hassan Syed Ali.

Umno Youth leaders also included in the list are Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, secretary Megat Firdouz Megat Junid and information chief Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

[Admin Note:

Among others “restricted” are:

DAP – Teresa Kok

      Anthony Loke

      Lau Wen San

PAS – Hadi Awang

      Salahuddin Ayub

      Mahfuz Omar

      Nasarudin Hassan

      Mohd Hatta Mohd Ramli

      Dzulkifli Ahmad

      Mujahid Yusof

      Syed Azman Syed Nawawi

      Khalid Samad

      Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin

PKR – Azmin Ali

      Nurul Izzah Anwar

      Chua Tian Chang

      Shamsul Iskandar bin Md Akin

      Badrul Hisham Shaharin

      Khairul Anwar

      Syed Shair Syed Mohd]

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 6:26 pm and is filed under
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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.

Anonymous_4135:
 Agong, when you allow Bersih 2.0 to hold the demonstration in a stadium, Bersih has promised that it will be done properly.

However, your government agencies have proven that they are all out to make life difficult on your people by putting up roadblocks in the morning, conduct arrests and intimidate opposition meetings, and whatever underarm tactics available to stall matters.

It is almost a foregone conclusion that whoever drives to Stadium Merdeka on Saturday will face more more roadblocks, searches inside the car, even greater intimidation ever before. Drivers who drive there will almost be certain get a traffic summon for parking illegally, which is never a problem when a football match is going on.

I plead with you – this is what the rakyat have been moaning about time and again: the blatant abuses of power by our police, judicary, Election Commission, etc.

Keep Your Head:
 The police are harassing the people and wasting taxpayers’ money to go after the entire town council on unfounded charge.

Minister Hishammudin Hussein does not have the power to declare a society illegal, nor the Registrar of Societies, as the rulings needed be gazetted first. The police and DPP should be reprimanded and the people be released immediately.

Anonymous:
 It appears that the ‘Polis Raja Di Malaysia’ have nothing better to do than set up roadblocks to prevent people from attending rallies (not realising the waste of petrol caused by the jams) and charging people for wearing T-shirts of the ‘wrong’ color. What a waste of taxpayers money.

To make up for the losses, BN has to think of other ways of burdening the rakyat, such as imposition of GST, removal of subsidy on essential goods such as petrol, gas for cooking and industrial use, sugar, etc.

I wonder whether ‘pemimpin’ BN are aware of the ultimate consequences of the increases on everyday living expenses . The price of nasi lemak has increased from RM1 to RM1.50, roti canai has increased from 90 sen to RM1.10, bread has increased from RM3 to RM3.20, coffee/tea has increased from RM1.20 to RM1.40, etc.

How I wish elections were held tomorrow for me to show my utmost displeasure and frustration over my ‘great leaders’.

Dev: Are they going to charge the Agong for holding talks with an “unlawful society” as well?

Alan Goh:
 Charging the 17 for wearing yellow T-shirts. What a joke. Malaysia will enter the Guiness Book of Records as a Third World country for disallowing the wearing of yellow.

After the comical Sodomy II High Court trial, let the world watch how another comical trial is taking place, with the compliments of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).

KJ John:
 The idocrats cannot think and therefore do stupid things and waste the people’s money and public prosecutors’ time. To the councillors, we are with you, and your courage makes us want to make change happen, and it will. You have set a good example by your leadership and courage. My salute to you all.

ONG:
 Since the government had declared ‘Bersih’ to be an ‘illegal’ movement/organisation, I find it strange that the same government now allows members and followers of the same ‘illegal’ movement/organisation to hold a legal rally/demonstration, even if within the confines of a stadium.

Is it possible that the government wants to nab the whole lot Bersih members and followers and having them all within the confines of a stadium will make the task of arresting them easier?

Confuse_d:
 In Perak, black is banned, Hindraf orange is banned, DAP’s red is banned, now Bersih yellow is banned. Better ban all coloured clothes.

Perkasa rally on, unless permit withheld

Dingy:
 The Agong interfered so that there won’t be chaos due to clashes. Ibrahim Ali is bent on to create trouble even if the Bersih rally is held in the stadium, so the Agong’s desire to see a peaceful rally in the stadium will become null and void.

Since the police are with Perkasa, where do Bersih stand? Going back to the streets would be considered going against the Agong’s orders.

Karma:
 By today, we all now know Perkasa has nothing better to do than to bark at anything yellow that moves. They are as confused as the police. Their purpose is just to make loud noise to be heard until the general election. Once they are routed, they will be gone.

First, they protest against street demonstrations. Now they also want to protest in the stadium. Indeed, they are ready to fight like angry people, threatening chaos. Yet, the police are doing absolutely nothing.

The world is confused why Malaysians are fighting among themselves with Perkasa barking angrily everyday like as though there is a war looming ahead. Yet, no one is barking back at them. Really clownish and stupid.

Soap Opra:
 The major difference between Bersih and Perkasa is that the former is fighting for something they believe in, while the latter is merely looking for a fight.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:23 am and is filed under
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Kit Siang accuses Najib of being insincere in Bersih row

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

July 07, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — DAP leader Lim Kit Siang accused Datuk Seri Najib Razak today of being insincere and irresponsible for continuing with the Bersih clampdown, despite the group heeding the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s call to hold the July 9 rally in a stadium.

The election watchdog has chosen Stadium Merdeka as the venue for this Saturday’s rally. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has however told the polls reform group to hold its rally outside of the capital.

“Datuk Seri Najib Razak runs the risk of becoming the first Kafkaesque Prime Minister in Malaysia who does not mean what he says and does not say what he means,” Lim said in a statement today.

“Kafkaesque” relates to Czech Franz Kafka’s writings which centre around the bizarre, random, surreal forced by an impersonal administration where the individual feels powerless to understand or control what is happening.

The DAP advisor said that the King’s intervention of the row between Bersih and the government was “short-lived” when Najib “passed the buck” of allowing Bersih to hold its rally ay Stadium Merdeka to the police.

“It is reported that the Prime Minister will be leaving for overseas tomorrow. He should not do so but should be in the country to ensure that the Bersih 2.0 stadium rally on July 9 as agreed upon as a result of the wise and just intervention of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and with his concurrence is held in a smooth, peaceful and orderly manner,” added Lim.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 10:22 pm and is filed under
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Let’s debate: Rahman

Daily Express | 6 July 2011

Kota Kinabalu: Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan on Tuesday challenged DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.

Expressing disappointment with the Ipoh Timur MP, he said the latter has been continuously instigating the people of Kg Tambatuon with misleading facts about the issue.

“His intention is very clear which is to score political gains at the expense of national interest (food security), long term benefit to the thousands of poor farmers and solution to the drinking water supply and flood mitigation of the people of Kota Belud,” he said in a statement.

He said the Government has explained many times about the issue that he personally has met the Tambatuon Action Committee to discuss about it.

“So, if Kit Siang likes to debate the issue openly, I am more than happy to oblige. Let’s have the debate in the Kota Belud community hall where all the stakeholders and parties affected by the proposed dam can come and listen to both sides,” he said.

Rahman said the people of Kg Tambatuon, the Kota Belud paddy farmers and the relevant agencies would be invited so that they could hear real facts and figures and not one-sided political rhetorics from desperate politicians.

He hoped Lim would take up the challenge with an open heart so the Government can move on developing Kota Belud.

Lim recently blamed the government including the elected representatives of Kota Belud for failing to care for the interest of the residents in Tambatuon.

He said the people should not bear the burden of development to the extent of losing their ancestral land they inherited from their forefathers.

Rahman, on the other hand, explained previously that the Tambatuon Damn is only at the proposal stage and that nothing has materialised yet.

He said the Government would not carry out anything without first taking the people interest and concern in its planning. He stressed that the people always come first before any project is implemented.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 3:11 pm and is filed under
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Najib and gang say the darndest things

By
Kee Thuan Chye
 | July 7, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

The Bersih 2.0 episode has taught us a few important things. About the officials who are supposed to serve us, the rakyat.

First, it has taught us that our prime minister, Najib Tun Razak, is a coward, a passer-of-the-buck, and a man with a slippery tongue.

