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A royal rebuke for Umno, says Aussie don

By Stephanie Sta Maria
July 6, 201 | Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Bersih earned a spot on Australia’s airwaves today with an Australian sociologist describing the royal intervention as a “rebuke” to Umno and the government and an acknowledgement of the organisation’s legitimacy.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Abidin issued a statement on Monday saying street demonstrations would do more harm than good.

This prompted Bersih to request an audience with him, which he granted with rare speed yesterday. Bersih afterwards announced its decision to move the rally off the streets and into a stadium. Continue reading “A royal rebuke for Umno, says Aussie don”

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Bersih and the inane responses

By Sakmongkol AK47
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 6 — This present government has developed one distinguishing characteristic not unlike the previous administration. If the previous administration was maligned as being uninspiring and sleeping through its job, this present government isn’t that far from being similarly aspersed. How so?

It has shown it has a knack of being inept at handling small shocks to the system. Many of us for example are not supporters of Anwar Ibrahim, but the manner the government handles the Anwar affairs — whether it’s the sodomy 2 charge or the recent video clip showing a person resembling Anwar in a sexual tryst, the administration has shown its ineptness and incompetence. Continue reading “Bersih and the inane responses”

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Will ‘fortress BN’ fall?

By Sheridan Mahavera | July 06, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

Are you satisfied with the current Johor govt?KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — It may be known as Barisan Nasional’s (BN) fixed deposit in the Malay peninsula, but a recent straw poll showed that more than 30 per cent of Johoreans want Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in charge of the state and country.

Though this is low compared with other states, it could be a bellwether of how ordinary folk all over the country feel towards the ruling coalition.

Except for the 2008 elections, Johoreans have always given BN near-unquestioning support. Even as the DAP and PAS won the most number of seats of any non-BN party in that year (six state and one parliament), some of their candidates also lost their election deposits campaigning in south-eastern Johor.
Continue reading “Will ‘fortress BN’ fall?”

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Ten conditions for Umno

by Bahaman Abdullah
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 05, 2011

JULY 5 — Since Ibrahim Ali is so fond of giving everyone ultimatums (the latest being to MCA, Gerakan and Ambiga Sreenivasan), I suggest we give Umno and Najib Razak a list of 10 conditions to be met if he wants the support of urban Malaysia.

1) Distance yourself publicly from Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa. Failure to do so will be taken as a sign that all the garbage from Ibrahim is endorsed by the Umno president and his kuncu-kuncu.

2) Stop using divide and rule tactics to keep Malaysians apart. The only reason why BN worried about Bersih is that this election reform movement appears to have brought Malaysians of different races and religious groups together.

3) Tackle corruption and start by investigating cabinet ministers, senior politicians for living way, way beyond their means. Continue reading “Ten conditions for Umno”

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The follies of Umno and the EC

By Mariam Mokhtar
Jul 4, 11 | MalaysiaKini

On Nov 10, 2007, around 40,000 protestors made their way towards Istana Negara in Bersih’s first march for clean and fair elections. Did it make a difference? Yes.

The rakyat experienced change. It galvanised them by reinforcing their belief that together they could prove a point – that Umno is not infallible. That Umno is not great. That Umno has an Achilles heel which will bring it down: Arrogance.

After 2007, the promises from both Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the prime minister at the time, and the Election Commission (EC) have all come to nought. Continue reading “The follies of Umno and the EC”

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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”

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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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Why no raids on Perkasa and Umno Youth?

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 30, 11

‘Umno and Perkasa are showing unruly behaviour with their threats of violence, bloodshed, and arson. Yet the office that got raided is Bersih’s.’

Bersih HQ raided, 7 staff arrested

SMC77: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and PM Najib Razak must take note. It is PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) and BN which are inciting fear and chaos at this upcoming gathering. If there is any crime committed by any party, it can only be PDRM and BN.
Continue reading “Why no raids on Perkasa and Umno Youth?”

