Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysia’s Bersih & the Facade of “Clean Elections”
- Post Bersih 2.0: Beyond Political Rhetorics
- Hall of Achievements - Selangor State Government
- Untamable Bersih - part 2, understanding it
- Najib Snubbed By UK PM?
- This is what happens when a tear gas canister hits your face
- 9th of July - an everyday in Malaysia
| Malaysia’s Bersih & the Facade of “Clean Elections” Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:34 PM PDT Bangkok, Thailand July 16, 2011 – No one would honestly suggest that cleaning up politics and holding any given government accountable for their actions is not an honorable, noble cause. It is honorable indeed, however, when such a movement takes to the streets but is funded by a foreign government and led by a servants of foreign interests it becomes obvious it has been hijacked in order to exploit the aspirations of a frustrated public for a self-serving agenda. Such a movement will ultimately fail to achieve the goals it proclaims to support and will give rise to corruption and tyranny the likes of which its followers could not imagine. A recent example of this phenomenon is unfolding in the streets and within the political scene of Malaysia where a movement calling themselves "Bersih," or the "Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections" has captured the minds and imaginations of Malaysia's youth and progressive enclaves, both in Malaysia and around the world. While Bersih's leader Ambiga Sreenevasan claims ad nauseum "we are fighting for free and fair elections," what she fails to share quite as often with her impressionable, well-intentioned followers is the fact that her movement is also funded and has received training from the United States government and a host of foreign corporate-funded foundations. The Malaysian Insider reported on June 27, 2011 that Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevassan "admitted to Bersih receiving some money from two US organisations — the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) — for other projects, which she stressed were unrelated to the July 9 march." A visit to the NDI website revealed indeed that funding and training had been provided by the US organization – before NDI took down the information and replaced it with a more benign version purged entirely of any mention of Bersih. For funding Ambiga claims is innocuous, the NDI's rushed obfuscation of any ties to her organization suggests something more sinister at play.
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| Post Bersih 2.0: Beyond Political Rhetorics Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:50 PM PDT Ironically, a friend lamented to me that Barisan will still win the next general election through rigging. This is a hard accusation. But it draws us back to the point that the electoral process in Malaysia is far from being democratically functional.
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| Hall of Achievements - Selangor State Government Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:16 PM PDT In May, Najib told Selangor Umno to win back the country's wealthiest state with whatever "weapon was at their disposal", hinting elections was "just around the corner". Will it be that easy to regain its hold on Selangor? The Penang State government published its 30 people-centric policies measures that have benefited the rakyat. This report, which highlights the differences between PR people-centric government and BN's crony government, has shown Penangites the sterling performance of the Pakatan-led team. (Read more here.)
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| Untamable Bersih - part 2, understanding it Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:15 PM PDT How do we make sense and explain the actions that took place after Bersih? Let's have our own debriefing session lest we agonized over how the media characterized our fellow citizens who marched on the 9th of July. On the whole, I think, those people who marched towards stadium merdeka on the 9th of July before being horribly set upon by the Police with tear gas and chemical-laced water sprays, are good honorable and public spirited people. They carried no Parangs and other assortment of dangerous weapons which were displayed by the Police a few weeks ago and which looked suspiciously bought from a same single supplier. Perhaps one person was assigned to purchase the 'weapons' from a single supplier and then, the cache was displayed before all. Logic would have it that if the weapons were owned by different people, they would be of a jumbled up lot. Here an axe, there a pisau, over here a parang, over there a catapult. Where were the Molotov cocktails? Samad Said the Nobel Laureate whose earliest novel Salina I read a long time ago could hardly be described a subversive or crook. Khalid Samad? Haji Hadi? These people consisted of ordinary people from all walks of lives- pensioners, taxi drivers, writers, lawyers. They are just plain public spirited individuals. The bersih marchers are not street mobs on a rampage of looting spree. They are peaceful marchers making a statement about how elections are run in this country. But as usual UMNO and the government like to claim and exercise ownership on the bad things. So any attacks against the bad things owned by the government are taken as attacks against lawful government and therefore require punishment. The punishment came in baton wallops, water cannons ejecting chemical-laced water, tear gas and physical abuse. All these are of course mild treatment from our own chaps in blue. If we read and listened to the pliant print and audio visual media machine, all those who participated in the Bersih march are subversives, traitors, and dummies. These people are tools for Lim Kit Siang, mules for Anwar Ibrahim, digits directed by Indians, especially that minachi named Ambiga. Those marchers and those who write in support for the Bersih cause will all perish. UMNO will triumph and those causing trouble will be punished. How does the government explain Bersih? 1) Bersih is an outlaw organization used as a front by opposition politicians and politicians who have lost credibility. 2) Bersih is just a ploy by Anwar Ibrahim to revive his image. 3) Bersih is a subversive effort by people to unseat the government unlawfully. 4) Bersih is a strategy by non-Malays and foreign agents to destroy the Malay government. 