Although he has now offered the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) a stadium to hold its rally on July 9, he refuses to say if the government no longer considers it an illegal organisation.

“This is a point whereby we consider them illegal, they don’t consider themselves as illegal but what’s important is public interest, I’m concerned with public interest,” he says. What kind of waffle is that?

Because he is wishy-washy about this matter, he appears utterly contradictory in allowing an illegal organisation to hold a public rally in a stadium that his government will provide.

Related to this, when asked by the media whether the police would continue to clamp down on Bersih 2.0 supporters nationwide, he said, “You have to ask the police.”

Asked if supporters would be arrested for wearing Bersih T-shirts at the rally at the stadium, he again said, “That is up to the police to decide.”

He doesn’t know? He doesn’t have a say? Who is the boss? The prime minister, who is the chief executive of the country, or the police?

He dared not even answer the media’s question about whether he was called to see the King on the morning of July 5 before the latter was to meet with Bersih 2.0. His lame and characteristically evasive reply was: “When I meet the King is my right, and as the prime minister, I am the chief adviser to the King.” He wasn’t man enough to be honest and transparent.

Same old trick

Now let’s look at Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. A few days ago, on the Bersih 2.0 rally, he warned that it could lead to chaos and invite “interference from major powers”. Where did he pull this out from?

“Based on the experience in the Middle East, we know that foreign powers are all too eager to send their troops on the pretext of helping to solve the crisis,” he said. What a hoot!

How ridiculous it is to draw from the Middle East experience (is the United Nations about to authorise the bombing of Malaysia?), and how convenient to blame it on some phantom foreign powers. It’s the same old trick the government used on Hindraf in 2007, linking it to the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. In the end, not a shred of evidence was ever produced. Once bitten, twice shy.

Sure enough, what Muhyiddin said was to provide justification for six Parti Sosialis Rakyat (PSM) members who were pro-Bersih 2.0 to be detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), on suspicion of being involved with “foreign elements” and having “subversive tendencies”.

One of them is Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj. If you knew him for the soft-spoken, humble and dedicated helper of the poor that he is, you would laugh in Muhyiddin’s face. Jeyakumar would not be so stupid as to align himself with foreign elements to subvert the state.

Let’s turn now to Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, who disparaged “desperate parties” for making use of Communism to drum up support for the Bersih 2.0 rally.

“They see this as an opportunity to stir up dissent and seize power,” he said. “Spreading Communism is against the law. It is evil and illegal.”

What wild words would these ministers not use against a rally that was aimed at nothing more sinister than asking for electoral reform, for the good of democracy? Do they not realise we can gauge from their words the level of their intellect?

How did Rais get his PhD?

PM’s undignified talk

Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam called on the government to strip Bersih 2.0 chairperson S Ambiga of her citizenship. “If she thinks that we should have democracy by going on demonstrations like the way other countries do, then let her be the citizen of another country,” he said.

He also said she was against the tenets of Islam for previously defending Lina Joy in her apostasy case.

Alamak! What has the Lina Joy case got to do with the Bersih 2.0 rally? But then, that’s the Umno-BN dirty tactic, isn’t it? Turn a non-religious issue into a religious one. Never mind if it’s irrelevant. Never mind if it’s divisive.

Najib was worse in making a similar personal attack: “We know who this Ambiga is. She is the one who threatened the position of Islam.”

He must have known it was totally uncalled-for and outrageously irresponsible, but his audience was in Kelantan, comprising mostly Muslims, reportedly about 20,000 of them there.

When Ali Rustam said that sort of thing, it was inexcusable. But when Najib, the advocate of so-called 1Malaysia, said it, it was unforgivable.

More than that, he warned, “Ambiga should not think herself so strong. We will not bow down to her at all, we will fight for the truth. We will simpan kuku kita.” This is menacing; the threat is in “simpan kuku kita”, implying Najib and his supporters will hide their claws for now and use them when the time comes.

This is undignified talk unbecoming of a prime minister. He sounds like a street brawler.

Let’s save the best for last. And who else might that be but the Home Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, already famous for the numerous bloopers he has made in the past?

When the police started arresting people for wearing the Bersih T-shirts, without any apparent law to back them up, Hishammuddin justified it thus: “If the Bersih T-shirt is related to an illegal activity, then whatever they are wearing is illegal.”

But the rally had not happened yet, so how could it have been an illegal activity? By the same logic, how then could the Bersih T-shirts be related to an illegal activity?

Caught in a corner, Hishammuddin then resorted to declaring Bersih 2.0 illegal. One of the reasons cited was that Bersih 2.0 had been spreading propaganda with the aim of toppling the government.

What propaganda? Its eight demands for electoral reform constitute government-toppling material? Which school did this minister go to?

And now that the King has met with Bersih 2.0 and the coalition has agreed to hold its rally in a stadium provided by the government, Hishammuddin is still clamouring: “They are banned. They are still banned… just because Tuanku met them doesn’t mean they are no longer illegal.”

One would have thought that the King, in showing respect to Bersih 2.0 in granting it an audience, would have legitimised the coalition, but Hishammuddin seems to have a different view. He must have felt the egg all over his face when the King granted the audience.

His reaction is therefore understandably defensive. He has screwed up big-time, but he won’t admit his mistakes. If he has been doing his job like he should have, he would not be vilifying Bersih 2.0; he would be going after Perkasa instead.

The real troublemaker

No matter how you look at it, there’s no denying that the real trouble-maker is Perkasa. It never had a real cause to rally for on July 9 except to disrupt Bersih 2.0’s serious purpose.

And now it wants to create further trouble by applying for the same stadium that Bersih 2.0 is applying for and hold its own rally there. And the reason for it? Merely to show that “there are others who feel differently”.

Perkasa is obviously envious that the King acknowledged Bersih 2.0 by granting it an audience, so it too is applying for an audience with His Majesty. Perkasa is nothing but an envious bulldog that won’t let go until it gets to spite Bersih 2.0. And all for what? Do its members even know?

If there were one organisation Hishammuddin should act on, it would have to be Perkasa. And yet for all its antics and for all the veiled threats of violence its president, Ibrahim Ali, has been issuing since the whole episode started, the minister has said or done nothing.

Hishammuddin is plainly inept in his handling of the entire mess. And for that, he should resign or be kicked out of the Cabinet by his cousin, Najib.

In fact, both of them have clearly shown in the past two weeks that the government has two laws for Malaysians – one for itself and those it favours, and one for the rest of the people. You can guess for yourself which side is the worse off for it.

But not to worry. What we the rakyat have learned, we can use to good effect. Taking the wisdom from Najib, we can simpan our kuku for now and reveal them when the time is right.

Dramatist and journalist Kee Thuan Chye is the author of ‘March 8: Time for Real Change‘. He is a contributor to FMT.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 3:26 pm and is filed under
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Najib at risk of becoming the first Kafkaesque Prime Minister in Malaysia who does not mean what he says and does not say what he means

Datuk Seri Najib Razak runs the risk of becoming the first Kafkaesque Prime Minister in Malaysia who does not mean what he says and does not say what he means.

“Kafkaesque” relates to  or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings and  is often applied to bizarre and impersonal administrative situations where the individual feels powerless to understand or control what is happening.

The national sigh of relief evoked by the wise and just intervention of the Yang diPertuan Agong on Monday – that the “gathering storm” in the past week over the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 calling for free, fair and clean elections could be dispelled –  lasted only 24 hours, for it proved to be both short-lived and premature.

As a direct consequence of the wise and just intervention of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Bersih organisers called off the July 9 march and instead agreed to hold a rally at any  stadium as proposed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

However, when the Bersih organisers  decided on Merdeka Stadium as the venue for the peaceful rally for free, fair and clean elections, all sorts of roadblocks and obstacles were thrown up by the various authorities despite the fact that such a rally at Merdeka Stadium had the blessings of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, viz:

The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s insistence that Bersih is still illegal (suggesting that the Yang di Pertuan Agong had met with unlawful characters), that the Bersih T-shirts were still unlawful and that the law would apply to close to 200 persons arrested in connection with the proposed Bersih 2.0 march on Saturday;

Police insistence that the Bersih stadium rally requires a police permit;

The snub  by the Merdeka Stadium authorities refusing to allow the use of the stadium for Bersih 2.0 rally; and

The statement by the Minister for Information, Communications and Culture Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim late yesterday evening that the Cabinet had decided not to allow Bersih to use Merdeka Stadium as the venue for the July 9 rally.

