Monday, July 25, 2011

The Rosmah ring: 24mil RM or US$, tupperware party or VVIP exhibition

Written by Stan Lee, Malaysia Chronicle

Did Rosmah Mansor pay RM24.4 million or US$24.4 million for a humungous tax-free diamond ring ordered from New York's Jacob & Co?

Yes, it makes a tremendous difference because if it was US$24.4 million, that would mean the wife of Prime Minister Najib Razak blew something like RM73 million on a piece of jewellery.

It might be Rosman's own business but where she did get so much money from, and did Najib know about it? Did the PM authorize Customs to exempt the ring from taxes and why?

Additionally, why should Najib do such a thing when he has been telling Malaysians to tighten their belts and prepare for the next round of price hikes coming soon? Also, does he earn so much that his wife can splurge RM73 million on a ring, no matter how equisite?

Those are the questions gaining pace in town since PKR Rembau leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission last week, urging the agency to investigathe the first couple over the ring.

"Our investigations show the ring is RM24.4 million ringgit nor US dollar? But that is already a lot of money, and if Rosmah says it is not, then for sure MACC must investigate all the more," Badrul told Malaysia Chronicle.

"As PM, how can Najib earn so much that Rosmah can just spend so much money on just one ring, no matter how beautiful and tempting it looks. Malaysian prime mnisters earn well but if they are not corrupt, there is no way they can make so much money."

The PKR Youth leader also said that so far, the MACC has not come back to him and neither has the first couple.

Last week, Badrul had challenged Rosmah to deny the ring belonged to her. But she has kept mum so far and is due to visit the Pope in the Vatican with Najib in tow beginning Monday.

What BN bloggers say - BIG LIE!

Meanwhile, UMNO bloggers have poured scorn on the three computer screen visuals received and exposed by Badrul last week. The screenshots apparently taken from the Customs' database show the existence of the ring and its importation from Jacob & Co, as Badrul had alleged.

However, to the BN bloggers, it was a "big lie" that the ring was bought by Rosmah using her own savings as some netizens have alleged. They said the owner of the ring is Jacob & Co.

The firm had brought the ring into Malaysia for a "private exhibition" at a "private residence of a VVIP in Kuala Lumpur sometime between the 17th and 19th of April, 2011", they took pains to explain.

"It is NOT TRUE that the RM24 million ring owned by Jacob & Co was PURCHASED by any of the VVIPs who were present at the "private exhibition'. The RING IS NOW WITH ITS RIGHTFUL OWNERS - JACOB & Co in New York - Thank You," said one well-known pro-BN Facebook user.

"It is a BIG LIE that the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had purchased the ring with her savings as being propagated by some politicians and their desperate lackeys."

Fine jewellery not taxable?

The posting also insisted that the 'Natural Fancy Blue Gray Cushion Cut Diamond Ring' was taken out of the country on April 20, four days after arrival on the 16th.

"So it is a fact that the much talked about ring was brought into the country. It is also a fact that the regional agent for Jacob & Co did use Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's name (it says 'inspection by') on the Customs declaration form. It is a fact that such fine jewellery, as this diamond ring OWNED by Jacob & Co, IS NOT a taxable item under the Malaysian LAW," said the posting.

"These Opposition politicians are so desperate that they have even created a FAKE Utusan Malaysia front-page montage. p/s This is not the first time such nasty 'super-imposed' pictures are used to discredit the Government and those associated with it. The last time PKR's now BATU Member of Parliament Tian Chua ADMITTED superimposing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's picture as part of their dirty political campaign to discredit Najib."

Tupperware-party equivalent of the rich and famous?

However, despite the detailed and passionate explanation, PKR's Badrul - also known as Chegubard - was unfazed.

"So what, they can say anything, who cares? What we want is for the MACC to do a neutral and fair test. If Rosmah is innocent, well and good for her. If guilty, then she and Najib must be punished. It is as simple as that, nothing personal at all," said Badrul.

According to PKR vice president Tian Chua, there was something fishy about the 'VVIP' exhibition.

"This is the first I have heard of a private VVIP showing. I mean, is this a tupperware party or what? Does it mean that if the ring was sold, the so-called patron and 'inspector' of the ring, which is Rosmah Mansor, would get a commission from Jacob & Co?" Tian told Malaysia Chronicle.

"If not, then why is she going out of her way to help them sell the ring, does she have shares in Jacob & Co, is she getting some sort of benefit. I think these are very valid questions that she and the PM should answer. Neither she or Najib should make use of their position to make monetary gain for themselves and if they have done so, have they declared tax on that income?"








Justice for Teoh Beng Hock



Seeing Nazri's smug smile to the media when presenting the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report made me sick to my stomach. Intentionally or unintentionally, he has re-ignited public anger and the sheer ignominy exhibited by this Barisan Nasional government.

What made it worse, is his branding of Teoh as a "weak-willed" character, something which was never reflected in the 124-page report. He was speaking on his own behalf, and his further assertion that everyone should have closure after the publication of this report, is incredibly short-sighted and pretentious.

It is obvious that Nazri has no sense of empathy, and PM Najib chimes in by saying, we should not question the RCI report as it had been "presented to the king". I am not sure who would accept such reasoning at face value, but due to his recent history, he has a penchant for lies and cover-ups. I have no doubt in my mind that this is another cover up.

I personally cannot fathom how a man, who is about to be married the next day and is expecting a child, even under heavy interrogation would venture to take his own life. Any father or wife would be able to echo the same sentiments, as even in our darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of hope. Would he venture so far as to take his own life? I would submit not.

For anyone who has followed the case closely, and seen some of the evidence which was tendered before the court and then the RCI, it would have been obvious that even if one wanted to commit suicide by throwing oneself out of a window at the MACC building, it would have been an incredibly difficult task. First of all the window had already been established as small, and difficult to climb through. From this alone, we can ascertain that if it was indeed suicide, the amount of effort to climb out would have taken a good amount of time.

If indeed the story is that he did commit suicide by climbing out the window, why did the interrogation officers not make any attempt to stop him? Normally when a person makes a sudden move in an interrogation setting, there is effort on the interrogators to restrain that individual. This question was not even raised in the RCI report.

To add salt to wound, after the death of Teoh, one of the interrogators the RCI named responsible, Hishammudin Hashim, was promoted. Was there any internal inquiry after Teoh's death, or any action taken or investigation opened before the intervention of the RCI? There was not. This is a clear slap on the face of the public, that protection of the institutions are paramount as opposed to bringing those responsible to justice.

The RCI themselves, were appointed by the government and comprised of BN cronies, who have all benefited in one way or another from BN handouts, and which Teoh's family had no say in the selection. Evidence has surfaced that the facts were not properly checked, and were biased.

Naturally we are appalled at this outcome, but most of us had expected as much. Najib has shown himself to be an incapable leader, and continues to endorse the current system. Trying to keep Malaysians in the dark, threatening Malaysians when they challenge the system and allowing racists to run amok has been the traits of his administration.

As for Teoh Beng Hock and his family, we hope and pray he did not die in vain. We shall continue to fight for justice, and fight to end this fascist BN regime.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Taken to the cleaners - The Economist

This article has been censored in the print media by the Home Ministry. Are they so afraid of the truth? This is the full article as published on www.economist.com.

