Bouquet of barbed wire for Dataran

Mariam Mokhtar | Apr 30, 2012

Malaysiakini

The irony of the Bersih 3.0 rally was that it was Ambiga Sreenevasan and not premier Najib Abdul Razak, who managed to unite the rakyat and give true meaning to his favourite slogan, ‘1Malaysia’.

Ambiga united all Malaysians. They had one goal. How it must have hurt Najib that she had more magnetism than he does.

If democracy in Malaysia is like a dead man, then Bersih 3.0 successfully resurrected him. It just remains for the rakyat to nurse the dying democracy back to good health.

It is doubtful that the PM or any other Umno politician, could have attracted the size of crowd that filtered into Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. It is inconceivable that they could have united Malaysians on a national and global scale. Umno just manages to divide the races. If Umno cannot see this, then it is either too obtuse or in denial.

People know that Umno events are subsidised by the party. Taxpayers’ money is used for providing transport, makan and a small token of appreciation, averaging RM30, to each participant.

For Bersih 3.0, Ambiga and her committee promised nothing and gave no handouts. All she did was to restore faith and self-respect in each Malaysian. They gave each of us an opportunity to express our disapproval of the corrupt electoral system.

The rakyat just wanted Najib to clean up the Election Commission. It is not about toppling the government, but has everything to do with giving Malaysians clean and fair elections.

All Ambiga could guarantee was a long walk to Dataran Merdeka and the hope that, if everyone kept calm, the police might not react with the same violence as during Bersih 2.0.

It would be true to say that on the morning of April 28, the whole world and all of Malaysia held their breath. Malaysians overseas were glued to their computer screens or other social networking sites, trying to keep abreast of events as these unfolded at Dataran Merdeka.

Dataran Merdeka has witnessed many historic occasions, the most important being the lowering of the Union Jack and the hoisting of the Malayan flag at midnight on Aug 31, 1957. It would have been a moral coup if Bersih 3.0 had been able to stage the sit-down protest at Dataran Merdeka. That is why Najib and Umno banned the protest there.

The ever tolerant and law-abiding Malaysian happily compromised, provided they could have their march. Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians did so without incident.

Even if it is true as alleged that the opposition instigated the crowd to breach Dataran Merdeka, was the level of violence perpetrated by the police justified? Witnesses talked of exit routes being blocked off. Why did the police kettle the people and stop them from going home? Why make them angry and frustrated?

Bersih 3.0 rattled Najib. His ego is dented and he was piqued that the crowd treated the event like a street carnival. He was more piqued they dared to disobey his orders not to march. Did Najib have a hand in engineering violence, so that Ambiga would be discredited and Bersih 3.0 tarnished?

Najib’s escapades

If trust is a two-way street, then Malaysians have been let down twice; once by the government, the second by the international community.

Some foreign media claimed that there were only 25,000 people at the Kuala Lumpur rally. Were they actually in Kuala Lumpur?

In late March, Najib had been full of self-praise when he said that Malaysia had moved up nine places in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. He won’t be too pleased in 2013, when our ranking falls because of last Saturday’s violence against journalists.

The British premier David Cameron will happily accept Malaysian ringgit in exchange for weapons and is more than pleased when EPF money is sunk into property in London. Malaysians cannot depend on the international community to effect change in this country.

Only Malaysians can do that from within. World leaders only want our cheap commodities and exports, and they will continue to turn a blind eye to Malaysia.

The colour yellow has a lot of significance. It is the colour of royalty and is symbolic of the Bersih struggle, but yellow also signifies cowardice.

When will the PM show some leadership qualities? When confronted with difficult questions he mumbles “No comment”. At a private function at the Royal Selangor Club, it is alleged that he was asked if he would willingly transfer power to the opposition, should he lose GE13. He was non-committal, before walking out in a huff. Last week, the same thing occurred and he cut short a press conference when asked if he would testify at the Scorpene inquiry in Paris.

Najib has a knack for distancing himself from potentially difficult situations. He also keeps his hands clean by abrogating responsibility.

Last year, it was alleged that Najib wanted to avoid Bersih 2.0 on July 9 by leaving the country. He was due in England for a state visit on July 13 but was prevented from going early by his quick-thinking wife, who knew he would face intense criticism had he done so.

This time, Najib was conveniently away in Sarawak during Bersih 3.0, just as he was away in South Africa when Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II verdict was announced.

 Najib left his home minister, the Kuala Lumpur mayor and the inspector-general of police in charge of Bersih 3.0. The PM could have allowed the people to let off steam and stage their protest at Dataran Merdeka, but was too arrogant and vain to allow the rakyat to voice their wishes.

Perhaps Najib should keep the garland of barbed wire that bedecks Dataran Merdeka. He should leave it looking like a gift-wrapped present which people can only admire from afar.

To complete the picture, he should place notices at Dataran Merdeka which read ‘Look, but don’t touch’. But why stop half-way? Why does he not rename the site?  As the rakyat cannot appreciate their ‘Independence Square’, Najib should rename it Dataran Barisan Nasional.

The PM has made a mockery of reforms and made a hash of democracy. Perhaps we should be thankful that statues are banned in Malaysia, otherwise Najib’s and the self-styled First Lady’s faces would be staring at us from every street corner.

——————————————————————————–

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 10:39 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Mariam Mokhtar
,
Najib Razak
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


I fear for my country

— Michelle Chan

(loyarburok.com)

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — I was having tea yesterday with a few others who were at the first Bersih press conference post-Bersih 3.0. Everyone was sharing personal accounts of their day. Amongst us were those who were severely assaulted and detained up till the dawn of the following day.

Upon seeing Fazwan’s swollen left eye and bruised right face, I recalled the feeling of crying out in pain and force after being hit by the tear gas unexpectedly. Later, I saw Nunu’s injured lower spine and felt that same helplessness I was stirred into when sitting on the curb of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, recovering from the tear gas. Both Fazwan and Nunu were attacked by groups of policemen, no less than half a dozen. My heart sunk knowing that authorities attacked farther after demonstrators were dispersing already.

Later, I returned to Masjid Jamek for a Sunday free-food distribution for the homeless and destitute. Walking these streets again felt like meeting an old friend. These walls have endured so much yesterday, I thought.

I was told that a local homeless person was hospitalised after a session of heavy assault by a group of eight policemen. He wore a T-shirt which he picked up in a back alley, which just happened to be a Bersih T-shirt, which people changed out of after the policemen went ape at arresting everyone and anyone in yellow.

“They would only do this because they know it won’t make it to the newspapers,” said a foreigner who helped at the distribution. It is true.

More stories were shared, from the eyes and ears from within the Dataran Merdeka.

Reading stories from the Internet about Bersih is different from listening to stories on the streets. If you are reading this, you are literate, you possess a high-technology gadget and you have access to the Internet. There are still many people from the streets who, like many of us, were scared shitless and terrified by the actions of the authorities on Saturday. In fact, they see the abuse of power on more casual basis. However, they may not be privileged enough to be able to share their experiences.

One particular elderly homeless I met told me her story through hand signals. She can only speak very basic Cantonese such as “I went” and “Pain”. The rest of her stories was painted by her facial lines. She cannot string a proper sentence in her mother tongue, what more to understand why she is not entitled to her rights and who represents her in the Parliament. All she knows is that life goes on, and everyday is a new battle.

I go on social networking and news sites, and see the overflow of emotions — good and bad — about the Bersih 3.0 protest. Some say that they are changed after the protest, and I hope everyone will continue to be more aware of national affairs because Malaysia is a democratic country and everybody needs to participate for it to be democratic.

We need change, and I believe I am witnessing progress.