Najib capped these roadblocks and obstacles with his most irresponsible act in his 27 months as Prime Minister when he “passed the buck” of the Bersih 2.0 stadium rally to the police claiming that Bersih, “although still an illegal entity, will have to make an official application to the police” – without explaining how an illegal entity could make such an application or why the Prime Minister is not prepared to take responsibility for the stadium rally which has the blessings of the Yang di Pertuan Agong but allow it to be derailed.

With the refusal of the Home Minister to stand down the police apparatus of repression and  reports of the Federal Government suspending multiple public services this weekend including full or partial clampdown on the internet to foil the Bersih 2.0 stadium rally at Merdeka Stadium, unnecessary police roadblocks choking traffic and business, it would appear that the  just and wise intervention of the Yang di Pertuan Agong had been in vain.

At the height of the Egyptian popular uprising in February, Najib called for an end to the bloodshed in Egypt and stressed the importance for its people to decide the future of the country.

He said the Malaysian government want both sides – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian protestors  – to not resort to any form of violence and there not be any casualties as “the people only want to show where they stand regarding the leadership of the Egyptian government”.

Najib had added: “In a democratic system, we must prioritise the people and that is why any solution in Egypt must be based on demands and wants of the people to determine the future of their government.”

Why then is Najib ignoring his own advice to Mubarak in February?

Why has  Najib allowed the authorities to step up their threats in the joint police-army crowd control simulation exercise two days ago, conspicuously warning that participants will be short if a dispersal order is not heeded?

It is reported that the Prime Minister will be leaving for overseas tomorrow. He should not do so but should be in the country to ensure that the Bersih 2.0 stadium rally  on July 9 as agreed upon as a result of the wise and just  intervention of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and with his concurrence is held in a smooth, peaceful and orderly manner.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 5:16 pm and is filed under
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Najib endorses silat groups despite their threat to Bersih

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.

“But tonight, we do not gather to fight,” added the prime minister. “We do not gather to wield the keris (dagger). We gather for the loyalty and unity of our country.”

Najib pointed out that there were non-Malays at the event last night, although silat was a Malay martial art.

“We do not fight the non-Malays. We embrace them as fellow citizens,” said Najib.

PSSLM Mahaguru (grandmaster) Tan Sri Omardin Mauju said last month that silat exponents were Malaysia’s third line of defence after the police and the army.

In his threat to Bersih, Omardin said: “We maintain our stand to go to ‘war’ if they still want to proceed with this illegal rally. If it happens, I cannot guarantee I can control the emotions of my members because they have been taught to act when faced with opposition.”

Police have locked down the capital city and asked residents to bear with the inconveniences as they are looking for weapons that have allegedly been stashed away by unknown people.

Despite a royal audience and Najib’s earlier assurance that the Bersih rally could be held in a stadium, the police have told polls watchdog Bersih to apply for a permit for the event.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar also warned that police would arrest people wearing Bersih T-shirts or found to have pro-Bersih materials as the organization was still considered illegal.

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin stepped in on Sunday to defuse tension over the clampdown by advising the Najib administration and Bersih 2.0 to hold consultations over the issue of free and fair elections.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 12:35 pm and is filed under
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Putrajaya freezes bus permits for Bersih weekend

By
G. Manimaran

Bahasa Malaysia Editor

The Malaysian Insider

July 07, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Putrajaya has frozen temporary bus permits for travel across the peninsula to Kuala Lumpur, in what is seen as an effort to limit the turnout for Saturday’s Bersih rally.

Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar confirmed the directive is effective tomorrow, saying the commission did not want traffic congestion in the capital city.

“We don’t want to add to the congestion in the city, and are taking precautionary measures,” he told The Malaysian Insider this morning.

The former Home Minister added that SPAD did not see the need for temporary permits as there were no festive occasions or school holidays that would require more buses entering the city.

But he added that normal express bus and train services including the city’s light rail transit (LRT) would continue as usual.

“The LRT will run as usual without interruptions, and also normal bus services . . . no change, it will carry on as usual,” Syed Hamid said. “I don’t foresee any problems.”

Asked if action would be taken if the SPAD directive was ignored, he expressed confidence that the bus operators were responsible and would heed the instruction, adding he just wanted to tell the public to use regular bus services to the Klang Valley.

The Road Transport Department (RTD) confirmed the directive had been issued by SPAD, which has taken over the regulation of temporary permits from RTD for buses for students and factory workers.

RTD director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan told The Malaysian Insider that SPAD had notified the department to take action against any such buses operating from today to Saturday.

“As SPAD has made the decision, RTD and police can take action on any buses carrying passengers without temporary permits,” he said, confirming that the decision applied nationwide. “We can stop and impound the buses.”

He added that temporary permits would usually be issued a week in advance.

Bus and city LRT services were affected in 2009 during demonstrations protesting the use of the Internal Security Act 1960, which allows for detentions without trial.

The government’s latest action came as the mercury had risen over a planned Bersih street rally after Umno Youth and Perkasa pledged to hold counter-rallies.

A government clampdown over the past week that led to the arrest of hundreds of Bersih supporters only resulted in defiance from the electoral reform movement and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders, who have strongly backed the march as it seeks to build momentum ahead of a general election expected within the year.

The opposition coalition continues to insist that up to 300,000 will attend the rally, despite Bersih accepting a government offer to move the July 9 street march to a stadium.

The offer from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Monday came after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, stepped in to diffuse tension on Sunday by asking the government and Bersih to come to the negotiation table.

Despite Bersih’s acceptance of Najib’s offer, authorities are still insisting that the coalition of 62 NGOs apply for a police permit to hold its event.

However, Information Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim announced last night that the government would not accept any application to hold the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur as it was an outlawed organisation.

Bersih has vowed to carry on, and has told its supporters to gather in the historic Stadium Merdeka this Saturday.

This is the second such rally organised by Bersih. Fifty thousand people took to the streets in 2007 in Kuala Lumpur before they were dispersed by riot police using water cannons and tear gas.

The event has been partly credited for PR’s record gains in Election 2008, when the opposition coalition was swept to power in five states, and won 82 federal parliamentary seats.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 12:39 pm and is filed under
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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.

Joker:
 Roadblocks to prevent undesirable elements from smuggling weapons? Please! How can you prevent anything just by sitting in your tent or waving all the cars to go through? You are merely causing inconvenience and billions of lost productivity.

If Malaysia does not achieve the 6 percent minimum economic growth that Najib said is needed for Malaysia to become a high-income nation, we can blame the police. I suspect Pemandu will blame Bersih or other ‘undesirable elements’ for forcing the police to set up roadblocks.

Tpn:
 I passed LDP at 6.30am yesterday and got caught in a jam just after the Sunway toll plaza. Two police officers were sitting around and they did not check the cars. So why are police saying that they were looking for weapons?

All those that I spoke to today who got caught in the massive traffic jam were cursing the police and the government.

Vgood:
 Stupidity in the highest order. It took me two hours to return home after sending my son to school. When it comes to rational and logical thinking, our ruling authorities must proved to be in the lowest rank.

What has traffic going to Puchong to do with the Bersih rally in the city? Hello? The Bersih rally was claimed to be illegal, causing traffic jams and affecting livelihood of the rakyat, but who is causing these massive traffic jams?

Hovid:
 You called this acting for public interest? Who is causing problem to the public now? Police or Bersih? The already cancelled demonstration is supposed to take place on Saturday, why block the road now?

And when you pass through the roadblock, the police are not checking the cars at all – they just sat there and happy to cause the traffic jam.

Quigonbond:
 The king has already said that Bersih 2.0 has good intentions and the government should do what is just and entrusted to it (which implies it should implement the reforms required for Malaysia to have a truly free and fair elections).

Najib has also agreed to the use of a stadium (or stadiums) by Bersih 2.0 for their gathering (which implies free access to the gathering). So what’s the problem now? Are the police acting as little Napoleons, unaware or refusing to accept the change of situation?

