Khairy: Court decision doesn't absolve Bersih

(Malaysiakini) Although the Kuala Lumpur High Court has declared that the Bersih coalition is not an illegal organisation, it does not absolve them of what transpired during its rallies, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

“Although it has been decided that Bersih is a legal organisation, that does not mean the actions of those at the Bersih rally are legal,” he told reporters today.

As an example, he pointed out that protesters had stormed police roadblocks during the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.

He said if any laws were broken such as the Peaceful Assembly Act or court orders, then those responsible must be brought to justice.
Khairy was speaking to reporters after breaking fast with the media at the BN Youth Volunteers headquarters in Bangsar Baru today when he was asked to comment on the court verdict.

In the verdict this morning, Justice Rohaya Yusof ruled that the Bersih coalition is not an ‘illegal organisation’ as declared by Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, but instead found that the minister’s declaration was ‘tainted with irrationality’.

Khairy, who is also the Rembau MP and had led a counter-rally against the Bersih 2.0 rally last year, also said that he respected the court decision and it shows that it is free from government interference.

“This is our judicial system today; it is free (from unwarranted influence). It’s just that when the ruling is in favour of pro-opposition parties, they would never acknowledge that it is free.

“They would always say that the judicial system is not free and other things, but today the ruling is in their favour and they did not say anything,” he said. 

Thousands flee rioting in Indian state of Assam

(BBC) Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the Indian state of Assam following weekend

clashes that killed at least 17 people, police say.

The fighting was between indigenous tribespeople and Muslim settlers in the state's Kokrajhar district.

There have been tensions between indigenous groups and Muslim Bengali migrants to Assam for many years.

An official in Kokrajhar district said about 50,000 villagers had fled homes in riot-hit areas for relief camps.

He told the Reuters news agency that 37 camps had been set up to help displaced people and more would be opened if needed.

Police say that the clashes began when unidentified men killed four youths on Friday night in Kokrajhar district, an area dominated by the Bodo tribe.

They say that armed Bodos attacked Muslims in retaliation, suspecting them to be behind the killings.

Soon afterwards unidentified groups set houses, schools, and vehicles ablaze, police said, firing indiscriminately from automatic weapons in populated areas.

The violence is reported to have spread to other areas, including nearby Chirang district.

Police told the AP news agency that they had discovered some bodies with machete wounds that had been left in the jungle or along roadsides or river banks.

"The situation is tense and more security forces are [being] sent to far flung areas," Assam's Inspector General of police SN Singh told reporters.

Businesses, offices and schools were closed on Monday, and streets were deserted.

Young woman beaten for being a 'bad Muslim'

Police in the south of France have launched an investigation after a woman claimed she was beaten up by seven men in Viviez for attending a party during Ramadan.

The young woman, originally from Morocco, was driving home from the party on Friday night when two other cars trapped hers, newspaper Midi Libre reports.

The men are reported to have beaten her up before leaving without saying anything.

After they had left, the woman drove home. Shortly afterwards, she headed towards the local police station to report the attack.

On her way to the station, the seven men tracked her down again and assaulted her a second a time.

According to the woman, the men issued threats and said: “You are a bad Muslim”, and “you bring shame to Islam because you went to a party on a day of Ramadan.”

Nicola Hebden (news@thelocal.fr)

Don’t appeal court ruling, Bersih tells Putrajaya

Members of the police force guard the front gate of the Bersih 2.0 headquarters during the raid of the secretariat in PJ last year. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Bersih 2.0 has urged Putrajaya not to appeal today’s court ruling on its legal status and instead return all the materials it confiscated last year when the group was declared unlawful.

The 84-member electoral reforms group also asked that the government withdraw all civil suits against it in court, saying it was a waste of public funds.

“We recognise that the government has a right to appeal today’s decision but for the sake of our country, we sincerely ask them not to pursue with an appeal and to drop all the civil suits against us.

“Instead, we hope that the government will take cognisance of the political realities in our country and deal with Bersih 2.0 as a legitimate representative of the interests and demands of the people for free and fair elections,” the group said in a statement from its steering committee members here.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court decided today to quash Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s order last year and declare Bersih 2.0, a coalition of over 84 non-governmental organisations, a legal entity.

In her ruling, High Court judge Datuk Rohana Yusof had said the coalition of civil societies known as Bersih 2.0, though not officially registered, can be considered a society under the Societies Act.

