Hmmm...have you read the recent article from the local rags about the 2006 demonstration by the Umno Youth have nothing in common with the 2007 Hindraf rally Well, there's a little excerpt from an article from Bernama about it that goes a little like this:(Bernama: Wednesday, December 12, 2007): Demos by Umno Youth and Hindraf have nothing in common.
Attempts by certain people to equate the demonstration by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) with efforts by Umno to stand for the rights of Palestinians are difficult to be accepted because the gap in their struggles is very wide, like between the earth and the sky.
The public may still remember when Umno Youth vice chief Khairy Jamaluddin and 10,000 other Malaysians of various religions stood together in a wave of anger towards the United States (US) for defending Israel that openly murdered the Lebanese and Palestinians.
The rally on July 28 last year in this capital city, initiated by Umno Youth, finally managed to hand over a memorandum to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was here for the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, calling for the world power to broker a ceasefire to end the Israeli military campaign.
Fascinating, isn't it? Perhaps later Bernama can teach us - to put it bluntly - to suck eggs as well.
But going to back to the article, while it can be agreed that these two protests - let us not mince semantics and try to differentiate the Umno Youth protest as an 'effort' - are somewhat divergent, it should be understood that the basic principles underlying these two demonstrations do run parallel to one another.
However, before we go on to its similarities, let us first examine the differences between these two protests, if only to while away our time in bemused silence...
1. The organizers of the protests
While the Hindraf demonstration was organized by an NGO of little repute, the Umno Youth protest was staged by a component wing under the ruling coalition, who numbers were added to by other youth sections of Barisan Nasional component parties.
Of course, while this does not automatically imply that the protest staged by Umno Youth was any less - or more, I might add - relevant than the Hindraf rally, it does imply that by Umno Youth protest was afforded a degree of immunity (or should we say impunity).
Indeed, this question is one that is quite salient, as Khairy Jamaluddin himself frankly admitted that he was afforded certain ‘protections’ as the son-in-law of the premier not too long ago. This in turn beggars the question of the degree of hypocrisy on the part of the government to either vindicate or victimize protests protests it endorses to its personal gain.
2. The 'reception' of the police force
While the Hindraf demonstrators were 'tearfully' embraced with violence, the Umno Youth protesters were seen to be handled with velvet gloves, as they were able to force their way - through a cordon of usually baton happy Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel, I might add – to deliver their memorandum with little or no adverse effects.
Again, this alludes that the Umno Youth protesters were afforded certain immunities, especially in light of the following article from the Star:(The Star, July 29, 2006): When there was no sign of this happening, Khairy together with about 200 supporters pushed their way past the FRU line.
In the commotion, some supporters, including Khairy, fell. Other police personnel moved in to form a human chain in front of the entrance to the convention centre.
Despite this, Khairy and a handful of supporters managed to get through. They squatted outside the entrance for two hours.
The fact that the Umno Youth protesters were able to stage their protest shortly after Friday prayers - squatting (constipation, izzit?) in the middle of Kuala Lumpur unmolested for three hours - does indeed raise more than a few eyebrows, especially when there were sporadic reports of scuffles between Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel and the protesters.
3. The supposed 'support'
While previous reports in 2006 published by the local rags had numbered the Umno Youth protest at around 2,000 protesters, today’s article has exaggerated that figure to 10,000 protesters.
Right. Freud probably could say something about this obtuse form of masculine anxiety, but as we are not psychoanalysts, perhaps it is best if we were to not to dwell on the unfortunate lack of genitalia endowment of certain individuals or parties who are trying to inflate the number of supporters it has been able to garner.
So, penile insecurities apart, the inflation of this number does show some form of duplicity on the part of the ruling coalition, especially when the ‘official’ number of supporters for the Hindraf rally was quite obviously underplayed.
These three dissimilarities are of course merely the tip of the iceberg. If given sufficient time, it is assured that many of us could all come up with a host of other differences in methodology and mannerisms between these two protests, not the least of which is the burning of a flag of another sovereign nation, and the sheer anger of the Umno Youth protest when contrasted with the entreaties of the Malaysian Indians.
As for the similarities between these two protests, well...
1. The organization of the organizers
There is not much difference between street protests, as they all do run more or less the same rote: get people on the streets, wave banners, shout till you’re hoarse and so forth. Not much difference there, unless you count the Umno Youth protestor’s tendencies to run amok whenever they feel like it without any repercussions.
2. The need for political mileage
Before I go on, please do let me make this stand: the Israeli aggression against Palestine and Palestinians must be fought. Thankfully, many of us are not ignorant of the atrocities committed by the Israeli government which is backed by the United States.
To be honest, if I had known about this protest by the Umno Youths, I too would have taken to the streets in support of this (though if I did stand beside Khairy on any issue I would have required the help of a psychiatrist after that).
However, not all Malaysians are aware of this issue, or its pressing need to be addressed. It has to be admitted that most Chinese and Indian Malaysians are ignorant of the Palestinian struggle, though this is not their fault.
After all, it is a matter of sensitivities, and while many Malay Malaysians have sensitivities that lie in this direction, most Chinese and Indian Malaysians do not. So to say that the protest by the Umno Youth was justifiable merely because it touches on certain matters is - in a country as multiracial as ours - tantamount to crass duplicity, especially when contrasted with the claims that the Hindraf protestors have no justifiable basis to voice their concerns.
3. The basic ideology
That both protests are similar in ideology - to address an injustice that is obvious to its particular creed – is obvious, so to argue over it is again would do no more than quantify the semantics of it all. Both protests were done to highlight an injustice that was perceived by that particular group, the only difference between these two ideologies was that one was internal, and the other external.
Again, I could wax lyrical about the similarities between these two protests, but we will never really get anywhere other than to further divide ourselves to the betterment of others.
So please do allow me to end this on this note: to claim that the Umno Youth protest was more permissible – merely because we sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians - as "the only way to protest against the Israeli aggression" is wrong.
If indeed that this was "the only way to protest against the Israeli aggression", then it must be noted that our government is one that is weak both within and without, and an insult to a nation that once commanded respect - and more than it's fair share of anger - from the international community.
After all, the Umno Youth is component wing under the ruling coalition, and is part and parcel of the government. It is lead by a member of parliament, and has a strong voice within the government and its policies. To add on to that, the rally organizer is the son-in-law of the Premier of the nation, the very Premier who had invited Condoleeza Rice to Malaysia in the first place.
Would it have been so difficult for him to fax the memorandum over to Condoleeza Rice, as Hindraf was ultimately forced to do?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Demos By Umno Youth And Hindraf Have Nothing In Common?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Malaysians Love Gorillas in Government
'Belligerent'. If there was only one word to be chosen to best describe the mannerisms and attitudes of the recent crop of politicians that overrun the echelons of the government and the (un)civil service, this would be the best choice. However, 'cantankerous', 'discourteous', incompetent', 'ineffectual', 'unimpressive' and 'inept' does run a close second.
