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Malaysian campaigner for free and fair elections targeted at home
Posted on 25 May 2012
(Radio Australia) – The campaign for free and fair elections in Malaysia just got very personal, with protestors targetting the home of co-chair Ambiga Sreenevasan.
Listen at: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/asia-pacific/malaysian-campaigner-for-free-and-fair-elections-targeted-at-home/949860
Bersih, which means ‘clean’ in Malay, is a coalition movement made up of sixty Malaysian ngos … their rally last month brought an estimated 100,000 people to central Kuala Lumpur.
Ms Ambiga’s home was this afternoon picketted by members of the Petty Traders’ Association, threatening to set up stalls in the leafy neighbourhood of Bukit Damansara, to make up for lost business last month.
In the end, intervention by city authorities stopped the traders carrying out their threat.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan, co-chair of Malaysia’s Bersih coalition for free and fair elections
AMBIGA: To be frank, I did not go out. But I was told that two groups of people, protesting, were trying to get to my gate. The police stopped most of them. In respect to the first group, about five people came to my gate, and handed over a memorandum, which basically, wanted my citizenship to be revoked and all sorts of things. That memorandum was handed to the (Bersih) co-chair, Samad Said. Then when that group left, another group came. This was the group that was supposed to set up the night market. They also had a few words, they handed over something to the co-chair again, and they’re dispersing.
LAM: And that second group, the Petty Traders’ Association – they vowed to set up a night market and night stalls outside your house in the neighbourhood – are they going ahead with that, tonight?
AMBIGA: No, they’re not, because I think the City Council enforcers were outside, as were the police. They have said they’re not going ahead with that, neither today, nor tomorrow. Obviously, it constitutes without a doubt in my mind, intimidation and harassment, which has been targetted solely at me. Almost on a daily basis, for the past ten days, I have been harassed and intimidated in this way, with threats of people coming and with people actually coming to my house. So this is the third such case.
LAM: Indeed, we also had an incident where some veteran servicemen or former soldiers wiggled their bottoms at you, outside your home. Have you contacted police, and indeed, how have Kuala Lumpur been treating you?
AMBIGA: Well, there’re two things here. The police on the ground, as well as the city council enforcers, are doing a good job. My quarrel is more with the people higher up, because had they taken timely action, right at the outset, things would not have descended to what it is today. It was almost like a war zone outside my house, and it’s terribly unfair on the neighbours. So I think the neighbours feel that way too, if the police had been decisive right at the start, it would not have deteriorated to this. The deputy inspector-general of police made a statement that there was no offence, if people came outside your house, and either protested or did those exercises. I’m very clear in my mind that it is either state-sponsored or certainly state-backed. And the reason I say that, is because of the response of the state to it. Although, to be fair to the police on the ground, they did do their job today, in stopping the people coming in, but it did not have to get to this stage. So they’ve allowed the intimidation to build up and to get to a certain level, before any concrete action was taken.
LAM: And Bukit Damansara is a well-heeled and quite leafy part of Kuala Lumpur. How do your civilised neighbours, if you like, what do they think of these protest actions in their neighbourhood?
AMBIGA: Oh, they’re horrified. And I can only thank them for being patient and supportive, because it is a shocking infringement of their rights, and their privacy and personal space have been violated, as have mine.
LAM: Of course, these targetted attacks are very personal. Have you received much moral support from the public?
AMBIGA: Oh, they’re the ones who keep me going! That’s where the support is coming from. And as I say, ultimately it’s the court of public opinion that’s going to count. If you saw the people who came to my house today, to support, people I hadn’t even met, and yet they felt strongly enough to come this afternoon, to support me because they did not like one bit, what was happening.
LAM: The opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Azmin Ali, were this week charged in relation to the Bersih protests back in April. And you and the Bersih steering committee, are also to be prosecuted for damages – can you tell us about that?
AMBIGA: I can tell you about the suit I was served yesterday. It appears to be framed under the new Public Assembly Act, and it seems to be for negligence. But basically, what they’re doing is claiming special damages of $122,000 in relation to damage to police cars. And I think there’s generally a claim for, essentially a claim for negligence.
