By Clara Chooi
July 02, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders expressed outrage tonight at the Home Ministry’s decision to outlaw Bersih 2.0 ahead of its rally next week, but declared that the clampdown has not spooked them into withdrawing their support.
Electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 has invited all political parties to join its march for free and fair elections but the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have snubbed them, saying PR’s victories in Election 2008 is proof there is no fault with the current system.
“We are more determined now to demand for more democratic space in society. I do not see any reason whatsoever for the minister or Umno to crack down on the people just because they are demanding free and fair elections,” PKR deputy president Azmin Ali told The Malaysian Insider.
He pointed out that Bersih 2.0 was a loose coalition of “legal and registered” civil society groups exercising their rights to call for electoral reform and, as such, there was no reason for the movement to call an end to its July 9 rally.
The Gombak MP also told Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who issued the order to outlaw Bersih 2.0 effective July 1, to stop turning the administration into a Middle Eastern-style dictatorship.
“We have made clear our position that this rally must be a peaceful one. But Perkasa and Umno Youth, their reasons are just to provoke and create chaos,” he said, agreeing that the government was practising double standards by failing to outlaw the latter two groups.
Malay rights group Perkasa and Umno Youth, led by its chief Khairy Jamaluddin, plan to take to the streets on July 9 in two separate protest marches.
The home ministry issued a four-paragraph statement today outlining the reasons for its banning of Bersih 2.0, including that the coalition had sparked an atmosphere of unrest in the country, that it was spreading propaganda to incite the people to topple the government and that its activities was tarnishing the country’s image.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub today denied all three allegations and challenged Putrajaya to prove its claims.
“Where does it say that Bersih is unlawful? This so-called propaganda are merely lies, we have even raised this (Bersih’s requests) in Parliament before. This is merely an act of desperation by Umno-BN,” he said.
In an SMS tonight, PAS central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said “definitely no” when asked if the ban would deter party members from participating in the rally, adding that Hishammuddin should instead order the police to direct traffic and ensure public safety on July 9.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang described the ministry’s decision tonight as politically motivated and questioned why an identical clampdown was not imposed to thwart Perkasa and Umno Youth’s rally plans.
“Why no similar declaration on Umno Youth and Perkasa who were even more irresponsible in provoking a situation of tension and hatred? I do not think any right-minded person can accept this declaration,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
He added that by banning Bersih 2.0, the government was declaring to Malaysians that fighting for free and fair elections is an unlawful act.
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said it was no surprise that Hishammuddin had decided to ban Bersih 2.0 since the latter had already declared the coalition’s signature yellow T-shirts as illegal earlier this week.
“The T-shirt ban was using Section 7 of the ISA (Internal Security Act) and needs gazetting before it can be enforced. Clearly, the ministry has no regard for the laws in this country.
“[Hishammuddin] and (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) might as well declare Malaysia a police state since they are allowing mindless zealots — Perkasa and various other Umno-sponsored silat groups — to run amok all over the country while blatantly clamping down against any related Bersih individuals using all state apparatus and agencies at their behest,” she said in an SMS to The Malaysian Insider.
//“The T-shirt ban was using Section 7 of the ISA (Internal Security Act) and needs gazetting before it can be enforced. Clearly, the ministry has no regard for the laws in this country.//
so is the societies act 1996 s5(2).
Azmin,no need to scream and cry wolf.You guys know that Umno GOM has been trumpeting loudly that it has two sets of laws lately.The lembak set of law is for Umno sponsored holiganism,gangsterism and Umno bred terrorism.Don’t you see the Datuk T trio in the red lights districts of BB and CK looking for cheap thrills.Don’t you see Froggie Abrahim Ali hopping and jumping around the swampy areas of Hulu Selangor,your backyard.
Don’t you see the 600 mat rempit go on the warpath threatening to burn down your PKR HQ,and the mat rempits are now drinking champange at Umno HQ.All you guys have to do was keeping quite as a tikus.Then only show your faces on rally day on July 9.This you also cannot do.Serves you guys right for falling into the most moronic stupidiest Umno fisherman’s trap.
This is clear:
There is only 1 Najib.
And only 1 Kerismuddin.
The rest of Malaysia can go to hell.
BERSIH has only 1 AIM:
Fair and free elections.
UMNO has only 1 AIM:
Dirty elections. F* all the other political parties. UMNO, the DUMBO, thinks it is God’s party and has the absolute right to rule eternally.
Now who should we F*?
UMNO or BERSIH?.
UMNO corrupts and absolute power in UMNO’s hands corrupt absolutely.
Malaysia is ayoung country.
UMNO is a paedophilic pervert.
You don’t screw a country to fill your purse.
UMNO is screwing the country. And UMNO-ites are filling their purses.
It is a case of blatant abuse of power by the authorities who have no regard for the country’s constitution and civil rights. If they think Bersih 2.0 is a dangerous party, they should also outlaw Perkasa and Umno Youth which are even more dangerous as the two aim to provoke and create chaos.
Dear YAB Najib and YB Hishammuddin,
Thank you for the ban.
Many Malaysians who have been sitting on the fence have just decided to get off the fence to join the March.
Citizens can suffer just so much rubbish and nonsense from their elected representatives. When they are led by the nose to the gas chambers and open pits, it is time they challenge the government and drive some sense into them.
So watch out for the wheelchairs that are going to roll on that day, the tongkats and the crutches, the blind man’s cane, the protheses and the bottles on drips. I shall be using my father’s antique tongkat to show that the spirits of the deceased walk with us!
And Hishamuuddin, we invite you to shoot us with the water cannons and fire those ugly tear gas canisters. Call us communists, traitors and evil conspirators, make new laws AND use hailers to denounce us and call us MAD, if you wish.
We will be teflon to your insults, we will understand that as with Rasputin, so some rulers can be raving mad too.
At the end of the day, if you send us to hell, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt, you will be there too. There will be no 7 virgins waving palm fronds waiting for you with grapes in their palms, you can be sure – only fire, brimstone. And as God opens His Book of Life, He will, without dithering surely, send all UMNO-ites to the everlasting fires reserved for the devil and his ilk. And Satan shall embrace you with open arms and kiss you on both cheeks. Then, shall the chorus arise from all Malaysians: God is righteous and justice shall flow through the land.
The spirits of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn walk with us.
We would, of course, had hoped Pak LAh would walk with us too. But he has got a young bride. And he is an UMNO-ite still.
Hey Tengku Razaleigh, all talk and no action makes you a sort of armchair political theorist. We invite you and all fair-minded people to turun padang, Tengku.
I think with your presence, the tear gas wouldn’t fly, bullets will remain in their guns, water cannons would be stilled.
But if they do, we will swamp you with love and protect you with our bodies.
Tengku, the nation needs you to revive the spirit of SEMANGAT 46, not as a political party but as a force of righteousness and justice, qualities so woven into your fibres and embedded in your bones.
Join us because you also believe in free and fair elections, the pillars of democracy. For that reason you never revolted and fought Mahathir and took losing to Pak Lah in your stride even though you knew that the elections were neither free nor fair.
Tengku, this is your moment in history. This, if taken at its crest, will yet lead Malaysia to glory; if this moment7 slips beneath the wave, Malaysia will enter into an era of gloom, so abysmal and pernicious, I would not lend my head to think of it.
Why bersih must march on 9th July
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/60-dubious-voters-300×195.jpg
60 voters had registered under one address: No 1138, Kampung Bagan Serai, Permatang Pauh, Penang. Of the 60 voters, 51 are Malays and the rest Indians. How many of them are mamaks?