Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysia nips an hibiscus uprising
- Malaysia: Rich but not free
- Anti-Bersih group holds Najib to ransom
- Malaysia lashes out at foreign media coverage of rally
- DAP: Punish Ibrahim, Ali Rustam for attacking Ambiga
- Purported anti-Bersih script surfaces online
- Utusan Malaysia: Bersih protesters paid, businesses disrupted
- Ibrahim Ali wants Ambiga’s citizenship revoked
- Marina Mahathir: Putrajaya’s image affected by bad handling of Bersih
- Foreign media praises rally marchers, condemns govt
- PSM holds Najib accountable for Jeyakumar’s well-being
- Artists, writers band up in Samad Said’s cause
- Questions surround Baharudin's death despite police denial
- Terror funders under watch
- It’s not just about 5,000 or 50,000, Najib
- Malaysia's 'Ali Baba' system causes ethnic tension
| Malaysia nips an hibiscus uprising Posted: 10 Jul 2011 11:06 PM PDT
By Simon Roughneen, Asia Times Online Over 1,600 people were arrested in the crackdown, including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and the leadership of the protest organizers, Bersih 2.0, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking reform of the country's electoral system.
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2011 11:00 PM PDT By The Jakarta Post The leaders of Malaysia are laboring under an old paradigm that says you can have development or democracy, but not both. We have news for them: You can be rich and free at the same time. Malaysians deserve both and they deserve it now — not sometime in the future. The lengths the government went to in trying to prevent and then break up the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday shows that the nation's leaders were still not prepared to let go — even when an increasing number of Malaysians of all races have been pressing for more freedom and justice. |
| Anti-Bersih group holds Najib to ransom Posted: 10 Jul 2011 10:30 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Anti-Bersih supporters have mounted a petition online, threatening to abandon its support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak's administration if the prime minister fails to revoke the citizenships of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan and punish Bersih marchers. Pledging one million signatures, the petition started by one Rahmat Azim Abd Aziz, 39, warns Najib against ignoring its five demands, saying its signatories would not hesitate to rebel to defend Malaysia, "even without the help of Datuk Seri's (Najib) government". As of 8pm today, the petition entitled, "Legal action and recommendations to His Royal Highness the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia to revoke medals and accolades" has attracted 173 signatures. It was created on petitiononline.com, a site that hosts online public petitions for free, but Facebook users have since caught wind of it and are sharing links to the site on fan pages and their profile pages, urging others to sign it. "If Datuk Seri (Najib) does not take stern action and monitor subversive elements and efforts to tarnish the country's image, Malaysians will lose direction and faith in your leadership. "When this happens, traitors to the country will find it easier to take over our beloved Malaysia. Datuk Seri's efforts will become pointless and the futures of our youths will become uncertain," the petition said. Claiming to represent the views of a majority of the government's supporters, the petition urged that its demands be given "full and serious" consideration, saying that "peace, harmony, unity and Malaysia's economic strength" are important elements for the present and coming generations. "Racism and disunity have become more widespread due to incitement from opposition parties, NGOs and foreign agents. We want stability, economic strength and unity. "All of Datuk Seri's efforts in developing the economy will be destroyed in the blink of an eye simply because of those who are uncomfortable with seeing progress in Malaysia," said the petition. In its demands, the petition called on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to revoke the titles of Ambiga, Anwar, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said. It also wants Anwar and Ambiga's citizenships revoked, saying the duo had instigated the people to riot, rebel and defy the country's rule of law. It also demands that legal action be taken against any of the 91 individuals who violated a court order obtained by the police barring them from entering the city on July 9. Among those who were locked out were Ambiga, Anwar, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, and Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The petition also seeks legal action against Bersih 2.0 organisers for supposedly defying the King's advice, and the over 1,000 protestors who were arrested for participating in an illegal rally. Pro-Bersih supporters have also started a similar campaign on Facebook through a fan page calling for Najib's resignation. The page, which was set up shortly after Saturday's rally, hit its 100,000 target at 3.50am this morning and has continued growing since then. As at 8pm today, a total of 136, 902 people have clicked "Like" on the page.