It boggles the mind to know that amongst the myriad of available cerebral resources that is to be had from within this country, those best left to linger at the bottom of the social rung somehow – against the odds, I might add - manage to climb their way to the top of the political ladder.
There’s a saying that holds true to this:
Is this because of the current political practices in Malaysia? Not the system, mind you, though that is flawed enough as it is. After all, it is an open secret that the supposed separation between the judicial and the executive is non existent, and most Malaysians are quite aware that the Parliament can only be best describe as a kindergarten playground populated with aged bullies.
So let us not question the political system or our politicians for the time being, but rather question ourselves. After all, while Malaysians - as the people of our government - are empowered to say 'yea' or 'nay' to any politician, would-be or otherwise, we find ourselves, more often than not, at the mercy of politicians than the other way around.
There are some who would venture that as a collective, people are unintelligent. They substantiate this by saying that as individuals, people are intelligent, reasoning beings, but as a collective group, people are foolish, mindless organisms. This is unacceptable to me. While there are some elements in this statement which are true, it is a fact that we are more knowledgeable as a collective than we are alone.
But why has it become a political practice - or even a political preference - that the worst amongst us are chosen to be fielded for elections? Why is it that abject allegiance - regardless of how mindless it is – a currency which is more valued than morality? And why is it that seniority - some would venture senility - counts more than integrity and intellect?
It would seem that Malaysians – though enlightened - would prefer chest thumping silverback demagogues who play on our popular prejudices, fears and expectations over those quietly capable individuals who are able to perform in office with the required skills and competencies to manage our interests. Or is it the other way around? Do politicians prefer to be chest thumping silverback demagogues rather than quietly capable individuals?
Being a career politician has its price, after all. Being fielded in an election costs money, and a lot of it. The trappings of a politician - it must be said - do not come cheap, never mind the fact that most politicians are not able to coherently speak without a teleprompter.
But I digress. The fault lays not so much with those in power, but to those amongst us who bequeath that power to them. After all, why is it that Malaysians need to suffer indignity after indignity before we come to our senses, if ever that blessed day comes? Why is it that we are so able to whisper so covertly amongst ourselves, but never able to stand overtly against the supposed powers that be?
It is a sad fact that most Malaysians would still choose to elect demagogues rather than intellectuals to positions of power. It is a sad fact that Malaysians would prefer to hear rhetoric and propaganda playing on our prejudices and expectations, rather than the harsh truths about our country.
To those who think that the ruling coalition will not receive their two thirds majority in the next general election, I hope you are right, but it is highly doubtful that this will happen. It is odd that those amongst us who have voiced our opinions have been labeled as 'the disgruntled' by the ruling coalition as we are the ones who see a better future ahead for us all. But it is worse when those among us voice our opinions only to be labeled as 'the disillusioned' by our fellow citizens - the very people of our beloved country - we are standing up for.
Malaysians fall under the malaise of needing change, but not wanting it. Malaysians see implied adherence to duty, good faith and loyalty as matters which are greater than skill and competence in managing our interests. Because of this, our trust structure - that little two way road between the people and the government - has been repeatedly abused and disabused by both sides of the fence who (ever so vehemently) claim to protect it in favor of short term gains, as opposed to long term goals.
And because of this, that trust structure is being torn down, brick by brick in front of our eyes.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
M for Malaysia - Past, Present & Future
This video was taken from "chongzhemin" on YouTube for entertainment purposes. Enjoy.
A true state of "Democracy" in Malaysia video, drawing parallels to the movie "V for Vendetta".
Malaysia Mis-information Minister claims that the General Elelction every 5 years means that we have democracy in Malayisia.
Democracy is more than having elections. Democracy is the freedom to peaceful gathering. Democracy is the freedom of speech. Democracy is the freedom to express opposing views.
There can be no democracy without elections.
But there can also be elections without democracy.
The administration of the Malaysian government is moving towards complete total hegemonic domination which makes it no difference to the dictactorship of Chancellor Adam Sutler in the movie "V For Vendetta".
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch commented "Prime Minister Badawi claims to be a reformer, but when it comes to holding onto power, he and his party make one set of rules for themselves and another for everyone else."
It's time for political reform in Malaysia. Vote for change.
People should not be afraid of their governments.
Governments should be afraid of their people.
Someone must stand up for what's right
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
Jewel's lyrics in her song 'Hands' speaks to me. I hope you enjoy it too. - KL Confidential
Jewel's Hands
If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands
Read more...
Post Hindraf Rally - What now?
I strongly agree with the opinion of this article written by Nuraina A Samad (taken from her blog.)
All said and done, we can now talk about what needs to be done -- post-Hindraf rally.
If we still think that everything in this country is so peachy pink and rosy, then there is something really wrong with us.
On Sunday, I saw unhappiness, anger and desperation walk the streets. I am helpless, I am powerless.
But, let me be clear on one thing though-- I take exception to Uthayakumar's memorandum which, in my humble opinion, is laced with racial overtones and littered with distorted facts, and therefore smacks of blatant racism and bigotry.
His kind of politics will only set us all back, as that of keris-wielding chest thumping ultras in Umno has done. We do not need another racist, another bigot.
His memorandum aside, I see and appreciate the real issue at hand -- the deep sense of being severely marginalised and disenfrachised felt by a sector of Malaysians of Indian origin.
I am so sad that it has come to this state of affairs.
This is not the end of this article. Click here for the whole thing.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
MPs as RELA Colonels: Feudal Lords in Modern Malaysia?
You know, as much as there are those out there who vehemently detest the government, credit has to be given to the ruling coalition for coming up with some rather 'interesting' suggestions, the most recent of which can be found in today’s Star under the article 'RELA men won’t be armed at immigration depots':On when MPs would start their duties as Rela Colonels as announced early this year, he [Home Affairs Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Paduka Abdul Rahman Ibrahim] said discussions would be held on Dec 17.
"As honorary Colonels, MPs can be advisers to Rela teams in their constituencies and aid them in their activities," he added.
Given the fact that RELA is a military organization, and that MPs - irrespective if they are members of the Parliament or not - are civil servants, shouldn't there be at least some question as to the wisdom of elevating mere civilians to the rank of feudal lords?
Not that I am implying that our ruling coalition is interested in creating feudal lords, or reverting to feudal systems. No, no, no...far from it. It must be, after all, admitted that most of our MPs fall far short of the requirements of a Shogans, and RELA members...well, suffice it to say that while there is the slimmest of possibilities that they might become samurai warriors in their next life, chances are higher that they'll probably be reincarnated as MPs first.
However, irregardless of the shortcomings of individual MPs and RELA, the elevation of MPs as RELA Colonels within their constituencies poses a number of serious questions.
1. Can this be construed as a constituency based militia?
2. Can 'advice' from MPs who are RELA Colonels be taken as 'orders'?
3. Can this be seen as a move by the ruling coalition moving to 'secure' individual constituencies?
4. Can this be seen as a move by the ruling coalition to circumvent current legal and judicial system that is being challenged?