LAM: So it’s Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government that’s filing this suit?
AMBIGA: Yes, against ten of us.
LAM: That’s a bit extraordinary, for a government to file a civil suit against individuals for police vehicles?
AMBIGA: Well, I’ll have to let you all judget that, but we certainly will defend the suit vigorously.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/low-bandwidth/index.php#Kelantan:%20Islamic%20designs%20a%20must
Plead guilty to civil disobedience, WSJ urges Anwar
Posted on 25 May 2012
(The Malaysian Insider) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should plead guilty to the charge of taking part in an unlawful street protest if the opposition leader believes his archrival Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reforms are inadequate, says the Wall Street Journal.
The international financial daily wrote in an opinion piece last night that “if Mr. Anwar wants to practise civil disobedience, he can’t pretend to be innocent at the same time.”
“While Mr. Najib deserves credit for his reforms, the opposition also has good reasons to criticise them as inadequate,” it wrote in its Review & Outlook Asia section. “Both sides have to learn to put their faith in the electorate rather than the courts.”
“A more straightforward way to convince the public that the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) is an unjust law would be to plead guilty and pay the fine ahead of the election,” the influential newspaper said.
The PKR de facto leader, his deputy president Azmin Ali and Rembau division chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin were charged on Tuesday with taking part in the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally under section 4(2)(c) of the PAA which bars street protests.
Prime Minister Najib had said when tabling the law in Parliament last year that it would be “revolutionary” and allow Malaysians to participate in public gatherings “in accordance with international norms.”
They are also charged under the Penal Code with conspiring to disobey the court order and face up to six months’ jail and/or a fine of up to RM2,000.
Anwar and his colleagues pleaded not guilty to both offences, with the charge under the Peaceful Assembly Act carrying a maximum fine of RM10,000.
If Anwar is fined by RM2,000 or more, he will be ineligible to contest elections for five years. Najib must call an election within the year.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/low-bandwidth/index.php#Kelantan:%20Islamic%20designs%20a%20must
Kelantan: Islamic designs a must
Posted on 25 May 2012
(The Star) – KOTA BARU: A controversy is brewing over the proposal for the construction of a Buddhist building here after the PAS-led state government ruled that new buildings should include Islamic designs to reflect the state capital’s status as an Islamic city.
State Local Government, Culture, Arts and Tourism committee chairman Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) said developers must incorporate some Islamic elements in their plans or the proposals would be rejected.
“We will ensure development will be based on Islamic principles and features,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
He claimed the ruling was well-accepted by the majority of developers, including non-Muslim developers.
“I do not see it as an issue or something that could cause religious tension, as it only involves architecture and design.
“They have accepted the new ruling well,” he said.
Takiyuddin was commenting on an appeal by the Kelantan Buddhist Association for the state government to approve its building, to be constructed with Chinese features at Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin here.
It is understood that the association had been told that its building design should have dome-shaped motifs, which have created a controversy in the Chinese media.
In an immediate reaction, Kota Baru MCA division chief Tan Ken Ten slammed the directive, which he said was an infringement of the rights of non-Muslims in the state.
“The ruling is an extreme attempt to impose one’s beliefs into other people’s culture or religious beliefs.
“The PAS government must be mindful that Malaysia is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society that respects the differences of each community. It should appreciate this diversity which makes this country unique,” Tan added.
State MCA Youth chief Gan Han Chuan said the Kelantan government was showing disrespect towards the non-Muslims with its new policy.
“With the new directive, PAS is trying to create discord by destroying the harmonious relations between the communities that had been built by the Barisan Nasional over the years,” he added.
“One can only wonder what type of archaic policies PAS will introduce if Pakatan Rakyat manages to take over the Federal Government,” Gan said.
PAKAR sejarah seperti Prof. Khoo Kay Kim dan Prof. Ramlah Adam sepatutnya tidak menunggu lama untuk mengulas sebarang buku sejarah yang diterbitkan, malah mereka wajar memberi nasihat atas buku-buku sejarah yang ada.
Apabila ada suara keraguan tentang sejarah negara ini, segeralah ahli-ahli sejarah membuat penjelasan supaya sejarah itu tidak jadi barang keliru.