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| Malaysia lashes out at foreign media coverage of rally Posted: 10 Jul 2011 10:16 PM PDT
By Melissa Goh, Channelnewasia While the police are contemplating possible legal action against some of the 1,600 protesters who were arrested on Saturday, they claimed that all detainees were treated well and were offered food - buffet-style at US$8 per head - which include fried noodle, rice and drinks before they were released. BUKIT AMAN, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's Home Minister said foreign media will be taken to task for what he called "sensational" coverage of Saturday's rally by the electoral reform movement, Bersih. |
| DAP: Punish Ibrahim, Ali Rustam for attacking Ambiga Posted: 10 Jul 2011 07:14 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — DAP today demanded that the government act against Perkasa's Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam for demanding the revocation of Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan's citizenship, claiming the move was seditious and racist. Ibrahim and Ali Rustam accused Ambiga of committing treason against royal institutions when she went ahead with the Bersih rally. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should take "firm action" against the two politicians, saying the reason Ambiga was being targeted was because she was of Indian descent. "We demand that action be taken in these most vicious remarks, which are not only a personal insult to Datuk Ambiga, but also an insult against all Malaysians in general and the Indian community in particular. "We call upon the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to initiate firm action upon Ibrahim Ali and Ali Rustam for their seditious and racially inflammatory remarks. We also call upon Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to display commitment to his 1 Malaysia slogan by demanding the resignation of Ali Rustam as the chief minister of Malacca," said Lim in a statement today. Lim said such demands to revoke the Bersih chairman's citizenship was "unconstitutional", as there was no basis or proof that showed Ambiga was disloyal towards the country or voluntarily renounced her citizenship. "The DAP therefore condemns such insidious rhetoric, which is both seditious and racist. Why is it that such demands are only made against non-Malays and never upon Malays? "Just like those before them who have vilified other non-Malays as 'pendatang' (immigrants), likening Indians to beggars and Chinese women to prostitutes, these venomous remarks appear to be directed to Datuk Ambiga because she is of Indian ethnicity," Lim added. Bersih claimed a turnout of 50,000 for its Saturday rally, which went ahead without police permission after protracted negotiation with the authorities. The coalition of 62 NGOs took to the streets despite previously accepting Najib's offer to move the street rally to a stadium, when the government refused to allow the gathering to take place in Stadium Merdeka. |
| Purported anti-Bersih script surfaces online Posted: 10 Jul 2011 07:11 PM PDT
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Popular website Malaysia Today today leaked what appears to be a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with guidelines on how to demonise Bersih in the run-up to last Saturday's rally. The letter, ostensibly issued on June 17 and signed by national communications head Jalil Hamid, said such treatment was necessary because the rally "will certainly go beyond issues of fair and free elections" to inflation, Teoh Beng Hock and even the controversial Lynas plant. Attempts by The Malaysian Insider to contact Jalil and other senior press officers of the prime minister's department were unsuccessful. "The protest, if not countered, could undermine the government, the economy and national security. This note sets out the policy guidance and the do's and don'ts in managing the issue," the guideline released by Malaysia Today this morning read. In the guidance note, it states it was written up following an Umno political bureau meeting to discuss Bersih and was also circulated to bureau members, the letter said. In it, the PMO reminded media outlets to discredit Bersih and its leaders as "a group of politicians and politically-inclined individuals who lack credibility" and to stress that the rally was an "illegal assembly". Bersih was also to be painted as a front for the opposition or foreign agents as well as an attempt by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to find an undemocratic and unconstitutional "shortcut to Putrajaya". Media were told to highlight stories of how businesses, tourists and ordinary people would be affected; question Bersih's funding; target Anwar, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and "budak suruhan DSAI and tali barut DAP" (Anwar and DAP's lackey) Mohamad Sabu; and use file photos of Ambiga with opposition leaders to highlight their close association. The press were also instructed to use fewer old faces like Datuk Zulkifli Nordin and Datuk Ibrahim Ali as "attack dogs" in favour of fresh Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth leaders and non-governmental organisations; mobilise friendly bloggers; and play up images of ugly street demonstrations in other countries. The do's and don'ts detailed were: * [The home minister, Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspector-General] and Internal Security and Public Order Director are to brief media editors at KDN (Home Ministry). The meeting was to reinforce the branding as "perhimpunan haram" (illegal assembly), and that Bersih is an unlawful organisation and the perpetrators are out to create chaos. * KDN, which has jurisdiction over all print media, needs to exert its authority in ensuring the press toe the line. * Confine politicians to just making political statements. Let the police do their job. * PDRM