Is Najib in control of his police force? Or is Najib being a sore loser, agreeing with the king on the one hand, but tries hard to thwart a record number of people showing up at the stadium to show that Bersih 2.0 cause is not a popular one? Shame on him and the BN government if this is the case.

Wira:
 Agong intervened and suggested rally in the stadium. PM agreed. Now the BN coalition partner, PDRM, is going to overrule both of them. I wonder why do we even need a general election to decide which party gets to run Putrajaya.

Anonymous_40a7:
 Anyone who passed by the Sunway toll in LDP yesterday morning would definitely have seen the electronic signboard showing a message from the police.

If I remember correctly, it says:- “AMARAN! Polis akan bertindak terhadap sesiapa yang menghadiri atau menyebarkan berita tentang perhimpunan haram Sabtu ini”. [CAUTION! The police will act against anyone who is attending or spreading the news about the illegal gathering this Saturday].

Thanks for the free advertisement. See you on Saturday… wherever it is!

Mingxiang:
 IGP, get it into your thick skull that the Bersih 2.0 rally is scheduled for July 9. Why are you setting up roadblocks now? Street crime is 0% is it, or you guys have nothing better to do?

By Election Fan:
 This clearly shows BN/Umno government is not sincere to allow a peaceful Bersih despite of S Ambiga’s statement it will be held in a stadium. Now we see who are the real troublemakers who are harassing rakyat’s daily life.

Please bear with the traffic jams for another few days or just take emergency leave (if you are allow to do so) till this Friday. Let’s us turn out by millions on Saturday at the stadium (pending Bersih announcement) to show our determination for a fair election.

Ethnicmalaysian:
 Whatever it is, all said and done, they will not go quietly into the night if and when they lose the next GE. That much is clear.

‘They’ here refers to the whole evil, rotten, cancerous, puss filled edifice of Umno and its gang of so-called judges, police, civil service, media, NGOs. Najib is as Machievallian as they come, as clearly proven in the last two weeks.

The great reformer, the people’s PM? Yeah right, and Umno actually really loves the country and are the ‘true’ patriots.

Philip Khoo:
 So who is costing the nation billions of ringgit in lost productivity and in increased carbon emissions?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:20 am and is filed under
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The day when the people rise up: July 9

By
 Kim Quek

July 07, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 7 — That’s it! Bersih finally has had enough of the treacherous conduct of a shameless government which has lost all sense of decency!

In a firmly worded statement released late last night, Bersih effectively said “come what may, we will have our rally at the Stadium Merdeka on July 9 at 2 pm!”.

This is Bersih’s final answer to a battery of ridiculous obstructions, warnings and excuses put up by the Najib government to obstruct a Bersih rally in the stadium.

This is despite Bersih having made a major concession to shift the rally from the streets to a stadium under the unprecedented intervention of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and after Prime Minister Najib Razak’s offer of a suitable stadium for the purpose.

And the 360 degree turn by Najib and his government happened within one day!

Impasse resolved under auspices of Agong

It was only on Tuesday (July 5) afternoon that Bersih had an audience with the Agong during which it accepted the government’s rally-in-stadium offer to resolve the tense impasse between Bersih and the Najib government, during which an obviously panic-stricken government went on a rampage to make wanton arrests to deter an anticipated massive street rally.

Upon Bersih’s announcement  to stay off the streets, Najib immediately expressed readiness to meet Bersih over a suitable stadium for the purpose.

The next day, Wednesday July 6, Bersih indicated it wanted the event to be held at Stadium Merdeka due to its historical significance and central location. Bersih further said that it had ascertained the stadium’s availability on July 9, as a scheduled concert had been cancelled.

But Umno Youth immediately said: “We reject Stadium Merdeka for Bersih. It is not a place for political gathering. Do it in a Pakatan Rakyat controlled state.”

This was followed by the stadium management’s rejection of Bersih on blatantly false excuses of “internal management sports event” and “renovation”.

What did the Prime Minister, who had earlier suggested and agreed to the rally-in-stadium proposal, have to say about the rally in Stadium Merdeka?

He said it was up to the authorities in charge of such matters to act in accordance with requirements of security and safety.

He emphasised however that “permission would only be given to organizations that are registered, but Bersih has never been registerd, it is an illegal organization”. He gave no indication whether approval to use the stadium would be forthcoming.

Then, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who had earlier declared Bersih illegal, made the shocking and puzzling announcement that Bersih is still illegal, despite the impasse being resolved in accordance with the wishes of the Prime Minister, mediated by His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Hishammuddin said:

“They are still banned. Nobody can put themselves over the law. Just because Tuanku met them, doesn’t mean they are no longer illegal”.

However, despite the alleged illegality, Hishammuddin made the curious statement that Bersih could still apply to the police for a permit to hold the rally, but gave no assurance that a permit would be given.

Bersih is betrayed

Finally, Bersih’s door to a stadium rally in Kuala Lumpur was shut when Information and Culture Minister Rais Yatim announced that the Cabinet has decided to bar Bersih from holding its rally in any of the stadiums in the Kuala Lumpur area. Rais suggested that Bersih could hold its rally in a Pakatan Rakyat controlled state.

Meanwhile, police crackdown on Bersih supporters continues unabated, arresting any one seen wearing yellow shirts or any paraphernalia linked to Bersih. So far, there have been more than two hundred arrests, including  members of parliament and state legislative assemblymen. Some are being charged in court, and some are detained under the draconian Emergence Ordinance which provides for indefinite detention without trial, which has been traditionally used against vice criminals.

Ministers and police have warned that even when a stadium rally is approved, anyone wearing anything suggesting support for Bersih including the yellow T shirts will be arrested.

Legal nonsense

So, Bersih was played out!

It gave up the street rally out of respect for His Majesty and in compliance with the PM’s wishes; but in return, it was denied a stadium for rally, and its supporters continue to be hunted down and persecuted like criminals through massive abuse of police power under fallacious legality.

Hishammuddin claimed that Bersih is illegal because it is not registered with the Registrar of Society, and hence any article or any activities promoting Bersih is also illegal, hence the mass arrest.

But this is pure legal nonsense.

Bersih is a temporary and loose grouping of registered NGOs (62 in nos. at this moment) who have come together for the specific task of pursuing electoral reforms. If these NGOs are by themselves legally registered bodies, how can they become illegal just because they have joined forces to pursue a transient objective? If Bersih is decreed illegal, then all the NGOs in this group must also be deemed illegal.  So are the members that belong to these respective NGOs.

By extension, any grouping of registered bodies who have joined forces to pursue any joint objective must also be considered illegal, including the opposition alliance of Pakatan Rakyat, which consists of PKR, PAS & DAP.

Why hasn’t Hishammuddin banned Pakatan Rakyat, and decreed their joint pursuits as also illegal?

Can Hishammuddin explain the strangest logic ever known — as reflected in the police arresting individuals bearing symbols of Bersih, when the organisation itself was sanctioned by the PM through the offer of a stadium to conduct its function?

Isn’t the entire Barisan Nasional government — PM, cabinet, police and judiciary — making a fool of themselves by crucifying and persecuting a well-meaning civil society movement on the premise of a fictitious law?

Greatest disrespect to Agong

By insisting that Bersih is an outlaw, after it has reached a settlement with the PM under the auspices of His Majesty, hasn’t Hishammuddin shown the greatest disrespect to the two highest leaders of the country?

And hasn’t PM in turn made a mockery of His Majesty’s gracious effort to bring reconciliation and good sense by failing to keep his end of the bargain to allow Bersih to hold its rally in peace?

In the midst of such treasonous conduct from our leaders, we wish to congratulate Bersih for its courage and determination to do what is right. In its statement signed by all the 14 members of its steering committee last night, it said:

“As members of civil society that are committed to principles of integrity, we fully intend to abide by the advice of Tuanjku DYMM SPB YDP Agong and hold our gathering in a stadium to state our demand for clean and fair elections.

“Whether or not the government abides by their principles, we the Malaysian people will always uphold ours. Our determination to exercise our constitutional right to gather peacefully for a just and reasonable cause is unwavering.”