Why did a quarter million Malaysians spend their Saturday on the roads when we are already sick and tired of traffic jams — are we not? Everyone went with a different level of understanding in regards to the demonstration.

I went for many reasons, but one that champions them all would be my parents. My parents do not agree with my participation in such “sensitive issues”, just like all parents do. “You will get hurt,” they say. And I did. But I know from their tone that they are secretly proud of me.

A friend texted me “Fearless!” after finding out that I was at Dataran Merdeka at noon. No, I was fearful. I fear for my country being unsafe for my loved ones to stay in; I fear that my parents will not be able to wait for proper healthcare when needed, I fear that my younger sister will become propagated rather than educated in school, I fear my generation of youth now will “grow up” to be mid-life boys and girls, I fear if Malaysian working culture has no ethics and I will be exploited, I fear that our representatives in Parliament prioritise foreign investments more than it does us, and I fear that people will “be okay” about benefiting from another’s loss.

The demonstration on Saturday turned sour, but the eight Bersih demands for clean and fair election are not refusable. We need change in the system for the betterment of our socio-economic well-being as a nation. Before I started to walk from KLCC towards Dataran Merdeka, a foreigner asked me: “What is the relevance of fancy tourist attractions (he referred to the Petronas Twin Towers) if people are subject to the travesty of justice?”

Good question. — loyarburok.com

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 2:14 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Let’s Tell the Main Story of Bersih 3.0

By Kee Thuan Chye

Malaysian Digest

29 April 2012

A FEW hooligans spoiled a successful rally for an important cause. The resulting violence became the fodder of mainstream media spin. It diverted attention from the main story of the day, i.e. that many, many people turned up for Bersih 3.0 in Kuala Lumpur , togged in symbolic yellow, and the rally was a huge success.

What got muted was the message that Malaysians stood up to be counted over the issue of free and fair elections. If the number that showed up was reported, it got buried in the pile of the more dramatic reports about the violence.

What got muted was the message that the Government, the Election Commission and everyone involved in the electoral process must now take heed and institute real electoral reform before the 13th general election is held.

Having been to both Bersih 2.0 and Bersih 3.0, I can confidently say that there were many, many more at Bersih 3.0 than at the preceding rally last July.

Those who were there on April 28 can testify that the rally was peaceful – indeed, the protestors shared a strong sense of camaraderie (everyone there who was a stranger felt like a friend) and the atmosphere was festive – and although the afternoon heat added to the discomfort of bodies pressing against each other as protestors shuffled towards Dataran Merdeka, there was calm, there was tolerance, buoyed by a sense of purpose.

I was among the people moving along Jalan Tun Perak towards the intersection with Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja. It was so packed that at one point when we were instructed to sit down, it was almost impossible to do so. There was literally standing room only.

But people were well-behaved. Our fervour was expressed in shouting “Bersih! Bersih!” Someone played on a drum and we chanted to the rhythm of his beats.

There was not a single hint of potential violence. So I sidled my way forward to get to the barricade of barbed wire that had been set up by the police to keep us out of the Dataran area. I managed to get pretty close to it.

Then suddenly, I saw gas wafting down from the monorail embankment above. This was followed by the sound of tear gas shots. It was all very sudden.

The crowd turned and moved quickly back. If people had panicked, it might have led to a stampede. As it was, we kept our cool, but even so there was a small measure of pushing, so it was easy to stumble and fall. I saw one young woman being attended to by medical volunteers for having sustained an injury.

Meanwhile, the gas was attacking my ears and nose although I had a handkerchief pressed to the lower part of my face. I decided to head away from the trouble spot. But from Petaling Street , the police were firing tear gas as well. And this hit me the worst. I couldn’t breathe. My nostrils were filled with mucus. I blew my nose, but I still couldn’t breathe. I thought I might collapse.

But fellow protestors were helpful. They readily offered salt. I took some, and it helped. A good samaritan was giving away free ice cubes from his cart, parked beside the road. I dug into them and scooped some into my handkerchief.

It was time to go home. I saw others having the same thought. Many of us headed for the nearest LRT station. I had no idea then that the cause of all the tear-gassing had been the attempt by a few among the crowd to breach the barricade at Dataran. I had no idea that water cannons had also been employed.

I only found out an hour later when a friend SMSed me about the violence. I was stunned. More than that, I felt sad.

Was the violence caused by hooligans who were planted? To create an incident that would take away the glory of Bersih 3.0’s success?

Why break through the barricade? What would it have achieved? What was the objective of getting into the square?

Bersih 3.0 had already made its point – through the massive turnout. Its co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasen had by then called on everyone to disperse.

So why was there a group of people who still wanted to charge forward?

The reports on what actually happened have not been clear nor conclusive. Some say that PKR Deputy President Azmin incited the crowd to break the barricade. If it’s true, Azmin was behaving stupidly.

Some also say that members of PAS’s Unit Amal were among those who broke through. If it’s true, PAS needs to deal with them severely, because their action would have brought the unit a loss of respect.

On the other hand, are the police blameless?

Why did they not instantly nab the few who broke through the barricade and thereby nip the attempt in the bud, then issue a stern warning to stop others from advancing? After all, the FRU personnel keeping guard were many.

Why were they so trigger-happy and straight away shot tear gas into the crowd? Some people were hit by the canisters. Worse, if there had been a stampede, people could have died. Were the police behaving responsibly?

And why did the police shoot tear gas from the non-barricaded areas in Jalan Pudu and Petaling Street as well? People were already dispersing and going home.

Why was the police retaliation so vicious? Why did they become aggressors? Looking at the videos taken of some of the arrests they subsequently made, one can see how vindictively they beat up their quarry, beyond the bounds of decency.

Perhaps it was the provocation of the tear gas and water cannons that riled the protestors into behaving like monsters. Perhaps they were not real Bersih supporters, merely people out to make mischief whenever they saw an opportunity. Perhaps they were hired thugs. Nonetheless, the police should have acted with restraint.

I’m inclined to suspect that the people who resorted to violence were planted.

As The Malaysian Insider reported:

About 1,000-odd protestors spread along Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja Laut continued to defy police orders even after the rally ended at 4pm, taunting and jeering the men in blue …

Amid the chaos, rumours were being spread that at least four protesters had died in the melee, with claims that one was even shot dead, further fuelling the crowd’s anger.

This sounds like people were out to create mischief, especially by spreading false rumours of deaths.

Videos of the police car that crashed near Sogo also seem to indicate that it had been attacked by mischief-makers, including one who trampled on its roof even as it was moving. And afterwards, the car was overturned, but for what real reason?

Was it not to provide dramatic images for the media that would make Bersih look bad? Was it not to overwhelm the images of the sea of yellow flowing towards Dataran when the rally was at high tide?

On the eve of the rally, a Facebook friend of mind who seemed to know sent a message: “Just a word of warning. There may be ‘hired’ bouncers sent to Dataran Merdeka this Saturday … So just be prepared for that.”

A TV station also reported that the Bandar Tun Razak branch of Pekida (Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia ) had declared war (perang) on Bersih 3.0 and warned that its members would go to the rally and fight it to the end. “We don’t care if we are taken into the lock-up, we will do what we promised,” said its chairman, Ahmad Bastari Muslim.

Do we add two and two and come up with four?

Whetever it was, that group that broke the barricade is a very small minority. And certainly, the group that attacked the police car constitutes a deviant minority. They should not be allowed to take away the good that Bersih 3.0 represents.

And let us not forget that when the crowd tried to attack the policemen after their car came to a stop, it was reportedly PKR’s Jingga 13 who protected the cops from being harmed until the ambulance came to take them away.

