The draconian Internal Security Acts(ISA) in Malaysia is finally abolished. This hints that our general election is right around the corner. The announcement made by our Prime Minister in conjunction with Hari Malaysia 2011 which will be celebrated tomorrow throughout Malaysia. This is good news to our country as ISA has become purposeless and is protested by most Malaysians in our country.
A GOOD DAY TO MALAYSIA!! SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI MALAYSIA!!
AIM: to submit a petition to the British embassy that the government had denied the rights of the Indian community in Malaysia for the past 50 years. One of the main event that lead to the rally was the demolition Hindu temples without any discretion.
STRENGTH: 40 000- 50 000+
4. MALAYAN UNION
DATE: 1946
ORGANISER: United Malays National Organization (UMNO, led by Dato’ Onn bin Jaafar)
AIM: unites all the Malays to refuse to British proposal of Malayan Union
STRENGTH: unsure, since held in several places such as Selangor, Perak, Johor, and even held for few weeks. However, one of the largest protests at that time that made a nation called Malaysia today. Even, the British at that time were shocked to look that the Malays had united.
3.BERSIH 1.0
DATE: 10TH Oct 2007
ORGANISER: BERSIH (consists of 26 NGOs)
AIM:
1. Usage of Indelible Ink
2.Clean-up of Registered Voters Roll
3.Abolition of Postal Votes
4Access to the government-controlled print and broadcast media for opposition parties.
Submit memorandum to the King
STRENGTH: local media (4000+), BERSIH (50 000-60 000) - however they could not gather at same place due to police blocks.
2. REFORMASI 98
DATE: September 1998
ORGANISER: DS Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters
AIM: to protest against the injustice of the sacking of the former Deputy Prime Minister DSAI from all his political posts.
STRENGTH: police claimed 20 000+, other sources claimed 100 000+, some even claimed even more as it was held till Anwar Ibrahim was sent to jail.
1. BERSIH 2.0
DATE: 9th July 2011
ORGANISER: Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, (BERSIH) which consists of 62 non-governmental organisations. Chaired by formerBar CouncilpresidentAmbiga Sreenevasan
AIM:
1.Clean the electoral roll
2.Reform postal voting
3. Use of indelible ink
4. A minimum campaign period of 21 days
5. 5. Free and fair access to mainstream media
6. 6. Strengthen public institutions
7. 7. Stop corruption
8. 8. Stop dirty politics
STRENGTH: local media claimed 6 000+, foreign media claimed 100 000+. This is the largest protest because there were at least 50 000+ people gathered in 4 different places (KLCC, Pudu, Masjid Jamek, Masjid Negara). Even some estimate it had reached approximately 250 000+. Moreover, government had taken precautions 2 weeks before the gathering. Police blocks, media access, total lockdown, refuse bus permits to kl, Friday prayers also refuse to go gathering. Police also arrested about 1700 civilians in order to reduce the number of protesters.
For Top 10 Largest Street Demonstrations in Malaysia Part I (Ranking 10-6), click here
The Oslo's massacre isn't an Islamist, as many suspected, but a homegrown extremist looking to hit hard at Islam
Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik was formally charged Monday for back-to-back attacks in Norway that killed at least 93 people. Several news outlets had speculated that al Qaeda was behind the Friday bombing of a government building in downtown Oslo and shooting spree at a youth camp on the island of Utoya. But investigators say Breivik, who has confessed to the crimes, is driven not by sympathy for Islamists, but hatred of them. Here, a brief guide to the extremist, anti-Muslim tide that is rising in Norway and elsewhere in Europe:
Who is Anders Behring Breivik?
He's a 32-year-old nationalist angered by the rise of multiculturalism in Norway. In a 1,500-page manifesto posted online — under the pseudonym Andrew Berwick — hours before the attacks, he vents his rage against "cultural Marxism," Islam, and feminism in Europe. Investigators say Breivik had planned Friday's attacks for years, hoping to use them as a declaration of war against the "Islamization of Western Europe."
Is he just an isolated extremist?
No, Breivik's xenophobia is shared by extreme-right activists and politicians across the region. His anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant manifesto echoes "a sentiment you find in all European countries," said Thomas Hegghammer, of the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment in Oslo, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal. From Sweden to Italy, populist politicians have gained newfound power by lashing out against Muslim immigrants, whom they say cause crime and unemployment while rejecting Western values.
How bad is Norway's immigration problem?
Not bad at all. It welcomes far fewer immigrants than many other European countries. Though the conservative, populist Progress Party, which takes a hard line on any immigration, has doubled its membership in recent years, Norway still doesn't have a mainstream far-right political party, unlike other Scandinavian countries. And thanks in part to its oil wealth — Norway has a sovereign wealth fund worth $112,000 per citizen — Norway is one of the world's richest countries, with high wages and only 3.4 percent unemployment.