“The minister’s order is quashed because Bersih is a lawful society,” Justice Rohana said.

Prominent lawyer and former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and 13 of her colleagues in Bersih’s steering committee had in July last year filed a judicial review seeking to get the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to lift its July 1, 2011 ban against the movement.

Hishammuddin had declared the movement unlawful, citing Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966 as investigations had shown that Bersih 2.0 was not a registered organisation and that it was creating unease among the people.

A widespread crackdown on its members and supporters ensued, resulting in the arrest of a whopping 1,600 people during and after the July 9 rally in the city.

Ten days before the rally, police officers had raided the Bersih 2.0 secretariat in Petaling Jaya, carting away with the group’s materials for the event.

“The authorities should now return Bersih 2.0’s assets and materials seized... ranging from computers, video cameras, yellow T-shirts, posters, placards, pictures and a members’ list,” the polls watchdog said today.

Bersih 2.0 held another rally on April 28 this year, coining it “Bersih 3.0”, and is currently being sued by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall for some RM351,000 in damages.

The government’s statement of claim lists 15 vehicles, mostly belonging to the police, that had to be repaired at a cost of RM122,000.

The government also wants general damages, interest and a declaration that Bersih breached Section 6(2)(g) of the newly-passed Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.

Ambiga has countersued the government for allegedly violating her constitutional rights over the April 28 rally, saying the Najib administration had abused its power by ordering the police and DBKL to block the event from taking place at Dataran Merdeka.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said when tabling the new Act in Parliament last year that it would be “revolutionary” and allow Malaysians to participate in public gatherings “in accordance with international norms.”

Pengundi Cina, India berpaling tadah

Mereka mendakwa kerajaan negeri hanya mahukan pengundi Melayu sahaja.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat khususnya PAS kini menghadapi masalah untuk mengekalkan sokongan pengundi kaum Cina dan India menjelang pilihan raya umum ke 13.

Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP) mendakwa pengundi bukan Melayu itu sudah mula menjauhkan diri dari PAS negeri itu.

“Mereka mendakwa kerajaan negeri Kedah lemah dan tidak berwawasan. Kerajaan negeri Kedah hanya mahukan pengundi Melayu sahaja.

“…tetapi Pakatan Rakyat tidak mahu pengundi bukan Melayu,” kata seorang pemimpin kelab penyokong itu yang tidak mahu dikenali.

`Tidak sedar’

Beliau menambah, pengundi bukan Melayu di Kedah telah membuat keputusan iaitu mereka akan mengundi Pakatan Rakyat untuk kerusi Parlimen dan BN untuk kerusi DUN.

Menurutnya, Pakatan Rakyat akan menghadapi kesukaran mempertahankan kerajaan negeri Kedah jika pengundi bukan Melayu berpaling tadah.

Katanya, semakin ramai pengundi Cina khususnya melahirkan perasaan tidak senang dengan kerajaan PAS Kedah.

“Kerajaan negeri mungkin tidak sedar dengan perubahan sikap penyokong Cina dan India ini. Jika dibiarkan berterusan, jumlah penyokong mereka jauh lebih kecil berbanding pilihan raya 2008,” katanya lagi.

Bagaimanapun, pemimpin itu menjelaskan, orang Cina dan India di tiga lagi negeri Pakatan Rakyat iaitu Kelantan, Pulau Pinang dan Selangor masih menyokong pakatan itu.

Katanya, begitu juga di Perak, pengundi bukan Melayu masih menyokong Pakatan Rakyat dengan majoriti orang Melayu akan mengundi PAS.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/07/24/pengundi-cina-india-berpaling-tadah/#ixzz21ZCNP1u2

Hishammuddin wajar minta maaf

AIC percaya NGO serta jutaan rakyat juga menunggu mereka bersikap positif serta menerima keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi itu dan bertindak profesional.

PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim Club (AIC) meminta Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein serta kerajaan meminta maaf atas kesilapan pengisytiharan Bersih 2.0 sebagai haram.

Presiden AIC Malaysia, Saifuddin Shafi Muhammad berkata, Hishammuddin perlu berbuat demikian kerana tindakan ganas serta tidak masuk akal terhadap pertubuhan, peserta dan rakyat yang menyokong Bersih 2.0 termasuk mereka yang menyertainya.