5) Bersih is anti-Islam. This is the story that is going to retold over and over gain in kampong and villages. Bersih 1 took place so many years ago. The previous Home Minister must have slept through his job, whoever he was. Perhaps at that time, he was busier overseeing the processing of immigrant workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Bersih who did the same thing as the intended one on the 9th of July, wasn't outlawed? The answer can only be straight and simple- simply because, it never contained any crook elements. This time, the government is more creative- first they discovered an assortment of weapons, then the NGO was outlawed. There was also an attempt to picture the marchers as communists because some posters of Shamsiah Fakeh were discovered. I thought some time ago, Utusan Malaysia hailed Shamsiah Fakeh as a freedom fighter? Bersih was also hinted on as a front for foreign powers and it received funding abroad. Why would the Agong be allowed to meet up with representatives of an outlawed organization and why would the PM be willing to discuss with an outlawed organization? The outlawing of Bersih smacks the use of unbridled discretionary power. If Bersih is outlawed, then it must have contained elements that were outlaw-able right from the beginning. That it was outlawed on the eve of the 9th of July March would suggest that, the decision to do so was done maliciously as it was unprincipled. This is the reason why Bersih was outlawed – to justify the actions intended upon the marchers. Understanding why they were set upon then, would help marchers dispel any notions that they were crooks or subversive elements. These people are not crooks but participants and supporters to a cause espoused by a hastily and peculiarly outlawed organization. The hidden agenda is, by outlawing Bersih, it will be possible for the government to declare whatever Bersih wanted to do such as declaring the participants and the organizers, en bloc as law breakers. As law breakers, they are subject to the laws governing crowd control and public disturbance. It will be easy henceforth to justify any actions against the marchers and organizers in accordance to the law. I think the mainstream media is overplaying this point. There were elaborate attempts to show Bersih as a means to restore Anwar's sagging fortunes. Hence Utusan Malaysia gave coverage about Anwar's involvement in the rally. But this was truly and actually wasn't about Anwar anymore. If he feigned his injury, wearing the familiar neck brace and looking almost dead on the hospital bed, he must have gotten a miraculous recovery for the very same night he was in his element at the PKNS stadium in Kelana Jaya. Everyone saw he fell down while negotiating somewhere after leaving his presidential suite at KL Hilton. Tian Chua was mobilizing marchers who stampeded through police cordon and in the melee, Anwar fell down. I am almost near to saying; Anwar was actually a liability in the Bersih Rally. I am sure; the Police must have been instructed not to touch the 91 people classified persona non grata in KL on the 9th of July. The same cannot be said of the nameless but determined marchers on that day. Being nameless gave the Police a freer hand to deal at their discretion. Excessive force was applied on these people. Let's push the argument further. Even if Anwar leveraged on the Bersih March, does association with Anwar make the march illegal? Somehow it must be wrong if Anwar is involved. Let's not forget that Anwar has paid a heavy cost for his 1 Sodomy. He has not been convicted yet and therefore technically must be presumed innocent. Anwar Ibrahim is a former deputy PM and is currently battling legal charges and is on trial. Association with Anwar who is maligned with all sort of dirty description does not make Bersih and its cause any less honorable. Anwar's case is his and his alone- it does not pollute the cause of Bersih marchers. Hence, there is no shame for the marchers, if others accused the marchers as Anwar's mules. Anwar's presence does not diminish Bersih nor besmirch the honor of marchers. Let's try to make some sense about how the government responded. Anwar was factored in the rally. First-hand accounts were elicited from international tourists. Traders and travellers were solicited for their comments. The whole rally was classified as haram. It caused great hardships to traders who lost business and the daily life disrupted. Bersih is an insidious ploy by non-Malays to undermine the Malay government.
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| Posted: 14 Jul 2011 12:44 PM PDT The Malaysian PM had come to court the City's investors and it was embarrassing. Investors do not like countries with uncertain human rights records and an unhappy middle class. Few non-Malaysians turned up in the end, but some of the investors who did went and chatted first to the crowd of protesters outside. One, who described himself as 'working for a global investment company', said that he was well aware of the human rights issues in Malaysia and confirmed that his company monitors the matter and that such issues are of concern. Brushed off Meanwhile, the main topic in the crowd was the news that Najib's lunch with Cameron had been cancelled. Was it owing to the human rights issues or simply because the UK PM was too busy they wondered? Neither looked particularly good from the perspective of the Malaysia PM !
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| This is what happens when a tear gas canister hits your face Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:16 AM PDT Fayyadh Afiq, Anwar's bodyguard is a hero. He shielded Anwar from the direct barrage of tear gas canisters shot into the crowd trapped at the Sentral station underpass. He suffered a broken cheek bone and underwent a 5-hour operation. MP Khalid Samad who was also at the underpass, was similarly hit by a tear gas canister and sustained six stitches on the back of his head. To view the brutal tear gas attack, see FMT video "Bersih 2.0: It's 50k, and a big success". The villain? Undoubtedly, the police for the cruel and unjustifiable attack, especially the notorious Brickfields police chief ACP "Headhunter" Wan Bari who could be seen directing his men to shoot low at the crowd. He repeatedly said "bawah", "bawah" when his men initially pointed the tear gas guns upwards. Let there be no doubt: the police wanted to seriously hurt or kill the Bersih and Pakatan leaders who were present at the underpass. Common sense will tell you that metal projectiles shot at high velocity will cause serious injuries or death – even the tear gas instruction says: DO NOT FIRE DIRECTLY; INJURY OR DEATH MAY RESULT. Read more at: http://www.lawyersforliberty.org/2011/07/this-is-what-happens-when-a-tear-gas-canister-hits-your-face/ |
| 9th of July - an everyday in Malaysia Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT For without the insane crackdown on Bersih supporters with Yellow coloured t-shirts, unreasonable detention, the flip-flop invitation of using the Stadium by the Prime Minister, the massive road blocks and KL lock down days before the rally, 9th of July may not have been what it was that historic Saturday. Read more at: http://eechia.blogspot.com/2011/07/9th-of-july-everyday-in-malaysia.html
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