BERSIH 2.0: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Post-709. Damage control in progress. Still, I couldn’t believe my ears (or eyes, for that matter) when I get to know how the rally is being attacked (by the local mainstream media of course) and the support the rally got from the people, both at home and abroad, downplayed.

As the Prime Minister (I thought he’d do better) continues to be in denial, videos and photographs controverting his statements, claims, and praises [for the police] are aplenty. I felt really sad to watch how the police kicked one dude in the CS smokescreen. That’s low!

Here a nice vid I watched some moments ago. And videos such as this should be easy to find on Youtube now. Look out for the girl who shouted [back at the police I think] near the end of the video. That one gripped me! I think it was her anguish that I felt then.

And taking the acronym WYSIWYG, I suppose that words on the streets were true after all.

Anyway, after the rally, the #bersihstories hashtag was trending on Twitter. And this site here has the tweets. Head on over to bersihstories.

Lastly, I’d like to pay tribute to Madam Annie Ooi (or Aunty Annie a.k.a Aunty BERSIH). She, like the man in my previous post, attended the rally and their firmness of purpose touched me (and everyone else I’m sure). They have nothing to gain from all this except making this country a better place to live in for the younger generations.

Aunty Annie

This is the Facebook page created for her: Aunty Bersih – The lady of liberty

Of course, things aren’t that bad everywhere. Some had it better in other hotspots. And there are many who played “medic”, helping fellow Malaysians being overwhelmed by teargas and chemical-laced water. I salute them.

It was a day when we got together as Malaysians, stood (err... walked?) for a common cause, and shouted in one tongue. That, people, is the making of a better Malaysia.

 

BERSIH 2.0: We've Done Ourselves Proud

At home and abroad.

It’s over. I’ve been following the updates closely and I must say, at times I felt the lachrymal glands acting up. BERSIH is, and always has been, a peaceful gathering by members of the civil society. Of course, many things aren't going to show in the mainstream media tonight and tomorrow.

The same can’t be said about our men in blue though. Words on the ground may be exaggerated but if you read about the same thing for over 2 hours, that couldn’t have been lies. And oh, teargas was fired into the compounds of Tung Shin Hospital. Click here for pictures of the rally by Azlan Zamhari.

All in all, hundreds – including BERSIH Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan – were arrested (over 600 according to the number on the Police’s Facebook page). Teargas and water cannons were fired into crowds of people armed with only their desire to clamour for electoral reforms.

Shaking hands with the men in blue. See? They're supposed to protect us, not--

At 4 pm, they dispersed. For these people who began trickling into the city in the morning, it was a time when they’re Malaysian. It was a time when they’re not identified by the colour of their skin. For decades, we’re driven apart and taught to alienate one another. I truly hope today taught us what it means to be Malaysians. After all, we’re called Malaysians when we’re abroad.

Speaking of Malaysians at-large, the rally Down Under was a success. A stark contrast compared to how the crowds were greeted back home. I’ve spent some time gathering the photos and I’m sure in a week or so, the Global BERSIH 2.0 rally will have a complete collection. Click here for BERSIH the world over.

Good job, Malaysians. It’s a shame I stayed home today whilst this man walked with the rest.

Hidup rakyat!

[Edit: Here's the link to photos of the Global BERSIH 2.0 gatherings/ralllies]

BERSIH 2.0

[Edit 1214, July 9: I'm following Live updates on anilnetto.com and on LoyarBurok]

What a week it’s been: mass arrest, an audience with the King, and reneged words. I wonder if we’d made it to the list of “Top Ten Places You Have To Laugh At Before You Die” yet. See, by now many so called patriots (not the UMNO Youth’s Patriot movement) would have branded me a traitor. It’s spun in such a way that the moment you speak out against the government of the day, you’re an anarchist; hell-bent on destroying the country. It doesn’t matter if it’s a call against corruption or a rare earth processing plant.

As I’m typing this, some roads in Kuala Lumpur are closed and traffic diverted. The picture I saw does seem like a lockdown, which reminds me of scenes in The Siege. And nobody knows how the rally (and counter-rally) is going to turn out tomorrow at 2 pm.

Hii doing his one-man protest in support of Bersih in PJ. He was later detained. -The Malaysian Insider. Story here.