“Umum mengetahui bagaimana Kementerian Dalam Negeri yang diketuai oleh Hishammuddin telah bertindak melabel Bersih 2 sebagai pengkhianat negara, merampas t-shirt Bersih 2.0 serta tindakan-tindakan di luar standard operasi biasa, sebelum dan semasa Perhimpunan Bersih 2.0”.

“Justeru tidak ada alasan lebih konkrit serta ruang untuk berdolak-dalik atas ketidak upayaan Hishammuddin yang bukan sahaja gagal menangani tuntutan rakyat dengan baik, malah bertindak sebaliknya dengan mentakrifkan pertubuhan Bersih 2.0 sebagai haram serta melabel jutaan rakyat yang mendukung tuntutan itu dengan pelbagai istilah negatif,”katanya dalam kenyataan media hari ini.

`Mengotakan Janji Ditepati’

Saifuddin Shafi berkata, AIC percaya NGO serta jutaan rakyat juga menunggu mereka bersikap positif serta menerima keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi itu dan bertindak profesional.

“Tidak perlulah menyemarakkan permusuhan dengan rakyat yang jelas telah lebih matang dan berani untuk menyatakan ketidak puasan hati mereka terhadap sebarang bentuk penindasan.

“Mungkin inilah juga peluang terbaik kerajaan Barisan Nasional dan Hishammuddin untuk mengotakan slogan Janji Ditepati , dengan mengangkat aspirasi rakyat kembali kepada tempatnya”.

Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini membatalkan pengisytiharan Hishammuddin pada 1 Julai 2011 bahawa Bersih adalah haram dan menyalahi undang-undang.

Hakim Rohana Yusof ketika membaca keputusannya berkata Bersih telah berjaya membuktikan kes dalam mencabar pengisytiharan kerajaan bahawa ia sebuah pertubuhan yang menyalahi undang-undang.

Beliau juga memutuskan perisytiharan Menteri Dalam Negeri sebagai tercemar.

Pada 1 Julai 2011, Hishammuddin dan Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) telah mengisytiharkan gabungan itu sebagai haram, sejurus sebelum perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai 2011.

Jawatankuasa pemandu Bersih yang diketuai oleh Datuk S Ambiga telah menamakan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Ketua Polis Negara dan Kerajaan Malaysia sebagai responden.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/07/24/hishammuddin-wajar-memohon-maaf/#ixzz21ZC597wM

Ex-estate worker: MP ‘talking nonsense’

A former Bukit Raja estate worker claims that the Subang MP Sivarasa's explanation over the land issue is an an attempt to divert attention.

PETALING JAYA: A former Bukit Raja estate worker has dismissed the explanation by Subang MP R Sivarasa over a land issue.

P Mathiakalan accused the PKR leader of diverting from the real issue, which was the size of the land allocated to the ex-estate workers.

“He is talking nonsense, his statement is inaccurate. Why he is raising about the house value? It is not relevant at all,” he said.

“It is utter rubbish. First they said the 15 acres do not exist. When we showed solid evidence now they diverted the issue from the land to the house value. So who is the liar?” he asked.

Mathiakalan also said the former Bukit Raja estate workers were not squatters but plantation workers and therefore deserved landed properties.

Yesterday, Mathiakalan had accused Sivarasa and Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar of cheating the former estate workers of their land.

However, Sivarasa later claimed that the issue was not about whether plantation giant Sime Darby had issued 15 acres of land.

“The issue of the 15 acres of land does not arise and in fact, never did,” he said, adding that the allegation was raised by a small group of ex-workers for “reasons known only to them”.

Sivarasa also stated that the workers knew clearly in 2009 what they were being offered when inking the sales and purchase agreement, which was explained via a letter in Tamil.

However, Mathiakalan said: “Our concern is very simple. The land was given to us. So, give back our land (the 15 acres).”

He also criticised Sivarasa for claiming that only a small group of ex-workers raised the issue.

“It is not true at all. All the ex-plantation workers are keen to know about the status of the land,” he said, adding that he would arrange for them to meet the press soon.

Asked about the sales and purchase agreement, Mathialakan admitted that he signed the document in 2009.

“We were told to sign the document in order to get bank loans,” he said, adding that the agreement expired in 2011.

