It is indeed both tragic and pathetic.
The mass arrest of 589 people in the harsh police crackdown of the peaceful patriotic “Abolish ISA” assembly in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday using excessive force and indiscriminate firing of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannon at all and sundry, including women and children, passers-by and the residents in the vicinity, is a veritable “black eye” to the police and the Barisan Nasional human rights record – nationally and internationally as evidenced by the very critical and damaging international media coverage.
But to Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and their other Cabinet Ministers, the “black day” in the Kuala Lumpur streets of August 1, 2009 – where it is not the peaceful patriotic tens of thousands who caused breaches of peace and disorder with their remarkable discipline and commitment to peaceful protest but the “disciplined” 5,000-strong police force on the directives of their police superiors – and the “black eye” to the police and Barisan Nasional human rights record are regarded as a “badge of honour”!
This shows the canyon of differences that have emerged on the part of the majority of thinking Malaysians and the international society on the one hand and the present power-holders on the other on what is the meaning of human rights, peaceful protest and the proper role and conduct of the police force.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz spoke about “crushing” the anti-ISA rally and declared that “As long as Barisan Nasional is leading the government, the ISA will not be abolished”.
Does Nazri think that Malaysia is run by the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Nicholas Ceau?escu and Saddam Hussein?
If the majority of Malaysians want the ISA to be abolished, is the Barisan Nasional going to stand in the people’s way?
Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is sabre-rattling, vowing action against Pakatan Rakyat leaders who “masterminded” the peaceful patriotic “Abolish ISA” protest on Saturday.
Hishammuddin can be assured of full support from leaders of all Barisan Nasional component parties is the Pakatan Rakyat leadership can be decapitated, especially for those who see this as the only way to save Barisan Nasional from defeat in the next general elections.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is more conciliatory, declaring that the government had nothing against the idea of public gatherings to voice out dissatisfaction, offering even to provide proper venues such as stadiums “where they can gather and voice their unhappiness”.
But why didn’t the Prime Minister voice his position and offer the use of stadiums before Saturday?
Why didn’t the Prime Minister respond to the request for a meeting by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership made on 28th July 2009, where he could have made these proposals?
Is Najib prepared to agree to a public inquiry by Suhakam to investigate who was responsible for the breaches of peace, disorder and gross human rights violations at the peaceful patriotic “Abolish ISA” gathering on Saturday – the 5,000-strong police contingents or the tens of thousands of peaceful patriotic Malaysians who want the ISA to be abolished?
Alternatively, an international human rights inquiry commission could be instituted compromising credible and eminent international human rights personalities to establish the truth – to ascertain who were really guilty of gross human rights violations at the peaceful patriotic “Abolish ISA” assembly on Saturday.
Is the Cabinet on Wednesday prepared to endorse such a human rights inquiry, whether by Suhakam or by an international tribunal?
HUMAN RIGHTS?
So listen Najib and all you UMNO…
Like many others, I was a die hard BN supporter up until March 08. I didn’t vote FOR DAP, PAS, PKR or PR. At that time, it wasn’t a vote FOR them, it was a slap to BN to reprimand a child who was misbehaving.
I didn’t want to believe a single word or the opposition. But you have changed my mind. Your evil ways have shown the immense greed and lust that is in your heart. Your total disregard for the rights of Malaysians and your brutal, violent manners have taught my children what racism is.
Today, my heart is full of hatred for all that BN stands for. Come the next GE, my vote IS FOR PR and it will forever be for PR. And I will teach my children to think what is right and wrong and they will surely see this government called BN for what it is – pure, unadulterated evil.
You and your UMNO putras can enjoy all your ill-gotten wealth and power for now, for it will not last long. Malaysians will show you their utmost contempt and hatred for you in the next GE.
LKS … only 20,000 came out, so as far as the Home Ministry is concerned that is a small fraction. If we say 100,000 – 200,000 come out in each majoy city or town then its a different thing la. 20,000 is sup sup the water for them. If it were like 350,000 in the street let’s see what HHO would do … it would have been a real headache then but in reality … no one really cares.
UMMO didahulukan, BN diutamakan.
Wallet aku didahulukan, Bank account aku diutamakan.
Kakayaan aku didahulukan, Keselesaan aku diutamakan.
Kuasa aku didahulukan, Kedudukan aku diutamakan.
Rakyat jelata dikemudiankan, Rakyat jelata diketepikan…
The usual argument is the law is the law, no police permit granted means illegal assembly, and if illegal assembly it means those participating will be charged with illegal assembly under the Police Act 1967, and this has to be done because, whatever democratic expression by demonstration, law must be respected etc. They are also blaming the demonstrators for economic loss on Sat not to mention the immense problems to the motorist public when arterial routes to the City were clogged up/jammed owing to police inefficacious checks!