Buku sejarah yang dirasakan rasmi bagi negeri Johor, bertajuk Pengukir Nama Johor terbitan Yayasan Warisan Johor, disunting oleh Prof. Abu Bakar Hamid dari Universiti Malaysia dengan kata penghantar dari Menteri Besar Johor Dato Ghani Othman telah diterbitkan dalam tahun 2004.
Buku inilah yang menjadi rujukan Mohamad Sabu berhubung sejarah Mat Indera yang mengepalai gerakan menyerang Rumah Pasung Bukit Kepong di zaman penjajah dulu.
Buku yang membariskan Mat Indera bersama Sultan Ismail dan lain-lain watan Johor meletakkan Mat Indera sebagai seorang putera yang mengukir nama Johor. Ia tidak kata Mat Indera itu wira. Penulis menyerahkan kepada pembaca untuk membuat kesimpulan adakah dia petualang yakni pengganas atau orang terbilang.
Apabila namanya dimuatkan dalam buku bertanjuk Pengukir Nama Johor, maka apa ertinya kalau dia bukan seorang pejuang terbilang?
Mat Sabu sebagai seorang yang tidak senang dengan rakam sejarah kemerdekaan Malaysia mengambil buku ini sebagai sumber bagi menilai semula nama Mat Indera yang dicap oleh penjajah British sebagai penjahat.
Kerajaan Johor seperti sudah mempertikai tohmah penjajah British itu. Buku inilah yang menjadi pegangan Mat Sabu.
Selepas Mat Sabu mendedahkan dokumen bercetak tentang hujuhnya atas sejarah Bukit Kepong itu barulah ahli-ahli sejarah mentakwil kesahihan buku Yayasan Wawasan Johor itu. Lapan tahun selepas buku itu terbit baru profesor sejarah menyoal kesahihan fakta sejarah itu. Itupun nasib baik Mat Sabu membangkitkan kandungannya.
Kiranya Mat Sabu tidak memberi reaksi positif tentang kandungan buku itu, maka yang membacanya tentu menerimanya sebagai Mat Sabu menerimanya.
Jika ia ada keraguan pada pandangan ahli sejarah, dan ahli-ahli sejarah ada sifat untuk mengamati setiap bahan bertulis mengenai sejarah, mengumpulkan apa saja yang dikaitkan dengan sejarah, cepat-cepat ahli sejarah membuat komen, membetulkan apa yang silap dan mengukuhkan mana-mana fakta yang tidak lengkap.
Para profesor itu ada murid-murid, kerahkan mereka mengumpul segala dokumen yang releven dan kirim mereka membuat kajian, jadilah mata dan telinga terhadap pandangan rakyat tentang sejarah tidak kira siapa dan apa kecenderungannya.
Siapa kata Ibrahim Yaakub yang lari ke Indonesia itu bukan pencetus semangat kemerdekaan. Tetapi apa yang ahli sejarah buat menempatkan namanya sebagai pengukir nama Malaysia?
Oleh kerana ahli-ahli sejarah gagal membuat takwil yang segera atas buku yang mencnerminkan pandangan kerajaan Johor, maka orang sudah ada persepsi yang kedua tentang kisah Bukit Kepung itu.
Tan Sri Jins Samsuddin pula lambat memberi reaksi atas pandangan baru tentang Bukit Kepong sedang beliaulah orang yang melukiskan peristiwa itu dalam filem.
Sekarang orang sudah memulakan usaha menilai semula sejarah itu. Jins bukanlah orang yang terikat pada pandangan tua satu-satu kejadian. Watak-watak yang diambilnya dalam lakonannya banyak bercorak pemberontakan seperti Si Tanggang, Megat Komeng dan lain-lain.
Malah dia menerima penilaian semula atas sejarah yang tidak popular seperti Hang Jebat. Bukankah Hang Jebat itu bapak penderhaka? Tetapi orang memberitahu, Jins dikatakan menamakan seorang anaknya Hang Jebat. Bukankah dia juga gemar menilai semula sejarah?