If by a conservative estimate, 100,000 people were at the rally, I can vouch that at least 99,000 were not troublemakers. That’s an overwhelming percentage of people with good intentions. Why sully a rally because of the few bad apples, who might even have been planted?

In Penang (7,000 participants), Ipoh (4,000), Melaka (3,000), Johor Baru (3,000), Kuching (500), Miri (2,000), Kota Kinabalu (500) and other major cities, the protests went on peacefully. So what does that indicate? Bersih supporters are not out to create violence.

Before the KL rally, an e-mail was sent out on the do’s and don’ts for a peaceful gathering. People were advised not to bring weapons or sharp objects, not even umbrellas. Then on the day itself, just before the rally started, Bersih 3.0’s organisers conducted a briefing and reminded the crowd massed outside Pasar Seni about the need to maintain peace and not retaliate against provocation.

The initial provocation came, ironically, from Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). It denied Bersih 3.0 its right to hold its sit-down protest at Dataran. It said Dataran was only for “national events”. But if a huge part of the population wants to voice its feelings for something it deems important, that should already constitute a “national event”.

Besides, DBKL was not honest in giving that reason; Dataran has been used before for non-national events, like Nestle’s 100th year celebration, OCBC Cycle Malaysia, Barisan National Youth Ride Fest 2012.

Clearly, the Government outsourced the bad-guy role to DBKL this time after having learned its lesson from mishandling Bersih 2.0, and this time, DBKL mishandled it. The barbed wire around Dataran was unnecessary; it actually proved to be provocative. So if anyone could be blamed for provoking anger, it would be DBKL.

Let us, however, not be distracted by all the ugliness that has marred the rally in KL – and restore due credit to Bersih 3.0.

It drew Malaysians from all races, all ages, all walks of life, able-bodied and otherwise, to an event that some of its participants have declared was “for the good of the country’s future”.

It drew Malaysians in other major Malaysian cities and those in 85 cities and towns throughout the world. It gave voice to Malaysians who want electoral reform before the 13th general election.

Let us not cloud the issue. The people have spoken. Will those in authority choose to listen or merely harp on the ugly incidents?

Their decision could decide the future of Malaysia .

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 9:34 am and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Najib the biggest loser from Bersih 3.0

by Koon Yew Yin

CPI

The Bersih 3.0 rally at Dataran Merdeka has thankfully passed without any major outbreaks of violence but there are recorded scenes which show how it could have so easily gone the other way.

A report by Aljazeera showed bloodied demonstrators and the unwarranted use of teargas and water cannons on sections of the crowd.

According to Harry Fawcett, the Aljazeera correspondent covering the event, the police were extremely heavy handed, kneeing and slapping some of the demonstrators who had broken through the barricades.

The police also busted the station’s television camera in an attempt to prevent their violent and unlawful acts from being filmed. The police also had the temerity to threaten and act harshly towards the reporters.

Forced to improvise by using Skype, Fawcett was still able to show ugly images of the country’s police and authorities which have been broadcast all over the world as well as uploaded on You Tube.

In an analysis of the aftermath, our respect and congratulations must go to the Bersih participants that congregated in Kuala Lumpur as well as in other major cities. The estimated 100,000 crowd were remarkably well behaved and acted with decorum and good sense.

It is a tribute to the political maturity of the enormous crowd converging on Dataran Merdeka from all over the country and of their commitment to peaceful political reform that they did not allow themselves to be provoked.

Despite all the official threats and coercion, despite the roadblocks placed to prevent them from reaching the venue of the rally, they still kept their cool. They showed the Barisan government and other Malaysians that they are made of sterner stuff and that they will not give in meekly to crude authoritarian intimidation.

Only one episode marred the conduct of the protesters. Footage from the police website shows a police car being overturned while a video clip on You Tube from a bystander showed the vehicle going out of control and hitting the kerb (see video).

There are conflicting accounts of this incident but you can expect the police to milk public sympathy based on this portrayal of protestor violence.

In the next few days, the government and Bersih as well as the opposition will claim success in achieving their objectives with regard to the outcome of the rally. The government will no doubt crow through the official mass media as to why they have won an important victory.

Already the police are claiming that it was the demonstrators who were responsible for the violence that took place although unofficial reports indicate that more than 60 demonstrators were beaten up.

The demonstrators have their side of the story. According to one of them in reference to the breaching of the barricades at Dataran Merdeka:

“Hello PDRM don’t come and give us this crap OK! You guys partially opened the barriers making us think that we could go in, and without warning you started your tear-gassing. Worse still you ordered all the [LRT] stations to close their shutters preventing us from getting back.”

Whichever way the story is spun it is clear that the biggest loser is Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Where was the prime minister when all of this was taking place? He was in Kuching. Did he not care about what was happening in Kuala Lumpur? Apparently not.

In fact, the Prime Minister was an invisible man not only on April 28 but also throughout the entire week of official posturing on the rejection of the Bersih venue in the run-up to the rally. Hiding behind the sarong of the city mayor, Ahmad Fuad, the prime minister was guilty of an official conspiracy to have the Dataran Merdeka designated as a security site to prevent Bersih from gathering there, and therefore heightening the official rhetoric to deny and intimidate the protestors.

An activist was quoted as saying on the eve of the rally:

“We appeal to the good sense and stewardship of the prime minister – as prime minister of the country, and not just of Barisan Nasional … the prime minister has the authority to overrule DBKL (Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur) and the police. All he has to do is make a phone call and allow Bersih to go on at Dataran Merdeka.”

That phone call not only did not materialize but the prime minister seems to have put his tail between his legs and headed out of the capital during a time of crisis.

What Najib should have done

Najib should not only have permitted the use of Dataran Merdeka but he should have facilitated his fellow Malaysians to attend the gathering there.

If he had any political acumen he should have instructed the various agencies of government to facilitate the rally by arranging for mobile toilets, Red Crescent assistance for the old and infirm (many thousands of elderly took part, some in wheel chairs!) and provided nasi bungkus (through his 1Malaysia Foundation) for the many poor who could ill afford to eat at the stalls.

He could have unclogged the roads and saved everyone the traffic mess caused by the police barring entry to the square.

He should have also offered to make a speech at the gathering – standing side by side with the Bersih and other rally leaders – to explain his agenda of democratic and electoral reform.

That way, he could have burnished his image in Malaysia and around the world as a reformist leader. He also would have scored political points which could have tilted the coming elections in his favour.

Instead he made a monumental political boo boo which is likely to seal his fate as the last Barisan Nasional prime minister of the country.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 1:03 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Post-Bersih 3 Reflections for Free and Fair Elections

by Proham

30th April 2012

Proham observes that the Bersih3 gathering on April 28, 2012 has ushered in an unstoppable move towards greater democratic freedoms in Malaysia. It is clear from the rally that the climate offear which once dominated citizens’ action in the past has been lifting.

Proham recognises that ordinary citizens are now demanding for greater public space for expressions of discontentment and exercising their human rights as citizens of Malaysia. The unprecedented size of the crowds who flocked into the city, defying authority’sban and restrictions reveal this new growing trend.

Proham’s analysis reveals that on the whole , the citizens on the streets came in peace and conducted themselvesin a peaceful way even extending peace flowers to enforcement officials. Proham also notes that the Police on the whole exercised much restraint and the enforcementofficials must be commended for this.