can start calling up Bersih organisers based on the hundreds of police reports lodged so far. * Encourage the use of third party validators. * Pre-empt chaos and disorder (fear paradigm). The "show of force" by Umno or silat groups well before July 9 may be imperative to deter demonstrators. * The soundbytes in our favour MUST come from across the country and across the ethnic lines. The soundbytes should not just be confined to the Malays or those residing in the Klang Valley. * We must not allow the rally to be exploited by international elements. * As a pre-emptive measure, the authorities should stop the launch of Perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 scheduled for June 19 at the Chinese Assembly Hall. Likewise, a related Perkasa event called "Lawan Perhimpunan Bersih" at the Sultan Sulaiman Club on the same day should also be halted. * [EC] should counter Bersih demands for free and fair elections by highlighting the various initiatives it has undertaken so far. Use the highly successful Sarawak PRN as its model. It should not meet up with Bersih people. The letter said the goal of the exercise was to neutralise opposition noise, reinforce the view that public sentiment is not with Bersih and the opposition, send a strong message that the government is in full control of the situation and avoid adverse impact on investor confidence in Malaysia. Bersih claimed a turnout of 50,000 for Saturday's street demonstration, which went ahead without police permission after protracted negotiation with the authorities. The coalition of 62 NGOs took to the streets despite previously accepting Najib's offer to move the street rally to a stadium, after the government refused to allow the gathering to take place in Stadium Merdeka.
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| Utusan Malaysia: Bersih protesters paid, businesses disrupted Posted: 10 Jul 2011 04:45 PM PDT
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Utusan Malaysia continued today to demonise Bersih 2.0 and its Saturday rally, featuring stories of traders' complaints at having lost millions worth of business that day and claims from participants that they had been paid to attend. The Umno-owned daily dedicated all its news pages and nearly 30 news articles to Bersih 2.0, all condemning the chaotic events that invaded the streets of the capital city on Saturday. Quoting Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association (Ikhlas) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah, the daily said some 5,000 traders had recorded losses worth up to RM100 million when they were forced to close for the day due to the rally. Utusan Malaysia also dubbed the rally an "Indonesian-style demonstration", claiming of revelations from participants that they had been paid to attend. Citing a police source, the daily said many of the 1,401 arrested on Saturday had revealed to police when giving their statements that between RM150 and RM200 were offered to participants. "According to the (police) source, many among the participants did not know the purpose of the illegal rally, while others did not even care about its organisers. "Even more disgusting, said the source, the illegal gathering was planned by certain political parties bent on obstructing the government administration by using participants' provocation of the authorities in charge of maintaining public safety," said the daily. The source had also purportedly told Utusan Malaysia that the participants were offered allowances several days before Saturday by individuals believed to be from the opposition pact due to their "dialects" and tendency to flare up anti-government sentiments. Utusan Malaysia also front-paged Datuk Seri Najib Razak's speech from yesterday's Umno gathering, and published several articles, one quoting the prime minister as saying that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim deserved an "Oscar" award for claiming to have been hurt during the rally. "Not only that, Najib said Anwar's skilful acting was just as good as veteran Bollywood star Amitabh Bachan. "He only got a little bit of tear gas and there's a neck brace and his face is all contorted as though he got beaten up," the daily quoted Najib as saying. Saturday's Bersih 2.0 rally saw thousands throng the capital city's streets to march for free and fair elections but close to midday chaos broke out when armed riot police forced back protesters by firing tear gas canisters and water cannons. |
| Ibrahim Ali wants Ambiga’s citizenship revoked Posted: 10 Jul 2011 04:27 PM PDT
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali wants Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan's citizenship revoked, saying she had committed treason against royal institutions when she went ahead with Saturday's rally. According to Utusan Malaysia today, the Perkasa president said yesterday that Ambiga had chosen to defy the advice of both the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah in proceeding with the rally. "Ambiga was already granted the opportunity to meet with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong but in the end, chose to defy his majesty. "If this was Thailand, people like her would have been banished and stripped of their citizenships," the daily quoted Ibrahim as saying in a press conference. The Malay rights leader, who had chosen to stay home on the day of the rally, also claimed of reports that Bersih 2.0's participants had been paid to attend the mass event. "Many participants who participated in this illegal rally were not even from Kuala Lumpur. They came from outside and were paid to join an illegal gathering. "If they were not paid, no one would have joined," Ibrahim (picture) was quoted as saying. Ibrahim also purportedly defended his decision to cancel his original plan to hold an anti-Bersih gathering, claiming that he had done so out of respect of the King and the Selangor Sultan.