An overzealous government response to an opposition rally
Jul 14th 2011 | SINGAPORE | from the print edition

MALAYSIA is one of South-East Asia’s stabler nations; but a rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9th in demand of electoral reform turned surprisingly nasty, leading to the arrest of more than 1,600 people. The police fired tear gas and water cannon into the crowd, and one man died of a heart attack. All those arrested were released fairly quickly, but Amnesty International, a London-based human-rights group, called it “the worst campaign of repression in the country for years”. The government’s reaction showed a lot of nervousness about how much opposition it can tolerate.



In fact the crackdown started a few weeks ago after “Bersih 2.0” announced that it was going to stage the rally. Bersih, also known as The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, is a loose alliance of NGOs and activists (bersih means “clean”). It argues that all candidates should be given access to the mainstream media and that indelible ink should be used to stop people voting more than once. It all sounds uncontroversial, but not to the government. Bersih was declared illegal on July 1st and about 200 activists were rounded up. The march itself was then banned, although the authorities offered Bersih a stadium to meet in—and then withdrew the offer.

Perhaps the government was looking back nervously to the first Bersih march, in 2007. On that occasion, too, thousands protested against the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government and demanded reform. Subsequently, in the 2008 general election, the BN lost its largest share of votes since 1957 when it started ruling the country after the British left. The current prime minister, Najib Razak, deputy prime minister in 2007 before taking over the top job in an internal party coup, must have feared that the second Bersih rally might be a similar portent. He has to hold an election before 2013, but wants to do so earlier to win his own mandate. Opposition politicians were quick to join Bersih. The pre-eminent leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, was shoved to the ground and injured in the affray.

None of this bodes well for Malaysia. The heavy-handed police tactics have provoked a lot of anger; the government has conceded an official investigation into claims of police brutality. In one instance (caught on film), police seemed to fire tear gas and water cannon into a hospital where protesters were sheltering from a baton charge. Few old laws were left untouched in the attempt to round up suspects before the march. It was reported that 30 people arrested in Penang were investigated under Section 122 of the Penal Code for the charge of waging war against the king. Dragging in the constitutional monarch, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, seemed particularly desperate, reminiscent of the abuse of the monarchy’s position in neighbouring Thailand. On the eve of the rally, the king came out with a statement reminding everyone that “street demonstrations bring more bad than good, although the original intention is good.”

Mr Najib defended the police and accused the marchers of sowing chaos. Dismissing the motives of Bersih, he cast it as a desperate attempt by Mr Anwar to grab power. The immediate upshot is that Mr Najib may choose to delay calling for an election for some time, to let things settle down. He presumably hopes that if he waits long enough, people will have forgotten about this ugly incident. But the longer-term effects are hard to judge. It might also help to unite a fractious opposition against what they portray as an assault on democracy.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Democracy is not a blank cheque

Over the past few weeks, and most recently from the Deputy Prime Minister, the common argument against Bersih 2.0 is that "Pakatan Rakyat won 5 states and denied Barisan Nasional a two-thirds majority in Parliament. If our election system was tainted, they wouldn't have won any at all." Furthermore, Muyhiddin went further to say that because the system has been tried for 50 years, it has been tried and tested. Does anyone else believe that this statement lends any credibility to the system?

Muhyiddin must realise (though I doubt it, based on his recalcitrant nature) that this is a fundamentally flawed argument, especially when we look at the outcome of the last general election. Barisan Nasional won 50.27% of the vote, but swept up 63.1% of the seats. The problem does not really lie with vote manipulation, but rather the fundamentals of the system. Just based on the election results and based on the law of averages, BN only required 29,160 votes per seat, while Pakatan Rakyat required 46,298 votes per seat. Therefore, the opposition would require 37% more votes for each seat they contest. Does this seem fair?

The issues of gerrymandering, postal votes not tallying, stuffed ballot boxes, phantom voters and corruption is coupled by unequal access to the media, year long governmental propaganda through the mainstream media and the public censorship of dissenters. Threats to civil servants that they may lose their jobs if they don't vote for BN, the wealthy and influential warned that Special Branch is watching their every move and the myth that the government can track who you voted for also dampens the integrity of our electoral system.

Now, there is the question of whether Pakatan Rakyat is also guilty of the same election offences when they won 5 states? I would submit that they are not. Apart from allegations that the opposition parties paid off people to vote for them, which in itself is not plausible due to the fact that the opposition is well known not to have a lot of money, most of the electoral fraud occurs under the purview of the Electoral Commission.

Right before Bersih 2.0, the EC had shown their true colours by accusing the Bersih movement to be an opposition plot to overthrow the government. Strong words from an entity which is supposed to be impartial. An ex-EC official had made known to me that their full time job was in fact to gerrymander, and ensure that areas known to vote for the opposition are moved into increasingly large constituencies in order to increase the chances that BN can secure a marginal seat come the next general elections. The fact that PR had won so many states is nothing short of remarkable and a clear sign of the displeasure from the people.

So are voters being disenfranchised? You bet they are. So the "divine right" to vote for the government of our choice every five years is tainted by the fact that a vote in one constituency equates to 20 votes in another constituency. Do we really get a government representative of our choice?

What is democracy? It is described on Wikipedia as follows:

"Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal (and more or less direct) participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law. It can also encompass social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination."

Now what does this actually mean? This means that just because the people voted you in during a General Election, does not mean you can run around as untouchables as though you have been given the license to do anything you want (that is until the next General Election where you start throwing goodies to the people to forget their long term suffering and vote for you again).

Universal suffrage is not the only democratic right that Malaysians have, as the right to assemble peacefully is enshrined in Article 10 of our constitution, the alleged supreme law of the land. When a government is elected in, gets arrogant, and flexes their muscles at the people, we have the right as citizens to gather peacefully in protest, as we believe their actions are not justified.

The Prime Minister told the media that Malaysians are peace loving people, and demonstrations are not part of our culture. Despite everything, I am inclined to agree with him. Typically, most Malaysians are apolitical. But when our right have been trampled all over, and people get emotional and tired of the constant abuses, the people have risen above all obstacles to descend upon KL en mass, to tell the government and the world exactly how they feel.

Democracy is not a blank cheque. Rather it is a heavy responsibility borne by the government of the day, because the fact is that the Rakyat is the ultimate boss. This applies equally to PR, if they were to take power.

It is obvious that this BN government have forgotten this a long time ago.


_____________________________________________

DOUGLAS TAN is a DAP member and yearns for a free and democratic society. He blogs at dougtan.blogspot.com.

BERSIH 2.0 overcomes the police state

July 10th, 2011 by William de Cruz, Guest Contributor



Malaysians and their supporters gathered in capital cities around the world today in Bersih 2.0 Global solidarity walks as the Opposition leader in their home country lay injured after a violent government crackdown on a peaceful Kuala Lumpur call for electoral reform.

An estimated 50,000 Malaysians took to the streets of KL in defiance of a government ban and even as Bersih 2.0 leaders were arrested.

Helicopters hovered over the capital amid heavy rains and Federal Reserve Unit troops blocked KL’s main arterial roads, but Malaysians proved unstoppable in their determination to stare down a belligerent government that had disallowed and demonised a public gathering for free and fair elections.

They staged an advance-retreat-advance street strategy against a massive police and riot squad presence, sustaining tear-gas and water-cannons attacks, overcoming roadblocks and the cancellation of all public transport across Malaysia’s richest urban centre.

Tear-gas canisters were also fired into Tung Shin Hospital in Jalan Pudu, KL, as riot squads targeted marchers who kept trying to avoid the roadblocks.

