— Othman Wahab
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2012
JAN 7 — Oh no, not again. In the run-up to Bersih 2.0, the Najib administration agreed to allow the demonstrators to use a stadium and then withdrew the offer after being worried that calls for free elections could lead to the overthrow of the BN government.
After Prime Minister Najib Razak realised that his handling had been an unmitigated disaster, the government gave half-hearted and lame excuses about how its offer of the Shah Alam Stadium was not accepted by Bersih 2.0 organisers.
The BN government looked weak and devoid of courage. It appeared yesterday morning that the lesson of Bersih 2.0 had been learnt when the police agreed to allow the opposition to gather near the High Court in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur on January 9 to show solidarity with Anwar Ibrahim who is facing jail time for a sodomy charge.
Fantastic, I thought, finally the government and its agents showing maturity instead of behaving fearfully in the face of legitimate democratic expression.
PKR said it was willing to guarantee that no untoward incident would happen and everything seemed okay.
And then last night, the police exhibited that they still are determined to earn the scorn of Malaysians as well as stay in the dark ages. They imposed conditions on the organisers of Monday’s gathering, saying that there can’t be any speeches, no holding of placards or banners.
And no noise. Yes, that’s right. The police ruled that the gathering must not make noise.
Don’t talk, don’t deliver speeches, don’t hold up any banners. Given the interval between the police agreeing to the gathering and the imposition of conditions, I can only guess that the KL police chief got a call from upstairs. These set of conditions also makes nonsense of the claim by the Najib administration that the passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill removes impediments to public gatherings and is a sign of a mature democracy.
Any legislation is only as good as the intent of the government of the day and the ability of government institutions to understand that Malaysians are not stupid.
Can you imagine? A gathering without noise.
One group say yes…another group say no..
That’s the reflection of Najib’s leadership….nothing to be surprised about.
Believe me. It wont just be the noiseless requirement that is standing in the way. Roadblocks will be up, as usual. And as promised, the rally can go on but only for those who could make it past the blockade.
Jib is a goner. He is already an expired item and now he is on borrowed time.
///I can only guess that the KL police chief got a call from upstairs….///
I conclude that the BN government is suffering from paranoia!
Only deaf, dumb, blind and mute people are allowed to assemble peacefully. Better still if they don’t wear yellow, red, green, purple, blue, white, green, black or any colour clothes at all. Also, it would be helpful if they don’t carry banners, flags, jalur gemilang included, pictures of previous crime ministers, or to wear any shoes, socks or slippers. Further, no masks of zorro, lone ranger, specs a la LKS or panda eyes are allowed. Everyone is to frog walk in a single file.
That’s why it will be ‘peaceful’.
Tuesday’s headline: “WATER CANNON n TEAR GAS fired at crowd in d High Court” – Polis said they DID NOT KNOW dat is d High Court
Just like d HOSPITAL case, What hospital? Got ah? No know
What else to expect from a flip-flop government?
O, on 901, make sure NO GO 2 d High Court in clothes dat POKE EYE, faham?
Polis dibeli ringgit malaysia should ask pokeyda and perkosa to keep silent as well. A fart from any of them should be greeted with tear gas and water cannon.
A gathering without noise? Ha ha ha.
I am now convinced that stupid people will alway remain stupid.
I would prefer the silent Majority to do the talking at the Ballot-Box. All Malaysian voters should think for a moment before casting their votes: what have this Gomen done the past 30 years? Nothing sunstantial; except all the cash from Petronas is being siphoned up by BN and their cronies. Even a much smaller country with even smaller population of Norway has the prudence to use that revenue for their future generations! Here, ta’cukup; hutang lagi! Of people like cintanegara will never accept the example of Singapore as the barometer of good and proper economic management; he prefers wantonness so that he can continues to sit under the rambutan trees while collecting his rents! And one can hardly blame Cintanegara becos that was and is the motive of BN to create a big based of addicts who would fight for scrumbs not knowing that billions rea being pocketed in overseas banks! Just read the article by a Malaysian by the professor teaching at Qatar University on Diam and the Super-Ego; they dare not even comment let along deny it! And cintanegara thought the general Malay community is being taken care of by the current policies! Please wake up from your slumber under the cool breeze of the shade.
I see it as great sign the Police are clearly split.
Najib’s plan to encourage the Police to have more power and the country develop into a full Police State….. backfired.
He rushed out of te country…avoiding embarasaments and responsibilites.
Before I can glance through to correct spelling mistake…message popped out.
Is there another hand pressing my computer keys?
Anyway..better than getting moderated.
So true to form. After giving permission they impose 10 silly conditions. It is a replay of the 907 Bersih rally. After with deep reluctance Najib agreed to allow the rally to take place in a stadium, they renegade on their words and use the excuse of the lack of a police permit to try to stop the rally knowing full well it will not be issued.
Now they are using the same tactics. They gave permission and permit and THEN come up with a stupid set of conditions knowing full well it is impossible to be complied with. Then they will have the excuses to charge and break up the rally and blame the organizers for breaking the rules.
The EC is doing the same thing with the electoral reforms. There is no sincerity in Najib’s words. For the indelible ink, they try to sabotage it with the fatwa requirement. Then when 6 overseas voters tested the system to vote overseas, they scuttled it by using the court to deny it.
Sounds of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
“Fools”, said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls”
And whispered in the sounds of silence
The thousands that have shown up this morning shows Anwar legitimacy is intact. Najib and UMNO/BN has lost the meritocratic debate and war. They threw everything at him and he is STILL Standing. Unless you are completely devoid of human decency and respect, you understand that the winner is Anwar and UMNO/BN are just a bunch of losers that has not fallen purely because they are brutes and animals, totally without civilisation.
Forget about everything else, it has come down to whether you chose civilisation or you choose chaos that will eventually come.