I know, I know...conspiracies, conspiracies. But look at it this way, if the figures from Wikipedia are correct - averaging out 494,145 members of RELA between 219 members of Parliament elected from single-member constituencies - then on average, 2,300 members of RELA will come under the purview of each individual MP.
While many would scoff that RELA is a military organisation by the barest of definitions, it's members are still essentially soldiers, albeit badly trained and equipped. And no matter how poor their training is, or how outdated their equipment, members of RELA enjoy a host of 'responsibilities' and 'privileges' beyond that of conventional police and military forces.
Like the 'Fingermen' from the movie V for Vendetta, RELA members are in effect empowered beyond conventional law enforcement, and worse, are not individually accountable for their actions. Under Essential (Ikatan Relawan Rakyat) (Amendment) Regulations 2005, Essential (Pasokan Kawalan) Regulations 1966, and Emergency (Essential Powers) Act 1964, RELA members - in the words of the Malaysian Bar – have the right:"...to bear and use firearms, stop, search and demand documents, arrest without a warrant, and enter premises without a warrant and all these powers can be exercised (if) the RELA personnel has reasonable belief that any person is a terrorist, undesirable person, illegal immigrant or an occupier..."
Now imagine that kind of authority invested in 2,300 members of RELA - who are essentially soldiers - under one MP.
If that is not an impressive constituency based militia worthy of a feudal lord, I don’t know what is.
And lets not forget that not all militias are created equal. After all, in some constituencies, the number of RELA members may run up to tens of thousands, while in others the numbers may range somewhere in the tens or twenties. Will this imbalance mean that some MPs in some constituencies – possibly even all - will encourage a conscription drive to recruit more and more members for RELA, to enlarge their militias, and become greater feudal lords?
So is this the face of things to come? Will conscripting RELA members become the preference amongst our future feudal lords?
After all, why should MPs bother going through normal channels when they are able to invoke upon the discretionary powers of RELA to enforce whichever lark that takes their fancy? And why should the government be even bothered to hire and train professional policemen when they are able to pay RM 4.00 per hour (to any RELA member out there, I hear McDonalds pays RM5.00 per hour) to a RELA member who only needs 3-14 days training for a cheaper supply of 'law enforcement officials'?
With some work and a lot of luck, the ruling coalition may even get to jettison the tedious micromanagement of constituencies, reverting all of us back to the good 'ol Middle Ages. So instead of wrangling in Parliament, our feudal lords can while away their time by collecting taxes and hanging up 'Most Wanted' posters of prominent opposition leaders, though they'll need to share their ill gotten gains later to the crown...er, I mean government.
Hmmm...say, don't they already do that now?
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Hindraf: Takde permit, takde jalan
The local rags have really outdone themselves yesterday. In less time that it would take Benito Mussolini to comb his hair, articles with such memorable headlines as ‘Inflammatory entries’, ‘IGP: They'd no intent to give memo’, 'Use existing forums to voice problems', ‘Govt won't allow rally to turn into racial issue’ were printed, bundled and disseminated across the by the NST.
Not to be outdone, the Star went the extra mile to add those little touches with ‘Muhyiddin: Other races have poor too’, ‘Cops forced to use tear gas, water cannons’, ‘Change must come from within ourselves’, ‘PM: Police had to take action’, and my personal favorite, ’Ka Ting braves Hindraf crowd to attend function’.
Though Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting should be quite used to dealing with rowdy crowds, given his stints at the Dewan Rakyat, it takes a real man to brave a crowd of 10,000 men and women, regardless if they are made up of Indians, Chinese or Malays…well, maybe if they are made up of Indians.
After all, there could be a cache of todi being secreted in those voluminous orange robes that the protesters were wearing, which could be taken out to be randomly imbibed or thrown at discreet couples holding more than their hands in and around the KLCC area.
What? No orange robes? Well, maybe those caches of todi were hidden anally, like how most politicians are able to hide the truth. After all, where do you think those Molotov cocktails came from? It is not like the Malaysian police were handing out crates of the stuff - or C4 explosives - to random passersby with their blessings.
Really, in light of that revelation, who really cares about the fact that the participants of Hindraf protest have a democratic right to take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, a democratic right that is enshrined in our Federal Constitution, and strengthened by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1993 Vienna Declaration.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Pulau Batu Puteh: An International Black Eye
Occupied as I was with matters within Malaysia, I must admit that I paid little attention to the contention between Singapore and Malaysia in regards to who possesses the rights of sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh, which is also called Pedra Branca by the Singaporeans. That is, until recently.
Curious, I read through the various articles in Malaysian and Singaporean dailies, and I must say that it is indeed a confusing morass of missing documentation, claims of breaches in territorial agreements, aged historical texts and last but not least accusations of purposely misplaced letters, all packaged with snide remarks and false smiles.
I have even read through the opening statement made by Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Mohamad, who represents Malaysia, and Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, who represents Singapore; and I must say that these statements did indeed raise my eyebrows. While unfamiliar with international litigation, I personally disapprove of Malaysia's highhanded manner in asserting its claims over this island.
The fact that both sides have points to contemplate is true, but any debate that starts off with a statement that one's closest neighbour - with whom one dearly loves and have continued good ties with - has been lying through their teeth isn't quite the way to go.
As such, it was not much of a surprise to read Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar's opening statement in second round of oral pleadings, which is as follows:"During Singapore's first round oral pleadings, we have focused our presentations purely on legal and factual issues in dispute between the parties. We have carefully avoided mentioning extraneous matters that may affect the integrity of the proceedings before this honourable Court. In view of the good relations between the two countries, we had expected Malaysia to do likewise.
"We are therefore surprised and disappointed that Malaysia has in her oral pleadings, made a series of allegations and insinuations against Singapore. These are of a nature which, unless rebutted, would impeach or diminish Singapore's integrity or could impress on the minds of the Members of the Court that there could be dire consequences for relations in the region if the dispute were decided in favour of Singapore."
The fact that the Singaporean government would stoop at nothing to lay claim over land is of course a foregone conclusion to any decent - or indecent - Malaysian. But on reading the opening statements of each representative, I unfortunately have to agree with Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar that our opening statement was perhaps rather unwisely said.
Through the eyes of the NST, most Malaysians are reassured that we have indeed sealed our claim over Pulau Batu Puteh through prominent headlines like "No evidence from Singapore to support claim of sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh", "Islands part of Johor Sultanate", "S'pore 'failed to show it has sovereignty over islands", "Malaysia optimistic of success", and capped with the more subdued "S'pore: Malaysia had zero activities".
However, I would personally be more reassured if our Malaysian representatives had not kindly decided to first put one foot, and then the other foot in our nation's mouth, landing us squarely on our internationally battered bums.
For while our Singaporean counterparts - being the 'backward' and 'untrustworthy buggers' that they are - have been scouring 'unlikely' sources of evidence like libraries, upending rusted file cabinets looking for dusty documents and crackling old newspapers, Malaysia - being the 'modern' and 'sophisticated' gentlemen that we are - have turned to online sources to introduced new 'evidence' to back up our claims to the island.