 Proham analysis also indicates that among the demonstrators were some individuals who behaved in a violent way that is unacceptable. This included breaking through Police barricades, kicking Police officers who fell and turning a Police patrol car upside down. Proham condemns such violent behaviour and calls on the authorities to undertake the necessary investigations and bring due charges

Proham recognises that a number of Police officers and authorities have roughen up the members of the media. Police action in shooting tear-gas and chemical water has resulted in some reactive aggression from demonstrators and on the whole has impacted on a large number of peaceful citizens in a very negative way.

Therefore Proham calls on the Federal government to institute an independent panel to investigate into all these allegations and this could be undertaken by Suhakam with some urgency.

Proham also calls on the Federal Government not to lose sight of the real reason for the peaceful demonstration which is the unhappiness of a large section of citizens over the findings ofthe Parliamentary Select Committee and how parliament handled the report.

There  is also  a  great deal  of  mistrust on  the part of the public that the many  sound  recommendations  of the Parliamentary Select Committee  will be addressed  in time   before  the  impending  elections .

There is also major public concernon the independence of the Election commission, with the revelation that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman are members of the major ruling political party. Proham feels that   the Election Commission   should have  guidelines  in future  to  insist that   EC members   should not  be  members of political parties  and that they  should  not be  retired  civil servants. This is essential to protect the integrity and independence of the EC in future.

 Proham considers  that the whole   EC  law  must  be  reviewed and reformed  to make the EC    much more relevant to public demands for cleaner and fairer elections by adopting ‘best  practices’  that  can  be easily found from  worldwide  experiences.

These concerns must be urgently addressed before the 13th General Elections. Proham therefore  calls  upon the government to  immediately  undertake  to   introduce electoral reforms  that  could be  adopted  and implemented well before  the election day .

If some  of these  important  recommendations need  more time  for  implementation , then   Proham recommends that the elections be delayed until such time as these Parliamentary   recommendations  can be  implemented  on time.

There has  to be transformation of  our  electoral system soon otherwise our  forthcoming election  will be  doubted all over  the world since yesterday’s  rally and  the violence  has been  seen  worldwide.

 Proham hopes that the Malaysian voters  will gain from  Bersih 3 rally and Federal Government support and move forward the agenda for a better, cleaner and fairer elections   and outcomes, in  the coming 13th general elections

 Issued on behalf of Proham by: Tan Sri Simon Sipaun (Proham Chairman), Prof Hamdan Adnan (Proham Vice Chairman), Tan Sri Ramond Navaratnam (Proham member) and Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria (Proham Exco)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 11:28 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


The inconvenience of standing up to be counted

by Farah Fahmy

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — I read the news with a feeling of déjà vu. Here we are, in April 2012, yet the news feels very much like it was July 2011.

Another Bersih demonstration ends in chaos. Tear gas. Water cannons. Allegations of police brutality. Allegations of the mob descending into violence. Rumours of people dying.

In the aftermath of July’s Bersih demonstration, I wrote an open letter to our prime minister. Although I was half-expecting what happened to happen, what fills me with dismay is that I could write virtually the same letter again after Saturday’s events, and it would still be valid.

The reaction of so many Malaysians towards Saturday’s events is also disheartening. I don’t expect everyone to support Bersih. Any person or organisation that dares to take a stand over something is bound to attract both supporters and detractors; that’s just normal.

What is disappointing is the chorus of complaints about how inconvenient the demonstration is: road closures, not being able to go from A to B, traffic jams, loss of business, and so on.

Granted, these are all valid complaints, but sometimes I wonder if we all need a bit of perspective. Whether you support Bersih or not, think about what they’re fighting for: clean and fair elections.

Why do so many people take this for granted? Elections are important. You all know this but let me just state it: elections are the only way in which we choose our leaders. An election is not a mere ticking exercise that comes around once every four or five years.

Ask yourselves this, Bersih detractors: do you really think our elections, and the way we conduct elections, is fair?

We can’t even be sure that our electoral roll is correct! There have been allegations of dead voters and foreigners on our electoral roll for as long as I can remember. Now the Malaysian Electoral Roll Analysis Project (Merap) alleges that there are 3.3 million cases of unverifiable voters; the Election Commission (EC) say the number is much smaller: only 42,000. Who to believe?

The truth is, our electoral roll is littered with mistakes. Even if the EC is correct, 42,000 unverifiable voters is 42,000 too many. That number of people could vote in an MP, or be the deciding votes in a number of contests. Don’t we want this corrected?

I’m not saying everything is bad about the way we conduct elections.  But neither is everything OK.  There is so much room for improvement; don’t we think this is important?

I am also disheartened by people who complained about the inconvenience of demonstrations. Yes, roads were closed, get over it! Roads are closed for events all the time; does everyone complain when roads are closed for a marathon? Heaven forbid that the Olympics would ever be held in Malaysia, if that were the case.

I argue again that demonstrations are healthy for a democracy. Yes, we vote our leader in, but we don’t agree with our leaders all of the time, do we? Demonstrations, properly managed, are a way for people’s voices to be heard. We are not Syria; we are not Bahrain; we are not Egypt. Our constitution gives us the right to assemble in a peaceful manner. So don’t deny us that right. Yes, demonstrations can turn ugly. Yes, a number of people behaved in a dreadful manner yesterday.

But I would argue right back that the authorities were just as provocative. Cordoning off Dataran Merdeka? Putting up barbwire and barricades in my hometown? Please. KL is not Damascus. KL is not Homs. That was unnecessary.

All DBKL and the police had to do was allow the duduk bantah to proceed and work with the organisers on how to get the crowd to exit calmly. Don’t DBKL and the police do this every year during New Year’s Eve celebrations? Don’t DBKL and the police do this every year on August 31?

Be very clear: the way our authorities handle demonstrations does not bode well for everyone. What if you felt strongly about the current spate of child abductions, and wanted to hold a rally against that? Maybe you think that would not be a problem because everyone would support that. Very well. What if you wanted to hold a rally against police brutality in lock-ups, because you knew someone who had suffered that treatment?

I cannot stress this enough: demonstrations are healthy for a country.  I know they are inconvenient, but people who hold a dissenting view deserve to have their voices heard in a democracy. This is a right that every Malaysian has, and we would be foolish to discard this right or disparage others who want to exercise this right simply because of a few traffic jams.

What’s more, demonstrations do not need to end in chaos. Demonstrations do not need to end in tear gas and water cannons. Demonstrations can end peacefully. If the authorities in KL don’t know how to do that, no need to come to London or New York, just ask those in charge in Penang, JB and Kota Kinabalu.

What have those Bersih people achieved after standing under the hot sun for hours, some people ask scornfully. Well, even if they do not manage to bring in electoral reforms before our next general elections, they will have shown us two things: one, that there are substantial numbers of Malaysians of all races and religions who believe in a better Malaysia and are willing to stand up and be counted; and two, that our authorities are still living in fear of the politically mature Malaysian.

Whose side are you on?

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 5:50 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


The seed of hope

Jun Watanabe

April 29, 2012

I was at the head of the sit-in protest on Leboh Pasar Besar when the police started mobilizing the armored tanker-trucks to the front of the police line and without warning started spraying chemically laced water onto us. From later accounts after I got home it seemed that some protestors got violent and broke through the barricades in another location, but from where we were we had no intention or at least urgency in crossing the line. I found out also later that the bell that rang was a warning that they would start spraying, but at that time I suppose we were not familiar with riot procedures.

Most of us were visibly stunned, not unlike deers caught in headlights, displayed delayed reaction in view of oncoming water gushing juggernaut. It wasn’t until the pop-pop sound of tear gas canisters being emptied and started falling around us that we turned around and ran for dear life. We took shelter behind buildings and road signs, where some of the more foolhardy amongst us would emerge again into the open and taunt the police. Some petulant ones would rummage for anything to throw at the trucks, but being too far or his chosen projectile too unwieldy, almost always comically failing to hit the mark.