Developments in the violent state crackdown on the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally were relayed to crowds across the world via Twitter, Facebook, mobile phones and wi-fi driven laptops and iPads.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar told New Mandala, “Malaysia is effectively a police state,” speaking after the riot squad attack that left her father, Anwar Ibrahim, injured.

Australian state capital cities were among the first worldwide to answer the clarion call to support the second Bersih rally in KL; the first was held in 2007.

More than 750 Malaysians and their supporters in Victorian capital Melbourne were the first Down Under to hold their Bersih 2.0 rally. By day’s end, Sydney, Canberra Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane saw politicians, union officials, Singaporeans and friendly NGO representatives add their voices to the widely embraced KL call to return democratic integrity to Malaysia’s electoral system.

Malaysian anti-Lynas campaigners from Kuantan on Malaysia’s east coast joined the Town Hall rally in Sydney’s Town Square, which saw nearly two hours of speeches, personal stories, skits and music on a wintry but sunny mid-afternoon.

As Australians joined hands with Malaysians, the Bersih 2.0 Global roll call drew in Geneva, London, Cork (Ireland), Paris, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Jakarta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC.

Bersih 2.0 leaders said at least 50,000 people took to KL byways, alleys and lanes, many pouring out of hotels they had booked into days ahead to avoid having to manoeuvre past blocks on arterial roads.

National laureate A. Samad Said, arrested mid-week and later released, said at Merdeka Stadium that their rally was a “great success”.

“I have never seen all the races in Malaysia so united for one cause before,” Samad said.

Anwar Ibrahim was hurt in the head when tear-gas canisters were apparently fired directly at him.

Daughter Izzah said her father had “sustained head injuries, receiving urgent medical attention”.

“The FRU had fired tear gas canisters directly at him, and I fear for the worse,” Izzah said soon after the attack.

“YB Khalid Samad underwent six stitches at the back of his head after being hit by a tear-gas canister. They were all in the tunnel at KL Sentral in Brickfields.

“It was a blatant show of brute force by the police, under orders of the Minister for Home Affairs and the PM.

“Malaysia is effectively a police state.”

“All my sisters, my mum, my husband were with me – concerned citizens who will continue the fight alongside so many courageous others to ensure we realise a truly fair, clean and transparent election system.”

Another Bersih 2.0 walker who survived the attacks said: “I am enraged. We must vote out UMNO-anchored Barisan Nasional.

“They are liars and cheats. There is nothing honourable about them.

“From here on, no supporter of BN is a friend.”

In fact, madness had already begun stalking Malaysia when police days before began arresting people for wearing yellow T-shirts.

Arrested this afternoon in KL were Bersih 2.0 chair Ambiga Sreeneevasan, chief of women’s rights group Empower, Maria Chin Abdullah, PAS president Haji Hadi Awang, Nurul Iman Anwar, sister to Izzah, and an unknown number of Opposition leaders, who were among more than 1,400 Malaysians detained by police at time of writing.

Less than two hours after the arrests, Opposition coalition member PAS threatened to mobilise one million of its members in a second rally if all detainees from today’s gathering were not released unconditionally within 24 hours. PAS helpfully announced exactly where these one million Muslims would descend – police headquarters at Bukit Aman, KL, and the main station in Jinjang, to the city’s north.

Ambiga was duly released by police (6.30pm, KL time). Speaking as a free Malaysian again, she said Malaysians have shown courage in the face of government intimidation.

The “amazing” turnout was a sign that “we do not want to be bullied anymore”.

“Rough intimidation does not work anymore,” said the Bersih 2.0 chair, effectively declaring a people’s victory in the face of an unconscionable and violent suppression by Najib Razak’s prime ministership of a matter as simple as his fellow citizens’ right to a democratically legitimate election system.

Bersih 2.0 was no more than a widely embraced call in Malaysia for just that, with eight specific reforms that 62 NGOs of varying persuasion and colour had considered needed urgent implementation if Malaysia was to actually be considered a practising democracy.

But a backward-running Putrajaya publicly interpreted a call for free and fair elections as a shout to topple the government. The triumvirate of PM, DPM and Home Minister basically bull-horned to the world that it could not stomach an independently accountable system by which the rakyat would choose their parliamentary representatives.

They were, and are, afraid of losing that much more ground come G13.

And maybe more.

In fact, Najib, Muhyiddin Yassin and Hishammuddin Hussein did not even want to discuss the reform memorandum, and had rebuffed all requests to simply accept the Bersih 2.0 document.

Following a rare intervention by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, the constitutional monarch, Ambiga walked the talk of the obedient subject and opted for KL’s Stadium Merdeka, instead of a million flowers blooming on the streets.

But Malaysia’s new, less than loyal Trio continued to demonise and antagonise the Bersih 2.0 leader, who maintained a stately but unmoving commitment on behalf of the promise of a new future.

It would be stealing the monsoonal thunder from Bersih 2.0 to say Najib, Muhyiddin and Hishammuddin totally ‘lost it’.

The fact is, even with violence, bullying, threats, roadblocks ringing a capital city and the cancellation of weekend permits for private buses coming into KL and public military exercises where soldiers carried placards saying, ‘Dismiss or we will shoot’ in choice Malaysian tongues and the police deeming 91 eminent Malaysians persona non grata everywhere else in KL except in Merdeka Stadium on a soon to be fateful Saturday 9 July 2011 and what do you expect, helicopter them in?, and sudden emergence of weapons hoards that just must be linked to Bersih 2.0 and look, everyone, they even left bundles of signature-yellow T-shirts right next to the parangs for you to find and riot squad troops playing house in university grounds and elected leaders chorusing that if you want free and fair elections you must want to topple the government, and who are you, anyway, to think you know what you want and you’re going to get it, even after all that, it was Bersih 2.0 that had won.

The people chose to exercise their right to speak. They were not the violent ones.

Forty-two years since Malaysia’s ruling coalition first brought the country to the brink, Najib & Co again dared the unthinkable.

But Bersih 2.0 did not blink.

Back in Melbourne, Australia’s Bersih 2.0 co-ordinator, David Teoh, already looking at tomorrow, said the chapter would offer to the High Commission in Canberra all the volunteers necessary to help formalise, administer and oversee a postal vote system for those wanting to have their say in G13.

On 9 July, 2011, Malaysia’s Bersih 2.0 won for the people the right to speak, and put an end to the idea that more than a half-century of suppression of that fundamental tenet of democracy would be allowed to go on indefinitely.

As every finality has its own new beginning, Malaysia, all of 54, has arrived at its future.

IN BRISBANE, Mary O’Donovan wrote: A crowd of about 100 people gathered by 11am, dressed in different hues of yellow.

With a background of a banner emblazoned with the words Bersih 2.0 and the eight reform demands, the day began with a welcome speech that was followed by a period of silence for our friends and loved ones in KL today.

Many speakers took to the microphone, including Ng Sze Han, and amid laughter at his requiring sunglasses so he couldn’t be recognised, he spoke at length of the changes required, and many reiterated his stance.

We sang Negaraku with pride and the solidarity was apparent among us. We called out, What do we want? A fair and free election! When do we want it? NOW! As fliers were handed out, a few spoke to the passing crowd, informing them of the situation in Malaysia.

Although not among our friends and family in KL, we did all that we could, on a cold and blustery morning, in the heart of Brisbane, to support Bersih 2.0.

IN PERTH, Soon Yee Yap wrote: What a turn out it was, considering the grey skies and cold breeze. The really eager turned up by 1pm, well before we were due to start.