One thing’s for sure, BERSIH 2.0 has gone global. At least outside the country, these folks who gather will not be faced with possible arrests, threats by martial artists, or be called anarchists. Perhaps the best thing is that nobody will get arrested for wearing something yellow. The following listing was obtained from here:

UTC + 12 – New Zealand - http://on.fb.me/jMlCwc
UTC + 10 – Canberra, Australia - http://on.fb.me/kBLI2H
UTC + 10 – Sydney, Australia - http://on.fb.me/j0RzYt
UTC + 10 – Melbourne, Australia - http://on.fb.me/j0rDf1
UTC + 10 – Hobart, Australia - http://on.fb.me/jP0MWL
UTC + 10 – Adelaide, Australia - http://on.fb.me/klaDdS
UTC + 10 – Brisbane, Australia - http://on.fb.me/imhKwv
UTC + 09 – Osaka, Japan - http://on.fb.me/mUGxvB
UTC + 09 – Seoul, Korea - http://on.fb.me/lgB4oQ
UTC + 08 – Manila, Philippines – URL pending
UTC + 08 – Perth, Australia - http://on.fb.me/lihTnU
UTC + 08 – Taipei, Taiwan - http://on.fb.me/mIEOGW
UTC + 08 – Hong Kong - http://on.fb.me/lxYT2E
UTC + 08 – Singapore - http://on.fb.me/l87wNS
UTC + 07 – Bangkok, Thailand - http://on.fb.me/mmyiWc
UTC + 09 – Jakarta, Indonesia – URL pending
UTC + 02 – Egypt - http://on.fb.me/r4fvC2
UTC + 02 – Switzerland - http://on.fb.me/lQq8qB
UTC + 02 – Stockholm, Sweden - http://on.fb.me/kfrxAK
UTC + 01 – Austria - http://on.fb.me/kH9gBn
UTC + 01 – Paris, France - http://on.fb.me/joKlVQ
UTC + 00 – United Kingdom - http://on.fb.me/kQ9fsQ
UTC + 00 – Scotland - http://on.fb.me/kAefYr
UTC + 00 – Ireland - http://on.fb.me/pvu7iJ
UTC – 04 – Ottawa, Canada - http://on.fb.me/kb5OY4
UTC – 04 – New York City - http://on.fb.me/lWrJ8l
UTC – 04 – Washington DC, USA - http://on.fb.me/l9XgH0
UTC – 06 – Chicago, USA - http://on.fb.me/rjGpaq
UTC – 07 – San Francisco, USA - http://on.fb.me/jehClH
UTC – 07 – Los Angeles, USA - http://on.fb.me/iBJgM3

I sure hope everything would go smoothly later. Let’s see if it pans out. I look forward to pictures of the gathering in the cities around the world. You might be thinking why I’m not already in KL. Fact is, I gave the rally a long, hard thought. But I didn’t think I’d afford the trip there and the lodging too. If I’m still receiving my monthly stipend from my scholarship then I’d have typed this in a room somewhere in the city.

And whilst we're fixating on the rally, let us not forget those detained in connection to the rally; particularly the six from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (Socialist Party of Malaysia). I remember asking my friend, "What communism?"

“I would like to thank everyone who is supporting us by the hours, prayers, urgent appeals etc.The 6 of us have not broken any laws and our crime is that we are socialists and we are attempting to put the issues affecting the poorer 60 per cent of Malaysians in the national agenda. eg. Hospital privatisation, minimum wage and decent wages.

Our detention is totally unwarranted and we are working within the democratic framework.“Udahlah bersaralah“ campaign which involves pamphlet distribution and awareness calls for people to think properly for the General Election. The action and activity is totally within the democratic space allowed by Constitution.
Sad to see, higher ups in police unable to differentiate national and constitutional rights from the political party in power. Stand up for democratic rights and let us not allow this kind of intimidation hold us back.

* Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj is the Sungai Siput MP and is currently detained with 5 others under the Emergency Ordinance. His arrest is related to his involvement with the upcoming Bersih rally.

Source: Susan Loone's blog

You might want to read:

Running Scared in Malaysia by former US Ambassador to Malaysia, John Malott

 

Homeward Bound

Written by Moazzam Begg whilst in solitary confinement

Begins this journey without reins,
End in capture without aims;
Now lying in the cell awake,
With merriment and smiles all fake:

Freedom is spent, time is up -
Tears have rent my sorrow's cup;
Home is cage, and cage is steel,
Thus manifest reality's unreal

Dreams are shattered, hopes are battered,
Yet with new status one is flattered!
The irony of it - detention, and all:
Be so small , and stand so tall

Years of tear and days of toil
Are now but fears and tyrants' spoil;
Ordainment has surely come to pass,
But endure alone one must this farce

Still the paper do I pen,
Knowing what but never when -
As dreams begin, and nightmares end -
I'm homeward bound to beloved tend.

Moazzam Begg & Victoria Brittain (2006), Enemy Combatant: the terrifying true story of a Briton in Guantanamo

Happy 64th! Birth pangs of true democracy

Imprisoned on her birthday. Would anyone want that? Or be incarcerated and detention order be renewed when it ends? It ain't easy going against I-am-of-losing-power-phobic generals.

Happy 64th Suu Kyi!

Cloak of Power

My intense aversion towards rape notwithstanding, I'm of the opinion that the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty be extended to suspects remanded to "assist" in investigations.