It was then most of us started to feel it.

The chemical water was irritating my skin, but not enough to persuade me to give up my ground and continue taking pictures. With the first whiff of the gas however I started to choke, and within the next few seconds I heaved and wheezed with much difficulty, my eyes started to hurt and water, and the pain was quickly becoming excruciating. I ran away a few blocks disorientated, clashing bodies and tripping over pavements. I could hardly open my eyes, but spied a young Malay couple running with a young child in the father’s arms, all wrapped up and bawling her lungs out. All I could think then was thank you for being here, but leave the kid at home.

At a clearing at the Tun H S Lee junction I paused to take in my surroundings. I accepted some salt this lady was handing out at a street corner, and quickly ingested it. People were streaming in from wherever they were running from. Everywhere I looked, people were exhausted, disheveled, wet from sweat or the chemical water or having rinsed themselves, their eyes blood red from its effects or some visibly crying. Some defiant ones pointed their middle fingers to the riot police in the distance or above at the helicopters.

We lingered at little bit more, got boxed in a little bit more, got shot at with tear gas a little bit more, and ran a little bit more, but it was clear to me that our day was done. We had proved a point.

We came out in encouraging numbers, approaching 100,000 according to some media estimates. From my start point in Brickfields we moved off in the direction of the city with a couple of hundred people which quickly swelled to the thousands, whopping in welcoming groups to merge into us from the highway ramps & the side streets, motorists honking and takings pictures and giving out thumbs up signs. We held up banners. We chanted slogans, and at underpasses, our echoes resonating even more and penetrating us back with spine chilling effect.

The point that some would make is that most who attended the Bersih 3.0 rally were already the converted, that they would be voting for the other side anyway. But it is not just about that. It also also not solely about marching regardless of race or creed or religion, that the Indian man would be walking side by side with a Malay woman, and on her side a Chinese boy. It is not just about that.

We are probably the-already-converted who attended the rally, but having been there reinforces us, dispelling our big brother fears and entrenches the belief that what we are doing is right, that we are holding up our democratic rights, the right to a clean and fair electoral system, one that decides our representatives in government. This year more people openly wore the iconic yellow than before. Most importantly, we knew that we were heading towards Dataran Merdeka not as the opposition or to meet with a politician or a political party, but with the knowledge that we were there for ourselves and the future we will leave to our children.

The fight will not be easy, and it will not be fair. Already the cynics among us are saying that the unruly protestors who broke through the barricades may have been Special Branch, that the people who threw the gas canisters back at the police line looked like they knew what they were doing, as if they had military training in the way they threw them. It may turn out untrue, but whatever the story is, we know that we can no longer trust the sitting government. We know that they control the mainstream media, the civil service and a compromised judiciary. They have a huge war chest and they will do whatever to desperately cling onto power. We know but can’t blame the poor amongst us who sell their votes for a sack of rice. With everything going against us we must possess the fortitude to see through the promises of this awakening – that it is the people who wields the power.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 10:18 am and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


What’s next for ‘bangkit rakyat’?

— Clarence Sim

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — Catch-22 was one of the books I read when I was in secondary school. It was tough to make any association to my life or surroundings back then, but the plot seems much more apparent these days.

I was caught off guard by the tear gas canisters being fired, round after round, at Masjid Jamek area. I kept asking my friends, “Did you hear any warning siren?” And all I got was a shake of the head.

Tear gas was first used in 1914 and largely during World War I. Although the substance then was much more hazardous than what we experienced on Saturday, it is still questionable as humane technique to disperse a crowd.

The substance can remain air-borne for some time and can travel depending on wind direction. The common effects include extreme irritation to the eyes, itching sensation in the mouth and nostrils, burning sensation in lungs and skin, and difficulty in breathing.

Yes, some protesters broke through the barricades and headed towards Dataran Merdeka. No, it still does not warrant the police or the Federal Reserve Unit firing tear gas canisters or water cannons at them.

There should be a less confrontational approach to handling a handful of rowdy protesters. More so amid innocent protesters and media personnel.

After this ordeal, what have we achieved? Did we make our voices heard? The sad truth is that the ruling government will go on their merry way to do exactly the same thing they have all this while.

Like the last rally, as well as any high-profile corruption cases, they will be swept under the carpet in due time. In fact, it has already happened on a daily basis with our mainstream media, censoring out any unwanted news by portraying an excellent government.

To be honest, most of us don’t have a clue about what we can do to change the predicament we are in, other than collect more certificates, rise in our jobs, and invest against inflation.

With a clean and fair election, where will that lead us? Ideally, it will promise that only candidates who garner the most votes are elected (unbiased electoral roll, no gerrymandering or other technical foul play, fair election process).

Presumably these candidates are voted in based on their credibility, merits and ability to serve their constituencies. Crucial policies will be discussed to ensure the fundamental elements for a healthy nation is in place and of competitive standards — education, healthcare, food and borders security, etc.

Take our education, for instance. I agree that the PTPTN loan scheme should be abolished, since, in today’s economy, tertiary education is commonly understood as “a means to an end”.

Thus to eradicate poverty and dependency on state subsidies, education must be free and accessible to all. However, making it free is not sufficient; the entire education system has to be thoroughly examined to ensure it can encourage learning and thinking that will subsequently motivate productivity as well as innovations.

Therefore, regardless of who takes over Putrajaya next, they better have a clear and concise plan to these pertinent public’s concerns.

 Meanwhile we, the people, also have to be clear about what exactly we want as a healthy and fair developed nation, and actively participate in shaping our nation beyond the teh tarik talk shop, Facebook postings, tweets and blogs.

I have taken the time and effort to read and understand what was presented, analyse them critically, attend trainings and forums, be part of a rally or assembly, educate those around me and engage in discussion, and volunteer to be a PACA for the next election.

Still, this is not enough. I believe we can do more but are simply uncertain what exactly, at this moment.

The 55-year regime has made us inactive and disempowered, and that is perhaps their intention. It will be tough to outsmart them in a short period, but I believe we have the capability to do that if we first outsmart our own complacency and irresponsiveness.

Take charge of your country by first taking charge of shaping your own life into not what your state, institution or family wants – but what you want!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 11:12 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


When will we stop being a police state?

— Rama Ramanathan

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — It’s 3am on Monday morning. It’s nearly 48 hours since I woke up on Saturday to get ready to join the Bersih sitdown in Kuala Lumpur. It’s time to write some thoughts about that day which my mind refuses to categorise in simple black-and-white terms.

I awoke thinking of what Archbishop Desmond Tutu said on Radio 4 in the UK about 30 years ago. He spoke of walking up to white policemen in London and asking for directions even when he didn’t need to. He just wanted to enjoy the fact that he, a black man, would be helped and would be treated with respect by white policemen, who would even address him as “Sir”.

I’m thinking about Desmond Tutu, the black bishop whom all South African policemen had been directed to treat as an enemy. I’m thinking about ordinary Malaysians whom all Malaysian policemen in Kuala Lumpur had been directed to treat as enemies.

I’m in my fifties. I was born and brought up in a small town in Johor. My father was an interpreter in the magistrate’s court. We lived in government quarters, behind the police station. Many of our family’s friends worked for the police.

We treated policemen with honour. We knew some had died or been seriously injured and at times maimed for life in the line of duty: arresting burglars, busting up gambling dens, breaking up drug cartels, defeating communist insurgents. We knew some who were corrupt, some who roughed up people, some who were lazy; but we did not consider the whole force to be of questionable character.