He added that the developer Sanu Murni Sdn Bhd failed to meet the 2011 deadline to complete the construction of the houses.

Mathialakan also dismissed the claim that the ex-plantation workers were being backed by Barisan Nasional leaders to run down their political rivals.

“Since 1988 we have not been aligned to any political party. That is the reason we hired Sivarasa as our lawyer,” he said.

“We are just poor plantation workers battling for our rights,” he added.

Mathiakalan also called on the National Indian Advancement Team (NIAT) and the Return Effingham Land Action Team (REFlax) to help the ex-workers get back the land.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/07/24/ex-estate-worker-mp-talking-nonsense/#ixzz21ZBbm3ru

Cheaper cars under Pakatan

Rafizi says the coalition will phase out excise duties on cars if it gets to Putrajaya.
FULL REPORT

PETALING JAYA: Cars prices will go down if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the federal government, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said today.

Pakatan would review the National Automative Policy (NAP) towards reducing the market price of cars, he told a press conference at PKR headquarters here.

“We will work on a mechanism for this and include it in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto for the general election,” he said.

High taxation is the reason why cars are so expensive in Malaysia. Currently, according to Rafizi, Malaysians pay 70% in taxes when they buy locally-made cars of below 1,500cc.

“Buyers end up paying almost RM16,500 in excise duties and sales tax for a car worth RM40,000,” he said.

“On top of that, car owners also pay about 4% in interest for the loan.”

According to his estimation, a typical car owner in Malaysia pays nearly RM600 a month towards settling his car loan. Toll charges and the cost of petrol would take up another RM400 of his monthly income.

Rafizi said Pakatan would phase out excise duties on cars to reduce household debt and increase disposable income.

“Even a novice will understand that the impact of increasing disposable income is something like increasing their pay. It’s easier to achieve than having projects under the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) as the latter depends on external factors.”

High car instalments


Citing the Statistics Department’s Household and Basic Amenities Survey Report 2009, he said 53% of Malaysian households earn less than RM3,000 a month.

“The report also shows that 71.9% of Malaysians own a car,” he said.

“High car instalments have become one of the reasons Malaysians are burdened with huge debt.”

As of May 2012, car loans repayment ranked second highest in household debt, standing at a staggering RM134 billion, he added.

“Car ownership has become a necessity to Malaysians due to the government’s lackadaisical attitude in improving the public transport system,” said Rafizi.

He conceded that BN leaders would accuse Pakatan of introducing populist policies.

“They will accuse us of being populist, but a few months later, they will copy our policy. Let’s see how they will reduce car prices,” he said.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/07/24/paying-a-high-price-for-locally-made-cars/#ixzz21ZBFQJCY

‘JI And Reds Claims Meant to Distract From Crime Issues’

The allegation by the Special Branch that communists and Jemaah Islamiah (JI) have infiltrated Pakatan Rakyat is merely a distraction from Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s failure to tackle crime, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar says.

“These statements are meant to divert attention from the home minister’s track record, for he has failed to tackle the rising crime rate.

“I urge that he performs his duties properly and not hurl such accusations in bad faith at the opposition,” Nurul Izzah told a press conference today.

She said the people should evaluate the minister’s track record, whom she said had released some 1,000 ‘hard core criminals’ held under the Emergency Ordinance and were later accused of contributing to a spike in the crime rate.

In the meantime, she said, Hishammuddin had mocked Internal Security Act detainees by saying that he would rather have lamb chops while they held a hunger strike.

‘Move to villify Pakatan Rakyat’

At the same press conference, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok accused Hishammuddin of using the police to make the communists-terrorists allegation in order to vilify Pakatan Rakyat.

“Hishammuddin used Special Branch officers to claim that communists and Jemaah Islamiah had infiltrated Pakatan Rakyat. After using the officer, he continued with the same statement.

“This gives the impression that he has ran out of political capital and has to revive old issues,” Kok said at the joint press conference of secretaries-general from Pakatan Rakyat parties.

Last Thursday, Special Branch’s E2 (M) national social extremist threat division assistant director Mohd Sofian Md Makinuddin claimed that the opposition parties were infiltrated by terrorists who wanted to become candidates in the next general election.

Hishamuddin later said that the infiltration has not yet become a national security issue and that action would be taken if it posed a threat.

Pakatan Rakyat has vehemently denied the allegation and challenged the police to name the infiltrators. The police have not responded.