And the new evidence introduced? An picture taken from an blogs site.
That our country has to resort to quoting from blogsites for reasons other than to invoke the ISA or the OSA is reassuring, but surely there are some out there who know that while blogs are to some point valid sources of opinions and information, there are limits, especially when that evidence is to be produced at the International Court of Justice at the Hague!
As you would have it, the picture was - to be gently said - proven to be inaccurate.
Given the amount of sweat and spittle that has been produced from these proceedings in front of the International Court of Justice through historical texts and political maneuverings, to have it all beggered by an unsubstantiated, uncorroborated picture that was ever so lightly taken off the world wide web from some anonymous blogspot created less than a month ago, is painful beyond belief.
Given the fact that Malaysia had a 50-man legal team headed by adviser for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Mohamed (The Star, Monday, August 20, 2007), I would have thought we could have come up with something more concrete than this, but sadly that is not the case.
The fact that the Malaysian delegation to the International Court of Justice have added greater substantiation to the claims of Singapore that our nation is using underhanded tactics - when they themselves would not be above doing so - to lay claim over Pulau Batu Puteh is undeniable, and a blow to our national pride.
Detractors point to this international faux pas as exemplifying the typical attutides of the ruling coalition in its internal governance of Malaysia. Regardless, lets all shout hurrah!, for Malaysia is once again in the international eye, albeit with a black one we gave ourselves. :(
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Proton: Pride Goeth Before A Fall
In newsstands throughout the country, the New Straits Times carried the headlines 'Strong sales, so Proton drops partner option', while The Star went head to head about the same topic with 'Govt: Proton has turned the corner, does not need foreign partner'.
After a year of prolonged - and obviously arduous - discussions, it appears that the state owned Proton Holdings Bhd has decided to rebuff possible alliances with Volkswagen AG and General Motors Corp.
The reason? Proton is getting stronger all by its lonesome, thank you very much (editor: really? some evidence say otherwise) as implied by our most popular of local dailies:(The Star: Wednesday, November 21,2007): The negotiations for Proton between Khazanah and two major international car manufacturers - Volkswagen and General Motors - have been called off.
Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said there would be no foreign partner for Proton for the time being as the national car manufacturer was showing signs of a turnaround.
(The NST: Wednesday, November 21, 2007): Proton Holdings has ended all negotiations for a possible tie-up with Germany's Volkswagen AG and the US-based General Motors Corp.
The national carmaker will not be seeking a foreign partner for now, given an improvement in its sales and exports, Khazanah Holdings Bhd, Proton's main shareholder and the investment arm of the government, said in a statement yesterday.
While it cannot be denied that such an overt display of support for the local industry is to be applauded, Bloomberg.com has published a similar story, "Proton Shares Post Record Decline as VW Talks End."(Bloomberg.com: Wednesday, November 21, 2007): Proton Holdings Bhd, Malaysia's state-owned carmaker, posted a record one-day decline in Kuala Lumpur trading after the government ended alliance talks with Volkswagen AG and General Motors Corp.
Proton slumped 19 percent after Malaysia's state investment unit yesterday said it scrapped a year of talks to give the carmaker more time to reverse five quarters of losses. A strategic alliance can be considered later if necessary", the agency said in a statement.
The Edge Daily had only two days earlier carried the story "Proton to attract attention on imminent VW deal", inferring that the strengthening of Proton's stock was predominantly due to investor interest between Proton and Volkswagen AG:(The Edge Daily: Monday, November 19, 2007): Proton Holdings Bhd is expected to continue attracting investors’ attention in view of an impending sealing of an agreement with Germany’s carmaker Volkswagen AG (VW).
The stock rose as much as 18 sen last Friday, but eased at the close with an
eight sen gain to RM5, with a total of 2.65 million shares traded.
Researchers and analysts postulate that the decision to shelve a strategic alliance or partnership with an established international company may be detrimental to the long term sustainability of Proton, as shown in the following excerpts from Bloomberg.com's article:"Proton lacks global competitiveness as it has a poor brand image, has no real global presence to speak of and lacks the necessary technology to compete," Sharifah Farah, an analyst at CIMB Investment Bank Bhd.
"They don't have the resources to make it on their own," said Raymond Tang, who oversees $5.4 billion at CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. "The company needs new technology from a partner."
"Although management has done a commendable job at turning around the company, it probably won't be enough," said Vincent Khoo, head of research at Aseambankers Malaysia Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. Proton still needs a partner, he said.
After the publicised loss of RM500 million incurred by Proton at the end of its financial year on March 31, where the car manufacturer was said by some to be in a "death spiral", detractors are now decrying this decision as a case of "Pride goeth before a fall".
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I Cannot Tell a Lie
Nearly 300 years ago, a six year old boy was supposed to have uttered the words, "I cannot tell a lie, I cut the tree". His name was George Washington, and he grew up to be an American President.
This tale has been told and retold to underscore two points: firstly, it serves as a reminder to all parents that it is quite unwise to allow children to run amok with sharp axes or hatchets, and secondly, it shows that honesty and integrity are values to be treasured in any person, more so when that person is in a position of social or political importance.
While American historians still argue about the veracity of that tale, we should all feel honored that we ourselves have our own version of this tale, though with a decidedly Malaysian twist.
In recent statements, the Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman quoted George Washington almost in verbatim, and affirmed the fact that he knew when the next general election would be held:The Star (Friday, November 16, 2007): Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman has indicated that he knows when the next general election will be called.
"I can’t lie to you that I don’t know when the next general election will be held," he said.
As the position as the EC chairman comes with a certain degree of responsibility, there were many in this fair land who did not doubt that Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul did indeed know the dates. After all, as the EC chairman, his position warrants him to be a man that emphasizes strict adherence to duty and sacrifice.
However, the fact that he had the gumption to publicly announce that he knew the dates for the general dates - when even Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was in the dark about this issue - raised more than a few curious eyebrows, leading to whispering in dark corners of possible collusion between the ruling coalition and an independent and impartial election commission.
Thanfully, our beloved Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself rose to the forefront of this with a none too gentle rebuke to Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, and this did much to disabuse many a conspiracist theorist of any possible allegation of collusion:The Star (Monday, November 19, 2007): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the power to dissolve Parliament is exclusively his.
The Prime Minister said it was not possible for Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to know when the next general election would take place.
"How would he know? I have yet to dissolve Parliament to pave the way for the elections. It's I who will decide when to have Parliament dissolved," he said at a press conference after his visit to the Islamic Civilisation Park in Pulau Wan Man here yesterday.
A day later, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid publicly retractment his admission - though oddly enough this seemed to have only appeared in the Sun - saying that he did not indeed know the dates for the next general election: The Sun (Tuesday, 20 November 2007): After getting some flak for saying he knows when the next general election will be held, Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday backtracked and said that he did not know the dates.