Must have been close to 300 in a racially-balanced crowd, packed like sardines on the 4m-wide verge in front of the Malaysian Consulate at Adelaide Terrace. Those who wanted more personal space went across the road.

At least a dozen blues – in yellow vests! – were on hand to assist with crowd control, and they were joined by plain-clothes AFP from the Dignitaries Section.

Suspect SB personnel were mingling with the crowd, as we sang, Negaraku. Many spoke of their surprise at the turnout, in spite of the oppression, threats and lies. But it was an event that the people wanted.

IN LONDON: More than 500 Malaysians from across Britain travelled to London to take part in a solidarity march today, speaking out for clean and fair elections. As 50,000 Malaysians faced tear gas and police brutality in Kuala Lumpur, the London Bersih 2.0 faction enjoyed full police co-operation with the peaceful demonstration.

The initial group of peaceful protesters – a well mannered cross section of our nation, young and old alike – started out in front of the Malaysian High Commission as early as 10 am, although the protest was not timed to start till noon, wielding placards with slogans such as, ‘Shame on you Malaysian Government‘, ‘Free and Fair Elections’ and ‘Release our leaders now!’

Crowd-chanting swelled with shouts of ‘Bersih! Bersih! Bersih!’ when a memorandum echoing the Bersih 2.0 electoral-reform demands was put through the letter box of the commission.

The high-spirited crowd with yellow Bersih T-shirts, balloon hats and Malaysian flags then marched past famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and St James Park, enroute to Trafalgar Square, long the vibrant hub of free speech and assembly in London, including during South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, anti-ISA protests during Operasi Lalang and the clampdown on reformasi.

The protesters stopped briefly at the Malaysian Tourism Office before the group came to a halt outside the National Gallery, where songs were sung and poems read before 100 yellow balloons were released.

Shouts of ‘Kuning, Kuning, Najib Pening’ came at the climax of the march as participants blew soap bubbles in their clean-up call. The solidarity march ended with a solemn rendition of Negaraku.

Najib Tun Razak is due in London this coming week.

IN GENEVA: Bersih 2.0 drew 12 people who met under the huge chair in front of the United Nations offices. Each person stated why they were there and what it meant to us. All were aghast at what happened in KL.

A Swiss national who joined the group said she was reminded of what she had seen in South Africa in the apartheid years.

Bob Marley’s Get up! Stand Up! was followed by Negaraku.

A letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon was handed to the UN security guards, who accepted it and promised to hand it to the Sec-Gen’s office.

Rally organisers Malaysian Association of Geneva also called for a Q&A session with Malaysia’s ambassador to Switzerland. At press-time, they were still waiting for an official response.

IN PARIS: The setting was the Trocadero platform with the Eiffel Tower as background. About 30 Malaysians and friends came out to support the cause. We collected over 60 signatures from people of different parts of the world and, of course, Malaysians. Several hundred bi-lingual (French and English) flyers were also distributed.

The rally kicked-off with a passionate rendition of Negaraku, and the rest of the afternoon was spent talking to people about the situation in Malaysia. Many came forward to write words of encouragement on our giant banner.

Parisian police were very cordial and professional, and came to check to make sure everything went smoothly.

We ended the day with another heartfelt rendition of Negaraku, and everyone left with hopes in their hearts for change back home.

Extracted from http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/07/10/bersih-2-0-overcomes-police-state/

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

LIES!

Normally I wouldn't opt for such a strong title, but after hearing the comments made my our nation's leaders since Saturday, it is horrendous that they continue validate their political positions, skew facts and deceive the country and the world at the expense of the rakyat.

Typically, we are well aware that our mainstream media has an obvious partisan bias towards the BN government as most of the newspapers are owned by BN component parties. However, the content that had been published over the past few days are nothing short of blatant lies meant to deceive the public.

With the presence of thousands of cameras, local and foreign press, tourists and eye witnesses, how can the government reasonably be expected to get away with it all?

The person who got the ball rolling, was the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar, who fronted the press in a suit (for goodness sake, as the top policeman in this country, wear your uniform), he declared that only 5000-6000 people attended the rally and alleged that the police were forced to use tear gas and chemical-laced water to disperse the crowd. I personally can bear witness that both statements simply not true. I saw police fire upon a peaceful crowd without provocation, and thousands of others, including the media caught in the middle can back up this account.

Furthermore, the IGP also said that no tear gas was fired at KL Sentral when asked to comment on Anwar's injuries. He said, “He (Anwar) was not at Pudu. That is the only place that had tear gas (fired). It is not true.” The Malaysiakini report showed that Anwar was clearly hurt the same time the IGP denied it.

As for the tear gas, I had a good lungful of those noxious fumes in that very KL Sentral tunnel, and even after 4pm, anyone going into the station would have walked into a shroud of the tear gas residue. I am inclined to believe my own lungs constricting rather than the IGP's words.

I cannot make a comment on police brutality as I was fortunate to be at the Stadium where I did not witness any arrests, but from all the video evidence, it is a disgrace the IGP, Home Minister and Prime Minister can claim that 'minimal force' was used, and that there was 'no physical contact' between the police and the crowd, despite Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera showing otherwise.

The IGP was the first to bring up the issue of Tung Shin Hospital, and the controversy behind it. The sad part is that everyone else jumped onto the bandwagon, including the Prime Minister, Hishamuddin, our Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai and today, MCA President Chua Soi Lek.

Max Koh of the Edge Financial Daily and Marina Mahatir both were very clear tear gas and chemical laced water were shot into the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, amongst hundreds of witnesses, hospital staff, bar council observers and media. The sheer recalcitrance our Health Minister showed to the press by refusing to entertain anything but his own version of event has effectively signed his own death warrant on his political career. Similarly for Chua Soi Lek, who is joining the descent of his deputy into the political abyss.

Barisan Nasional has disgraced our press integrity, disgraced their parties, disgraced the rakyat, and has made our country a laughing stock amongst all ASEAN countries. By standing and trying to crush the call to change, Malaysians have showed solidarity. The domino effect shall take place, when those who marched for freedom and fairness return to their kampungs to report what they saw.

Unrepentant, unashamed and unwavering in their stubborness, they shall have to answer to God and to the Rakyat come the next General Elections.

_______________________________________________________________________

DOUGLAS TAN bore witness to the events on Saturday and answers to Almighty God.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Truth that Cannot Be Covered - Bersih 2.0 09/07/2011



Dedicated to our fallen brother, Baharrudin Ahmad, a fellow Malaysian who suffered a heart attack after receiving a full face of tear gas. He died in the belief that he could walk for a better future for our country. Baharrudin Ahmad, a Bersih 2.0 martyr and a Malaysian Hero.

Bersih 2.0 - Malaysians March Together

July 9th - This is our Land

Sunday, July 10, 2011

One Nation, One Voice

This is a purely non-political commentary. I am sure that we have heard enough stories about tear gas fired into Anwar's head, his bodyguard's jaw being broken, 1,667 people being arrested, police hosing down the masses with chemical-laced water even into Tung Shin hospital, the blatant lies from the IGP and the cowardice of the Prime Minister only appearing a day later in Kuala Lumpur after everything has died down. This is a more human story, and one which I would take with me for the rest of my life.