Now that Bersih has conducted itself with honour, we the people must respond likewise.  It is about time that we stand up to reclaim what is due to us – our liberty and dignity and our right to determine our future, as enshrined in the Constituion.

Let everyone come out wearing yellow, and let the traitors be swarmed and drowned by a sea of yellow in Kuala Lumpur on that day.

Let July 9 be remembered in generations to come as the day when Malaysians finally rise up to reclaim their motherland from the grip of a tyrannical power.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 10:29 pm and is filed under
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The Wisdom of the Students

By
M. Bakri Musa

In a remarkable display of professorial prowess, University of Malaya Vice-Chancellor Ghauth Jasmon recently engaged his students in a two-hour dialogue on what it would take to make their university great. With humility, pedagogical skills, and great stage presence, he enthralled his audience while imparting an important message. They in turn were not at all shy in telling him the challenges they faced. It was truly a dialogue, not the usual one-way pedantic pronouncements.

            Those students had a clear message not only for their Vice-Chancellor but also the country’s leaders and policy makers: Listen to us!

            The session was even more remarkable as it was held after lunch, typically siesta time in the tropics. Anyone who has faced a classroom of students at that time of day knows how difficult it is to get their attention. Yet there they were – professor and students – intellectually engaging each other, interspersed with frequent cheers and laughter.

            The Vice-Chancellor listed the five criteria of an elite university, as judged by the rating bodies. They are, in order of importance, the academic reputation of its faculty (40 percent); the related faculty citations (20); student-faculty ratio (20); employers’ assessment of its graduates (10); and the institution’s internationalism as reflected by the number of foreign students (5) and faculty members(5).

            For parents and students however, the fourth factor – employers’ assessment – is for practical reasons the most important. Thus Ghauth focused on that. To employers, local graduates are deficient in such important areas as English proficiency, critical thinking, and problem solving. He emphasized the lack of English fluency.

            The first three major criteria, comprising 80 percent of the total, are beyond the students’ control. Those are the responsibility of the university, specifically Dr. Ghauth. Students’ contribution would be limited, as the Vice-Chancellor humorously suggested, to existing foreign students encouraging their friends and family members to enroll at UM, and that would influence only five percent of the total assessment.

            In a Kennedyesque twist, Dr. Ghauth asked his students what they could do for their university to make it great. Specifically he asked them for ways on improving their English proficiency if for no other reason than to make them acceptable to local employers.

            The students’ responses were most illuminating. To be sure, most were the usual and predictable, “Use English more frequently,” or “Befriend more foreign students.” One student stood out for the frankness of his opinion and sharpness of his observation. He also had a deft sense of humor, outclassing the Vice-Chancellor’s. He introduced himself as “Azlé from Kelaté” (Azlan from Kelantan) in that distinctively Malaysian east coast accent. That brought the house down.

            Azlan freely admitted to his mediocre English and bravely committed to improving it to “C-grade” over the semester. Amidst the ensuing laughter, many missed his sharp observation, made difficult by his frequent resorting to Malay. In Malay he articulated his problems eloquently.

            He related how his teachers back in Kelantan had to resort to using Malay when teaching English! The atmosphere was no better on campus. His friends and classmates would for example, mock and berate him whenever he tried to speak in English. Obviously opportunities for him, and others like him, to learn and practice his English were as limited on campus as they were back in his Kelantan village. That was his crucial message.

            As indicated, Azlan could not escape the irritating and jarring Malaysian habit of mixing Malay and English at will. I can readily excuse him because of his admitted lack of English fluency; inexcusable however, were Dr. Ghauth and the other supposedly English-proficient students.

“Soft” and “Hard” Obstacles To Achieving English Fluency

I would have stated Dr. Ghauth’s central question differently: How could the university enhance the English proficiency of its students? A good start would be to follow up on Azlan’s insights.

            What Azlan had related are the “soft” obstacles to achieving greater English fluency among Malay students, the subtle cultural and peer pressures. The mindset that dictates learning English is tantamount to hating your own language is part of this “soft” problem. It is a formidable obstacle precisely because it is so amorphous; you cannot easily put your hands around it.

            Then there are the “hard” obstacles, like the lack of competent teachers or our students not taking the subject seriously. Ironically, because they are concrete barriers we can readily get a handle on them and then come up with workable solutions.

            Take the obvious, the poor teaching of English in our schools and the lack of competent teachers especially in rural areas where the need is greatest. To train these teachers the university must have a strong Department of English. Yet UM’s department has only 11 faculty members and three tutors to serve a campus of 25,000 students. To its credit however, nine of its members have doctorates, a higher percentage than the university as a whole.

            The department’s size is not consonant with the great needs of the university and country. Considering that it was one of the first if not founding departments, its lack of growth must have been deliberate. That was short sighted and must be quickly rectified.

            The university must expand that department and provide non-credit courses and language labs so its Azlans can have a place to learn and practice their English. Emulate many American campuses including elite ones like Harvard that have similar facilities to improve the math and writing skills of their students.

            Dr. Gauth should go further and persuade his fellow Vice-Chancellors to impress upon our policymakers on the importance of teaching English in our schools and universities. They should not remain silent in the face of such regressive steps as the discontinuing of teaching of science and mathematics in English.

            As academic leaders these Vice-Chancellors could also mandate a pass in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET). That single move will make our students take English seriously. There will be severe opposition from some students and Malay language nationalists, part of the soft obstacle I alluded to earlier. Thus to soften the impact, I would add this proviso: If a student is otherwise qualified except for his MUET score, then he would be given a year to remedy the deficit before enrolling.

            If these academic leaders are really assertive and truly believe on the importance of English for their students, as they frequently profess, they would go further and make English mandatory for all freshmen. Have a placement test so students could be assigned to the appropriate class. Again this is common practice on many American campuses.

            Dr. Ghauth could also require all students write no fewer than 30 extended essays (term papers) during their undergraduate years. Again, this is the norm at good American universities. I would also have a similar requirement for essays in Malay (though far fewer in number) for international students. It would be a great shame and make a mockery of their attending a Malaysian university if they were unable to read or write in our national language.

            Once we have successfully overcome the “hard” obstacles, the soft barriers will automatically disintegrate like a mud wall in a downpour.

            This emphasis on English, though well placed, should not distract us from the other problems facing our students. English proficiency is no panacea; otherwise those Indian and Filipino graduates would be competitive.

            Deficiencies in critical thinking and problem solving are not English language dependent, as attested by Azlan’s performance. Instead they are the consequence of our pedagogical philosophy as well as our approach to teaching and testing. Far too often what goes on in our schools and universities is not education but indoctrination. Education in Malaysia is, to borrow Noam Chomsky’s phrase, “a system of imposed ignorance … a system of indoctrination.”

            Consider how we test our students; it is nothing more than an exercise in regurgitation. If we design our questions so students could have “open book” examinations, then we are truly evaluating critical thinking and problem solving abilities instead of talent for regurgitation. Professor Ghauth had demonstrated a teaching style that engages students and make the intellectual traffic flows both ways.

            I applaud the university personnel for doing a professional job in videotaping the session and then posting it on Youtube. I hope Dr. Ghauth will have other similar sessions with his faculty, the public, and policymakers to address the first three criteria on making the university great.

            Anticipating that, I offer my suggestions. One, strive to have within five years all faculty members with terminal qualifications. I would later elevate that by requiring new recruits to have substantive post-doctoral experience. Two, I would fund faculty members so they could present papers at international meetings. That would encourage them to submit their papers to international bodies. Three, grant all faculty members automatic research funding equal to their annual salaries, and spread over three years. Four, I would supply each faculty member with a free laptops and unlimited WiFi access so they could download lectures by leading scholars elsewhere for presentation to the students, as well as access to professional journals. Many of those publications offer free access to academics from the Third World. That alone would pay for the computers, by sparing the library from having to subscribe to those expensive journals. Five, I would treat our academics with great respect beginning with getting rid of that idiotic Akujanji pledge.

            If our policymakers think that my suggestions are expensive, think how much more it would be to have our universities remain in the academic cellar and continue producing mediocre products! That would be the greatest disservice to the students, as well as to the country.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 1:40 pm and is filed under
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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.

