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Religious council throws its weight behind all three rallies

By Tarani Palani
July 1, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has thrown its weight behind all three planned rallies on July 9.

The organisation which propagates religious harmony said that the “supreme law” of the court, the Federal Constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly.

“Article 10 (1)(b) (states) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms… it is one of the pillars of our Rukun Negara,” read the statement. Continue reading “Religious council throws its weight behind all three rallies”

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Open Letter – Cabinet should end the “madness” unleashed in past week

The Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister,
Cabinet Ministers.

Cabinet should end the “madness” unleashed in past week with police required to arrest those wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, yellow virtually becoming a colour of crime and “Bersih” a dirty word

I am writing this short Open Letter to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and all Ministers to ask the Cabinet at its meeting this morning to end the “madness” unleashed in the past week with the police required to act unlawfully to arrest those wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, yellow virtually becoming a colour of crime and “Bersih” a dirty word.
Continue reading “Open Letter – Cabinet should end the “madness” unleashed in past week”

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Bersih rally a turning point for democracy

by Kim Quek
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 30, 2011

JUNE 30 — Amidst the frenzy of draconian measures to prevent the July 9 Bersih rally from taking place, many Malaysians have begun to wonder: Has Malaysia descended into a state of lawlessness?

No sooner had the home minister declared that wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirt was illegal, the Inspector-General of Police up the ante by announcing that even “shoes, cars, buses or any medium that promote the Bersih rally are illegal, as this amounts to sedition”, and he said the people involved will be arrested.

To date, more than 100 people have been arrested all over the country in the past four days, mainly for wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirts. Continue reading “Bersih rally a turning point for democracy”

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I’ll wear yellow baju raya

by Mohd Syahir Sulaiman
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 30, 2011

JUNE 30 — Semakin lara kita didera bara, kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka, demokrasi sebenderang mentari, sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri — A. Samad Said.

Yellow symbolises wisdom.

July 9th is just around the corner, and talks get heated up in every corner, from Facebook urbanites to long house foyers. Thanks to RTM and Utusan for the free publicity.

People may differ. However, one thing in certain, all eyes are set on the upcoming saga. Continue reading “I’ll wear yellow baju raya”

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Malaysia’s season of fear

by Praba Ganesan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 30, 2011

JUNE 30 — “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

Joseph Welch, the attorney representing the US Army, asked this of Senator Joseph McCarthy at the height of the series of “witch-hunts” under the guise of various congressional committees to uncover unAmerican activities in America between 1953-54.

America was in the early years of the Cold War when tales of communists, spies and those bent on destroying the American way of life were rife.

McCarthy felt his populism, electability and political future could benefit from playing up the “bogeyman.”

Proof or even truth was irrelevant in the dark period referred to as “McCarthyism”. Continue reading “Malaysia’s season of fear”

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Why July 9 must go on

by June Rubis
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 30, 2011

JUNE 30 — I’ve noticed something interesting of late.

A few middle-class intellectuals back-pedalling on their initial support for Bersih 2.0. They say, yes I support this (in theory) but do we really need to march now? Haven’t we done enough to highlight the issues? Haven’t we won the PR (public relations, not Pakatan Rakyat) war?

I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused.

The point of Bersih 2.0 isn’t about who gets best publicity, but rather for electoral reform. Continue reading “Why July 9 must go on”

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23 Kajang councillors hauled up over Bersih T-shirts

Jimadie Shah Othman | Jun 30, 11
Malaysiakini

The clampdown against Bersih T-shirts continues, with 23 Kajang councillors being called up by police today for questioning for wearing the shirts at the full board meeting yesterday.

But of this number, only seven were present at the Kajang district police station this evening, while the others will give their statements in stages as they are not available today.

According to councilor Chandra Mohan ST, the police did not inform them under what section of the law they are being investigated. Continue reading “23 Kajang councillors hauled up over Bersih T-shirts”

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EC Deputy Chairman Wan Ahmad showed his true colours of lacking 3Is of independence, impartiality and integrity when he launched attacks on Bersih as Pakatan Rakyat “stooge”

If there is a nation-wide quiz asking Malaysians who could be responsible for the two following headlines on online media today, “Bersih is Pakatan stooge in bid for Putrajaya” and “Bersih Pakatan’s catspaw”, I don’t think anyone who is not in the know could get it right despite everyone being given three guesses each.