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But wait, Bersih didn’t threaten to torch Umno HQ

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 29, 11

‘Bersih leaders were the first to receive death threats, yet there were no Bersih supporters outside PWTC threatening to burn down Umno’s HQ.’

Umno Youth ‘threatened’ to torch PKR HQ

Swipenter: We are all sick of the threats of violence verbalised by Perkasa and Umno supporters every time when things are disagreeable to them.

This is reminiscent of the threats issued by Umno Youth to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH) over the issue of vernacular education.
Continue reading “But wait, Bersih didn’t threaten to torch Umno HQ”

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Coming soon: Bersih a front for extraterrestrials?

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 29, 11

‘First, Utusan claims Bersih is sponsored by foreign Christians organisations. Then, it’s by communist elements, together with a US pro-democracy NGOs.’

Utusan overdrives on Bersih ‘communist’ plot

Ignis Sacra: It is all the doing of the resentful ghost of that arch crusader, former chancellor Joseph Konrad Adenauer.

Unhappy with current chancellor Angela Merkel, the tortured ghost is now seeking his evil consolation from the idea that every last Malay must be condemned and crucified.
Continue reading “Coming soon: Bersih a front for extraterrestrials?”

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A campaign of courage

By Stanley Koh | June 28, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Why is the rally for electoral reforms such a political hot potato? Why this gush of threats and calls for the punishment of the Bersih rally organisers? Why is the Barisan Nasionl hegemony so fearful of electoral reforms? Why shouldn’t it support free, fair and clean elections?

Bertrand Russell once propounded the theory that bad leadership in a democracy is a logical impossibility. “The electorate always get the leaders they deserve. No matter how incompetent or venal the leaders are, the electorate must have been even worse to have elected them.”

But this cynical view cannot apply to Malaysia. The Malaysian experience has shown that it is possible for good citizens to get bad leaders.
Continue reading “A campaign of courage”

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Rais, the desperadoes are those in Umno

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 28, 11

‘If PSM were waging war, the authority would have known a long time ago. Why is it only during the lead-up to Bersih that they discovered this?’

Rais: Communist ideology last resort of the ‘desperate’

Multi Racial: Information Minister Rais Yatim, you are getting senile. It was the authority who coined the communist threat and slapped it on the group which supports the peaceful demonstration for fair and clean elections.

It was Umno who was getting desperate, so don’t turn around saying others were getting desperate. If Umno is confident with the support they having, why not allow Bersih to go ahead with their peaceful demonstration?
Continue reading “Rais, the desperadoes are those in Umno”

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Dr Jeyakumar detained, Ibrahim Ali walks free

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 28, 11

‘Ibrahim will walk away with a small fine, but Pakatan Rakyat leaders will find themselves ineligible to contest elections.’

Ibrahim Ali hauled up for alleged sedition

DannyLoHH: The double standard of treatment is glaring. Sungai Siput MP Dr D Micheal Jeyakumar was arrested and remanded for seven days for having some T-shirts with him, whereas Ibrahim Ali, who had openly threatened bloodshed and violence, is “probed” for two hours and then let go.

Penang deputy police chief Abdul Rahim Jaafar, you are doing a really good job of portraying the image of the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) as the running dogs of Umno.
Continue reading “Dr Jeyakumar detained, Ibrahim Ali walks free”

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Umno Youth members protest Khairy death threat at PKR headquarters

By Shannon Teoh and Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
June 28, 2011

PETALING JAYA, June 28 — Hundreds of Umno Youth members on motorcycles circled the PKR headquarters here late last night in a threatening manner ahead of the July 9 Bersih rally, ostensibly to protest a death threat against their leader Khairy Jamaluddin.

They arrived at the office block in Tropicana, just a few doors away from the Tropicana police station, claiming that a death threat sent to Khairy recently came from the opposition party, which denied the allegation.

The group of Umno Youth members protesting outside the PKR headquarters last night.