My wife’s father retired as an assistant superintendent of police in the Special Branch after spending many years fighting communists. He received letters of commendation from the Inspector-General of Police. His brother died in the line of (communist) fire. Many of my wife’s relatives were in the force.

I’ve often been treated well by the police. When first my father, then my mother died, both at home, in Selangor, of old age, I went to the police station to report their deaths. I then accompanied a policeman to my home to confirm my parents were in fact dead, and that there were no suspicious circumstances. The “men in blue” showed me great sympathy — the person who took my report, the person who accompanied me home, the person who typed the death certificate, the person who handed it to me.

After Bersih 2.0, I wrote a piece which was sympathetic to the police. Many criticised me for it, but I stand by what I said. The bad behaviour of some should not cause us to berate all: just as my behaviour on the streets of KL on Saturday should not be considered the same as the behaviour of a few protesters who acted badly. Rather, we should ask “how do we avoid bad behaviour in the future?”

It’s too simplistic to say — like Malaysia’s ruling junta does — “don’t protest again,” for protest is a legitimate avenue of expression: Umno Youth leaders have led protests in Malaysia, often to foreign missions, to hand over letters, petitions, etc. Marches and rallies are an integral part of the democratic process. I’ve seen rallies in Italy, the UK, the US. The police are always there, accessible to all, actively keeping order.

What I saw of the police on Saturday was sad. The policemen had been directed to stay aloof from the public. They were there not as partners in a democratic state, but as “good guys” demonstrating that they, as “big brothers”, were watching us “evil guys”.

The police positioned themselves in lines designed to show cameras and the public that they were restrained, strong and prepared. Police cameramen showed themselves active everywhere, ensuring we knew our faces were being recorded. [I paused and looked into the lens of every police camera, to show I was not intimidated.]

I and many I spoke with felt sad for the police. We felt sad that they were under the orders of masters who are so like the South Africans elites who hated Desmond Tutu. We felt a bond of humanity with the men in blue. We were sorry they had to stand inactive in the sun. We were sorry the police logistics were so poor that some policemen (behind the razor wire close to the Bar Council) could not be supplied with food and drink: we watched “supply vehicles” doing a U-turn after failing to deliver the goods. We have now seen the videos of the police acting brutally. We’ve seen groups of men in blue kicking and punching lone individuals. These videos will never be shown in the mainstream media; these stories will never be told in the mainstream media.

We know many leaders of Umno-BN are Internet savvy. We know they have seen the videos of police brutality. We know they will not comment on these videos, so we will have to. We will have to address what happened, because the ruling junta will not.

Why did the police behave as they did? I think they did so because they have been trained to think in black-and-white terms. They’re in uniform, they’re the good guys. We’re not in uniform, we’re the bad guys. They work for the prime minister, home minister, and (de facto) law minister who know what others don’t and who know best what’s good for all.

However, the policemen on the ground would have noticed that the vast majority of us were not menacing towards them. If the police have the capability to identify us from the photos they will know that many of us who showed up on that hot Saturday are CEOs, senior general managers, company directors, regional directors and vice-presidents, pastors, lawyers, teachers.

If the policemen look closely, they will see the message on the T-shirts: what we want are free and fair elections. We don’t want anarchy. We want the Election Commission out, because we think they work hand in hand with the government of the day to manipulate the elections to enrich and entrench the current corrupt regime.

The police saw how we behaved. They’ve now seen that the mainstream media reports are only one part of the story. They saw that we were peaceful, not violent; that we acted as fellow citizens, not as enemies of the state; that we treated them with respect.

We must not call all cops bad just because of the antics of a few inflamed cops. The cops must not call all of us bad just because of a few inflamed protesters.

The cops must ask themselves: what can they do better next time? How can they repair their image? Through public relations blitzes and media manipulation, or through simple acts of respectful service? Can they do better by being on active duty during protests, patrolling in pairs, assisting the public, rather than standing in lines of intimidation?

What new practices will the police implement to show they understand protest is part of democracy? How will the police respond to the public’s pleas that we want to be their partners, not their enemies?

What kind of country do we want to be? What’s missing in our measures of progress? How can we partner with the cops? When will we stop being a police state?

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 1:54 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Police
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Witnessing the death of democracy

By Shazuan Ali

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Unlike Bersih 2.0, I would call myself a coward back then. I am very supportive and committed towards free and fair election but watched live streams at home, like a coward in front of my laptop.

Only after I read the #bersihstories, did I tell myself I should’ve been there! I should be there with my fellow Malaysian friends. It is not fair for them to fight to better my future while I sit at home in comfort.

So I made a promise to myself, if Bersih 3.0 is necessary, I will be there!

Bersih 3.0 spread fast. I started to cancel my plans for vacation and find anyone who was going to join the sit-in protest.

I was lucky as one of my colleagues was going. On the eve of the fateful day, I browse for updates of the protest and found out thousands of people already in the city. I was pumped up by the news.

The next morning, I woke up as early as 5am. I didn’t want to be stuck in any situation that could stop me from being at Bersih 3.0.
After performing my morning prayer, I get ready. At around 8am, I drove to Kelana Jaya as we planned to enter the city via public transport.

After breakfast, we board the train and disembark at Pasar Seni. There are plenty of people in yellow.

“This gonna be big. Let the world know we’re hungry for free and fair elections, and we’re done with all these corruption!” I told myself

While on the train, I text my family members,

“Please pray for my safety as I’m in KL offering my support for #Bersih”, I texted.

“Jaga diri, jalan dalam kelompok”, my dad replied.

“That’s the spirit! We’re praying for all of you. Keep us posted”, one of my relatives replied.

As we got there, I saw people are taking pictures of someone. I went closer and found out it was Pak Samad. Pak Samad is my idol in writing. I shook his hand and took a photo with him and then I say, “Terima kasih, Pak Samad, terima kasih!”.

I didn’t thank him for the photo but for being here, fighting for a better Malaysia.

We joined the crowd in Central Market. It was only 10am but there were already so many people and the city looks like a big festival. Everyone was in good spirits and chants of “Bersih” could be heard everywhere.

While we were standing there, an old lady approached us.

“Are you guys here to support as well?” she asked.

“Of course, aunty! If not, why would we be standing here?” I replied.

“Then good! You should! The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer! These people on top are very jahat one. We need to change this! Good luck to you guys! Take care!”

She left us to join her group.

After afternoon prayers, around 1.45pm, we started for Dataran Merdeka.

The crowd was totally peaceful and calm. I look up to the sky and smiled. I am actually here with my fellow Malaysians. This is the real 1 Malaysia.

Around 2.35pm, we stop as we had reached the limit. Dataran Merdeka was barricaded.

The crowd was very big. From Brickfields, Central Market and Petaling Street alone, I estimated around 80,000 to 100,000 people.

My friend and I slip through the corridor of HSBC to reach Masjid Jamek. There are sea of people there.

While we were standing there, one guy rushed beside me and threw up. I understood his condition so I offered him a pack of tissue paper I had.

“Thank you very much!” he said and I just react with a smile.

Around 2.50pm, the people chanted, “Duduk! Duduk! Duduk!”

There was no sign of the authorities giving us permission to enter Dataran Merdeka.

Around 3pm, my friends and I decided to walk away from the crowd as it was too hot there.

After few steps, we heard the crowd shouting. They fired tear gas canisters into the crowd. People are running and we run, too.

We board the train and left. At home, I watched all the videos from the day. I cried.

How could they do this to us? We came in solidarity. We came in peace with flowers, balloons and sung Negaraku. We just wanted to sit in protest. We want a better future. Why?