But when an Umno leader refuses to acknowledge the Agong’s acquiescence of Bersih, he deems himself as above the law and does what he pleases, just to keep himself and Umno in power. Home Minister? This is more like Lawless Minister.

So now what? The police will not entertain a request for permit because Hishammuddin deems Bersih as illegal? Take a guess as to the number of tai-chi tactics that Umno and its compliant servants will play to make life difficult for Bersih. Maybe the only solution then, is to hit the streets.

Anonymous:
 How come a ‘titah’ from Agong can be ignored by BN government? What a bad example for rakyat to follow. Is this a crisis of sorts about to begin between the royalty and Umno? Hope it doesn’t happen. No one likes it this way.

Wira: Hishammuddin, every government order issued is done in the name of DYMM YDP Agong. Are you now suggesting that the king met with an illegal organisation? Don’t you have any respect for the king?

KJ John:
 Politicians can play games with the lives of others, but it is God who decides and moves to establish justice and righteousness. Hey, Hishammuddin, God is watching and you are not making much sense. The king moved to stop the nonsense, but good sense has still not prevailed. Do we need Tsunami II before you learn?

Geronimo:
 Now we can really see the true colour of these uncouth Umno leaders. First, Ibrahim Ali dares to question HRH (His Royal Highness) for granting Ambiga and her two colleagues an audience. Now, here comes this bozo who more or less tell HRH, “So what!”

So, who’s next to insult the HRH? Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin and Khairy Jamaluddin? The people should rise to the occasion to protect our king from these bunch of traitors.

Anti-Fascist:
 This slap in the face should wake Bersih 2.0 up. BN doesn’t play by the rules and doesn’t even pretend to listen to DYMM YDP Agong’s advice. Bersih 2.0 still wants a stadium?

AnakBangsaMalaysia: And what does the Agong have to say about this belligerent statement from the home minister as well as the continuing illegal arrests of Bersih 2.0 supporters and abuse of detainees by the police?

What does the Agong have to say about the explicit threats of violence against unarmed civilians emanating non-stop from Umno-Perkasa, PDRM, FRU and the Army?

Quigonbond:
 That’s Umno flexing its bully muscles. In saying so, Hisham is telling the king that his opinion means nothing, that the king’s proclamation that Bersih’s intentions are good is inconsequential.

From this day forth, Umno losses its moral authority to terrorise the rakyat in the name of defending the royalty.

Tsc:
 This is good cop (Najib), bad cop (Hishammudin) routine. They never intended to play fair. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have done what they have done, including the police telling they might enlist help from the army.

Even the Agong was dragged into the mud. So Hishammuddin can override Agong?

Anonymous_40a7:
 With Hisham’s statement, it means Umno now considers themselves above the Agong in the hierarchy of power in Malaysia. This is despite the Agong giving consent to Bersih’s activities.

So much for Umno shouting ‘Daulat Tuanku’ and pretending to be the defenders of the monarchy.

DannyLoHH:
 The ruling regime has lose all legitimacy in its continuous crackdown on Bersih. The crackdown is illegal as it is denying the fundamental freedom of assembly of Malaysians as enshrined in the constitution.

The law they used to acts against the supporter is also illegal as these laws contravene the constitution law of Malaysia, which is supposed to be the highest law of Malaysia.

But they got away from it because they have compromised the neutrality of the public institution, especially the police force and the court. The country is fast descending into a pariah state.

Ghkok:
 1) How can a group that is a coalition of 60 registered NGOs be illegal?

2) How can a group whose mission is to fight for free and fair elections be illegal?

3) How can a group that just had a meeting with the Agong be illegal?

4) How can a group that is offered a stadium (by the government) to hold their peaceful really be illegal?

5) How can a group that is supported by millions of peace-loving Malaysians be illegal?

6) How can a group that is chaired by a former chairperson of the Bar Council be illegal (surely she knows what is legal or illegal)?

Hisham, you tell us. Or are you telling us that they are illegal just because you say so? Who the hell are you to say they are illegal?

Prussiablue:
 I knew it. The fact that massive roadblocks all over KL and even as far as in JB yesterday meant the government has no intention of ‘legalising’ Bersih. It’s all a trick. We have not choice but to take it to the street as originally planned.

David Dass:
 The ball is in the court of the minister. The king has said to Bersih – “Have your demonstration in the stadium.” Bersih has agreed. The prime minister agreed. The nation sighed with relief. An ugly confrontation was avoided.

Now we are at a stalemate again. The stadium officials say no. The police will not issue a permit. The cabinet dithers. And the home minister says that Bersih is an illegal organisation. And the crackdown continues.

Is this honorable conduct? Is this flying in the face of advise from the king? Even Dr Mahathir Mohamad acknowledges that demonstrations are a democratic right but should only be exercised as a last resort.

And if the stadium demonstration is not allowed then is the government creating a situation where the only avenue available to Bersih and their supporters is a street demonstration? Why is this happening?

Dood:
 Okay, Bersih still illegal? Then please go and arrest the king then for being involved with the illegal organisation.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: If the government cannot offer an acceptable venue for the rally on Saturday and continues to place obstacles and restrictions in the path of Bersih 2.0 in defiance of the king’s edict, then the rally should move back to the streets and forget about engaging with the government.

Hisham is taking about rule by law and not rule of law. Most arrests were made when Bersih 2.0 was not yet banned, so release these persons including the PSM activists as a sign of good faith otherwise the government must face the consequences.

It is obvious that the police, and now the Army, are beholden to Umno/BN and not the people so why must the people continue to restrain themselves when their freedoms and rights are being blatantly taken away by a lawless, corrupted and ruthless regime that wins elections through fraud, cheating and bribery?

The whole world must see the truth about Malaysia and investors should stay out of a country that is authoritarian and undemocratic in the extreme.

Bil:
 Can anyone please tell me who is ruling the country?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 July 2011, 11:31 am and is filed under
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2pm, July 9th, Stadium MERDEKA: Malaysia’s moment of truth

By
BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee

Malaysians from all walks of life have travelled a very long road to reach this defining point in our nation’s history. With less than 24 hours to our intended peaceful gathering, our resolve to walk the last, most difficult mile as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections and a better Malaysia for all is firmer than ever.

Our reason for gathering is pure and simple – to demand the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped.

The authorities have put obstacle after obstacle where they only needed to provide sincere cooperation to win the trust and confidence of the people. Having faced half hearted offers of stadiums, arrogance regarding meetings as well as denials of permits, arrests, detentions and so much more, we feel that we have done all that is humanly possible to demonstrate sincerity and good faith in dealing with the government – but we have only been met with reversed decisions and stone walls.

There are no walls however, that will arrest the advance of the cause of peace and justice. Come the 9th of July, we will uphold our constitutional right to converge peacefully on Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

No government agency has any right whatsoever to prevent Malaysians from exercising their freedom of movement and access to our capital city. No threat or intimidation can overturn this fundamental truth.

Malaysians have now seen for themselves the degree of paranoia and lack of principled leadership that seems to have gripped the government. It is thus all the more imperative that patriotic Malaysians rise now and take this stand together to save Malaysia from slipping further into this insane darkness.

Since the beginning of Bersih 2.0, we have witnessed nothing but the utmost bravery and commitment to peace and justice demonstrated by ordinary Malaysians from every walk of life. Inspired by this example, the Bersih 2.0 leadership reiterates our own unyielding commitment to our shared cause, and to being at Stadium Merdeka at 2pm tomorrow. We will meet at the carpark, and trust that the doors will be opened for us.

This is Malaysia’s single most important defining moment in recent history, and we are fully confident that the rakyat will heed the call to safeguard the principles Malaysia was founded on and together ensure that we pass down to our children a nation that is just, democratic and united in love for one another.

Released by,

Steering Committee

Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0)

The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan (Chairperson), Andrew Khoo, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato’ Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato’ Yeo Yang Poh dan Zaid Kamaruddin.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 6:33 pm and is filed under
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Bersih supporters are Malaysians too

By
Emmanuel Joseph
 | July 08, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

JULY 8 — Every single Malaysian should be outraged .The government’s response on Bersih so far has been disappointing, rash, highly immature, overtly political and downright ridiculous. The response of enforcement agencies supposedly independent of the government appears to mimic this incredulous, fear-mongering answer to calls for what are essentially the right of every basic democracy — proper elections.