Yes, we know sometimes that such buggers got off the hook when we know full well he did it. But for the Enforcers to play the role of Executioner isn't appropriate to say the least. For anyone who has watched the anime Death Note, I'm sure some of you, throughout the series, may tend to side with Light. I did too. Back in the real world, I don't condone the act of taking the law into one's hand.

It's true these officers may know that this guy is guilty but they're bound to act within the provisions of the law. The only thing that separates them from the street thugs are badges and uniforms.

Speaking of uniforms and authority, I've met with uniformed personnel almost daily and I've got to say this: This pathetic men think the world is beneath their soles and you only need at most 30 seconds to experience how patronizing they are towards the supposed "inferior" students.

Oh, how envious I am towards my fellow students of Middle Eastern descent. And I have, for the past 3 years, asked what is it that I've done wrong to warrant such behaviour from the men in blue. I'm not stupid to just blare things without unsubstantiated, err, proof. I observe things in the lab and I bring that with me outside the lab. I've seen enough: the partiality, the unfairness, the reserved-politeness, and whatnot.

There must be some sort of complex in them that causes them to think that the uniform brings with it power and authority. If the university academics take pride in their prefix, then the guards their uniform. Again, I'm stereotyping and bundling the good ones together with the bad apples but what choice do I have? If nine out of ten cars in Penang are black, what are the chances you'd find a black car when you cross the road?

The uniform doesn't mean anything. If any, it only means that you're bound by law and code of conduct. And you wouldn't need a uniform or a manual to learn courtesy, respect, and fair treatment. You're very much flesh and blood beneath; and let not your nakedness show further.

Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit

Today a body finally rested
But the scars remained - in their hearts, our minds
Angry calls, heart-wrenching clamours muted
Form the IPCMC to placate, stop our never ending whines

Don't resort to boiling water
Or physical harm for that matter
A respected entity, professionals in blue
Live up to your motto through and through

To the dim ones with the thumbs up
Your heads need examination and a drub
Whomsoever is yet to be charged is a suspect
By a certain extent of the law, they still command respect

A life is a life regardless
Rights to be respected nonetheless
Uniformed men and women of the armed forces
I admire and salute not the bad apples

Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat = The burden of proof rests on who asserts, not on who denies. Principle of presumption of innocence. [More here and here]
IPCMC = Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission

What's Bad and Illegal in La-la Land

Not Los Angeles but Malaysia. Make no mistake (one of my favourite phrases), loving my country doesn't compel me to love the government of the day; especially when we see unfair policies and blatant disregard for the right things - transparency, accountability, rights, and the like.

Shocked by the news of Kugan's death in police custody, we now have a priest, MPs and others charged in court for "illegal" assembly. Now, many things are illegal over here. An assembly is illegal if it doesn't share the views of the government. It's assembly to gather to show solidarity for unjust detention for fellow citizens. It's also illegal to cycle if the agenda is to call for the abolishment of the ISA, better homes, minimum wage, and control in essential items. I no longer know what "the best interest of the people" means.

Then we have another group of people spelling Malaysia as S-A-U-D-I A-R-A-B-I-A. These zealots seem to be able to tell a rogue from a saint based merely on what they call "Western culture". Did it skip their religious minds that there are good and bad people regardless of where they originated from?

This and many more mark the new year for us all and also to accompany us through to the year 2020, the time when we're no longer a developing nation.

I Have A Dream

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real... They are serious
and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But
know this, America – they will be met."

-Barack Obama, 44th US President, in his inaugural speech

How nice. And how I wish my own leaders would say and do the same thing instead of living in denial - how the country will not be affected by the economic slowdown worldwide. I'm already feeling the pinch. How I hope for someone who genuinely care about race relations instead of just using the issue to garner votes from a certain quarter of the public.

"...and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and
slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot
be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you..."

I like the above (yes, I know the speech may not be written by Obama himself but by his team) and Malaysia may not face external threats but one should do more than locking up journalists, writer, or a Member of Parliament, or vigilers and cyclists for making their voices heard. As far as I know, a government is mandated to protect the people. Mere dreams?

To boycott US products or not; and to be optimistic or otherwise of the new President, let's not be so quick to point fingers and run down others when the plank is in our eyes. See clearly and don't oppose/support blindly.

Edit - 21:14

Full transcript of the presidential address here

Book Review

This one is an excellent book. Well-written and very informative especially to the youths of today (I'm not that old either). It clears every doubt one would have and assures it's readers. Written in English in a fairly straightforward structures, it's a must read for everyone - youths and adults alike.