Executive committee member Lokman Noor Adam claimed he led 600 Umno Youth members at 10.30 last night, blocking the street in front of the PKR headquarters as they chanted loudly in the night.
Continue reading “Umno Youth members protest Khairy death threat at PKR headquarters”

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Are activists more dangerous than criminals?

By P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President

The way the police hound and harass activists engaged in social issues gives the impression that they are more dangerous than the criminals who cause hell for peace-loving citizens.

The number of police engaged in this activity makes one wonder why the police are running after these activists instead of the criminals who are lurking among our midst committing all kinds of crimes, some even resulting in death.

More and more Malaysians are beginning to believe that the police are no longer what they used to be in the past when they were professional in their duty and were not seen as political tools of the ruling party.
Continue reading “Are activists more dangerous than criminals?”

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Would Hishammuddin have arrested his grandfather Datuk Onn Jaffar for organizing peaceful mass rallies and meetings resulting in formation of UMNO if the latter had been alive today?

It offends all notions of good sense and fair play of rational Malaysians for the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to put Bersih on the same footing as Perkasa when he announced yesterday that the Police would summon Bersih, UMNO Youth and Perkasa for planning separate rallies on July 9.

Bersih is planning a Bersih 2.0 rally to call for free, fair and clean elections with the organizers repeatedly, unreservedly and unqualifiedly declaring their commitment to ensure that the rally will be a peaceful expression of the deeply-felt wishes of Malaysians transcending race, religion, gender, age and political affiliation for an a free and fair electoral system which would make all Malaysians proud in the world.

The Perkasa counter-protest is a different kettle of fish altogether – born to create strife and unrest. Its President Ibrahim Ali even declared himself a “war general” for the July 9 counter-protest to the peaceful Bersih rally, invoking provocative and inflammatory images of chaos bloodshed and May 13 – even threatening the Chinese community by warning the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food during the planned Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.
Continue reading “Would Hishammuddin have arrested his grandfather Datuk Onn Jaffar for organizing peaceful mass rallies and meetings resulting in formation of UMNO if the latter had been alive today?”

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Ambiga receives SMS death threat

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | June 23, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has received a death threat via text message which was also sent this morning to reporters and some members of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih).

The text message warned Ambiga as well as PAS and PKR leaders from going ahead with the July 9 Bersih rally, and said her life would be in jeopardy should it (the rally) proceed.

“Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia. puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu?
Continue reading “Ambiga receives SMS death threat”

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Kit Siang: RM1.7b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march

By Shannon Teoh
June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Lim Kit Siang has accused Barisan Nasional (BN) of vote buying during the April 16 Sarawak election, stating that the RM1.7 billion spent on its campaign was reason enough for the July 9 Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections.

The DAP parliamentary leader added that the entire federal Cabinet had campaigned in Sarawak, leaving no one to govern the country during the election period.

“It was not just Sarawak BN but the entire federal government campaigning in the Sarawak elections — making a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections,” said the Ipoh Timur MP of the RM1.18 billion spent by the Najib administration up to April 30 this year in Sarawak. Continue reading “Kit Siang: RM1.7b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march”

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Govt strangely silent on Perkasa’s racist threats

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Free Malaysia Today
June 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang wants to know why the Najib administration is so silent on the racist threats made by extremist Malay group Perkasa and bloggers.

The Ipoh Timur MP said the government has so far been silent on the groups’ May 13 threat against a planned mass rally calling for free and fair elections by Bersih despite the seditious nature of such a warning. Continue reading “Govt strangely silent on Perkasa’s racist threats”

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Ibrahim Ali and a sex-changed Umno

By Sakmongkol AK47
June 21, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — Ibrahim Ali continues to abuse Umno and it stands idle. He continues to belittle Umno every moment he gets and Umno absorbs the punishment willingly. Umno must be led by masochists. Are we enjoying receiving pain and getting sexually aroused at that?

Ibrahim Ali continues to humiliate Umno and all we can do is say, Ibrahim Ali is harmless and he speaks for the unspeaking Malay. Continue reading “Ibrahim Ali and a sex-changed Umno”