Umno-APCO Tipu Sejarah Kemerdekaan
Perjuangan Tok Janggut, Datok Bahaman, Dato Maharajalela
dan Mat Indera di”senyapkan” Umno-APCO demi
matlamat politik sempit mereka
Sejarah kemerdekaan negara telah ‘diumnokan’ berdasarkan cara kerajaan menyampaikan penceritaan sejarah kemerdekaan dengan hanya menonjolkan tokoh Umno.
Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man berkata, sepatutnya harus dibezakan antara perjuangan parti dengan perjuangan kemerdekaan negara.
“Sebab itu akibatnya dapat lihat kurangnya semangat patriotik di kalangan rakyat.
“Kerajaan dan media awam mesti jujur dengan fakta sejarah, pejuang-pejuang yang telah terkorban patut dihargai jasa mereka, bukannya dengan hanya menonjolkan peranan Umno.
“Sekarang ini hanya Onn Jaafar dan Tunku Abdul Rahman yang ditonjolkan sebagai pejuang kemerdekaan.
Tak disebutkan langsung perjuangan anak Melayu yang menentang penjajah Inggeris sehingga berkorban nyawa selain Umno.
“Di Pahang sendiri muncul ramai pejuang Islam yang mencetuskan perjuangan menuntut kemerdekaan daripada penjajah sejak zaman Datuk Bahaman, Tok Gajah, Mat Kilau dan yang seangkatan dengan mereka,” katanya pada Majlis Sambutan Hari Raya Anak Perantauan di dataran Jengka 18 di sini, kelmarin.
Beliau yang juga Pesuruhjaya PAS Pahang berkata, di seluruh negara terdapat nama-nama seperti Tok Janggut, Dato’ Maharajalela, Dol Said, Abdul Rahman Limbong, Tok Pulau Manis, Rosli Dhobi dan ramai lagi.
Tambahnya, hinggalah kepada era menentang penjajah sekitar tahun 1940-an nama-nama seperti Burhanuddin Al-Helmy, Ibrahim Yaakob, Ahmad Boestamam dan lain-lain.
“Masalahnya rentetan nama-nama pejuang ini dipadamkan daripada sejarah seolah-olah hanya Umno yang berjuang menuntut kemerdekaan.
Perlu disedari akibatnya dapat dilihat kurangnya semangat patriotik di kalangan rakyat.
Contoh paling mudah ialah mereka enggan kibar bendera,” katanya.
Dalam pada itu, PAS Pusat akan meminta Timbalan Presidennya, Mohamad Sabu menyaman segera akhbar Utusan Malaysia kerana menyelewengkan fakta sebenar ucapan dalam satu ceramah beliau demi kepentingan politik.
Tuan Ibrahim berkata, tindakan akhbar milik Umno itu tidak boleh dibiarkan berterusan memutarbelitkan isu kerana mahu menggambarkan PAS menyokong komunis.
Beliau berkata, pada hakikatnya Mohamad tidak menyebut langsung menyokong perjuangan komunis dalam ceramahnya itu.
“Isu serangan Rumah Pasung Bukit Kepong, Mat Indera dan komunis sengaja diperbesarkan oleh akhbar lidah rasmi Umno itu untuk meraih kepentingan politik.
Walhal berdasarkan video rakaman Mat Sabu tidak sepatahpun menyebut tentang menyokong komunis dalam ceramahnya.
“Tetapi propaganda tersebut dimainkan secara halus dan berulang-ulang sebagai cubaan mengaitkan PAS dengan komunis dan DAP supaya dibenci oleh orang Melayu.
Semuanya kerana kepentingan politik.
“Sebab itu PAS Pusat akan meminta Mat Sabu segerakan saman akhbar Utusan Malaysia dan media Umno lain bagi meminta mahkamah menghentikan propaganda itu,” katanya.
Kira-kira 500 hadir dalam Sambutan Hari Raya Anak Perantauan anjuran Dewan Pemuda PAS Pahang (DPPNP) bagi meraikan generasi muda yang bekerja di luar negeri ini.
Turut berucap Presiden Persatuan Anak-Anak Peneroka Kebangsaan (Anak) Mazlan Aliman yang juga merupakan Pengerusi Lajnah Pembangunan Tanah dan Wilayah PAS Pusat.