The hot favourites for these guesses would be UMNO leaders headed either by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, while others named would include the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other Umno and Barisan Nasional (including MCA, Gerakan, MIC) leaders.

Nobody would have thought of any Election Commission high official as the culprit for these two quotes for they are completely out of character of what is expected of Election Commission officers. Continue reading “EC Deputy Chairman Wan Ahmad showed his true colours of lacking 3Is of independence, impartiality and integrity when he launched attacks on Bersih as Pakatan Rakyat “stooge””

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Home minister ‘cooking up’ laws

By Tarani Palani | June 30, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs today criticised Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for acting outside the law in banning the yellow Bersih 2.0 T-shirts and questioned the legal basis for the Bersih-related clampdown.”We have a minister who is making the law on the run without parliamentary sanction,” said DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, adding that even Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar’s warning that any paraphernalia related to Bersih as illegal was deplorable.

During a press conference in Parliament, the Ipoh Timur MP said that such interpretation of the law coming from the home minister who had a legal background was disappointing.

He added that the opposition MPs, who had elements of yellow in their attire, were protesting the clampdown by the authorities and to show support for a peaceful Bersih demonstration on July 9.
Continue reading “Home minister ‘cooking up’ laws”

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Bersih to cops: Name route, we will follow

Joseph Sipalan | Jun 30, 11
Malaysiakini

Despite the string of arrests and dire warnings from the police, the Bersih 2.0 committee today sought to make peace with the men in blue and asked for their help to make their July 9 rally a peaceful event.

Bersih 2.0 chief S Ambiga said they had a “very friendly” half-hour meeting with inspector-general of police Ismail Omar, where the latter expressed his concerns over public safety if the rally were to go on as planned.

“We told him that we will do everything we can to make sure it is peaceful…

“That is why we suggested that the police decide on the route we should take and we will follow their directions,” she told journalists at the Bukit Aman police headquarters after the meeting Ismail.

Ambiga, who was accompanied by Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah during the meeting, said the IGP was silent on their suggestion, but remains cautiously optimistic. Continue reading “Bersih to cops: Name route, we will follow”

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‘Yellow wave’ in Parliament by Pakatan reps

By Hazlan Zakaria | Jun 30, 11
Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat MPs turned up in Parliament decked out in various articles in the distinctive yellow of Bersih to protest the police clampdown on the electoral reform rally.

Most of the men sported ties in the ‘official’ Bersih 2.0 colour or others in shades of yellow, while the women were attired in yellow.

The rest wore various articles of clothing in the same colour, while those more daring like Bukit Gantang parliamentarian Nizar Jamaluddin and Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa (right) donned the official Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, which has caused the arrest of many since the crackdown began, in open defiance.
Continue reading “‘Yellow wave’ in Parliament by Pakatan reps”

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Good thing we are a democracy

By Natalie Shobana Ambrose | June 29, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 29 — In some countries, people get put in jail for speaking up against injustices. They then get left there for years and are sometimes forgotten. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, the media constantly practises self-censorship to avoid being shut down. Still they are regularly cautioned to ‘behave appropriately’ in accordance to government propaganda when unbiased reporting is what the media is trying to provide. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, citizens are told what to believe. Their religion has to be the religion of the state, if not bad things happen to them. So they hide and practise their faith in secrecy. All they want is their basic human right to religious freedom. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.
Continue reading “Good thing we are a democracy”

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Clampdown will only swell Bersih numbers, says Pakatan

By Shannon Teoh | June 30, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) said today that it now expects a larger turnout for the July 9 Bersih march as public anger grows over the ongoing dragnet against supporters of the group calling for electoral reform.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had declared Bersih T-shirts illegal yesterday after police arrested hundreds including PR elected representatives wearing Bersih apparel in the past few days before raiding the Bersih secretariat yesterday afternoon.
Continue reading “Clampdown will only swell Bersih numbers, says Pakatan”

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‘Minority Report’ now playing in Malaysia

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 30, 11

‘For an assembly to be illegal, you must have actually held the assembly. Where does it say in the law that expressing support for a future ‘illegal’ act is illegal?’

Hisham declares Bersih T-shirt illegal

Anonymous_4196: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, why is wearing a T-shirt that represents the rakyat’s struggle for free and fair elections illegal?