I saw a montage at PWTC saying, “A leader who listens to the people”. In reality, they don’t actually listen. Instead, they fired tear gas canisters to shut us up.

In the future, when my children ask, I would say, “Son, I was there fighting for your future and on that fateful day I witness the death of democracy in our country.”

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 11:03 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Yes, Prime Minister, we need answers!

by Dr Hsu Dar Ren

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — Two days after Bersih 3.0, and after viewing many videos and photos on the Internet, I would like to pose a few questions to the authorities, specifically the prime minister, who missed a golden chance to walk his talk (and claim to be a reformist).

1. When was the decision to fire tear gas made? Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision or was it made much earlier?

2. Why was the phone scrambler being used at about 2pm (around which time, all of us at Masjid Jamek area were unable to send out messages and make calls) when the whole rally was still peaceful and looked more like a carnival?

Did the authorities already know by then that there would be violence and the use of the phone scrambler was to prevent any pictures and videos being sent out?

Was the failure on the part of the crowd to disperse due to the fact that Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s call to disperse not reaching those who were in other parts of the rally and who could not receive messages/calls on their phones?

3. Who were those who broke through the barrier at Dataran Merdeka? I was at the barrier area earlier and saw many lines of police standing right in front of the barrier. How could people break through the barrier if that was so? Many accounts told of the police suddenly leaving the barrier, and that led to some from the crowd (provocateurs) breaking through the barrier. Was that what led to the firing of tear gas?

4. Why the need to fire deep into the crowd when just some of them went over the barrier? Wouldn’t it be possible for the police to arrest those few that went over instead of firing tear gas and beating up many innocent people, including the media who were there to perform their duty?

5. Who ordered the closure of the LRT stations in those areas where the people assembled? I left the Masjid Jamek area after Ambiga’s speech, and I still managed to catch the LRT back. However, later these stations were closed, leading to many people being unable to leave. If the police crackdown was to ask people to disperse, then why the illogical decision to close the stations?

Isn’t it contradictory that on the one hand, the authorities wanted people to leave but on the other, the means to leave the area was denied to these same people? Or was the crackdown meant to punish the people, 99.9 per cent of whom were peaceful and harmless?

6. Did the authorities not remember that under the Peaceful Assembly Act, the people have the right to assemble and  the police’s function should be to facilitate and protect those who assembled peacefully and arrest the few who made trouble, and not by shooting tear gas indiscriminately ?

7. If the rakyat can assemble for the annual New Year’s Day countdown in Dataran, why can’t a peace movement be allowed to assemble? Isn’t asking for fair and clean elections more important than counting down to a new year?

I support Ambiga’s call for a complete, thorough and open investigation, but as a Malaysian, I feel that I deserve the right to answers to the above questions.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 5:41 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Najib Razak
,
Police
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


A fine job, a fine mess

Jeswan Kaur | May 1, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

Fooling the rakyat is a trick the BN can no longer use, no thanks to its foolishness in abusing the powers of the police.

COMMENT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has lauded the police for doing a fine job in handling last Saturday’s Bersih 3.0 rally. What really is the premier pleased about: the manner in which the police abused the protesters or the federal government’s pathetic attempt at discrediting the rally?

Either way, the premier, who also helms Barisan Nasional, the country’s federal ruling political force, is not going to win the rakyat’s mandate; sabotaging the April 28 protest speaks of BN’s desperation in painting the opposition coalition of Pakatan Rakyat in a bad light.

The Bersih 3.0 protest will go down in history as the day when BN played villian in bringing in “trouble-makers” to turn the protest into a chaotic affair. Let it be said that BN’s role in the April 28 incident is not going down well with the true defenders of this nation.

This time, there is no escape for both the Najib administration and the police as protesters of the rally bear witness to the police brutality that was unleashed when they were at the Masjid Jamek area.

Some of them related their ordeal to Bersih at a press conference organised a day after the protest.

Many of the protesters claimed the police carried no name tags or identification numbers on their uniforms when they launched their attacks at about 6pm. The assault lasted for three hours.

These are not wild allegations; pictures of the injuries suffered by the protesters as a result of being beaten by the police are proof that the federal government had no intention of allowing the rakyat to exercise their fundamental right to assemble and voice out their unhappiness.

A protester, Adrian Low, 38, said he was repeatedly stomped on his back even after he was detained. His back still carries the footprints of the police boots.

Another protester, Nurul Amani Faizal, 28, said that 10 male police officers charged at her and beat her.

“They had just fired a tear gas at Masjid Jamek so my friends and I ran in the opposite direction. I wasn’t wearing the Bersih T-shirt but I was a rally participant. They caught hold of me and beat me.

“Then one officer slapped me and asked a female officer to arrest me,” she said, adding that she sustained injuries in her lower back.

Yet another protester, Mohamad Fazwan Yusoff, 23, sustained bruises to his face and left eye. He was about to leave Masjid Jamek when the police dragged him and assaulted him.

“My friends and I saw the police step on a lady so we went to help her. Suddenly, a group of policemen appeared and attacked us too.

“I don’t remember how many charged at me but I was beaten for several minutes and they didn’t stop even in the police truck.

“They just continued their assault,” he said.

Never-ending police brutality

Bersih steering committee member, Wong Chin Huat, who was also arrested, has said it is not unusual for the police to continue their insults and assaults even after the protesters were detained.

“They only stopped beating me when I fell to the ground; even then, they continued to shout racial insults in the trucks,” he had said.

Wong revealed that Bersih were told of policemen who were dressed in yellow Bersih T-shirts while videographing the detainees in the police trucks and detention centres.

So much of violence and this is what the police were congratulated for by Najib?

During last year’s Bersih 2.0 rally, the police behaved in just as uncivilised a manner, beating up the protesters. Did the cops then and now received orders from the “powers that be” to teach the rally protesters a painful lesson, literally?

Tear gas and water cannons were fired to disperse the 80,000-strong crowd. The police and protesters clashed for about four hours before police regained control of the city.

With so much evidence at hand, it is only natural that Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga has called for a full inquiry into the protest to identify “those who created the problem”.

“There is too many photographic evidence. When the dust settles, the truth will emerge,” she had said.

The peaceful assembly turned violent at about 3pm when some protesters breached the barricades which cordoned off Dataran Merdeka which was identified as the venue for the Bersih 3.0 sit-in protest.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall had refused permission for Dataran Merdeka to be used as the rally location, coming up with lame reasoning that only national-level events can be held there.

Ironically, the haphazardly passed Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 bars any gathering within 50 metres of “prohibited places” such as hospitals, petrol stations, airports, railway stations, places of worship and schools. Is Dataran Merdeka officially in the list of such “prohibited places”?

Even journalists beaten up

It appears that April 28 was the day the police confirmed the rakyat’s worst fear that come what may, the cops will always do what they do best – bash up and insult the people of this country.

It was not just the rally protesters; even journalists on duty were assaulted by the police.

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) general-secretary V Anbalagan condemned the police for attacking reporters covering the Bersih 3.0 protests.

“They [the police] have no business to use violence on media workers who were assigned to carry out a public duty, that is, to provide news coverage, obtain pictures and footages for their audience,” he had said in a press statement.

During last Saturday’s pandemonium, police charged upon several journalists. Some photographers even saw their cameras and memory cards destroyed after they were seen taking photos of alleged police brutality.

Malaysiakini photographer Koh Jun Lin was arrested and his camera equipment confiscated. Malay Mail confirmed that its photographer Arif Kartono was punched by police and his camera destroyed.

Also roughed up was Al-Jazeera’s crew who were left with a damaged camera after they tried to film an officer beating up a protester.