Hadir sama Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan PAS Pahang (BPPNP) Roslan Zainal, Bendahari, Musaniff Abdul Rahman, Ketua Penerangan Suhaimi Saad, Ketua Pemuda, Shahril Azman Abdul Halim serta AJK BPPNP dan pimpinan PAS Kuala Krau.
Suaram’s Findings on Perimekar
Published: Saturday May 19, 2012 MYT 1:16:00 PM
Updated: Saturday May 19, 2012 MYT 2:59:46 PM
Elderly sisters’ murder attempt dominates Chinese dailies
BY NG SI HOOI
BUTTERWORTH: The news of two elderly sisters charged with attempting to murder the older womans daughter-in-law had dominated the Chinese dailies today.
Guang Ming Daily reported that the older woman Lee Wei Mei, 63, was very emotional when she was bought to a Sessions Court with her sister Wei Chee, 60, in Butterworth on Friday.
Wei Mei was crying and throwing accusations against her son and daughter-in-law over an alleged money issue.
The sisters were accused of using a knife to cause injury that could lead to the death of Wei Meis daughter-in-law Yeoh Kar Tin, 42, at her flat in Taman Tun Hussein at about 4pm on May 8.
Wei Mei also repeatedly said that there was no point to raise a son and the son is helping the wife.
Yeohs husband, Mak Chee Wah, 42, said he and his brother would not hire lawyers to represent his mother as she still did not admit her fault.
We will not visit our mother, Mak told reporters at the Penang Hospital yesterday.
Mak claimed that his mother had withdrawn money his father, who was working in Australia, banked in for them.
My father is very angry after reading the news reports. He is angry and sad with what my mother has done, he said.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/19/nation/20120519133017&sec=nation
The most violent and largest rally i ever attended!
BERSIH 3.0 : The Most Largest and Violent rally I ever attended.
By K. Sudhagaran Stanley
stanley_sudha@yahoo.com
It took me 1 week before i could recover from the Bersih Rally to write my experience. Like every other Malaysian, I was there that day, to demand for free and fair elections. I was there because I personally had noticed how the government was trying to stay on to power by cheating in the elections. I was in contact before with hundreds of refugees from Myanmar, whom had showed me their Malaysian IC, obtained to vote in the G.E. This dirty tactic by the Malaysian Government is unacceptable and must be opposed and revealed.
I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on the 27th Night and straight away head to Dataran after learning that hundreds of protesters have started to gather there. Upon arriving, I join in the crowds chanting Bersih, Bersih and Hidup Rakyat. It was a mixed crowd of Chinese, Malays and Indians. The whole area was fenced up with barbed wire and plastic dividers. In the crowd, I noticed that there were a few Non-Bersih style protesters. These were young Malay youths whom were provoking the police and trying to start a fight with them. I drew closer to them and was surprised to notice that they were on alcohol influence. I then tried to calm the others and advice them not to join in the provocation. The crowd was smart enough and distanced themselves from these Non-Bersih Style protesters. They chosed to be calm and peaceful. I left with a puzzle in my mind on who could these youths be?
28th April 2012, was de’ day I was waiting for. I arrived in Masjid Jamek at around 11pm and was surprised to see the large turnout before the rally begun. The crowd at that time was already exceeding the numbers in Bersih 2.0. I walked around Jalan T.A.R, and noticed that the whole environment was a carnival type. People were with happy faces, smiling, greeting each other, singing and dancing on the streets. They had hoped to send a strong message to the government in a peaceful and happy manner. Thousands of Police were seen on the streets. To my surprise, there were no water cannons and F.R.U personals on the streets except for inside dataran.
I then leaded a crowd in one section, into singing the national anthem and chanting bersih. I was moved by the presence of mix races that had united for a cause on that day. I was even more surprised to see thousands of Chinese Malaysians present there that afternoon. The Chinese were previously not interested in these things. I believe that they have finally come to realize how the UMNO government had systematically oppresses their rights over the years and cheated on them. This struggle is an important one for all Malaysians. The UMNO Government had succeeded over the years in dividing the nation through race politics and creating hatred among the many races in Malaysia. This was Mahathir’s master plan to stay in power. But Bersih has succeeded in breaking through those barriers and reuniting the races in Malaysia as one family or Anak Bangsa Malaysia.