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| Marina Mahathir: Putrajaya’s image affected by bad handling of Bersih Posted: 10 Jul 2011 04:24 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The government's poor handling of the Bersih rally has given it a bad image internationally, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir said yesterday. Marina, eldest daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said that unlike the government, "the world" did not have a bad impression of Malaysians who took part in the rally because they were standing up for their rights and for a cause — demanding free and fair elections. "There are also some people claiming that the world now has a bad impression of Malaysia because the foreign media (and the local media for that matter) reported only about the tear-gassing and water-cannoning," Marina said in a blog post yesterday. "I think people are confusing the government with the people. "Yes, the world now has a bad impression of the Malaysian government because it has handled this whole issue so badly. They don't have the same impression of the Malaysians who stood up for their rights and their cause." Marina, a social activist who was among the thousands who were in the capital city on Saturday facing the riot police, defended the Bersih supporters, saying that they had assembled peacefully and did not cause any harm or violence.
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| Foreign media praises rally marchers, condemns govt Posted: 10 Jul 2011 04:14 PM PDT By Patrick Lee, FMT PETALING JAYA: Foreign media organisations have praised the "bersih spirit" and roundly condemned the government's handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Free and Fair Elections) rally. They wrote that the Bersih rally was a demand for democracy and Malaysia's search for a true identity. The protests, which saw about 15,000 people take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur and thousands more across the world, were described by Saudi-based Al-Arabiya website as "an Arab Spring copycat … at first glance". The Al-Arabiya editorial by Teresita Cruz-Del Rosario added that Malaysia's rallies could not be compared to the unrest currently taking place in the Middle East. "The culture of protest goes much further back in Malaysian history to resistance against British efforts at colonially-inspired modernization," she wrote. Rosario said that the Bersih "spirit" was similar to that of Indonesia and the Philippines when the latters "threw off the yoke of colonialism". "This weekend's protest in KL is but the latest episode in Malaysia's search for its true political identity," she said. "Today's calls for electoral reform and an end to corruption in Malaysia echo the yearnings of the struggle since the 19th century for a better deal with their government." Malaysia's government however, Rosario said, seemed to employ the same tactics as its counterparts in the Middle East; "under the guise of … law and order". In the run-up to the rally, multiple Bersih supporters were arrested. The organisation was declared illegal, and their requests to use Stadium Merdeka were refused. The KL rally was soon met with heavy-handed police action. Tear gas and water cannons were deployed to chase protestors from the streets. More than 1,600 rally-goers were arrested before the day was up. One man also died from heart complications. Good for the Opposition These factors, according to the Wall Street Journal-Asia, were a boon for Malaysia's opposition, Pakatan Rakyat. A report entitled "Malaysia Protest Lifts Opposition" said that the anti-Bersih crackdown did not bode well for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration.