The morning of the 9th of July was one filled with nervousness. I was in a small group of five, and we came together by ourselves just as individuals. We were shot countless warnings in the press, on highway signs and on the radio, that the police would check all individuals, that there would be a zero tolerance policy on those attending an illegal rally, and countless roadblocks which had turned KL into a fortress and effectively a ghost town. However, as we got to the Kelana Jaya LRT Station, we saw others parking their car, some with a towel in hand, and others slinging their backpacks over their shoulders. We look at each other and smiled. We looked at each other in the eyes, and instantly we knew. We were not alone.

At 10:30am, there was certainly police presence at the station, but they were nonchalant at best. On the way into KL Sentral, we continued to check updates on Twitter, along with two young Malay ladies in tudungs, who were also keen to know what was going on. The police presence when we reached KL Sentral was certainly heavy, and we certainly felt a little intimidated, but they let us slip right through, as it was clear they had bigger fish to fry.

After a quick lunch at Brickfields, we began the trek down to Stadium Merdeka, where we were told to gather in the first place. We walked past two police road blocks, one at Jalan Tun Sambanthan, and one at the entrance to Jalan Syed Putra. On both occasions we walked straight past the police officers, who looked as though they didn't want to be there either. One officer even half heartedly told some walkers to "Go home" which fell on deaf ears as we walked straight past.

We got to the roundabout by the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall leading up to Jalan Stadium. Obviously, the FRU trucks and riot police were already on standby, with barbed wire stretched right across the front of the building. We started receiving stories of tear gas and arrests at KL Sentral, and tear gas and water cannons opening up in Puduraya. As though on cue, the heavens opened, and the rain poured down apparently washing away a lot of the chemicals. Even today, God was with us.

The crowd steadily built up past 2pm. Our group had already formed, with more and more people coming. Some were smarting from tear gas and soaked by the downpour, but their spirits were high and eyes lit up. Those who had braved everything to get to us, from Puduraya, Menara Maybank, Pasar Seni, and KLCC received applause. Chanting and cheering could be heard and seen from Petaling Street.

Come three in the afternoon, the skies cleared, and the crowd started to swell in size. In all my years as a Malaysian, I have never seen such a diverse crowd of people. People from all walks of life, the young and old, the wealthy and humble, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Malay, Chinese and Indian, we were all there. The crowd continued to swell up with each passing minute. Cheers of "Hidup Rakyat", "Hidup Bersih", "Daulat Tuanku" and "Reformasi" was heard. The crowd, in all diversity, amidst all adversity, had gathered together.

All this while, we had not heard anything of UMNO Youth, Perkasa or the silat masters. The crowd which had developed were united, calm and peaceful. There was one incident where an over-zealous supporter tried to put a Bersih T-shirt on one of the police officers, but after calls for him to relent, and intervention from other supporters, cool heads prevailed.

An FRU truck advance and fired a half-hearted warning shot, but received boos and hoots from the crowd, as the water also hit some of the officers in the front line. Compared to the other gatherings such as Puduraya, this was incredibly peaceful, incredibly sober. Even the police relented by falling back, and the FRU also fell back.

A huge cheer was let out when national poet laureate A Samad Samid arrived. The crowd has grown to at least 10,000 people, lining the entire street. The mix of the crowd was evident for all to see. Standing next to me on my right, was an elderly Malay man, and on my left an Indian gentlemen in his 60s. He told me, "For 50 years I told myself, never to get involved in any kind of demonstration. Yet here I am today. I am completely fed up of how they are treating us." These sentiments were echoed by the some of the other people around, including Malay youth and middle aged Chinese men.

The most memorable part of the afternoon was when the crowd broke into an impromptu rendition of "Negaraku". Everyone was solemn, everyone was respectful, and everyone sang from our hearts. Then it hit me to my core. In that moment, all racial barriers were broken. When we united in one voice, in solidarity, we were all in one voice, and we stood in solidarity, yearning for fair and clean electoral system, as one nation. The elderly Malay gentlemen next to me turn around after we finished singing and gave me a wide toothless grin, and my heart pounded through my chest.

As we walked away from the rally at 4pm, we chatted with other groups of people. In our culture, it is the norm to keep to ourselves. However today it was different. We were brought together for a common cause, and by coming out and being counted, we realise that we are united in a spirit, and the spirit of the people is alive and well.

To quote A Samad Said, he said “I have never seen before all the races from all walks of life, at almost every place. So I consider not just Malays, not just Chinese, but all Malaysians (had joined the rally),” he added. If there is anything that we can take away from those who were in KL on July 9th is that Malaysians will always stand up for the right, no matter if we are beaten, gassed, sprayed, arrested or intimidated.

We are Malaysians, and proud of it. Hidup Rakyat!

_____________________________________________________________

DOUGLAS TAN is from Kuala Lumpur and proud to be Malaysian.

Bersih 2.0 Rally on Al-Jazeera



An international embarrassment.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Bersih and the fall of reason - Art Harun

July 06, 2011

JULY 6 - "I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather
strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the
business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and
whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles
unto death." ~ Thomas Paine

The events unfolding before our eyes in the past few weeks say a lot
about us as a collection of individuals; as a society and as a people.
What is clear, however, is the sad fact that when we are faced with
adversity, we tend to lose our head and retreat into the same old dark
and cold cave of emotions, of irrationality and of convenient
rhetoric.

Above all, we abandon the very faculty that differentiate us from all
other primates, namely, our ability to reason. That is the saddest
reflection of us, as a nation.

With all due respect, the government could have handled Bersih's
requests and demands in better ways than imaginable. As a people
living in 2011, we expect better. We expect the government to respond
and not react. And react rashly and even stupidly at that.

When the momentum of Bersih's call for a rally gained traction and
weight, the usual suspects jumped into action. Apparently, Datuk
Ambiga Sreenevasan, the Bersih chairman, was an enemy of Islam.

The obligatory demonstration (which was granted a police permit in two
days after an application was made for one) coupled with the
inevitable ultra-nationalistic speeches climaxing into the predictable
burning of Ambiga's pictures took place.

It is ironic that Ibrahim Ali named his movement "Gerak Aman" ("Peace
Movement", in English) while at the same time making a not-so-veiled,
but vile, threat that the "Chinese should really stock up food in
their house". He then appointed himself the "war general". And, so, a
Peace Movement has a war general. Certainly a first for Malaysia.

The police force was not to be left behind. Its intelligent unit
jumped into action and within minutes it found evidence that the
Communists had infiltrated Bersih and were planning the overthrow the
government through Bersih. A number of people from Parti Sosialis
Malaysia were promptly arrested and red T-shirts were seized.

Not enough with that, it was also found out that Bersih was being
funded by some Christian groups. That seemed to gel with the earlier
assertion that Ambiga was anti-Islam.

And so Bersih has managed to achieve what no other organisation in the
whole world had managed to even dream of: the unison of Christianity
with Communism in a post World War era. How's that for international
notoriety?

If we had thought that Malaysia and her authorities have gone ape, we
were in for a big surprise in later days.

The members of some silat organisation that announced that they would
"wage war" against Bersih. 50,000 of its members were ready to kill
off any challenge by Bersih or by the rally participants. As to what
the challenge was, nobody gave any clue. Later, the silat organisation
seemed to grow in numbers and this time it declared it was ready to
"defend the country from Bersih's action".

Then the usual intellectual and some "persatuan peniaga runcit" or the
other joined in the fray. The planned rally would create traffic
congestion and would cause traders to lose a lot of money. Why don't
they do it in Putrajaya? Pity the taxi drivers.