How about just wearing a yellow T-shirt without any print? How about yellow trousers? How about wearing the yellow Digi teletubby mascot outfit? What if the polis ‘suka-suka’ (on a whim) arrest me for having something yellow on?
Continue reading “‘Minority Report’ now playing in Malaysia”

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Private broadcasters told to ignore Bersih, warn people against protests

By Jahabar Sadiq, Editor | June 30, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The Najib administration has warned private broadcasters against mentioning the planned Bersih rally or the protest date but wants them to warn people against taking to the streets to ask for free and fair elections, media executives say.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) called in media executives in the past week to inform them of the new regulations apart from Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein declaring Bersih T-shirts as illegal.

“We can’t mention Bersih, the July 9 date for the rally in our broadcasts but we must warn people against demonstrating. How to do that?” a senior media executive asked The Malaysian Insider.
Continue reading “Private broadcasters told to ignore Bersih, warn people against protests”

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When will Hishammuddin or IGP announce that it is unlawful and a police arrestable offence for anyone to wear or sport yellow until July 9?

Just four days ago in Ipoh on Saturday, I had called on the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to “stop the madness where a person can be detained by the police for wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, as if he/she is more dangerous than Osama bin Laden”.

Clearly, I had directed my call at the wrong person as Hishammuddin is now at the heart of the “madness” with his announcement this morning that Bersih 2.0 T-shirts are illegal and that it is a police arrestable offence to wear them.

The question Malaysians must pose is whether Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “Government Transformation Programme” has reached a stage where Ministers can unilaterally make laws like Hishammuddin declaring Bersih 2.0 T-shirts are illegal to justify police arrests and seizures?

Hishammuddin did not mention under what law the Bersih 2.0 T-shirts could be considered illegal and unlawful. The reason is simple – there is no such law, unless Malaysia’s democratic governance has degenerated to a stage where a Minister could unilaterally declare a law “on the run” as the Home Minister has done this morning.

The question is whether the Malaysian judiciary has degenerated to a new low where it would uphold the such Ministerial abuses of power in arbitrarily and unilaterally making a law “on the run” without parliamentary sanction. Continue reading “When will Hishammuddin or IGP announce that it is unlawful and a police arrestable offence for anyone to wear or sport yellow until July 9?”

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IGP says cops to arrest those with pro-Bersih ‘shoes, cars, buses’

By Yow Hong Chieh | June 29, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — The police will not only arrest those sporting Bersih T-shirts but may also take action against anyone using any medium to promote the illegal rally, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has said.

“Not just T-shirts but shoes, cars, buses. If these are the tools used to encourage people to gather (illegally), this amounts to sedition,” Tan Sri Ismail Omar (picture) told reporters at Bukit Aman police headquarters here today.
Continue reading “IGP says cops to arrest those with pro-Bersih ‘shoes, cars, buses’”

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Bersih T-shirts seized, seven activists held in raid

By Shannon Teoh
June 29, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, June 29 — About 20 policemen, at least one of whom was armed with an assault rifle, raided the Bersih secretariat here today, confiscating hundreds of the movement’s iconic yellow T-shirts and bringing seven in for questioning.

Seven staff members of women’s rights non-governmental organisation Empower, which hosts the secretariat for the group pushing for electoral reforms, were initially questioned at the premises that had been blocked by about 10 police vehicles, including a Black Maria.

Police then seized several items contained in seven plastic bags and five boxes as well as five banners before taking the workers to the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters. Continue reading “Bersih T-shirts seized, seven activists held in raid”

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Bersih T-shirts illegal, declares Hisham

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 29, 2011

PUTRAJAYA, June 29 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today T-shirts with messages in support of Bersih have been outlawed because they were related to an illegal assembly.

“The Bersih T-shirt is related to an illegal assembly, then whatever they are wearing is illegal,” he told reporters.

Police officers have been arresting activists and opposition members wearing Bersih T-shirts ahead of next weekend’s rally and counter rallies organised by Umno Youth and Perkasa, all of which the government has said will not be given police permits. Continue reading “Bersih T-shirts illegal, declares Hisham”

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Freedom, imagined

By Adrian Chew
June 29, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 29 — Imagine this.

Tens of thousands of us came from all over to exercise our fundamental rights. In our midst were foreign elements; their presence threatening and encouraging at the same time.

The organisers of the event gave us clear instructions: Wear shirts of a certain colour. Be at the designated staging sites at the appointed time.

Alternative routes were suggested in case the authorities decided to block access to the sites. Many arrived hours ahead and camped inside their vehicles, counting down the hours to the event we’d all anticipated for so long. Continue reading “Freedom, imagined”