That is why this part of what YB Kit said is important/crucial in weighing blame – “The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is more conciliatory, declaring that the government had nothing against the idea of public gatherings to voice out dissatisfaction, offering even to provide proper venues such as stadiums “where they can gather and voice their unhappiness”. But why didn’t the Prime Minister voice his position and offer the use of stadiums before Saturday?”
Put it another way, did the organisers earlier apply for police permit for the Anti ISA gathering/march and if so had the police authorities, when refusing to give such a permit, offerred the organisers the alternative use of stadiums before Saturday?
What’s the answer to these questions?
The usual argument is the law is the law, no police permit granted means illegal assembly, and if illegal assembly it means those participating will be charged with illegal assembly under the Police Act 1967, and this has to be done because, whatever democratic expression by demonstration, law must be respected etc. They are also blaming the demonstrators for economic loss on Sat not to mention the immense problems to the motorist public when arterial routes to the City were clogged up/jammed owing to police inefficacious checks!
That is why this part of what YB Kit said is important/crucial in weighing blame – “The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is more conciliatory, declaring that the government had nothing against the idea of public gatherings to voice out dissatisfaction, offering even to provide proper venues such as stadiums “where they can gather and voice their unhappiness”. But why didn’t the Prime Minister voice his position and offer the use of stadiums before Saturday?”
Put it another way, did the organisers earlier apply for police permit for the Anti ISA gathering/march and if so had the police authorities, when refusing to give such a permit, offered the organisers the alternative use of stadiums before Saturday?
What’s the answer to these questions?
MALAYSIAN must change their mind set.
MALAYSIAN must realised that after indepedent this land Malaysia is belong to all MALAYSIAN, over 30 millions Malaysians are the boss.
You must believe and demand you are the boss, not the bunch of less than 10 corrupted politicians cheated and tricked you that they are the boss.
MALAYSIANS must change their mind set that this land MALAYSIA is belong to all MALAYSIANS, not not the bunch of less than 10 corrupted politicians.
Malaysia belong to all over 30 millions MALAYSIANS. We are the BOSS.
Malaysians trying hard to protest legally but the bunch of corrupted politicians don’t even help, and threaten all Malaysians like they own this country above all Malaysians and rulers as well.
Malaysians please wake up and change your mind set, THIS LAND MALAYSIA IS NOT BELONG TO THE BUNCH OF CORRUPTED POLITICIANS AND THREATEN MALAYSIANS WITH FEARS.
SpeakUp:
Going by the good proof provided by blogger hawkeyejack, I think the crowd who came out to support the anti-ISA rally was far higher than the 10k-20k reported in various media.
I attach the link to hawkeyejack’s blog here.
Check the turnout count here: http://hawkeyejack.blogspot.com/2009/08/anti-isa-more-than-100000-turnout.html
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
It is very obvious Najib is not the leader that we want. He appears more to be a follower, instead as he is too short-sighted!
Now at least they are suggesting public stadia to hold gathering to reduce the public disruption but maybe the public anger is too much to agree to that.
Maybe the cops can learn from the HK police how to allow street demos that are peaceful?
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/08/malaysiakini-and-isa-debate.html
To Jeffrey,
“law must be respected etc”
This is bull shit do you think Malaysia has proper LAW now? The LAW now is used to protect the RICH? Lingam case, Atlantuya case, TBH case, Kugan case Where is Malaysia LAW? the short clip where a chinese was beaten up by a group of notorious uniform Malay, where is the police to lookup the short clip and take appropriate action?
“law must be respected etc”..This is bull shit… by jbozz
Yes indeed, laws are sanctioned by the state and when interpreted by judges unfairly in favour of the state, one wonders why respect it.
This raises philosophical issues of respect for law, when it begins, when ends….
According to the first philosopher (Socrates) laws must be respected even if administered unjustly (Not many would agree).
Socrates engaged youths of his days in arguments and logics. He taught them to question all assumptions of the day. The Powers-That-be felt their vested inrerests threatened. They (Courts/tribunals) charged him for poisoning minds of the Young and ordered to kill himself or renounce what he taught as erroneous.
His disciples sought to save him. They told him that the laws were, like you say, bullshit
anyway, just renounce and carry on teaching somewhere far away beyond the reach of the law.
However Socrates said that even though the laws were unjust, respect for them (until they were changed) must be upheld. Or elsde everyone/froup would make their own determination, according to their inclination, whether to follow the laws or not, and if not, chaos would ensue.
Socrates could not bear life without his philosophy, yet he could not bear flouting the law which would set an example to youths to disrespect laws, so he gathered all his disciples for the last lesson and farewell, and calmly and in dignified way drank hemlock (poison) to carry out the sentence of death meted out to him for not retracting his teachings.
That he died for the principle of upholding respect for laws even if laws were unjust is well known by students of philosophy 101.
You can say he’s a brave man standing up to threats and false accusations even at the cost of his own life – or stupid, upholding bullshit laws. It is up to you.