Objections to this peaceful rally has been prayerfully chanted every 30 minutes or so on television, condemning, and mocking this rally, almost as if Bersih was conjuring a merry band of thugs to terrorise the neighbourhoods of KL. The confiscation of Bersih-related items are also uncalled for and with little basis. What harm can yellow T shirts and logos do the country?

The police’s absurd and outlandish reaction by posting roadblocks across the capital is a gross waste of resources. Given our police force still cannot nab, say the Bangsar acid splasher, what good will manning 240 stations across the city do other than bring traffic to a near standstill? I remember an MCA leader proclaiming Bersih would stop ambulances in their tracks. Whose conscience would it be if someone died because of these desperately illogical actions?

The reason given is equally incredulous. Would not weapons be readily available at shops throughout the city? At all the roadblocks, was a single parang found? Are not these weapons readily available from shops in and around the city centre? What purpose did this serve other than to inconvenience the million or so residents living and working in the city?

How can a T-shirt possibly equate to reviving communism ? Have BN leaders walked around the Curve, Midvalley or Times Square? How many people wear caps, insignia and T-shirts with communist and Nazi logos? Are you going to arrest them all? If wearing a T-shirt with Chin Peng’s face on it is being influenced by communists, Umno should be hauled into jail as it not only has a close rapport with the Chinese Communist Party, their Youth wings have an active leaders exchange programme! Or does a different set of rules apply to different sides of the political fence? Clueless quarters are even trying to make communism a “Chinese problem”.

When last I looked, Rashid Maidin,Wahi Annuar, SA Ganapathy, and Abdullah CD were not Chinese. How is the colour yellow or a logo a national threat? Is a mere word with a cursive “I” more dangerous than a swastika or a hammer and sickle?

Despite the unjust nature hurdles thrown at them for simply wanting to exercise their democratic, fundamental right to assemble, both by the authorities and NGOs that appear to be aligned to those in power, even threats of physical violence, the organisers agreed to a compromise, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself granted them an audience. It was noticeable that Tuanku never used the word illegal to describe the rally.

Renegading on the earlier promise, the government has pressed on with this intimidation tactics to keep the people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly

How in any way does any of the eight points denote anything political or racial in nature? Yet, hopelessly they try to paint it out to be a political and racial issue. The political twist failed when it was pointed out that the committee was headed by non-politicians. Then they played the racial card by associating martial arts associations and such.

How can it be anti-Malay when two of the largest Malay-based parties support it, along with four National Laureates!

The government have succeeded only in turning a peaceful walk, not unlike a marathon or parade often held in the capital, into a full out militarised zone with arrests and seizures and threats of chaos and roadblocks. The city is in a virtual lockdown and it’s said to be worse tomorrow.

It appears, the government, and not Bersih, is perpetuating unrest and unease among peaceful Malaysians. This spectrophobic, xanthophobic, ablutophobic madness should stop. If we cannot be allowed to disagree, to assemble and to speak, are we still a democracy?

Please, stop this madness. We are your neighbours, your brothers and sisters, your friends. We are Malaysians, too.

*
Emmanuel Joseph reads The Malaysian Insider.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 5:04 pm and is filed under
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How low can you go

By
Shamini Darshni
 | July 08, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

JULY 8 — The whole political drama surrounding Bersih 2.0’s planned rally on Saturday has reached historical proportions — but at which end, whether incredibly ridiculous or incredibly ingenious, still begs decision.

On one hand, we have Bersih 2.0, with a committee made up of respected citizens with a deep understanding of electoral issues, bent on rallying for one cause: free and fair elections in a country that has been ruled by one multi-party coalition for over 50 years.

On the other hand, I know I am not the only who feels that there is a tactical game plan being rolled out to disable Bersih 2.0 and build anxiety among the general population.

Recently, as my dad, his German friend and I talked about Malaysia’s politics, my father pointed out that governments should realise that the people today have something that they might not have had 50 years ago: education.

When the country’s politicians were in their 20s, things were a lot different. Yet, the answer is not in trying to woo young people over Twitter and Facebook, not when their generation knows you mess around with PSD scholarships. Plus, there are “Ignore”, “Block” and “Unfollow” options.

Those in their late 20s and above are a lot more educated than some of the country’s politicians will ever be. With this level of education comes better-paying jobs, and with that, comes exposure, evolving viewpoints, information exchange — all the traits of a developed country.

But we cannot be a developed country and try and suppress people for having an opinion. And what IS being a “developed country”? Bigger buildings? GST? Sky-high property prices? More FDI? Less FDI?

We must remember that there is no “developed country” without a developed people. Our people (and yes, this means non-Bumiputeras too) are our biggest asset. The government must realise this in some way or why keep screaming about brain drain?

Trying to woo people back to “serve their country” and yet call them “pendatang” is not going to win any votes, for goodness sake. Which is one of the many reasons why the brain-drain “problem” will never be solved.

In the meantime, organising a big bunch of motorcyclists to circle the opposition’s headquarters while waving Umno flags was too obvious an attempt at intimidation.

Furthermore, we have been struggling with Mat Rempit hooligans for years and it was almost sad to see the obvious irony lost on the organiser(s).

And now, here we are. The claws are out. The law is being bastardised and used as a whip. “Waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”? Seriously?

The police have been amazing. Their swift action in detaining hundreds under emergency laws in a few weeks has been impressive. Meanwhile, the acid splasher who injured over 20 women is still at large although months have passed and police have a photo-fit of the man.

Cue: Shamini throws her hands up in the air.

As the government and its allies clutch at straws, desperately wielding every “weapon” in their arsenal — from silat to rationing bus permits — we watch part in anger, part in amusement, and all in irritation.

Through all the politicking over the past few weeks, one message has prevailed: people power. When a group of ordinary folk band together for a cause, the grace with which it faces its adversaries yet remains steadfast, is something political parties (BN or PR) can gain pointers from.

Let’s get one thing right — Bersih 2.0 has already won.

—

Shamini served as a news journalist for some years and now works as a media and communications manager at a private university. When she’s not stabbing furiously at her computer, she’s in a bar somewhere drinking in great music or at home devouring her favourite authors. She can be reached at
[email protected]
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                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 5:00 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang accepts challenge by Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman to a public debate in Kota Belud on the proposed Tambatuon Dam and suggests September date

The Sabah Daily Express on Wednesday 6th July 2011 carried a report of the Barisan Nasional Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan challenging me to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.

The Daily Express report reads:

“Let’s debate: Rahman

“Kota Kinabalu: Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan on Tuesday challenged DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.

“Expressing disappointment with the Ipoh Timur MP, he said the latter has been continuously instigating the people of Kg Tambatuon with misleading facts about the issue.

“’His intention is very clear which is to score political gains at the expense of national interest (food security), long term benefit to the thousands of poor farmers and solution to the drinking water supply and flood mitigation of the people of Kota Belud,’ he said in a statement.

“He said the Government has explained many times about the issue that he personally has met the Tambatuon Action Committee to discuss about it.

“’So, if Kit Siang likes to debate the issue openly, I am more than happy to oblige. Let’s have the debate in the Kota Belud community hall where all the stakeholders and parties affected by the proposed dam can come and listen to both sides,’ he said.

“Rahman said the people of Kg Tambatuon, the Kota Belud paddy farmers and the relevant agencies would be invited so that they could hear real facts and figures and not one-sided political rhetorics from desperate politicians.

“He hoped Lim would take up the challenge with an open heart so the Government can move on developing Kota Belud.

“Lim recently blamed the government including the elected representatives of Kota Belud for failing to care for the interest of the residents in Tambatuon.

“He said the people should not bear the burden of development to the extent of losing their ancestral land they inherited from their forefathers.

“Rahman, on the other hand, explained previously that the Tambatuon Damn is only at the proposal stage and that nothing has materialised yet.

“He said the Government would not carry out anything without first taking the people interest and concern in its planning. He stressed that the people always come first before any project is implemented.”

Rahman had made baseless claims and allegations in this report,  trying to camouflage the fact that as MP for the area, he had failed to visit Kampung Tambatuon or to have a dialogue to  hear the views of the people of the kampung which is to be drowned and destroyed in the RM450 million Tambatuon Dam project.