He said the EC will only set the election campaign period and polling date after the King has approved the dissolution of Parliament.
"Curiouser and curiouser", as Alice in Wonderland would say.
Indeed, it is quite curious that the EC chairman to have even made that statement in the first place, much less know the dates (if he did indeed know). Had Tan Sri Abdul Rashid deliberately misled the public about this matter, or had the reporters perhaps jumped the gun on this? If the former, then it would not be the first time that his detractors have accused him of this: The Sun (March 28, 2007): Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman was criticised today for a recent statement in which he challenged opposition parties to bring him to court if they thought the commission was unfair or not transparent.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) also questioned Abdul Rashid for saying the EC’s role was not to make law.
Repeating earlier calls for Abdul Rashid to resign, coalition spokesman Sivarasa Rasiah described his statement as “misleading” as he had ignored recent developments where the courts had addressed the role of the EC and the process and conduct of elections.
If the latter, then it should be the reporters who should be bent over for misleading the public, and possibly defaming the character of Tan Sri Abdul Rashid. Yes, perhaps this explanation would fit best, since most of us cannot in good conscience say that Tan Sri Abdul Rashid was caught in a lie, any more than I can say that it was our beloved Prime Minister was the one lying.
Or does this misunderstanding - or perhaps a misquote - bode for darker deeds?
Conspiracy theorists in Malaysia are naturally having a field day with this issue - an alleged collusion between an independent and impartial election commission with that of the ruling coalition - especially with the latest news that the tenure for the EC chairman may be extended for another year, as shown below: The Star (Tuesday, November 20, 2007): Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman may stay on for another year following the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution to extend the retirement age of EC members from 65 to 66.
Scheduled to retire on Dec 31 as he reaches 65, Abdul Rashid now has the option of staying on one more year because the bill states that the new age of retirement applies to a member of the EC appointed after the coming into operation of the proposed act.
That this bill is tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz, and that the extension of the tenure of Tan Sri Abdul Rashid into the coming election year requires that our already badly tattered Federal Constitution be amended, is sure to further stoke the flames of conspiracy theorists far and wide.
But as Tan Sri Abdul Rashid so passionately put it, "If they will show me evidence that the commission has rigged elections, then I will – in fact, all members of the commission – will resign" (The Star, Tuesday, November 20 2007), conspiracy theories can only go so far without proof.
I'm not sure George Washington would have approved.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Open Letter to PM
(This is an open letter to PM written by Beth Yap. A good read, she makes salient points. Do distribute this to friends.)
OPEN LETTER TO DATUK SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI, PM
A FICTION WRITER WRITES IN SUPPORT OF JOURNALISTS
Dear Prime Minister Abdullah,
26 September 2007 saw two thousand lawyers “Walk for Justice” to defend the good name and protest the sliding standards of their profession. “When lawyers march,” said Ambiga Sreenevasan, President of the Bar Council, “something must be wrong.”
Last Saturday (10 November 2007), 40,000 people from all walks of life and all ages walked through rain-drenched Kuala Lumpur, skirting roadblocks, locked LRT stations, FRU batons, tear gas and water cannons, as well as weeks of misinformation and propaganda through the mainstream media and hacked alternative media. They marched to show their disappointment in the current electoral system and their hopes for reform.
Malaysian citizens travelled for hours through the night from all over the country to play cat-and-mouse in Kuala Lumpur with an intimidating array of security forces, whose role was clearly not to secure our safety.
I saw men armed only with shouted slogans beaten with batons and shields and thrown to the ground. I saw an old woman in a wheelchair halted by a barricade of troops, wielding a deafening siren at her ears. I saw a child clinging to his mother’s shoulders being crushed back, and back. He looked terrified, and rightly so.
This was at Jalan Mahameru, not Masjid Jamek where, in spite of what IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan described as police “restraint” (Sunday Star, 11 Nov 2007), unarmed marchers, including journalists, were beaten, teargassed and bombarded by chemical-laced water cannons. At Jalan Mahameru, we faced two rows of riot police, smashing batons against their shields. I saw and photographed people dropping to the ground around me.
This should be the journalist’s privilege, to be allowed to witness and report the uncensored fruits of that act of witness. But in this country, the journalists and their editors are not afforded even this, or any other kind of professional privilege, or protection, in order to carry out their jobs according to the Journalists’ Code of Ethics. That is, among other things, to pursue factual accuracy and report objectively, without fear or favour.
Instead, journalism in Malaysia seems to be ruled by a Code of Fear and Favour. Here, our mainstream journalists and editors are directly or indirectly on the State’s payroll, and therefore accountable to the State. Those who aren’t are kept on a tight leash of precarious licences and legislation designed to pit self-censorship against financial ruin. Which the bosses will prioritise is a no-brainer.
It seems to me our media professionals do their best to navigate these treacherous waters, getting by in terms of professional pride through little acts of bravery, defiance and subterfuge. The travesty of it is that, in a true democracy, they shouldn’t have to.
Our journalists and editors shouldn’t have to find themselves in the pitiful position of being cowed mouthpieces of the State, obediently failing to report once a news blackout is ordered, or “reporting” factual inaccuracies of an astounding magnitude.
Like most of your state controlled media, Prime Minister Abdullah, yesterday’s Sunday Star reported only the IGP’s version of Saturday’s events. Journalism 101 requires a range of eyewitnesses to describe an event objectively yet only your Ministers were allowed airtime; only aggrieved shopkeepers were interviewed and photos of traffic jams published, to support our Deputy PM’s lament that the march only served to disrupt traffic, create loss of business and “mar the general perception others have of our society”.
The police were depicted as being “forced” to use their batons, boots, shields, helmets, trucks, water cannons and helicopters against unarmed men, women and children (New Sunday Times, November 11, 2007).
This reconstruction of reality is one that I, and 40,000 other marchers, do not recognise. In spite of what we saw and experienced, we are told that we were only 4000 in number and that 245 of us were detained, as opposed to the 24 I later saw released at IPPK (Police Contingent Headquarters), Kuala Lumpur. It was later reported in the NST (12 November 2007) that the majority of detentions were pre-emptive, taking place outside Kuala Lumpur the day before. The reasons for arrest included being in possession of yellow t-shirts and bandanas.
Yes, there were massive traffic jams in KL that day, and yes, I saw shopkeepers hurriedly pull down their shutters, but only when the FRU and police amassed in battle formation at Central Market. However, logic tells us that the traffic jams were caused by numerous police roadblocks and other hindrances to public transport as much as by our march, which was marshalled and orderly.
We were constantly told to keep to the pavements, not to throw rubbish or disrupt public property, and even not to trample on plants along our way. Many people stuck in jams wound down their windows as we passed, smiling and shaking our hands. Others looked annoyed, of course.
I’m sitting at my local late night kopi tiam as I write this. It’s filled with college students chatting and watching football to go with their teh tarik and cigarettes. I can see how successful your media machinery is, Prime Minister, from what they say. They use the word “riots” to talk about the march, which even a police spokesman described as, for the most part, peaceful (RTM2 news, 10 November 2007).