Nanyang Siang Pau, Guang Ming, Channel News Asia and Merdeka Review journalists all suffered similar treament at the hands of the police.

To Anbalagan, such incidents were baffling as up until April 28, the Press-police relations were cordial. Anbalagan could only conclude that the siege on journalists covering the Bersih 3.0 protest was an attempt to prevent the truth from being reported, that of the police taking the law into their hands.

“…is it to confiscate their cameras or other digital equipment which had captured incidents that could have put the police in the bad light of the single most widely followed event on Saturday?”

Anbalagan wants no less than the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to come clean on the police brutality and advised all journalists who suffered at the hands of the police to lodge reports.

And Najib says the police did a “fine” job? Fooling the rakyat is a trick the BN can no longer use, no thanks to its foolishness in abusing the powers of the police.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 1:37 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Najib Razak
,
Police
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Arrests, violence towards journalists condemned

Malaysiakini

Apr 30, 2012

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should conduct a thorough and swift investigation on violent acts in Bersih 3.0, including those on journalists, and charge the perpetrators.

A group of six journalism associations issued a joint statement requesting this yesterday.

They are the Centre for Independent Journalism, Charter 2000 Aliran, Journalists Union of North Malaya, Penang Chinese Media Journalists and Photographers Association (Pewaju), Penang Press Club and Penang Press Employees Cooperative Society Limited.

The group condemned the arrest of two journalists and alleged police violence towards others who were covering the sit-down protest for free and fair elections.

“The prime minister must also adopt firm measures to ensure all uniformed personnel understand and respect the role of journalists, and give compensation to those whose equipment were deliberately damaged,” it said.

Media reports, video feeds, Facebook postings and tweets by the journalists involved, or their colleagues, indicate at least six such cases.

 “We view the incidents as a concerted attack on media freedom since they appear to be aimed at preventing professional journalistic documentation of police violence against some Bersih protesters,” it added.

The joint statement also noted that the police’s attitude towards reporters might have caused by their embarrassment over photographs and videos the reporters have recorded in the past few months regarding police brutality.

Last week, it said, a mob attacked the Occupy Dataran encampment and targeted activists who were wielding cameras or smartphones, in a bid to thwart any attempt to document the violence and identify the perpetrators.

“Journalists, including press photographers, are professionals tasked with bearing witness to matters of public interest and reporting them ethically.

“Like the police, journalists have a public duty to perform and they should be afforded protection towards this end.

“Unless journalists are obstructing police work, they should be left alone to do their job. And certainly, no journalist in a nation that prides itself as a democracy, should ever be arrested for doing their job.”

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 12:26 am and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Media
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


BBC flays local censors for slashing Bersih coverage

By Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

May 01, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has “strongly condemned” Malaysian censors, claiming their coverage of Saturday’s Bersih 3.0 protest had been clipped on local operator Astro.

“During the week of World Press Freedom Day, it would be deplorable if access to independent and impartial news was being prevented in any way.

“We would strongly condemn any blocking of the trusted news that we broadcast around the world including via distribution partners,” a BBC spokesman in a statement emailed to The Malaysian Insider.

The British public service broadcaster added that it was making “urgent enquiries” to Astro to seek its reasons for censoring its two-minute coverage of the violent protest.

“The BBC is making urgent enquiries to the Malaysian operator, Astro, to establish the facts.

“The broadcast of anti-Government protests in Malaysia was apparently edited before it was re-broadcast on Malaysian satellite television, with sequences removed from the original BBC version,” it said.

According to the YouTube link available in the statement, BBC’s coverage of Bersih 3.0 had been shortened by several seconds to exclude clips of short interviews with two protesters.

The video showing the difference between BBC’s original report and the one aired on Malaysian channels can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTGogMq9NZ0

In the first censored interview, a man, believed to be Chinese, had told the BBC that the police were firing tear gas arbitrarily at protesters despite efforts to negotiate.

“They fired a shot at us and instead of saying sorry, we know it was an accidental shot, they shot some more we were about to talk and make peace and negotiate but they shot at us,” he said.

In the next interview, an Indian man had explained his reason for joining the rally for free and fair elections, which had turned violent at nearly 3pm on Saturday.

“I’m here to see that we have free and fair elections. That’s all.

“We want the Election Commission (EC) to be independent and clean. At the moment, it is not clean. Okay? So I have to stand here because this is a day of destiny for Malaysians,” he said, amid a backdrop of hundreds standing before the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka.

Local TV operators had also slashed another portion of BBC’s report, which showed scenes taken from above of the riot police’s fire-red water cannon trucks firing chemical-laced water at protesters.

A part of the BBC correspondent Emily Buchanan’s words were also clipped along with the scene.

“It’s not entirely clear how the violence started,” she had said in the portion of the clip that was aired.

“… but after the rally was declared a success and people began to go home, the barriers were breached…,” she said in the censored portion.

“… and the authorities fired tear gas at the crowds,” she continued, as the scene continued.

Saturday’s opposition-backed rally has already received negative coverage in the foreign media, which have predicted a likely backlash for the Najib administration.

According to BBC, “despite the massive turnout, the government appears to be in no mood for change and there could be an election in June, too soon for major reforms to take effect.

“That means many more political battles ahead.”

In the days following the event that had become more violent than last year’s, Bersih 3.0 supporters and government leaders have been engaged in a blame game over who was to blame for the numerous altercations that took place between protesters and the police.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 3:33 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Media
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Bersih 3.0: UMNO needs a game change

— Dahlia Martin

The Malaysian Insider

May 01, 2012

MAY 1 — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s popularity took a hit following a harsh crackdown on demonstrators at July’s 2011 Bersih rally. Looking to salvage his image as a reformer, Najib immediately set up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to look into the issue of electoral reform.

But if he was hoping this move alone would appease critics and aid his political brand, he appears to have been gravely mistaken: the bar has since been raised, and to meet it, Najib must up the reformist ante and learn to sell policies more effectively to an increasingly sceptical electorate.

Saturday saw the Malaysian Bersih movement hold its third and biggest rally yet for electoral reform: some estimates have the number of attendees at 300,000 for the Kuala Lumpur event. Bersih “solidarity rallies” also took place in eighty-five other locations across the world, adding to the momentum already mustered from the two previous rallies.

But what had for several hours been a peaceful protest quickly took a violent turn when a small group of protesters appeared to breach the barbed wire and barricades set up by police to keep the protestors out of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka).

Tear gas and water cannons were fired at demonstrators.
 South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, who was in the country as an international observer, was one of those tear gassed. Several journalists reported having their equipment destroyed as they tried to film some of the chaos and violence, with one Al-Jazeera correspondent having to file a report using Skype.

But images of groups of policemen attacking demonstrators have found their way onto social networking sites, where they have been readily shared amongst Malaysian users. Some 512 people were arrested by the close of the day.

Gloves came off quickly in the ensuing blame game, with rally organisers insisting the violence only started after the tear gas was used. Politicians from the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has ruled Malaysia for over five decades, lined up to point the finger at Bersih and demonstrators.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Hishammuddin Hussein, retweeted one tweet likening some of the participants to “thugs”, and said the police had behaved professionally. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin likened the situation to a “riot”, and Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin blamed the violence on the presence of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

But many Malaysians are wearing none of it, especially with audio visual evidence in cyberspace to the contrary, and since the international observers invited by Anwar Ibrahim to observe the rally have also rejected the charges. Cynicism towards the “old guard” is increasing, especially amongst young urban voters who have grown impatient at the mainstream media bias and widespread marginalisation they have known all their lives.

BN needs a game change. Or some time out. — The New Mandala

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 1:21 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Najib Razak
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.