It was only after he was embarrassed at the public expose that he had never even visited Kampung Tambatuon let alone having a dialogue in the kampung with the people whose livelihood and village would be drowned and destroyed  although the Tambatuon Dam project had been mooted for two years as far back as 2009 that Rahman made a “lightning visit” on June 11 this year, not so much as an elected representative for the area, but more as a “tourist” under great police protection as well as support of a large delegation including the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister!

I do not propose to go into further details as they are best ventilated in the public debate as challenged by Rahman.

I accept Rahman’s suggestion that the public debate be held in Kota Belud and propose that the debate be held in September.

I am appointing  the DAP MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu and DAP Sabah State Secretary Edwin Bosi to represent me to finalise all details of the public debate with Rahman or his representatives – such as the number of speakers on each side, venue, time, the chairman of the debate and all other relevant details.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 2:57 pm and is filed under
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Not too late for Najib to ensure that July 9 will not enter annals of Malaysia as a black day for democracy and human rights – worse than Operation Lalang in 1987

The world is astounded how a peaceful rally for free and fair elections could create such panic and paranoia for a democratic government as to cause it to jettison all lip-service commitments to democracy and human rights – as is happening in Malaysia.

The civilized world is watching with increasing alarm at the swift descent to “madness” in Malaysia where perfectly decent, civil and legitimate calls for free and fair elections is regarded by those in power as an even greater threat to its authority than by terrorist attacks or foreign invasion.

Is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s hold on power so fragile that a successful peaceful rally calling for free, fair a clean elections could as good as topple and end the 54-year rule of Umno and BN in Malaysia?

Is the UMNO and Barisan Nasional position in government so precarious that they have to challenge the just and wise intervention of the Yang di Pertuan Agong resulting in Bersih agreeing to abandon its July 9 march in favour of a stadium rally, which itself had the endorsement of the Prime Minister?

Reason, common sense and good governance have been thrown to the winds to the extent that the wildest allegations have been concocted to demonise the Bersih organisers and supporters, while intolerant and extremist groups have been given immunity and impunity to preach and threaten violence, race hatred and religious tensions.

What is more shocking, the efficiency, independence, integrity and professionalism of the police have been compromised in the process – nullifying all efforts initiated by the Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission in 2005 making recommendations to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service focussed on the three core functions – to keep crime low, to eradicate corruption and to uphold human rights.

The Malaysian Police cannot be unaware of the report of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) 2005 on “Police Accountability: Too Important to Neglect, To Urgent to Delay” on the principle of democratic policing as an important pillar of a functioning democracy:

“Democratic nations need democratic policing. Democratic policing is based on the idea the police are protectors of the rights of citizens and the rule of law, while ensuring the safety and security of all equally. It rejects any resemblance to the regime policing of colonial times. Colonial style policing was based on the idea of police as protectors of a government foreign to the people.”

Police of all ranks must search their soul to find answer to the question whether they are prepared to accept that the fundamental of policing in a democratic nation must be the protection and vindication of the human rights of all in the country and not to suppress them.

Wherever he may be, there is no way the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak can disclaim responsibility for any crackdown on human rights and civil liberties of Malaysians tomorrow.

It is not too late for sanity and good sense to prevail and for the Prime Minister to ensure that tomorrow, July 9, will not enter the annals of Malaysia as a black day for democracy and human rights in Malaysia – a day darker than the Operation Lalang of 1987.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 6:20 pm and is filed under
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Running Scared in Malaysia

By
John R. Malott

Wall Street Journal

July 8, 2011

Opinion
  The Malaysian government has pulled out all the stops to prevent an rally this weekend. This week, army units conducted crowd control exercises with banners that said, “Disperse or we will shoot!” The police set up roadblocks and arrested Malaysians simply for wearing yellow T-shirts, the signature color of Bersih, a coalition of 62 nongovernmental organizations that demands changes in Malaysia’s electoral system. To date, the police have arrested over 250 supporters of Bersih, claiming that they are “waging war against the king.”

Then something unprecedented happened. Malaysia’s King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, allegedly the target of Bersih’s campaign, intervened. He called on both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Bersih to resolve their differences in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, for the good of the nation.

There was a collective sigh of relief in Malaysia. The leader of Bersih, Ambiga Sreenevasan, an attorney and former president of the Malaysian Bar Council, met with the king and announced that the “Walk for Democracy,” as it was called, was cancelled. She said that she was ready to meet with the government to discuss Bersih’s concerns about electoral fairness. Prime Minister Najib then offered an olive branch, saying, “We are willing to provide a stadium for them to rally in … from morning until night,” an offer that Ms. Ambiga and Bersih immediately accepted.

Then Mr. Najib backed off. His government says that because Bersih is still illegal, it cannot apply for a permit. It also has banned Bersih’s leadership from entering Kuala Lumpur on the day of the rally. On Thursday, he joined a gathering of martial artists who said that their 50,000 members will “wage war” against Bersih. Donning their militant uniform, Mr. Najib said, “If there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from within, you, my brothers, will rise to fight them.”

Mr. Najib has undermined the authority of the king, who gave Bersih and its concerns credence by meeting with its leadership and calling for a negotiated solution. The political situation in Malaysia is a fast-moving target, and each day brings new developments. Ms. Ambiga and Bersih now say that because of Mr. Najib’s actions, they will go ahead with their assembly, no matter what.

Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Bersih’s main issue is not freedom of assembly but the fairness of Malaysia’s democratic process. Bersih’s backers ask how anyone can be opposed to free and fair elections.

It’s an easy question to answer. The United Malays National Organization, of which Mr. Najib is president, is the longest continuing ruling party in the world, and it is running scared.

In the last general election in 2008, Malaysia’s opposition took 47% of the popular vote. That year Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the party of Mr. Najib’s nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, went from one seat to 31. The establishment parties in Malaysia’s neighboring states are also in retreat. The opposition scored a major victory in Thailand last weekend, and in Singapore opposition candidates made surprising gains. No wonder Mr. Najib and company are worried.

Many observers of Malaysian politics believe that electoral reform will lead to the ruling party’s defeat, and that is why UMNO is afraid of Bersih. In the last election in 2008, the party received only one-third of the nation’s votes. UMNO rules only because of its coalition with other political parties, which it increasingly marginalizes, that represent the Chinese and Indian minorities.

Mr. Najib and his allies say that the opposition’s gains in 2008 prove that Malaysia’s elections are free and fair. Impartial observers disagree. Academic studies have enumerated how the Election Commission gerrymanders electoral districts to benefit the ruling party. The U.S. Department of State’s human rights report bluntly states that opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association. “News of the opposition,” the U.S. says, is “tightly restricted and reported in a biased fashion.”

In the recent state elections in Sarawak, the government announced $390 million in local projects during the run-up to the polls. Prime Minister Najib was caught on video tape telling one village gathering that the government would give them 5 million ringgit ($1.5 million) for a local project on Monday, but only if they elected his candidate on Sunday.

Who would win elections in Malaysia that truly are free and fair? The U.S. State Department reports that despite the many election irregularities during the 2008 elections, “most observers concluded they did not substantially alter the results.” But unless the electoral reforms that Bersih is calling for are made, we will never know.

Despite the government’s intimidation, thousands of Malaysian citizens of all races and religions are expected to exercise their constitutional right to assemble and call for free and fair elections. Tomorrow’s protest represents a brave step in what not just Malaysians but also the international community should hope will begin the country’s transition to full democracy. Mr. Najib should display his own courage and ensure that a peaceful rally that seeks the fundamental rights of democratic peoples everywhere does not turn into a bloody confrontation.

* Mr. Malott was the United States ambassador to Malaysia from 1995-98.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 July 2011, 1:10 pm and is filed under
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709 Bersih Rally

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 9 July 2011, 11:39 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 2.0 – Updates

DAP Malaysia
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@dapmalaysia

Bersih2.0
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@bersih2
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MalaysiaKini
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@newsmakers

The Malaysian Insider
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@tmi
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@tmi2

Free Malaysia Today
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@fmtoday

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 9 July 2011, 12:10 pm and is filed under
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