Shattered plaque, broken democracy - Photos by Kinta Kid
Sanizar with his family: “Tak baik lah macam ini.”
The Pakatan team pledging to uphold democracy
The plaque at the Democracy Tree has been vandalised.
Why are we not surprised? In fact, many of you had predicted that some form of vandalism would occur at this site. And so it came to pass…
In a way, the shattering of the three sides of the plaque is a sad metaphor for the state of our broken democracy.
Thank God that the tree itself is safe - for now.
Kinta Kid reports from Ipoh:
It was bound to happen.
And it had to happen on Friday the 13th… It probably happened around 1.00am as a resident living by the side of the tree heard dogs barking at that time.
Kula mentioned that “we expected this to happen but not this fast”.
The chronology so far
March 2009
3 - An historic under-the-tree assembly is held because the assembly members were “locked out” of the house.
8 - A plaque is erected to inaugurate the tree as “ Democracy Tree”
13 - The plaque is vandalised - within five days.
These are some of the immediate reactions from the regular stream of visitors who had come to take a photograph with the tree:
Pak Chik Lup (left), the Ketua Kampung of Kg Sayong Hulu in Kuala Kangsar, remarked, “Vandalising this monument reflects poorly on our society.”
Encik Mashar from Taman Chandan Putri, Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar, whose car was in the workshop, had taken a taxi to come and see the tree. “Memang kesal lah (It is most regrettable),” he said.
An American couple from California, David and his wife, who are now residing in KL and happened to be in Ipoh for the food, said, “We heard about it so we came to look-see.”
Encik Sanizar had returned home from Kota Kinabalu and brought his family along to take a photograph: “Tak baik lah macam ni.”
Another remark overhead: “Kerana demokrasi batu jadi mangsa.”
So what’s next? Nga stated that a new multi-lingual plaque would be erected as the tree is “a symbol of democracy”. They would solicit donations from the public.
Masha from Bukit Chandan, who arrived in a taxi, gazes at the broken plaque
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