At around 1.45pm, we started to march together with the hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters towards dataran. Upon arriving near to dataran, Ambiga had clearly stated that we have met our objectives for the day which is to send a strong message to the government for free and fair elections. Immediately after that, she announced that the rally is over and ordered all the protesters to disperse. But just as how I felt, the crowd were not satisfied and wanted to pursue their original plan, that is to enter Dataran for the duduk bantah “ sit and protest”.
I must say that Ambiga had tried her best to convince the crowd on not to enter Dataran. But she could not. It was no longer Ambiga’s rally but the people one. The rakyat has been fooled over and over again by the UMNO government and this time we were no longer able to tolerate this dirty game.
The Government has just passed the new assembly bill. But four days before the protest, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur had rejected Bersih’s request to hold the rally in Dataran. The reason given by him was that it was not a suitable venue. Dataran was the only open air and historical ground that could accommodate such a big crowd that day. But he refused to allow the rally and instead offered two other stadiums which was far away from the city and cannot be easily accessed by public transport. Bersih had then rejected the offer and stood to its original plan. Two days before the rally, a court order was obtained by the police to prevent anyone from entering Dataran. Now the police has already got a reason to push protesters away to honor the court order.
They then offered Stadium Merdeka which is closer to the city at the very last minute knowing that Bersih will definitely not take up the offer because it could confuse the public on the venue and the stadiums won’t be enough to fit the hundreds of thousands on the streets that day. This was clearly a political drama. The government just wanted to create a situation to make bersih look bad and attack the protesters. This is an old style of the corrupted UMNO regime in Malaysia.
The crowd that day knew how the government is fooling around and wanted to move forward into dataran to show the government that the people are in control and that we are serious in our call for free and fair elections. It is simple, when the law is bad, unjust and created on evil intentions, break it and face the consequences! This was what we wanted to do on that day. Enter Dataran, Duduk dan Bantah!
Just as a small number of people succeeded in moving away the barricades and ran inside towards dataran, tear gas was fired into the air. I was far away from the barricades at that time. Note that the crowd was huge and unable to run but only walk slowly. The tear gas was intentionally fired in front and at the back of us, preventing us from running away, but to inhale the gas. I was chocked with the gas, my eyes was burning, my skin was burning, I could not see, but forced myself to walk away slowly to a safer area.
I taught of giving up and just fall on the ground, but something kept on telling me in my mind, run, run and I knew it was Jesus. People were collapsing beside me, falling on the ground and drain as they were trying to move away from the gas. It was terrible. The police did not stop but continued to fire more tear gas, some aimed directly at the protesters.
To make matters worse, the L.R.T system was shut down, the bus and taxi service was not entering town, preventing people from moving out from the City. It was very clear, that the police was just waiting for a reason to attack the peaceful protesters and not allow them to move out.
Upon reaching the sogo complex, the scene was more chaotic. There were a bunch of Non-Bersih style protesters, whom I believe some of them are instigators and trouble makers creating chaos at the rally as to create a bad image towards Bersih. These instigators were throwing whatever they had such as stones and bottles towards two police vehicle that were passing by the streets.
Due to the anger of being abused by the police earlier, inhaling the tear gas and being sprayed by the water cannons, a small number of people picked up on that momentum and started to follow what the instigators were doing. The stones cracked both the car’s windscreen and side windows. Some of the objects were hit at the police whom were driving the car. The first car managed to speed away, but the second car did not. The driver was seriously injured in the head after being hit by objects thrown by the protesters. He lost control over his car and rammed into a few protesters and then hit a wall.
The protesters were not injured badly and managed to slip away as the car was heading towards them, but the police was seriously injured. He was then pulled out from his car and the instigators continued whacking him. A reporter whom went to the scene in aid of the police was also beaten up terribly.