Of course it was lost on them that the bounden duty of the police is
the ensure safety and order during the exercise by the people of their
Constitutional right. Why don't the police meet up with Bersih and
hatch out a security plan rather than act to prevent the people from
doing so?

There was, and still is, a complete lack of understanding as to the
rights of the people and the function of the State when such rights
are about to be exercised. Thinking that it is the year 2011 and that
Malaysia has gained independence for about 54 years, it is distressful
to note such complete belligerent attitude against the people by the
government.

Worse was to come, however.

Ambiga and the Bersih committee were hauled to the police station. The
fact that these people voluntarily went to the police station speak
volume of their non-confrontational approach towards the whole thing.
They had not committed any crime. Nor were they planning any crime.
But went to the police station they did.

The thing that struck me as the most uncouth move of all was the
dragging of Pak Samad Said, our national laureate, to the police
station for a 90 minute "interview" over a poem he allegedly read at a
Bersih launch.

From then on, Bersih, to me, had travelled into a different dimension.
It was not about electoral reform anymore. It had become a movement
about the people moving against some sort of tyranny.

Soon after came the outlawing of yellow T-shirts bearing the Bersih
word. The IGP joined in to say that even shoes, umbrellas and buses
depicting the word Bersih are seditious and will be seized. The home
minister capped the whole insanity with the declaration that Bersih is
illegal.

Arrest and more arrests took place. Malaysia was surely descending
into the pits of absolutism.

The home minister never failed to baffle many. That trend continued
when he said that books on communism and communist leaders may be
given the green light for sale or publication on the condition that
they do not promote Bersih.

And so Bersih has now become Malaysia's post-emergency (oh, sorry,
what post-emergency, we are still under states of emergency!),
post-war-confrontation-May 13 biggest bogey man. And to think that
Bersih is headed by a recipient of the United State's women courage
award!

The most baffling statements in all these Bersih related rhetoric came
from none other than the Honourable Prime Minister.

While addressing a crowd of about 20,000 people in Kelantan, the prime
minister declared Ambiga as an enemy of Islam. The basis for that
declaration was that Ambiga had acted in the Lina Joy's case, a case
involving a Muslim woman who had converted to Christianity and was
fighting to get her religion changed on her identity card by the
national registration department.

Welcome to 1 Malaysia. In just one single sentence, Mr Prime Minister,
I am afraid to say that the concept of 1 Malaysia, which is so
enthusiastically promoted by your administration, will remain a
concept for quite a while.

In the first place, Ambiga wasn't even in Lina Joy's case! Even if she
was, that declaration is a display of a complete misunderstanding or
non-understanding of the role and functions of lawyers who appear for
their clients in the Courts.

Using the prime minister's arguments, would we call all the Syariah
lawyers who defend people who are accused for khalwat or not fasting
in the Syariah Courts anti-Islam or even the enemies of Islam?

What do we call lawyers who defend people who are accused of rape in
our Courts? Pro-rape? Lawyers who defend people accused of murder are
anti-life? How about the Attorney-General who appears in Court to
argue that certain people should be detained without trial? Do we call
him anti-liberty?

The Honourable Prime Minister gave a speech on moderation in Oxford
University on May 17, 2011. Among others, this was what he said:

"Our choice is clear. Come together in action for a future of justice,
freedom, hope, compassion and goodwill for our children or it will be
replaced by a future of injustice, tyranny, hopelessness, cruelty and
hate.

"We must address the underlying causes of global violence. Merely
going after specific individuals, dismantling their organisations,
disrupting their finances and discrediting their ideologies is far
from enough. We must be able to differentiate between the symptoms and
the root causes. Only then, can we achieve a lasting solution."

Why didn't the government look at the root cause of the grievances in
Bersih's case? Why must the prime minister merely choose to go against
his very own words by "going after specific individuals, dismantling
their organisations and discrediting their ideologies"?

Why has there been no attempt at all to differentiate between the
symptoms and the root causes?

And where is the "action for a future of justice, freedom, hope,
compassion and goodwill for our children or it will be replaced by a
future of injustice, tyranny, hopelessness, cruelty and hate?"

His Royal Highness the King had granted an audience to Ambiga and His
Majesty had asked that Bersih do meet with the government to work out
a compromise as of yesterday. That put paid to all the vile accusation
and declaration of illegality by the government against Bersih.

The question is why haven't the government paid some respect to the
King's exhortation? Why hasn't the Bersih activist been released, some
even from detention without trial under the Emergency laws? Why are
people wearing the Bersih yellow t-shirts still being arrested (today
alone, there are several arrests).

Why did the police surround a talk organised by the lawyers last night
in Kota Damansara to educate the public on their rights upon arrests?

Why did the police mount countless roadblocks today which caused
traffic congestions resulting in much difficulties to the public? The
police and government kept on saying that street rallies cause traffic
congestion and untold misery. What about the roadblocks?

The answer given is that the road blocks were aimed to prevent
unwanted elements in the capital city.

I just have one tiny question. If Bersih's aim is to overthrow the
government, then they must be quite sophisticated. After all they are
aided by Christians who are working hand in hand with the communists.

Now, how do several policemen carrying guns, standing on the road,
manning roadblocks and waving the traffic to move along help to trace
all these sophisticated elements?

Frankly I think the police would do much and way better if all those
policemen were asked to capture the acid splasher who is still on the
loose till this very moment. Or why don't they go and investigate some
sex video?

The truth is the government has surely lost the proverbial plot over
the Bersih issue. This is, I am afraid to say, and I am saying this
with the greatest of respect, a government which surely not at ease
even with itself, let alone the people it thinks it is governing!

The prime minister, in his aforesaid Oxford speech quoted Nelson
Mandela, who said:

"Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there
be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each
body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves."

Yes. The mind and the soul. The government may seize all yellow
T-shirts, outlaw Bersih, arrest the body of its supporters, but their
mind and soul remain free. The mind cannot be arrested.

To cap it up, the prime minister said:

"But while one man standing in the road is a nuisance, a mere
distraction, 10 men standing together are far harder to ignore. And if
those 10 become 100, a thousand, a million, a billion even, they
become a force so big, so strong and so united in their common cause
that those who espouse hatred will face a very simple choice."

I rest my case. -

art-harun.blogspot.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The
Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Bersih 2.0 - A Day to Remember



I am so proud to have been there today and counted, amidst tear gas, amidst water cannons, amidst oppression, when the people united and said, we are Malaysian, and we shall never surrender!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Agung titah kerajaan adil dan bijaksana

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Julai: Yang Dipertuan Agung, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin menitahkan agar kerajaan agar melaksanakan segala amanah yang diberikan rakyat secara adil dan bijaksana serta menyelesaikan masalah dengan rundingan.

Titah ini dikeluarkan baginda seminggu menjelang perhimpunan Bersih 9 Julai ini dengan kira-kira 100 orang sudah ditangkap kerana dikaitkan dengan perhimpunan itu.

Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara pula telah mengeluarkan kenyataan pintu rundingan sudah ditutup dan akan menahan pihak yang terlibat dengan perhimpunan ini.

Menurut Tuanku Mizan, baginda mengikuti dengan teliti akan perkembangan cadangan Kumpulan Bersih untuk mengadakan perarakan dan perhimpunan beramai-ramai yang bertujuan untuk menyerahkan memorandum kepada Beta selaku Yang di-Pertuan Agong, dan bagaimana pihak kerajaan menangani isu ini khususnya agensi-agensi dan jabatan-jabatan yang terlibat.