Hanya BN yang mampu mencetuskan kekecuhan jika kalah PRU — Aspan Alias

24 JULAI — Selalu saya terfikir yang negara perlu memulakan “facet” yang baru dalam politiknya kerana dengan isu perkauman yang sedang digendang oleh pihak pemerintah sekarang ini amat merbahaya untuk kestabilan dan keselamatan negara. Pihak BN tidak mahu menerima hakikat dan semangat demokrasi dan kekalahan dalam pilihanraya merupakan satu perkara yang mereka tidak dapat hendak terima sedangkan itu lah perkara yang biasa yang berlaku di dalam mana-mana negara demokrasi.

Nampaknya cita-cita negara untuk mendapatkan sebuah negara yang mencapai “national unity” tidak mungkin tercapai sampai bila-bila selagi BN masih memainkan isu perkauman yang terlalu besar. Isu perkauman ini tidak akan dapat diselesaikan sampai bila-bila kerana itu pun isu yang digunakan oleh pihak BN terutamanya Umno untuk meneruskan cengkaman terhadap pemikiran rakyat kerana tamakkan kuasa.

Umno tidak mahu menerima hakikat bahawa untuk memperbaiki diri, mereka harus dan wajib menerima yang mereka juga mesti melalui zaman dan waktu sebagai pembangkang. Umno harus menerima yang waktu duduk di kerusi pembangkang itu merupakan waktu yang terbaik untuk memperbaiki diri.

Perasaan saya begitu mendidih apabila pimpinan Umno membuat andaian yang negara akan menghadapi zaman kekecuhan jika PR memerintah. Saya tidak tahu bagaimana hendak mendapatkan rasional nya terhadap andaian itu. Pihak pembangkang khususnya DAP tidak pernah membuat andaian yang merbahaya ini tetapi hanya Umno sahaja yang membuat andaian ini semata-mata untuk menakut-nakutkan orang ramai dan memberikan sokongan terhadap parti yang sudah memerintah selama lebih lima dekad itu.

Sebenarnya pihak pembangkang telah menerima kekalahan setiap pilihanraya dan tidak pernah membuat kekacauan. Kita telah mengadakan pilihanraya sebanyak 12 kali dalam sejarah negara merdeka kita. Mengingatkan peristiwa 13 Mei itu merupakan kerja menakut-nakutkan rakyat untuk membuat pilihan secara bebas dan jika berlaku kekecuhan ia akan hanya dilakukan oleh pihak BN dan bukannya dari pihak PR.

Jangan mengungkit cerita lama tentang peristiwa berdarah itu kerana ramai di antara mereka yang membesarkan isu ini belum pun lahir lagi atau masih dalam buaian semasa itu yang di antara mereka sudah menjadi Menteri-Menteri Besar dan Menteri-Menteri dalam kerajaan sekarang. Contohnya Hishammuddin, Menteri Dalam Negeri kita yang tidak semenggah itu masih bermain dengan tali seluar lagi.

Pada tahun 1969 itu adalah pilihanraya yang berkeputusan seperti pilihanraya 2008 dalam mana BN atau pun Perikatan semasa itu hampir-hampir tidak dapat membentuk kerajaan. Di sini kita lihat kekecuhan hanya berlaku jika BN kalah atau hampir kalah kerana BN akan melakukan segala-gala perkara buruk untuk membawa negara kearah kekecuhan dan mengambil keadaan itu secara “expedient” untuk mengistiharkan dharurat seperti yang berlaku semasa itu.

Perayaan kemenangan parti Gerakan yang pertama kali menyertai pilihanraya sebagai pembangkang semasa itu di ambil kesempatan secara halus oleh pimpinan BN atau Perikatan semasa itu untuk mencetuskan situasi yang membolehkan dharurat di isyhtiharkan. Setakat itu sahaja yang saya mahu sebutkan untuk menafikan yang kekecuhan itu dilakukan oleh pembangkang. Bagi orang-orang lama ia tidak perlu disebut-sebut lagi kerana jika disebut ia seperti “menepuk air di dulang” seperti apa yang dikatakan oleh perbilangan kita orang Melayu.