This is clearly a non Bersih-style action! The evidence, look back at how peaceful were previous Bersih events. There was no reason for Bersih to react in this manner. Everyone knew, who these instigators were and by whom they are hired. We have seen in previous oppositions and Ngo’s events, how the UMNO hired thugs would storm in and create havoc in the event. Violence is their way.
As I was walking away from the crash area, another traffic police officer appears in his superbike. He was then targeted again by the instigators and non -bersih style protesters. They started to throw bottles and rocks at him. He immediately stopped and took out his gun aiming at protesters whom were trying to throw objects at him. I ran for shelter fearing that he might mistakenly shoot towards me. The other protesters also ran away. If he had not taken out his gun, I think he would have also crashed into something and his injuries would have been more serious or probably even die. Thank God he did not shoot but left after that. He was only a traffic police whom was not involved in the assault against the public.
It was chaos around the lanes leading to dataran. Police were chasing after protesters and beating them up terribly. Whenever they managed to nab a protester, around ten to twenty police officers would be whacking the protesters till he is knocked out. The protesters and journalist whom were trying to record the whole incident were also beaten up and their digital equipment broken into pieces. There were also reports of lawyers being beaten up. The police were the gangsters and rowdies of the day. It was a horrifying scene to see protesters shed with blood on their body and faces injured being beaten by the police.
After much of running around, “Cat and Mouse game” and inhaling of the gas, I was tired and decided to quit the rally. I and my friends entered into a restaurant to have our dinner. It was around 6.30pm when we arrived at the Arenaa Dinner restaurant located in Jalan Tun Perak. We were there for ½ hour when suddenly a few police officers whom were chasing after protesters outside the restaurant noticed me sitting inside, wearing a Bersih t/shirt.
They then came towards the restaurant to get me. The restaurant owner had earlier locked all the doors preventing anyone from entering it. Around twenty police officers kicked the glass door and was trying to break it open to get me. I was terrified. The anger and the evil look on their faces were so clear that I started praying in my heart for God to intervene. My two friends at the restaurant was also pleading with the police from inside to stop kicking the glass door and get away.
They then shouted for me to get out from there and surrender. I knew, if I had went out, I would have been beaten to my death by this rowdies. I refused to get out from there and went to the back of the restaurant to change my bersih t/shirt. As I went to the back, I accidently opened the back door of the restaurant thinking it was a toilet. At that very moment the police officer was coming to the back and saw me open the door. I immediately tried to close the door. Around 5 of them were forcing the door against me and managed to open it. My finger was slightly cut by the door in the process. They then entered to get me, but were distracted by a few other protesters outside the restaurant whom were running away, they then headed towards them, and the door was closed, locked. Thank God for that.
I remained in the restaurant for about one hour before leaving. The tourist and other guest whom were in the restaurant were terrified by the police action. There was even a reporter inside at that time, but he could not take out his camera to snap pictures fearing that if the police get in, they will break his camera. For the first time ever, I felt scared being in my own country. The police were so unprofessional and violent.
As I was leaving back home, I was so relieved to have get away from them. The images of the rowdy police, protesters being beaten up, the car ramming into the wall, the tear gas and water cannons was all playing in my mind. What a shameful day for the Malaysian Government. It was clear that what is being preached by them and the entire transformation program by Najib is merely words and a make up to win the coming G.E.
As expected, the report by the mainstream media that night and the days to follow systematically tried to bring a bad image and blame bersih for all the violence. Claims such as the opposition took over Bersih, Bersih is a communist group and is trying to bring down the government, Bersih caused losses in millions to traders and the municipal council was all a way to create hatred towards bersih and clamp down more on us. This is nothing new, as we have seen how the government had always responded with uprising movements. Bersih, Hindraf, PSM and many other uprising movements in the past are always linked with terrorist or communist movement. This is a way used to instill fear in the public and excuse to clamp down the movement. But they have failed to understand that the people are no more idiots.
We have awakened and we demand for change!! We will no longer tolerate lies, injustices, corruption, abuses and evil acts. We will decide on the future of this country. The main call to free and fair elections must be adhered. We will continue to rise if the government fails to fulfill our demands. We are now stronger because we have united! United as one family. One Malaysian Family!
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia,
K. Sudhagaran Stanley
Human Rights Activist!
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