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| PSM holds Najib accountable for Jeyakumar’s well-being Posted: 10 Jul 2011 03:51 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) has said it will hold the prime minister and police responsible if anything happens to central committee member Dr Michael Jeyakumar, who was recently hospitalised for heart problems. He was taken to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Saturday after complaining of heart palpitations and is now being warded at the specialist centre's coronary care unit. This is the second time Dr Jeyakumar, who is Sungai Siput MP, has been hospitalised since his arrest late last month for allegedly planning to "wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong". "We suspect his condition is due to the long hours of interrogations by the police Special Branch. Other detainees have also expressed similar ordeal as the police is trying to force them to admit things they have not done." The party also demanded that Dr Jeyakumar and five others detained with him — PSM deputy chairman M. Saraswathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M. Sugumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A. Letchumanan and national youth chief R. Sarathbabu — be released immediately from Emergency Ordinance (EO) detention. "Please charge them in an open court if they have breached any laws," the statement said. They were arrested in Penang on June 25 along with two dozen other PSM members under Section 122 after police found in their possession T-shirts bearing the faces of former Malayan Communist Party (MCP) leaders Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin. Police later dropped all charges against the six but immediately rearrested them under the EO and charged the remaining 24 for possession of Bersih material and involvement in an illegal organisation. The latter group has since posted bail and are now waiting for their cases to go to court.
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| Artists, writers band up in Samad Said’s cause Posted: 10 Jul 2011 03:50 PM PDT
They condemn police for harassing the poet and vow to keep fighting for freedom of expression. (Free Malaysia Today) - Scores of writers, artists and political activists have banded together to condemn the police for harassing National Laureate A Samad Said. Police interrogated the 76-year-old Samad on June 25 for reciting a poem at the Bersih 2.0 launch a week earlier. He was told he was being investigated for sedition as well as for participating in an unlawful assembly. "We are appalled that the reading of a poem can be considered seditious," said a statement signed by more than 150 writers, activists and artists in different disciplines. They include Fahmi Fadzil, Marion D'Cruz, Mano Maniam, Farish Noor, Zedeck Siew, Ng Seksan, Raja Petra Kamarudin, Eddin Khoo, Jo Kukathas, Anne James, Kee Thuan Chye, Wong Hoy Chong, Pyanhabib Rahman and the organisations Persatuan Seni Rumah Air Panas, Five Arts Centre, Jumping Jellybeans, Rumah Anak Teater, Instant Café Theatre and The Parking Project.
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| Questions surround Baharudin's death despite police denial Posted: 10 Jul 2011 11:05 AM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 11: The family of the late Baharudin Ahmad, one of the protesters at Bersih's massive rally on Saturday whose funeral was attended by Pakatan Rakyat top leaders yesterday, has disputed claims by police that he had died of heart problems. Earlier reports said Baharudin, 56, had suffered difficulty in breathing after the police charged tear towards him to disperse crowd of people near KLCC. He then collapsed, but was denied immediate care due to ambulance being prevented from arrival. Following the release of Baharudin's body from Kuala Lumpur Hospital which conducted a post-mortem, speculation has been rife over the circumstances surrounding his death, even as Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Amar Singh, the man tasked by the force to answer questions on police highhandedness, took pains to claim that police played no role in his death. As press time, the hospital had yet to release the post-mortem findings even though the go-ahead was given for the burial. Nik Aziz leads du'a at Baharudin's home Baharudin's wife Rosni Melan said her husband had left home after the Zohor prayer for KLCC, while she had gone out earlier to attend the rally with her friends. Large crowd at funeral |