Is Breivik a member of the Progress Party?
He was, until 2007. In his manifesto, Breivik praises the Progress Party as "the only major political party in Norway that has voiced any serious opposition to the madness of Muslim immigration." (Progress Party officials harshly condemned the attacks, calling them "horrible and cowardly.") These days, Breivik says his only allegiance is as a "Justiciar Knight" in a re-founded Knights Templar group, the pan-European "Conservative Revolutionary Movements in Europe."
What did he allegedly hope to accomplish?
The manifesto says the group's purpose is to "seize political and military control of Western European countries and implement a cultural conservative political agenda." It advocates attacks against "traitors" — the youth camp where the massacre occurred was an annual gathering of young members of the liberal Labor Party. Breivik apparently believes that people with pro-immigrant politics are helping Muslims take over Europe. Breivik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, says his client has "admitted his guilt to the actual facts," and has called his own actions "atrocious" but "necessary." Lippestad said Breivik was going to explain further in court, but the judge held a closed-door hearing to deny him the public platform he wanted.
ORGANISER : university students.residents of Baling
AIM : against poverty(unsure)
STRENGTH :unsure of numbers. However, important demonstration becasuse after this event University and University College Act 1971 (AUKU) was enforced to university students
9. ANTI- ISA
DATE : 1st August 2009
ORGANISER : Pakatan Rakyat (opposition coalition)
AIM : protest against unlawful arrest under ISA
STRENGTH : 20 000+
8. PROTES ( Protes Harga Minyak)
DATE : 13th JUNE 2008
ORGANISER : Coalition of NGOs
AIM : protest against price hike for petrol and household items
STRENGTH : 30 000+
7. BLACK 14
DATE : 14TH APRIL 2008
ORGANISER : DS Anwar Ibrahim supporters
AIM: to mark the expiry of Anwar Ibrahim ban from public office, a decade after he was sacked as deputy prime minister.
STRENGTH : 35 000+
6. ANTI-PPSMI (Perlaksanaan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris)
DATE : 7th March 2009
ORGANISER : Gapena and former DBP stalwarts
AIM : against the government’s idea of teaching Scence and Maths in English
STRENGTH : unreliable source( some said 10 000-15 000, videos in youtube suggest more than 100 000,...)
Part 2 (Rank 5 to 1) is coming soon.
We are sorry that some of the figures could not be obtained from the internet.
A very important piece of document was unearthed today. Blogger RPK has published in his website Malaysia Today a letter, which was signed on June 17th from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) which appears to be the Ministry's guideline on how to tackle the Bersih juggernaut. Read and judge for yourself .
"
YB Datuk,
Attached please find the guidance/messaging on the Bersih issue for your attention and action, where necessary.
This follows the UMNO Political Bureau meeting where this issue was also discussed and that this material be circulated to all bureau members.
Please note that the usual confidentiality rule applies.
Please do not forward or disseminate it to unauthorised person/persons.
Thank you and best regards
Jalil Hamid
Head, National Communications Team, PMO
*************************************
GUIDANCE ON KEY ISSUES No 8/2011
Issue: BERSIH 2.0
By most accounts, the Bersih 2.0 protest on July 9 could turn out to be massive and will certainly go beyond issues of fair and free elections. With over 100 political, NGO and right groups could be joining the “March for Democracy”, we expect them to champion a slew of issues ranging from inflation to Teoh Beng Hock and Lynas. The protest, if not countered, could undermine the government, the economy and national security. This note sets out the policy guidance and the do’s and don’ts in managing the issue.
Advisory
The process of mind-conditioning will continue in the run-up to July 9. The process will include: 1. Discredit the organisation and its key leaders. Bersih is neither registered with ROS nor ROC. It is NOT an election watchdog but a group of politicians and politically inclined individuals who lack credibility. 2. Label the rally as “perhimpunan haram” or “illegal assembly”, and that the people behind Bersih are trouble shooters and going against the Constitution and the law to gain political mileage. 3. That they are just a front for the opposition. 4. Since DSAI is already “out of the race” for premiership, he has to resort to street protests because PR can’t win GE13 through ballot boxes. He is seeking a “short-cut” to Putrajaya via undemocratic and unconstitutional means. Remind people about his Sept 16 bluff. 5. DSAI is also using this to shift the public attention away from his legal and moral woes. 6. Create anxiety that Bersih is working for the interests of foreign elements, who are out to destabilise the country. 7. That BERSIH is not bersih (clean) after all as it is an illegal group out to create havoc.