Bersih 2.0 yang didokong oleh berpuluh-puluh NGO dan parti politik merancang untuk mengadakan perhimpunan 9 Julai ini di Kuala Lumpur bagi menyerahkan memorandum kepada Yang Dipertuan Agung memohon baginda membantu mendapatkan pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil untuk rakyat negara ini.

Lapan tuntutan dikemukakan untuk tujuan tersebut iaitu:-

Tuntutan Segera Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0

1. Bersihkan senarai undi

• Senarai undi harus dibersihkan dengan segera untuk menyingkirkan ‘pengundi hantu’ seperti orang yang telah meninggal.

• Pendaftaran pengundi automatik yang diselarikan dengan senarai Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara boleh menyelesaikan masalah pengundi hantu dalam jangka masa panjang.

2. Mereformasikan undi pos

• SEMUA pengundi seharusnya dibenarkan untuk mengundi melalui undi pos atau mengundi lebih awal sekiranya seseorang individu itu tidak dapat berada di kawasan pengundian semasa hari mengundi.

• Anggota polis dan tentera yang tidak bertugas harus mengundi seperti biasa pada hari mengundi.

• Undi pos mesti dijalankan dengan telus! Agen parti politik harus dibenarkan untuk memantau proses undi pos.

3. Gunakan dakwat kekal

• Penggunaan dakwat kekal boleh mengelakkan seseorang (atau pengundi hantu) daripada mengundi beberapa kali.

4. Masa kempen minima 21 hari

• Masa yang lebih panjang diperlukan untuk calon menyebarkan maklumat, terutamanya di kawasan luar bandar dan pedalaman. Contohnya, pilihanraya negeri Sarawak baru-baru ini diberi masa kempen 10 hari sahaja.

• Pada 1955, ketika era pemerintahan penjajah, pilihanraya mempunyai masa kempen sepanjang 42 hari. Manakala semasa Pilihanraya Umum ke-12 pada 2008, masa kempen 8 hari sahaja.

5. Akses media yang bebas dan adil

• RTM dan Bernama adalah agensi media yang dibiayai oleh kerajaan. Mereka sepatutnya memberi liputan yang seimbang dan adil untuk semua parti yang bertanding.

• Parti politik harus dibenarkan untuk membuat pengiklanan tanpa sebarang diskriminasi dan penapisan.

• Ini adalah mengenai keadilan! Semua media perlu memberikan hak untuk semua parti membalas kepada tuduhan-tuduhan negatif terhadap mereka.

6. Kukuhkan institusi awam

Institusi awam dan kakitangan kerajaan harus tidak berat sebelah dan menegakkan undang-undang dan demokrasi. Institusi awam harus direformasikan supaya bertindak secara bebas, menegakkan undang-undang dan melindungi hak asasi manusia.
Contohnya :

Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) hendaklah memastikan pilihanraya yang bebas dan adil.

Badan Kehakiman harus memelihara kebebasannya dan menegakkan kedaulatan undang-undang tanpa gentar atau memihak.

Peguam Negara perlu bertindak secara tidak berat sebelah dan mengutamakan kepentingan rakyat.

Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia harus bertindak dengan adil dan menghentikan pendakwaan selektif dan penyalahgunaan kuasa.

Polis Di Raja Malaysia perlu bertindak secara profesional dalam melaksanakan tugas dan menegakkan kedaulatan undang-undang.

7. Hentikan rasuah

Rasuah adalah kegiatan mencuri dari rakyat untuk kepentingan peribadi. Rasuah menyebabkan orang kaya bertambah kaya dan golongan miskin semakin miskin.

Pembelian undi harus dihentikan!

Akta Kesalahan Pilihanraya 1954 mesti dikuatkuasakan.

8. Hentikan politik kotor

BERSIH 2.0 menuntut SEMUA parti politik untuk menghentikan politik kotor.

Tuntutan ini adalah kesinambungan Bersih pertama yang dibuat menjelang pilihan raya ke 12 lalu.


Berikut adalah kenyataan penuh baguida.

TEKS PENUH KENYATAAN YANG DIPERTUAN AGUNG

Beta sedang mengikuti dengan teliti akan perkembangan cadangan Kumpulan Bersih untuk mengadakan perarakan dan perhimpunan beramai-ramai yang bertujuan untuk menyerahkan memorandum kepada Beta selaku Yang di-Pertuan Agong, dan bagaimana pihak kerajaan menangani isu ini khususnya agensi-agensi dan jabatan-jabatan yang terlibat.

Namun Beta yakin kepimpinan negara di bawah Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak berkemampuan untuk menangani masalah ini dengan sebaik mungkin.

Beta menyeru di dalam keghairahan sebahagian rakyat berpolitik bagi menyuburkan demokrasi dalam negara kita ini hendaklah dipastikan juga bahawa tuntutan demokrasi itu tidak akan membawa kemusnahan kepada negara.

Kita tidak boleh terlalu terikut-ikut dengan amalan-amalan negara-negara luar secara umumnya kerana keharmonian dan kestabilan negara adalah asas penting bagi sesebuah negara yang perlu semua pihak pertahankan.

Beta juga menyeru kepada pihak kerajaan agar melaksanakan segala amanah yang diberikan kepada rakyat secara adil dan bijaksana dan yang pentingnya Beta selaku Yang di-Pertuan Agong tidak mahu melihat dalam negara bermasyarakat majmuk ini berada di dalam keadaan bermusuhan sesama sendiri ataupun sebahagian rakyatnya bermusuh dengan kerajaan atas apa jua alasan pun.

Setiap permasalahan yang timbul, kita sebagai masyarakat bertamadun hendaklah menyelesaikan secara rundingan dan tidak mengikut perasaan seperti pepatah Melayu "Yang Dikejar Tak Dapat Yang Dikendong Berciciran".

Hakikatnya demonstrasi jalanan banyak membawa keburukan daripada kebaikan walaupun niat asalnya baik.

Sebaliknya kita harus menumpukan kepada matlamat utama memajukan negara, bukannya mencipta masalah yang membuat negara berada terkebelakang. Ingatlah bumi mana yang tidak ditimpa hujan, lautan mana yang tidak bergelora.

Itulah pentingnya sifat kesederhanan dan tolak ansur yang telah begitu lama diamalkan oleh warisan pentadbiran negara.

Below is the translated full text of the king's statement from Bernama.

"I am following closely the developments of the proposed gathering and procession by Bersih with the aim of handing over a memorandum to me as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and how the government, particularly the agencies and departments concerned, is handling the issue.

"However, I believe that the nation's leadership under Najib Abdul Razak is capable of handling this problem in the best possible way.

"I urge that amid the political fervour of a section of the people to bolster democracy in our country, it must also be ensured that this demand on democracy does not bring destruction to the country.

"Generally, we cannot be following too much the practices in other countries, as harmony and stability are vital foundations for a country and which all quarters must protect.

"I also urge the government to carry out everything that is entrusted to it by the people in a just and wise manner, and it is important that I, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, do not want to see this country with a plural society in a situation where there is animosity among them or a section of the people being enemies with the government, on whatever grounds.

"When any problem arises, we as a civilised society must resolve it through consultations and not follow our emotions, as the Malay saying goes, 'Yang Dikejar Tak Dapat Yang Dikendong Berciciran'” (Not getting what we chase after and spilling what we carry).

