Posted on

What Is This Country Coming To?

by Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
01 July 2011

WHAT is this country coming to? Many Malaysians are asking this question in view of the numerous actions taken by the police over the past week.

First, they arrested 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including MP for Sungai Siput Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, and are now investigating them for resurrecting Communism and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. While on their way to a Bersih roadshow in Penang, they were arrested in Kepala Batas and found to have in their possession T-shirts bearing faces of Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin. They have been remanded for seven days.

Communism? That’s crazy talk. Continue reading “What Is This Country Coming To?”

Posted on

Lift ban on Bersih, urges Kit Siang

Jul 3, 11 | MalaysiaKini

The PM, Najib Abdul Razak, should overrule Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and lift the ban on Bersih said DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang.

He said in a statement today the three grounds given for the ban under the Societies Act do not stand scrutiny and will only expose the government and country to public disdain and international scorn.

Bersih is not guilty of the first ground, “Being active and sparking an atmosphere of unrest and worry among the multiracial community in the country,” he added. Continue reading “Lift ban on Bersih, urges Kit Siang”

Posted on

Bakri MP, 5 others held over yellow gotong-royong T-shirts

By Clara Chooi
July 03, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JOHOR BARU, July 3 — Six DAP members, including Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa, were hauled up by the police this morning during a gotong-royong exercise, on suspicion that it was part of the now-outlawed Bersih 2.0’s activities.

The six, wearing yellow T-shirts bearing designs different from that of the Bersih 2.0 logo, were picked up at the Taman Pelangi market as they were distributing leaflets to the public.

Despite trying to explain to the cops that their walkabout this morning was part of a community cleanliness campaign themed “Negara Bersih, Rakyat Bertuah”, they were still hauled up to the Taman Pelangi police station. Continue reading “Bakri MP, 5 others held over yellow gotong-royong T-shirts”

Posted on

LKS backs Sabah Speaker on education autonomy

Jul 3, 11 | MalaysiaKini

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang voiced support for Sabah Speaker Salleh Said’s call for the state education department to be given more power and autonomy.

Salleh had said reportedly said that many school buildings in Sabah are in a state of disrepair and educational projects are carried out only haphazardly due to the need to refer even simple matters to the education ministry headquarters in Putrajaya.

This, said the speaker, was jeopardising the government’s efforts in developing education in Sabah. Continue reading “LKS backs Sabah Speaker on education autonomy”

Posted on

Patriot and Bersih: A tale of two rallies

By Hazlan Zakaria
Jul 3, 11 | MalaysiaKini

COMMENT Growing up, Charles Dickens was my favourite author.

He still is.

His stories are exciting, insightful, witty and rich of sobering social commentary.

His tales tell of the wealthy and poor alike, of the arrogant all-powerful and the disenfranchised powerless.

But for all his seriousness, he had a great sense of humour, if a little moribund. Nothing perhaps illustrates his dry tongue-in-cheekiness than the first paragraph of one of his most revered classic, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on it being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Continue reading “Patriot and Bersih: A tale of two rallies”

Posted on

Najib should overrule Hishammudin and lift the ban on Bersih as the three grounds given for the ban do not stand scrutiny

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should overrule the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and lift the ban on Bersih as the three grounds given for the ban under the Societies Act do not stand scrutiny and will only expose the government and country to public disdain and international scorn.

For instance, the first ground – “Being active and sparking an atmosphere of unrest and worry among the multiracial community in the country”.

Bersih is not guilty of this charge. Those guilty are Perkasa and Umno Youth, with the former even threatening another May 13 with warning to the Chinese to stay indoors and to stock up food and UMNO Youth in front of PKR headquarters threatening violence and chaos. Why have Hishammuddin acted against Bersih the innocent party while done nothing to the culprits, Perkasa and UMNO Youth as if they enjoy immunity and impunity for committing crimes.
Continue reading “Najib should overrule Hishammudin and lift the ban on Bersih as the three grounds given for the ban do not stand scrutiny”

Posted on

Muhyiddin should fully devolve Education Ministry powers to Sabah State Department

The Sabah Speaker, Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said has called for the Sabah State Education Department to be given more power and autonomy.