Following are notable excerpts from the book:

“All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.”
Article 8, Clause (1)
“Every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression.”
Article 10, Clause (1)(a)
“All citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.”
Article 10, Clause (1)(b)

These and many more speak of the supreme law of the land and how over the years, many have suffered due to the use of draconian laws. Things like detention (for political reasons) without trial and prohibitions on candlelight vigils/gathering/cycling are clearly unconstitutional. What can a group of people holding candles do to disrupt national security? What is a candle compared to truncheons? How can unarmed civilians stand up to chemical-laced water? And the list goes on. It's as if what was written are illegible jargons.

Channel the time and resources towards apprehending thieves, robbers, paedophiles, kidnappers, murderers, and the much-loathed mat rempits (illegal bike racers).

Human Rights Day

It's the 60th anniversary since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. I'm afraid that all these fanfare and enlightenment applies only to the West. Ever wondered why Westerners/colonial masters treated us with much inferiority? Five thousand years of civilization amounted to nothing today. How many heed or abide by what's right and fair? Don't mention Zimbabwe. The situation here at home isn't too nice.

Don't we dare to compare with Singapore or Japan or any other countries (it's shameful what we did weeks ago regarding the crime rate).

We often hear leaders say: Democracy is alive and well. Who gives a damn about basic rights? Nobody - as far as the powers that be are concerned.

Lastly, Happy 60th Anniversary to the UNDHR and Happy 51st to Malaysia. More needs to be done, no?

Cold War and Frozen Minds

There should be an intellectual renaissance to open up and liberate the minds of students, and this should start in the universities, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
“Our education system must chan­ge. Our children are just not curious enough. They must be curious about the world. They must ask questions,” the Deputy Prime Minis­­ter said.
He cited a question at his daughter’s university that asked if the Cold War had ended, a question which even he would have difficulty answering.

The Star, Nov 14, 2008

So at last someone's talking about that huh? Then, walk the talk. Make sure we're not penalize when we speak up. You can have liberalized mind just for academic purposes can you? To be liberalized, I believe, is to be able to see things in perspective and not be biased towards the crowd favourite. We shouldn't be cowed into accepting completely/blindly policies and implementations by the government right? Then the AUKU must go. Or if it's not possible (never will be), then review it.

To be curious about the world eh? Are you people in Putrajaya ready to answer our queries and satisfy our curious minds? Are you ready for criticism or will you use the ISA? If you speak of liberalization, it's more than just for academic purposes. Can you open up the market and expect international traders not to influence the Ringgit?

As I suspected, even if this liberalization do occur, it'll be nothing more than a partial one. Half-hearted. Lukewarm.

Allow me to digress to ponder on an interesting question. Has the Cold War ended? I'd say yes since the collapse of the Soviet Union but judging from today's events, the tension is always present. North Korea, Iran, China, India, and now US-Eastern Europe-Russia. The latter being attributed to the proposal to set up a missile defence installation to be placed in Eastern Europe (Poland and Czech Republic). The Russian responded that they'd take some sort of military action if it goes ahead. The Cold War has ended but even so, there's always tension between the two. Although the active espionage, propaganda, military coalition, and weapons development activities that marked the Cold War era are absent, there are some going on below the radar. Everyone today is racing to be superior in economy and a recognized military might.

Coming back, I tend to agree with Datuk Seri that the education system here is merely for the sake of passing exam. It's normal to hear sophomore student saying, "I studied that before but forget already". No one bothered to look up anything other than the ones involved directly in an assignment to get the highest grade. Sometimes, the lecturers' response killed any remnant interests left for a subject. They'd say, "Can't you understand my language?" or "Go and find out". The latter is understandable but not each time they're asked a question. Maybe they're like us too - difficulty in answering.

Then there're talks that English in Science and Math may be scrapped. Just because they haven't got the hang of it? Remove the crutches if we'd want to see Malaysia emerge a strong nation. But after 50 years, we're still lagging aren't we?

School Assembly

No, this isn't about school assembly actually. Just a reminiscence of what we're taught back in primary 1 during assembly. Stand straight/upright/in attention. Sing the national anthem with much patriotism and pride. Look at the flag. If any were to faint, fall face-first. That's how much one ought to respect the flag and the anthem.

There are many sources of videos showing how the police moved in on citizens doing just that. Imagine, candles versus truncheons. What threats were present? Isn't it a person's right to assemble?

Talk about double standards when it comes to policing certain quarters involved in mass gatherings.

Human Rights: Right Minds Think Alike

Thought it'd be great to share the words of some well known figures on human rights...

"Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic
dream."

- L. Ron Hubbard


"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind.
It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity
of man."

- Mohandas K. Gandhi


"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere."

- Martin Luther King Jr.


"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it."

- Francois Marie de Voltaire


"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness."

- US Declaration of Independence written primarily by Thomas
Jefferson

Come December 10, it'd mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but such values seem to skip the minds of governments not fully implementing the UDHR