| Posted: 10 Jul 2011 10:45 AM PDT By Terence Fernandez, The Sun PUTRAJAYA (July 10, 2011): The registrar of societies (ROS) has a new role to play – identify societies that are being used as a front to fund terrorism activities. Its director-general, Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman, said apart from doing house cleaning in deregistering dormant societies, the registrar has also been tasked with identifying societies which support subversive elements and that can pose a threat to national or global security. "The registrar is party to discussions on terrorism links to societies in Malaysia, alongside other government agencies like the Companies Commission of Malaysia and Bank Negara," Abdul Rahman said last week. He said the registrar had previously identified fronts for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and groups like Jemaah Islamiyah. However, he said the registrar is powerless when it comes to Islamic organisations as they fall under the jurisdiction of the state Islamic authorities. He said the registrar had taken part in an Asia-Pacific regional conference in March which opened its eyes to the possibility of terrorism groups using harmless-looking societies to fund their activities. "Based on experiences heard at the conference, the ROS is gearing up to monitor non-profit organisations that have been used to launder money for terrorism activities," he said. "We heard that monies are banked into individual accounts usually." Abdul Rahman said the registrar is cleaning up its rolls and deregistering dormant societies; up to 500 organisations a month. These include societies that do not hold annual general meetings for some time. The registrar receives around 2,500 new applications each year. He added that political parties were also under the purview of the registrar which had deregistered two Umno branches and one MCA branch for breaching various codes under the Societies Act. "There are 30 applications to form political parties and we are considering them. If they follow the rules, there is nothing to prevent us from approving the application." On organisations such as Bersih being declared illegal, Abdul Rahman said at times the registrar must also adhere to instructions from the Home Ministry, especially if the authorities feel such movements may be detrimental to national security. |
| It’s not just about 5,000 or 50,000, Najib Posted: 10 Jul 2011 10:24 AM PDT
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Even if it is the voice of one man, you listen. That man does not live alone in this world. He has family, he has friends and he has colleagues. His friends have family, friends and colleagues of their own and his colleagues have family and friends of their own. The point here is: The thousands that gathered at the capital city yesterday, whether 5,000 or 50,000, did not mean that only 5,000 or 50,000 Malaysians are aware of or support Bersih 2.0's purpose and demands. In all likelihood, many of the 5,000 or 50,000 had left behind like-minded family members, friends, friends of friends, colleagues and so on, to join this "illegal" street rally. The 5,000 or 50,000 who thronged the streets and traversed the stretch of the city centre, fleeing through plumes of tear gas and finding themselves itching from chemical-laced water, would have returned home on the night of July 9 with horror stories to tell. To their friends, family and colleagues, the 5,000 or 50,000 will tell the story of a bald man seen with a bloody gash on his head being carted away by blue-uniformed men, stories of people locking themselves together in a tight knot on the ground as policemen try to tear them apart, dragging them away in arrest and beating some who resisted, stories of men in red helmets backed by fire-red trucks standing in lines and firing gas canisters at close range and without tilting their guns. They will relate stories of the thousands of other protestors who stood together in groups, linking arms and marching on, daring to defy those who have defied them. They will describe tales of strangers becoming fast friends with one another, helping those who could not run as fast from the shower of chemical water, offering salt and wet pieces of cloth to those whose eyes were badly stung by the tear gas. They will tell the story of an elderly lady, garbed in a yellow T-shirt, holding a long-stemmed flower and bravely marching along with protestors despite the rowdiness and chaos that surrounded her. Above all, they will tell the tale of the 5,000 or 50,000 Malaysians who left the comfort of their homes on a rainy Saturday afternoon, to get gassed out and sprayed at in their own capital city, people who risked the possibility of violence, injury and arrest, just to march for one simple goal — free and fair elections. If each of the 5,000 or 50,000 who gathered had told these stories to at least 10 others, whether their family members, friends or colleagues, then 50,000 or 500,000 Malaysians would now know the truth of what transpired between 1pm and 5pm on July 9, 2011. And if each of these 50,000 or 500,000 Malaysians, in turn, repeated these stories to at least 10 others, then 500,000 or five million Malaysians would now also know what happened. No one could ever say for certain what these people would think of these stories, whether they would condemn the protestors or the cops.
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| Malaysia's 'Ali Baba' system causes ethnic tension Posted: 10 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT By BBC News In the sleepy village of Kampung Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, a new Malay business class is making its mark.
Alternate system Social unrest? Cracking down |
People buying drinks
Brisk business for ice cream man
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