Do’s and Don’ts
1. KDN Minister, IGP, DIG and Internal Security and Public Order Director to brief media editors at KDN. Use the meeting to reinforce the branding as “perhimpunan haram”, that Bersih is an unlawful organisation and the perpetrators are out to create chaos. 2. KDN, which has jurisdiction over all print media, needs to exert its authority in ensuring the press toe the line. 3. Confine politicians to just making political statements. Let the police do their job. 4. PDRM can start calling up Bersih organisers based on the hundreds of police reports lodged so far. 5. Encourage the use of 3rd party validators. 6. Pre-empt chaos and disorder (fear paradigm). The “show of force” by UMNO or silat groups well before July 9 may be imperative to deter demonstrators. 7. The soundbytes in our favour MUST come from across the country and across the ethnic lines. The soundbytes should not just be confined to the Malays or those residing in the Klang Valley. 8. We must not allow the rally to be exploited by international elements. 9. As a pre-emptive measure, the authorities should stop the launch of Perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 scheduled for 19 June at the Chinese Assembly Hall. Likewise, a related Perkasa event called “Lawan Perhimpunan Bersih” at the Sultan Sulaiman Club on the same day should also be halted. 10. SPR should counter Bersih demands for free and fair elections by highlighting the various initiatives it has undertaken so far. Use the highly successful Sarawak PRN as its model. It should not meet up with Bersih people.
Recommended media treatment
1. Media to highlight stories of how businesses, retailers, tourists, shoppers, motorists and ordinary people will be affected. (July is the peak month for Arab tourist arrivals; plus the top three EPL teams will also be in town in July). Malaysia will be in bad light if the teams skip KL on security grounds. 2. Question the source of funding for Bersih. 3. The media will primarily be targeting the trio: DSAI (who is capitalising on this ahead of his July 15 Sodomy 2 trial), the newly minted PAS deputy chief Mat Sabu (who is the budak suruhan DSAI and tali barut DAP) and Ambiga. 4. We will encourage the media to use file photos of Ambiga with PR leaders to highlight her close association with them. Ambiga has the history of leading street protests when she was Bar Council president. 5. The media to use less of the same old faces (eg Zul Nordin, Zahrain, Ibrahim Ali) as “attack dogs.” Try to tap fresh faces (eg BN Youth leaders, some NGOs). 6. Friendly bloggers and cybertroopers will continue to be mobilised. 7. TV stations to constantly play up images of ugly demos in other countries.
Desired outcome
1. Neutralise the opposition noise. 2. Reinforce the view that public sentiment is NOT with Bersih and the opposition. 3. Send a strong message that the government is full control of the situation, that it will not tolerate trouble makers and those who undermine the rule of law. 4. No apparent adverse impact on investor confidence or Malaysia’s political risks.
IT’S becoming tiring for many Malaysians. We are talking about our politicians and supporters regardless of their political affiliations.
Take, for example, the organisers of Bersih 2.0. They need to realise that not all Malaysians are their fans. Not all share their beliefs and decision to stage a rally in Kuala Lumpur.
Their supporters have the right to argue and convince others that it is their constitutional right to protest but, again, do not expect everyone to share their enthusiasm.
When jazz singer Datuk Sheila Majid tweeted: “I am disappointed with all political parties, NGOs and Bersih. There are better ways to approach,” she immediately received a nasty rebuke from a PKR activist who shot her down, saying he used to respect her. She probably lost a fan because of her tweet.
There are enough people who would like to tell them that their protest was illegal and that they should know this is basic law.
Protesters should know better that when you attend a demonstration, it is not going to be a picnic. One should expect to be arrested and hauled into a Black Maria, so let’s not kid ourselves into believing that the cops would give them a red carpet welcome.
Certainly, only a politically naive person, or someone in self-denial, would believe that Datuk S. Ambiga was acting on her own.
Yes, of course, it was not politically motivated. The opposition politicians just happened to be there. Yes, they just bumped into each other at KL Hilton.
In the case of the government, many are also shaking their heads at the authorities’ sledgehammer treatment of Bersih 2.0.
Just weeks ago, not many Malaysians knew who Ambiga was. Thanks to the over-excitement of the authorities, she has become an icon overnight.
And don’t blame Malaysians for being cynical over the claims that communist elements were involved in the rally. More so when those dreamer socialists were said to have T-shirts bearing the names of dead Commie leaders.
Suddenly, Che Guevera, whom many teenagers at Pertama Complex had all this while thought was Bob Marley, was declared dangerous and subversive.
Then there was the obsession with the colour yellow. By the way, there were enough Malaysians who actually believed the Digi Man was arrested by the police, although the e-mailed picture was doctored.
But it was a funny spoof, and I wish there were enough Malaysians with a sense of humour to laugh at the fat yellow man.