Salleh said many school buildings in the State are in need of repair and educational projects are not carried out systematically due to having to refer simple matters to Putrajaya jeopardising the Government’s efforts in developing education in Sabah.

The Sabah State Assembly Speaker has received the support of the Sabah State Education Director Datuk Dr. Muhiddin Yusin who has joined in the call for the state education department to be given greater empowerment on decision-making and the implementation of development projects, especially maintenance, training and recruitment of teachers. Continue reading “Muhyiddin should fully devolve Education Ministry powers to Sabah State Department”

Posted on

Lim Guan Eng zalim!

Komentar Roketkini
2 July 2011

2 JULAI – Sekumpulan penyokong UMNO, Perkasa dan segolongan India Muslim telah mengadakan demonstrasi haram di ibu negeriPulau Pinang pada petangJumaat laludi mana mereka turut menyerang dua jurugambar.

Tujuan mereka mengadakan perhimpunan haram berkenaandengan membawa sepanduk “Pulau Pinang Hak Kami”, “Guan Eng Dalang Perpecahan Melayu” dan “Jangan Berani Bangkitkan Komunis”, adalah membantah dan mengecam pentadbiran Ketua Menteri Lim Guan Eng.

Selain mengadakan perarakan dalam bandar ke pejabat KetuaMenteri di Komtar, Georgetown, mereka juga berarak hingga ke Jambatan Pulau Pinang yang mengakibatkan kesesakan lalulintas serta kedai-kedai di bandar ditutup.

Sepanjang demonstrasi haram itu, pihak polis hanya membiarkan sahaja mereka yang terlibat bermaharajalela di jalanan. Continue reading “Lim Guan Eng zalim!”

Posted on

Technology and protest

By Kapil Sethi
July 03, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 3 — To an observer of the increasingly charged political rhetoric in the country, the lack of political acumen on display by the ruling coalition vis- à-vis the Bersih 2.0 rally is truly astonishing.

If there is one thing to be learned from the Arab Spring, it is that draconian measures against protesters give more impetus and motivation to their cause. It is a different paradigm from the past where in the absence of alternative media, divide and rule was a very successful strategy.

The larger question, of course, is what the powers that be are so afraid of? The answer to a great extent has to do with the current power of technology. Yes, technology. For instance, consider the differences between, say, the online Curi Curi Wang Malaysia protest and the Bersih 2.0 rally. Continue reading “Technology and protest”

Posted on

Ambiga: Bersih is the rakyat, ban has little impact

By Melissa Chi
July 03, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — The Home Ministry ban on Bersih 2.0 will not have the impact it had aimed for as the electoral reform movement has captured the people’s “hearts and minds”, says its chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.

The former Bar Council president also disagreed with the Najib administration’s rationale for outlawing the movement, saying Bersih 2.0 was a coalition of established groups and does not need to be registered.

“More important, above and beyond that, Bersih now means more than just a group of organisations to Malaysians. Bersih is now a concept that has captured the hearts and minds of the rakyat. Continue reading “Ambiga: Bersih is the rakyat, ban has little impact”

Posted on

Media organisation condemns rally and police

By Athi Shankar
July 3, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: The assault on newsmen during Friday’s violent rally and the police inaction to stop it had irked the Penang Chinese Journalists and Photographers Association (Pewaju).

In a strongly worded statement here, Pewaju condemned the unprovoked attacks on a journalist, a photographer and a videographer by the protestors during violent and illegal rallies in George Town downtown and on Penang Bridge.

The rallies were against the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s Pakatan Rakyat state government and next Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 rally. Continue reading “Media organisation condemns rally and police”