Saya tidak berminat untuk membuat kenyataan yang sangat dibimbangi oleh semua pihak ini tetapi cukup sekadar menyatakan yang 13 Mei sengaja di cetuskan secara sistematik oleh pihak yang sedang hampir kalah dengan menggunakan perayaan dan perhimpunan kemenangan pilihanraya itu sebagai “immediate cause” kepada peristiwa berdarah itu.

Semasa itu perhimpunan dan perayaan kemenangan adalah bebas, tidak seperti sekarang. Pihak pembangkang tidak dapat mengadakan ceramah-ceramah semudah dahulu dengan adanya bermacam-macam akta yang digubal untuk kepentingan politik pihak pemerintah sahaja.

Oleh yang demikian kita harus berfikiran yang menyejukkan dan bukannya mempunyai pemikiran yang boleh memanaskan keadaan. Peristiwa 13 Mei itu membuktikan yang keadaan kekecuhan itu akan hanya berlaku jika pihak yang memerintah mengalami kekalahan atau hampir kepada kekalahan. Didalam pilihanraya-pilihanraya yang lain tidak ada kekecuhan kerana BN memang dalam angka yang memudahkan mereka meneruskan pembentukan kerajaan.

Dalam situasi sekarang BN merasakan kali ini merupakan kali yang terakhir mereka mendapat mandat, bukan kerana rakyat sengaja hendak menolak mereka tetapi terpaksa melakukan penolakan itu kerana Umno sudah tidak lagi menjadi parti yang bertanggungjawab terhadap kepentingan rakyat dan negara.

Oleh itu pihak Umno dan pimpinannya lah yang sepatutnya memujuk hati mereka sendiri supaya tidak melakukan kerja seperti pada tahun 1969 itu jika mereka mengalami kekalahan dalam PRU yang akan datang. Umno dan pimpinan patut memujuk hati dan jiwa masing-masing supaya menerima hakikat bahawa apa yang hidup akhirnya akan mati kerana segala makhluk bersifat baharu itu wajib menghadapi kematian. Begitu jugalah Umno, mesti menerima hakikat jika sampai waktu dikalahkan, terimalah dengan penuh ‘gentleman’.

BN tahu yang kali ini PAS, DAP dan PKR akan mendapat mandat (insyaallah) maka itulah sebabnya isu perkauman kembali subur dalam politik sekarang ini. Perlu di ingat dialam gabungan PR, tidak ada satu parti pun yang bersifat perkauman.

Rakyat tidak mahu lagi cerita-cerita perkauman seperti isu Melayu-Melayu yang didendangkan oleh Umno untuk mendapatkan sokongan, tetapi Melayu tidak kemana juga… asyik tertipu oleh retorik pimpinan bangsanya sendiri. Melayu tidak habis-habis tertipu sepanjang hayatnya.

Oleh itu saya impikan negara kita kembali bermula dipangkal jalan dengan cara yang baharu untuk mencapai matlamat yang satu, iaitu “perpaduan national”. Tidak ada seorang pun dalam kepimpinan hari ini boleh melakukannya kerana kesemua di antara mereka itu sudah hilang segala “plot” untuk mentadbir negara.

Kita perlu mencari agar timbul seorang Mandela dalam negara kita untuk membuat penyusunan kembali siasah dan politik negara untuk menjamin “perpaduan national” itu. Mereka yang perlu diberikan tanggungjawab itu ialah mereka-mereka yang berpengalaman luas yang “senior” untuk duduk dan berbincang bab masa depan negara.

Isu ini isu serius dan tidak boleh ditangguh-tanguhkan lagi. Kita hendak tinggalkan politik berpuak-puak yang tidak ada hadnya seperti sekarang ini kerana yang akan menerima celakanya adalah generasi kita yang akan datang. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Judge quashes Minister’s ruling that Bersih is illegal

A judge today quashed the Home Minister’s order ruling Bersih 2.0 an unlawful organisation. .

The conduct of the respondent (government) after declaring Bersih illegal is not consistent with one that thinks Bersih is a threat to national security, said the Judge.

The judge said the Home Minister’s decision was irrational because after saying Bersih is a threat, the Home Minister and his officials then met Bersih officials, thus giving Bersih recognition. It was a decision that no reasonable decision-maker could have made.

Well, there you go! Bersih is not an unlawful organisation and all the nonsense about it being illegal has been exposed for what it is.

But of course, we wait for round 2: see if the government appeals.