This is no surprise given the propaganda clips that have been running as part of news bulletins on RTM1 and 2 for the past few months, intercutting flag-burning with demonstrators getting their heads bashed in. These, as any adman will confirm, effectively equate demonstrations of any sort with escalating acts of violence on both sides. “Ini bukan budaya kita,” are the stern words of warning.
On TraxxFM, I’ve heard an odd and therefore oddly outstanding song about democracy being played frequently, a lullaby sung in a soothing paternal voice, about how taking democracy to the streets leads to a loss of self-respect and violence, which is not our way. This song is in stark contrast to the ones TraxxFM’s hip and joking DJs usually play.
This psychological embedding seems odd, Prime Minister, in the year we celebrate our 50 years of Independence, which was won exactly by our forefathers taking their struggle for freedom, equality and justice to the streets, as well as the media and the discussion table. They did so peacefully then, as we did so last Saturday.
Prime Minister Abdullah, one of the reasons we marchers, men, women, children, and even incapacitated old folks, braved confrontation in the streets of Kuala Lumpur last Saturday was to call for “equal access to the media” as part of BERSIH’s push for electoral reforms, including the use of indelible ink, clean electoral rolls and the abolition of untraceable postal votes.
I didn’t wear yellow on the march because even though I’m a sympathiser with the struggle for electoral reform, I’m also a witness to both sides of the story. But I wore my yellow ribbon of “press freedom”, proudly, even though I’m not a journalist. I’m still wearing it now, with the poignant realisation that I can only write this letter, without fear or favour, precisely because I’m not a mainstream Malaysian journalist. Of course, whether any of your editors will publish it or not is entirely a different matter.
That little scrap of ribbon, like the seemingly frail ribbon of marchers patiently weaving their way from all over the city to the Yang Di Pertuan Agong’s palace last Saturday, is symbolic of something far larger and far more important than our aching legs or bruises or our shivers caused by sitting uncomplainingly in the rain while the leaders delivered our memorandum to the King.
It symbolizes what you have encouraged us repeatedly to celebrate and embrace: our “Merdeka Spirit” of independence that causes the rakyat to come out, in spite of fear and intimidation, to show their grave concern when the state of things seems very wrong indeed. This is, despite attempts at historical revisionism, a part of our Malaysian culture.
With all due respect, Prime Minister, your admonition on the eve of the march: “Saya pantang dicabar,” (Utusan Malaysia, 9 November 2007) is rather an odd thing for the leader of a democratic nation to say, given that the basic rule of democracy is the right of all citizens to challenge, and to defend against challenge. Everyone is entitled to this right, whether in their living rooms or in Parliament.
Challenges and debates also constantly take place in the media, whose fundamental role is to provide factual information and objective viewpoints by journalists and editors, as well as to allow equal access to publication and broadcast by proponents from either side of any argument.
Only in this way can we, ordinary citizens, partake in democracy. Only then can we weigh up differing statements and opinions against accountable facts. We may be allowed to vote, yes, but how can we choose effectively without freedom of media access and information?
When this integral pillar of any democratic system is obstructed, and belittled, as it is in Malaysia, we cannot claim to live in a democracy. Our mainstream media then becomes merely a tool of the State, used to hoodwink, brainwash and intimidate the people it should rightly be serving. Instead, we, the people, are spoon-fed, led and expected to go quietly like sheep to any foregone conclusion.
If we beg to differ, offer alternative information and viewpoints, or even protest, we are called beruk. I rather think it preferable to be a monkey, curious, inventive and mischievous, than a sheep trotting meekly to my pen, or the slaughterhouse, nose pointed to the ground.
Prime Minister, we are indeed not Pakistan or Myanmar, as your Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin blustered on Al Jazeera (10 November 2007), accusing them of presenting a contrary view to what has appeared on our Malaysian news, and of only talking to the opposition, not our Government representatives—even as they were interviewing him.
This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, since almost no opposition figures are allowed to speak in our mainstream media, although their images are used in conjunction with images of street violence, for example, to influence viewers’ opinions about them.
“Malaysia… is a democratic country,” Zainuddin fumed. But based on your State’s handling of the rakyat’s peaceful march last Saturday, Prime Minister, and your own media coverage prior to and about the actual event, it’s hard to entirely agree.
Unfortunately for Malaysia, this is the perception that will be further broadcast internationally, by journalists and editors who are fortunately less muzzled than their mainstream Malaysian colleagues.
Therefore, Prime Minister Abdullah, I sincerely urge you and your Government, as our democratically elected leaders, to “walk the talk” and unmuzzle our journalists, editors and broadcasters. I entreat you to fully and fairly endorse and practice democracy in our country. That is, democracy for everyone, not just a powerful few.
Beth Yahp
Author
Petaling Jaya, 12 November 2007
(Beth Yahp’s prize-winning novel, The Crocodile Fury, has been translated and published in several languages. She wrote the libretto for the contemporary opera Moon Spirit Feasting premiered at the 2000 Adelaide International Festival of the Arts, with productions also in Melbourne, Berlin, Zurich and Tokyo. It won APRA’s Best Classical Composition Award in 2002. Beth’s short fiction, essays and articles have appeared in numerous publications in Australia, South-east Asia and Europe. She is currently Fiction Editor for Off the Edge, a Malaysian business/ lifestyle/ culture magazine.)
3 days after 10/11
This article was written after much hindsight and thoughts on the strategy that we employed.
Congratulations BERSIH marchers! We did it. I know some of you probably went through hell to get there but you did it! For those who couldn't be there, or were delayed in arriving, it's alright. Your heart is pure, your intentions true. You were there in spirit.
Now, the fact is, we won. Yes, that we did. No one can dispute that. But I worry. I worry that some of us might take this victory as a sign that our troubles are over...
Let me tell you, it has just begun.
We have won this small battle. But the war is still not over. Lets keep our eyes on the ball, our aim is to bring change to this country. Good, positive change.
We Are Party-less
Let's remember that in our fight against tyranny, corruption and votes tampering, that WE ARE PARTY-LESS. I think all of us welcome Keadilan, DAP, PAS etc but please don't let party politics come into the picture. I worry that this neutral, party-less march may be hi-jacked by the opposition. This memorandum affects all Malaysians and the involvement of party politics will backfire as many people who attended that rally were not associated with the opposition parties and future rallies might not have the desired turn out because of this.
Let me state here, that my opinions on this, is mirrored by many comrades I have spoken to - so I have decided to be their voice.
Another concern which was voiced by a BERSIH marcher, Why was the memorandum handed over by the opposition leaders? Why wasn't it handed over by a more neutral person? What about the person who started the petition? Sad to say, we have left our left flank open to cricism by allowing this to happen. I hope we will try not to allow our cause to be led by any opposition leaders as this might deter other people who otherwise, would support us.