Arresting people who wear yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih” is not going to help the government win votes. Something is wrong with us if we believe revolutions can be launched by wearing yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih”.
One need not be a rocket scientist to know the political backlash of such an action, even though there may be good security measures.
And the police, trying too hard to be friendly, put on its Facebook pictures of those detained being served with a buffet meal. There were round tables covered with tablecloth. Not bad at all, man!
No wonder there are many people who think a protest in KL is really a stroll on a weekend.
And then there was Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The man is really comical. After driving enough people into a frenzy with his racist tirade, he decided to stay home. At one point, he claimed he could mobilise 15,000 people. As a face-saving gesture, he declared he would take “a stroll” at Tasik Titiwangsa. It must have been a pretty long stroll. He was probably walking around in circles.
And we can assume everyone would declare themselves winners. Bersih 2.0 will say that they managed to stage a protest despite the police locking down the city.
The authorities, too, will say that they won this round by claiming that the Bersih 2.0 crowd wasn’t as massive as they had expected.
Ibrahim Ali could also declare himself a winner as he could have successfully earned a place in the Malaysian Book of Records for taking the most number of strolls at Tasik Titiwangsa.
Umno Youth’s Patriots can also claim to be winners despite walking barely 200m before being tear-gassed and arrested.
There was another record – Anwar could still post a tweet at 4.40pm that says “undergoing CT scan for injury. Wishing #Bersih all the best.”
How he could take his mobile phone into a CT scan machine is a wonder. The Opposition leader had purportedly fallen during the protest.
Either Malaysians must be very bad in Maths or they are very good at exaggerating. The police said there were only 5,000 protesters whereas Datuk A. Samad Said said 50,000 while the pro-opposition Malaysia Chronicle news portal claimed 100,000 people.
The silat exponents turned out to be a lot of hot air in the end.
The biggest losers were the public who got stuck in horrendous traffic jams. Businesses can count their losses, vendors could not distribute their newspapers, commuters found at least eight LRT stations shut, the city’s cabbies had to stay at home and, worse, terrified city dwellers had to stock up on food unnecessarily.
And taxpayers must certainly be wondering why their money is being spent on bringing so many cops into the city – and serving a buffet meal to law-breakers at Pulapol – when they should be busy catching criminals.
It must be brought to mind that not everyone who supports Bersih 2.0 are pro-opposition. Many middle class urban voters are unhappy about many issues and it won’t hurt the government to listen to them. Don’t give up on them so they won’t give up on the government. Some concerns are legitimate ones that need fixing.
Likewise, Pakatan Rakyat should not misread today’s rally as an endorsement of the Opposition
(Adapted from "No winner, just losers" thestar.com.my)
Keeping up with the spirit of the historical rally that took place yesterday, today's post will be about our 'Steel Magnolia' Yang Berbahagia Dato' Ambiga Sreenivasan. Many of us have never heard about her up until a few weeks ago when the Bersih rally was starting to gain momentum.
We all know her as the Chair of the Bersih 2.0 rally. But before that, she has had a colourful past and have received many accolades for her efforts. She was the 24th President of the Malaysian Bar Council, from 2007-2009. It was during this time that she has stood up for religious tolerance and was the lawyer for Lina Joy in her apostasy case. Ambiga has argued that Article 121(1A) of the Contstitution of Malaysia does not deprive Muslims from equality and freedom of religion. Acting in her capacity as President of the Malaysian Bar Council, Ambiga accepted a memorandum on the formation of an inter-faith commission, which also made 14 demands. Ambiga further held a forum on Article 121(1A) concerning syariah law and the rights of Muslims for freedom of religion, despite objections from conservative Muslim groups.
The highest point of her career was when she received the 2009 Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award. It was awarded to only eight women in the world and was presented by none other than Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama's presence when giving away Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage to Malaysia's Ambiga Sreenevasan (Malaysian Bar Council) at the State Department in Washington DC (AFP)
Hillary Clinton's speech while presenting the award :"Our final speaker, Ambiga Sreenevasan, has a remarkable record of accomplishment in Malaysia. She has pursued judicial reform and good governance, she has stood up for religious tolerance, and she has been a resolute advocate of women’s equality and their full political participation. She is someone who is not only working in her own country, but whose influence is felt beyond the borders of Malaysia. And it is a great honor to recognize her and invite her to the podium." (Applause.)
The sad part of it all that was that we should have been so proud (and are) of our own Malaysian receiving an international award like this, but the Malaysian government and press don't see it as important enough to publish it in our local dailies! It was only published by THE SUN but rather small and hidden in the inner pages.
Never mind if they don't publish in the papers......lets circulate ........ This Picture Made It To the Pages of India Times but not in our own papers!
