Month: July 2011

By Shannon Teoh
July 13, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have accused the police of attacking protestors at Saturday’s Bersih rally “as if we were terrorists” following the Bar Council’s report that the police had fired water cannons and tear gas canisters in a manner suggesting an intention to inflict injury.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution told The Malaysian Insider that it was ironic that in the week leading up to the July 9 march for free and fair elections, the police had arrested Parti Sosialis members for waging war on the Agong. Continue reading “Bar report shows police waged war against Bersih, says Pakatan”

By The Anonymous Marcher
13 Jul 2011

Before the dust has even settled on Bersih 2.0, the official verdict is out and the participants are being portrayed as deluded troublemakers waging war on a silent majority.

We are told that protests are not part of our culture, even though a cursory study of our nation’s history reveals otherwise.

The campaign against the Malayan Union, Hamid Tuah land protests and Reformasi marches burn bright in our past.

This time thanks to the freedom of the internet, we have video footage, first-hand accounts and impartial analysis to disprove their lies.

But why did so many Malaysians brave the onslaught of the Malaysian state. Why did they go out to march?

The following is based on testimony from a handful of the tens of thousands of Malaysians who took to the streets on July 9, 2011.

Continue reading ““Why are you here, why do you march?””

By Patrick Oh
Jul 13, 11 | Mkini

EYEWITNESS November 2007, I joined Bersih 1.0 as a young man in my twenties. The cause and objective were simple – reform for clean and fair elections with four demands.

At Bersih 1.0, the Chinese were the minority among the peaceful marchers. Even if there were Chinese around, they were mainly middle-aged males.

Four years on, I am now in my early thirties and I participated in Bersih 2.0.

I am not affiliated to any political party or any NGO, I am just a commoner who wish to live in a peaceful and harmonious country.

However, frustration has grown over the years when we see our corrupted government playing with race and religion to divide the rakyat. Continue reading “‘Dataran Maybank has become my Tahrir Square’”

By UNHR
12 July 2011

GENEVA – UN human rights experts* on Monday expressed their dismay at the use of tear gas and water cannons by security authorities against peaceful protestors in Malaysia on Saturday, reportedly leading to injuries and one death, and the arrest of more than 1,600 people at the Bersih 2.0 rally.

“The right to freedom of opinion and expression, including in the form of peaceful protests, is essential for democracy. By declaring the demonstration illegal, sealing off parts of the capital in advance and responding in such a heavy-handed manner against peaceful demonstrators, the Government of Malaysia risks undermining democratic progress in the country,” said Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Continue reading “Government risks undermining democratic progress, say UN experts”

By Adrian Ng
July 13, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 13 — The night was quiet. The usual buzz that surrounds KL on a Friday night was missing. I walked from Masjid Jamek LRT station to the hotel through Masjid India bazaar. Not many police were sighted and business was still operating as usual. The crowd was mainly tourists.

I met up with Padma, Jo and Kavilan in the hotel. My roommates were Albert and Bakri – Haris Ibrahim’s younger brother. As the night was still early, Padma, Jo and I chilled out at the hotel’s rooftop café. From above, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) looked deserted. Streets were empty. So were Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Kuching. The police had barricaded and blocked access into KL, advised people to stay at home. A helicopter with spotlight was seen flying low every 15 minutes around town, inspecting every inch of it. KL was on a self-imposed curfew. Continue reading “We walked in peace until…”

By Christine SK Lai
July 13, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 13 — It’s the first time in my life I joined a demonstration. Do I like demos? No way. Was I scared? Of course; it’s no “walk in the park, picnic on the grass”; you know what to expect when it has been declared illegal and everyone is being warned by everyone else from the King to the church to well-meaning friends to stay home and be safe.

Actually that was what I intended to do as a law-abiding citizen and obedient sheep; at least it was until I was challenged by my own children with certain thought-provoking questions like… “Ma, where would the world be if Martin Luther King just prayed and didn’t march?” “Ma, where were the Christians when six million Jews were systematically led to slaughter by an evil dictator?” Continue reading “Truth is inconvenient”

By Ong Kian Ming
Jul 11, 11 | MalaysiaKini

COMMENT It is far from easy to objectively evaluate the political and electoral impact of the Bersih 2.0 rally in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, especially when one was in the middle of the said rally, receiving ‘presents’ in the form of tear gas canisters from our beloved police force.

But given the huge amount of press attention and public spotlight in the lead-up to and during the rally, it would be remiss not to consider the possible political and electoral repercussions, especially since the first Bersih rally was seen as being instrumental in sparking off the March 2008 electoral tsunami. Continue reading “Bersih rally important, but not a game changer”