For instance, there are many honest, good BN/UMNO supporters who support the call for judicial and electoral reform. But the moment we let opposition leaders lead us, they will think twice about joining us. This is quite saddening as they, too, deserve the right to join this noble cause being as Malaysian as we are.
Media Blackout of 10/11
This is where I express my greatest disappointment at the Malaysian media. I can say now, that I am witness to the death of press freedom in Malaysia. The Star and NST especially. Even tv stations like TV3, NTV7.. radio stations TRAXXFM. I am so disappointed in all of you. But i can't really blame you for doing the government's bidding. We all have to 'cari makan' right?
After my 10/11 experience, I felt elated. My faith in the Malaysian people restored. I anxiously awaited the newspapers the next day, wondering if BERSIH's memorandum will be shown.
At first I was in a state of disbelief when i saw the papers. I couldn't believe it! We were at page 8! It was obvious many Malaysians were affected during the rally and I had (naively) hoped that the media would at least give us 2nd page. But they didn't.
The fact that it was so blatantly done, fueled me even more. I took a 'news reporting' class when i was in college and I can remember some of the 'commandments' of journalism.
At least one commandment says that 'effective and good news reporting has to be impartial'. Impartial. This, to me means that news reporters must not have vested interests or report a one-sided view. This is good news reporting. So then, how come there were only views from the IGP and PM? Why weren't there eye-witness accounts or even views from BERSIH organizers?
Another commandment says that a news reporters must make sure his/her facts are correct before publishing them. Star reported that 4,000 people attended the rally. Try again Star. It was closer to 40,000 people.
It is a sad day, when Malaysian media turned its back on its people.
Let me say here, I do have friends working for Malaysian media companies and I know that they, too, are baffled by the media blackout. But we all know the truth don't we?
It is disappointing that the government feels that this is the correct path to take when dealing with a crisis. And this IS a crisis, mind you. It is a judicial crisis and electoral crisis when the people have no confidence in the systems in place. Why do they deny it? They don't decide if its a crisis, the people do.
A tip from me: It is the people's confidence that you must earn, PM. Not the crony's confidence.
Disgruntled Drivers
After looking at other blogs and comments, I noticed some people voicing out their unhappiness with the BERSIH rally.
Taken from another blogsite- Anonymous:"I am sorry I do not agree with you. These people did nothing good but make a traffic jam. I was stuck for 5 hours in traffic. Why couldn't they just send a small group?"
Fellow marchers, how do you feel when faced with this criticism? I feel that this lack of support from fellow Malaysians stems from lack of information. Did you know that by standing up and voicing out our concerns to the government, we are exercising our rights? Did you know what we stood up for? Did you know that many of us sacrificed so much to be there? Did you know that you were actually privileged to witness history? It was a selfish yet selfless act. It showed that we care for one another. We care for you, enough to risk being there.
Like my fellow blogger Vijay said:"I did not dodge the police, get tear gassed, risk being locked up and beaten just to cause a traffic jam."
On the other hand, I understand my fellow Malaysian's frustration. Being stuck in traffic for 5 hours is no joke. What if they had children in the car? Not funny. But I would like my beloved beloved Malaysians (KLites especially) to understand that the marchers did not make the roadblocks. Regardless of what the IGP would like you to believe, the roadblocks were not to make sure there were no 'weapons' or to ensure public safety. It was simply to stop the people in yellow from attending the rally.
I would like my beloved Malaysians to understand that if the police had let the march go on (whilst watching from the sidelines to ensure safety) the march would have been over faster and without incident. Instead, they chose to shower us with chemicals and tear gas while blocking us from proceeding to the palace so that traffic could flow.
It seems the government and police have so little faith in us, Malaysians. Sad isn't it? Your own government doesn't trust you.
Permit?
Another comment - Anonymous said:"Padan muka. BERSIH rally konon. Nah, FRU dah BERSIHkan korang dengan air sabun. Tu la, lain kali takde permit jangan gatal nak pergi."
Fellow marchers, how do you feel about this one? Are some Malaysians still naive enough to think that we would ever get a permit? We requested and it was rejected (twice, i think - correct me if i am wrong). 'The powers that be' attempted to make us falter in so many different ways. You don't really believe that we would have gotten a permit, did you?
How they tried to stop us, you ask?
Well, they:-
1. Rejected our permits.
2. They issued threats through the media prior to the event.
3. They hi-jacked the BERSIH website and announced that the rally was postponed when it wasn't.
4. They issued more threats through the radio on march day.
5. They had roadblocks throughout the country stopping anyone in yellow the night before the rally.
6. They even stopped people at the airports arriving in yellow.
7. They barricaded the major roads to KL.
8. They had roadblocks on all major roads and highways on the day of the rally. Delaying and harassing marchers.
9. They surrounded the marchers at their meeting points, blocking them from moving anywhere.
10. They fired tear gas and chemicals onto the marchers. (I'm a witness) Without provocation.
11. They tried to stop us from communicating with one another by hijacking or crashing certain websites.
Think about it, people. Is this the practice of democracy? Are the people not allowed to criticize the government when we are not satisfied with their performance? Are we not allowed to demand our basic rights as people?
Is this the 'democracy' you want?
Even employee unions have practiced this right. What about the 'Malaysian People Union'?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Remember remember, the 10th of November..
Written on 10th November 2007
Last night there were roadblocks everywhere. Not just within Kuala Lumpur too. Roadblocks all over the country. From Sungai Petani to Melaka...hmmm...does this mean the 'powers that be' are shivering in their ittie bittie booties? Fearful of the impending march?
Today, my friends, I did something for my country. It wasn't an entirely selfless act for I acted for my own benefit too. But overall, I did it for all of us who call Malaysia 'home'. Home of the brave (to borrow a phrase) I'd like to call us from now on. What did I do? Well, I attended the BERSIH rally of course!
Today, Malaysians from all walks of life attended a gathering to demand a reform of the judiciary and electoral system. Remember that, ladies and gentlemen. And put it down in your memory as the day that we, Malaysians, stood up and demanded our rights as the people of this country.
Getting there
My day started uneventfully...a little bit of gardening, a little bit of cooking, a little of this, a little bit of that. Then my 'darling' came by to pick me up.
I was dressed in yellow. "You're not wearing that," he said. "You better change your clothes now or we're not going."
Coming from an extremely mild mannered fellow, a man who never demands anything of me, I had to heed. Plus, I knew he was madly protective of me...you see, I tend to get swept up in emotions when I'm passionate about something. I tend to be too bold for my own good and too prepared to 'martyr' myself. He knows that, I accept it about myself. So caution is needed. We did not know what to expect.
One thing's for sure, we were thinking of explanations that we would tell our moms from the police lock up. We went anyways, knowing that we would probably end up being beaten and spending the night in jail. We were not prepared for it, but at least we were realistic enough to consider the possibility.
So we went by car. I had a game plan. Being the more "streetwise" between the two of us, I was the planner, the schemer, the mastermind. And my baby follows me, trusting my judgements, trusting me to lead the way.