"The fact is, street demonstrations bring more harm than good although the original intention is good. Instead, we should focus on our main objective to develop this country, and not create problems that will cause the country to lag behind.

"Remember that there is no land where the rain does not fall, there is no ocean that is not turbulent. That is how important moderation and compromise is, which has been long been in practice by our nation's administration."

Sunday, July 3, 2011

陈胜尧促採积极措施 公正处理种族课题

隆雪03/10/2010 18:23

民行联邦直辖区代表大会

 (吉隆坡3日讯)民主行动党联邦直辖区主席陈胜尧建议,政府採取积极措施,全面提防种族和宗教衝突,並公正处理涉及发表敏感言论,或挑衅宗教和种族课题的人士。

 “政府在处理种族及宗教课题上,不能等閒视之。”

 他指出,308大选后,国內依然发生一系列种族和宗教问题,儘管中央政府已採取行动去处理,但不够积极。

 他举例,土权组织领袖一再发表令人不適的言论,中央政府似乎充耳不闻,政府也应小心处理非回教使用“阿拉”字眼的事件,以免引起社会强烈反弹。

 他今早为2010年民主行动党联邦直辖区代表大会上,这么指出。

 另一方面,陈胜尧质疑,政府是否能在2020年,吸引1.4兆亿令吉的外资,中国目標则是吸引3.4兆亿美元。

 他说,我国投资巔峰时期,本地和外国投资佔全国生產总值(GDP)37%,现在却跌至10%,纵使在经济转型计划下,131项旗舰计划中,有7大旗舰计划,包括预测有助我国经济取得额外0.6至0.7%增长率的捷运计划,但一切仍是未知数。

 他建议,中央政府塑造良好投资气氛,包括政治、经济和社会因素,如种族、宗教和谐及开明经济政策,吸引外资。

 他指出,国人平均收入是8000美元,新加坡是3500美元。首相说2020年,人均收入要从中等收入,增至高收入。

勿只关注新终站
应改善公共交通

陈胜尧呼吁陆路公共交通委员会主席赛哈密,关注公共交通服务效率,包括电动火车及巴士等,而非把重心放在南湖镇综合交通终站。

 他指出,目前使用公共交通进入市中心的人士,只佔10%。

 “赛哈密指耗资5亿700万令吉的交通终站是我国公共交通领域的里程碑,但既然政府在国会通过一系列法令,甚至设立陆路公共交通委员会,全面性改善现有公交服务,不能只关注新巴士终站的进度而己。”

 他坦言,当务之急是提升电动火车服务,因电动火车经常误时,等待时间介於30至90分钟,加上车厢拥挤不堪,造成搭客怨声载道。

 他指出,据铁道局指出,该公司將从中国购买38辆6节车厢火车,但该委员会在现阶段,必须致力提高电动火车服务。

 “交通毕竟是错综复杂的问题,委员会主席拥有艰巨的职责,我们將会继续在国会內外不断地提出公共交通的问题。”

州委阵容出炉

民主行动党联邦直辖区2010-2012年州委阵容顺利產生。

 大会于下午2时20分,宣佈15名中选成为新届直辖区州委,並会在本月25日召开第二次会议,委任另5名委员成为新届州委。

民主行动党联邦直辖区州委阵容
 主席 :陈胜尧
 署理主席 :陈国伟
 副主席 :方贵伦及陈倡翰
 秘书 :林立迎
 副秘书 :阿查里
 財政 :罗志兴
 副財政 :单敬英
 组织秘书 :梁爱君
 副组织秘书 :林晋伙及黄田志
 宣传秘书 :黄隆汉
 副宣传秘书 :陈博雄
 政治教育主任:董巖
 委员 :贝荣强

2010-2012年州委改选成绩

 阿查理(87票)
 陈倡翰(62票)
 方贵伦(78票)
 梁爱君(68票)
 林晋伙(73票)
 林立迎(82票)
 罗志兴(75票)
 黄田志(72票)
 黄隆汉(68票)
 贝荣强(70票)
 单敬英(71票)
 陈国伟(82票)
 陈博雄(67票)
 陈胜尧(86票)
 董岩 (60票)

选情较往年激烈
34人竞选州委职

民主行动党联邦直辖区2010年州党员代表大会首次在该党总部举行,选情也比往年激烈,共有36人竞选州委职,惟其中两人临时退选。

 相比去年只有68人出席代表大会,今年出席人数高达123人,管理员共43人,参选州委地区党员,分別来自武吉免登7人、蕉赖9人、甲洞17人、士布爹及旺沙玛珠各自1人。

 大会议长苏建祥宣佈,两名退选候选人为士布爹的林礼菲及武吉免登区的王桂玲,大会于上午11时许,开始进行投票。

 改选战况虽然激烈,但没出现爭执局面,党员有次序地排队领取选票表格,选举结果將在下午3时出炉。

陈贞源:经济转型计划欠乐观

泗岩沫区代表陈贞源在辩论环节中指出,308大选后,人民不要一个只懂得批评的政府,而是一个在批评之余,又能提呈替代方案的政府。

 “只有这样,才能把国人的尊严带回来。”

 他也觉得,儘管中央政府推出国家经济转型计划,惟依照现况看来,有关计划有欠乐观。

 他指出,此项计划过於依赖本地投资者,而且目前国內也有许多不定因素,加剧计划成功难度。

 “民联要给人民信心,让人民知道民联是有能力执政中央。”

市议员柯峇南电话更正

侨民华小“疑毗邻工地积水滋生蚊虫”新闻获士拉央市议会关注,市议员柯峇南欢迎家长联络他反映问题。

 较早时新闻刊登柯峇南的联络號码有误,在此更正为016-3715923。

 此外,民眾也可在办公时间向士拉央市议会反映环境卫生等问题,电话:03-6120 4903/4904/4906。

民主行动党联邦直辖区代表大会议案
 ★备战来届全国大选

1.呼吁人民坚持国家必须改革的愿望,拒绝国阵利用任何形式的策略和战术,来重新获得人民的支持。

2.呼吁所有行动党党员和民联成员准备就绪迎战来届全国大选,当首相拿督斯理纳吉认为最有把握时,將隨即宣佈闪电全国大选。

3.呼吁人民继续大力支持民联,拒绝巫统为霸主的国阵政权。国阵的腐败,充满繁文縟节的政策成为国民团结绊脚石。

 ★种族和宗教极端

1.呼吁国阵政府採取行动对付任何政党和非政府组织以种族和宗教课题掀起人民不安的情绪。

2.谴责任何以宗教或种族为名的一切极端活动,以防止全民团结遭受破坏。

3.呼吁全体人民以和平,容忍和谦让的方法解决任何种族与宗教的歧见。

 ★经济

呼吁国阵政府废除繁文縟节,提高效率和实行廉正,索造良好投资环境,以提高本地及外国的投资,如在2020年吸引1.4兆亿令吉的国內外投资。

 ★提高警察效率

呼吁新警察总长改善警察的办案效率,包括在犯罪率高的地方,加紧巡逻,並確保警察部队高度地廉正,执行任务时是不偏私。

 ★有秩序的城市发展

1.呼吁吉隆坡市政局及有关当局主办听证会,聆听国会议员及市民建议,以有效的完成吉隆坡的地方发展计划,確保所有的发展计划是根据城市设计和符合国际大都会的指標。

2.联邦直辖区城市和谐部应该设立完整指南的城市设计结构,以及有效地跟相关的部门机构实行与协调。