Screeecchh! We got stuck. Thank God we left early to attend the gathering (which was scheduled at 3pm) So being the smart ass that I was, I navigated. Left here, right there...keep to the left. We got out of traffic and had to park at the LRT station at Bangsar. Although it wasn't my plan to attend this gathering via public transportation, we had to make do. We embarked the LRT towards Masjid Jamek.
In my heart, I was praying the whole way (since last night too) that there would be thousands like me. I prayed that Malaysians would not be scared off by the threatening police statements warning us not to attend this rally.
We have arrived!
I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. There were thousands upon thousands of Malaysians in the street standing up for what is right! I must say, THEY HAVE BALLS. Big solid metal ones.
As both me and my darling disembarked the LRT, we were rudely greeted by the pungent smell of tear gas (smelled something like sulfur, for those who are curious). Being the fragile flower that he is, my significant other immediately began his bouts of sneezing and wheezing.
Wow, I thought. I didn't think it would come to this so early in the rally. There were policemen everywhere. People in wet yellow Ts (it had been raining) stirred in broken ranks to left and right side of Masjid Jamek.
How many people in yellow do you see? Yet, they still launched tear gas. Shame, shame tak malu!
Scouting the area, I realised that we were surrounded. No cars were allowed to pass through as the police barricaded the area and FRU blocked the roads. We were completely cut off. I didn't understand this at first, Why would they cut off the roads? Why were they surrounding us?
There were so many trapped inside Masjid Jamek as the FRU were blocking the gate. I later heard that people coming for prayer were turned away as well. Tsk tsk. 
I wanted to get nice photo shots of the FRU and patriots in yellow, so we shuffled here and there trying and testing out the pictures. I was with some photographers in front of the FRU when...thud, thud, thud, thud...then I heard yells and people started running in all directions.
Tear gas. One landed a few feet away from me. My darling, being a pampered city boy, panicked. "Run sayang!". We both held our breaths.
Seconds before they fired tear gas. Do you see any provocation?
"Vijay, walk calmly! Don't run! Brisk walk, brisk walk! Don't! Run!" I yelled.
Our eyes started tearing and stinging and we couldn't see where we were going. Every breath was painful. But thank God for the rain, and our wet clothes, the smoke subsided quickly due to the heavy wet air.
We quickly moved to the safety of the surrounding buildings in Masjid Jamek area.
"This is urban warfare. It'll be very hard for them to hurt us as a collective unit. Lots of nooks and cranies to hide in," I said smugly.
"Oh, ok."
I looked at my watch. It was 3.05pm. We were both soaked and still tearing up and coughing from the tear gas (guys, seriously, a damp cloth over your face really really helps). My poor darling (being deaf) didn't hear me when i yelled at him to cover his face with his T-shirt, so he was drooling and quite snotty.
Going to the Masjid Negara (National Mosque)
We better get to the Masjid Negara soon. Or (God forbid) they'll leave without us! So we tried to walk towards Dataran Merdeka to walk towards the the mosque. Just the two of us. The police officers immediately stopped us at one of their barricades.
Police: Ni nak pegi mana ni?
Vijay: Nak pegi sana, bang. (ok at this point, i roll my eyes for all of you...doh!)
Police: Tak boleh. Tak boleh. Lalu jalan lain.
For those of you who don't know - yes, it doesn't reflect in my posts here - I am the master of mind mapping. Well, road mapping, I mean. So we went through the back alleys and short cuts to go to Pos Malaysia HQ. Then from there, we could cross over to Masjid Negara to join the masses.
By the time we got there (yes, I burnt some calories) people were already moving towards the Istana. We joined them..always under the watching eyes of the police.
When we were closer to the palace, we were surprised by the presence of men in maroon uniform and berets guiding traffic and people marching to the palace. Who are these people?
On the way to the Palace we were 'protected' by the people in maroon berets. Daulat Tuanku!
Later on, we found out that these were the Unit Amal Malaysia called by the King (no less!) to protect the people marching to his palace. My heart swelled! Thank you, Tuanku!
(I was corrected on this. They were not from the King, they were from PAS. Still, thank you so much!)
To the palace then
Again, we were overwhelmed by the presence of thousands and thousands of bodies in yellow flooding the street in front of the Palace.
Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you, Tuanku!
Rain or Shine!
Vultures circling the 'sheep'
Do you think this is low? They actually flew lower.
We could see some random people (police) in the crowd looking like 'spies'. Wolves in sheep's clothing.But we were not sheep... we were wildebeest. Fwooaarr....how proud I am, to be a Malaysian today.
Seriously, the 'spies' or 'troublemakers' were so easy to identify. As many of you already know, cops are known for their black leather jackets and their cop-ish posture. One was standing right next to me, complete with a full face helmet. Tak subtle kan? Wearing a full face helmet with a leather jacket on a rainy day standing arms crossed. I quickly got out of his way for fear he might arrest me!
Success!
Suddenly cheers and shouts emanated from the crowd as we witnessed the carriers of the memorandum - PAS' Hadi Awang and Nasharuddin Mat Isa and DAP's Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng. Moments later, Anwar Ibrahim arrived (apparently on a bike due to deadlocked traffic) and the memorandum was handed to the King's secretary.
I heaved a huge sigh of relief. I did the deed. I did this! I felt good, I might as well have been the one handing over the memorandum. In fact, I wanted to be the one handing it over. 
See? Malaysia Boleh! We dispersed peacefully. 
Peaceful people dispersing after the deed is done.
Local media reported about 1000-4000 people came. You must be gullible to believe that.
Closer to 50,000 in my estimate.
Here is where I apologise to fellow Malaysians.Dear fellow Malaysians,
I apologize for the ruckus that this rally has created for you, for it interrupting your daily routines...all in the name of justice. I apologize for those who were stuck in traffic having to witness this great unification of all races and walks of life.
In my defense, the BERSIH rally did NOT cause the traffic jam all over KL. This was caused by the many roadblocks by the police. Yes, we delayed traffic in front of the palace, but that was all. I apologize to those who were harassed by the police when they had nothing to do with this united stand for justice and fairness.
Remember though, that this sacrifice that you made today, was a sacrifice towards a greater good. This may be the beginning of positive change for this country. This is a sacrifice you willingly or unwillingly made for your children who are the future of this country. This is the price you paid towards a better, brighter, fairer Malaysia.
Seems such a small price, doesn't it?
So if you want to judge me for my beliefs, if you want to judge me for standing up against injustice, if you want to judge me for standing up for fairness and equality, so be it. Sixty years ago, there were smaller groups of people out there who did what I was doing (the Hartal) who stood against an injustice only they saw, who paid the price for their beliefs.
My sins, as you see it now, may be too large a price to pay. But it is a price I am willing to pay for our future.
Don't worry, it's not over. It is far from over. If you love this country, if you call this country your home, don't fret. For those who wanted to be there but couldn't, don't turn the page yet, this chapter is far from finished.
