Hidup Rakyat! Mansuhkan ISA! Mampoi BN!

By Harris Ibrahim,

Malaysianinsider reports that, following upon the anti-ISA rally on Saturday, Minister Nazri Aziz said that ‘As long as Barisan Nasional is leading the government, the ISA will not be abolished’.

Well, Nazri, some 5,000 of those who rallied and who were able to make their way to the PAS headquarters at Jalan Raja Laut had this to say to you and your colleagues :

Hidup Rakyat! Mansuhkan ISA! Mampoi BN!

Again and again they chanted this, even as the call came from the Pakatan leaders assembled just outside the PAS HQ for the rally participants to disperse.

Hidup Rakyat! Mansuhkan ISA! Mampoi BN!

And if you think this was a PAS crowd, Nazri, I’d urge you to take a closer look at the photos here and the numerous other blogs that are carrying the news of yesterday’s people power gathering.

Yes, Nazri, as long as BN is in government!

Get your boss to call for a fresh general election a month from now if you dare!

_________________________________________________

Nanda was going to take up an initial position at the Masjid Jamek station whlist several others and I were going to head to Sogo.

At 9.51am yesterday, got the following sms from Nanda : Cops assembled in the parking lot in front of central market

Nanda sent the following sms at 10.08am : Road in front of bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad blocked. SBs around with video cameras.Spotted some PAS people.

At 10.14am, Nanda sent the following : Cops n SB around asjid Jamek area. Spotted at least 1 truck.

Lil Hummingbird alerted me of the following at 10.18am : Heli flying overhead @ sogo

Nanda sms’d again at 10.58am : Arrest at Masjid Jamek. A guy. Cops asked him to open his bag n found t-shirts. I think its unit amal t-shirts

Lil Hummingbird sent this sms at 11.59am : People being arrested near sogo

At 1.23pm, Nanda sent the following : Pasar Seni more arrests. Masjid Jamek effectively dispersed I would say

Nanda sent this at 1.29pm : Reporters are saying they’ll also be moving to Sogo shortly. Masjid Jamek effectively shut down id say

Lil Hummingbird sent this sms at 1.38pm : Checking ID n contents of bags for related materials n arresting at Nat Mosque

This sms from Nanda at 1.39pm : Cops standing by in front of Masjid Jamek waiting for people to come out after prayers

Angel, Danny, Teh and I arrived at Sogo at almost 1.45pm. This is the state that we found awaiting us.

The first hint of things to come

The early croowd at Sogo

Nanda sent in this sms at 1.57pm : They charged they beat up they arrest. Tear gas fired

I called Norlaila of GMI, who I was to meet at Sogo. She told me that she had been arrested and was being held in a FRU truck in Cheras.

Not good.

Then a sudden flurry of activity on the side of Sogo where the side road linked to Raja Laut at the back.

This group of ladies started to make a beeline for somewhere

It only dawned on some of us later that this move by this group of ladies might have been intended to draw away attention to what was to be the first push by many of those at Sogo to begin the march to the Istana.

The rally, for those at Sogo, it seemed, had started.

People starting to mve down Jalan TAR

The cops quickly moved in.

The first move to get to the palace was brought to a halt.

The rakyat's surge forward halted

For a while, confusion seemed to set in.

Then, suddenly, without any sound of gun fire, tear gas filled the stretch of Jalan TAR where we were.

Danny later said he suspected that this tergassing was probably done by a plant. Plausible.

Doesn’t matter how may times you’ve been hit by tear gas, you just never get used to it.

Your throat singes, and your eyes burn.

Ordinary folk started to share rock salt and water with the many who, it seems, came unprepared.

Najib, if you chance to read this, this is our version of 1Malaysia, something you and your cabinet will probably never, ever understand.

Then the brute force kicked in.

And then arrests.

And just as some of us started to feel as if, like Masjid Jamek, the crowd at Sogo, too, had been beaten by the cops, a second push to get to the istana took off.

Allah Akhbar rings through the air!

Strangely, though, upon reaching Coliseum, they stopped and, after a while, started back in the direction of Sogo.

Baffled, I asked a pakcik why. He replied that someone in the crowd had given instructions to do so.

My immediate concern was whether this was the work of a plant.

I needn’t have worried.

As this group headed back in the direction of Sogo, another large group, seemingly appearing from nowhere, and also starting from Coliseum, also started to move in the direction of Sogo.

At some point, the two groups merged.

And from this merged group, leadership emerged.

YB Nasir Hashim leads the charge

Lil hummingbird sent this in at 2.18pm : Anil reports big time confusion for police now. Thousands instead of moving to Istana r now face to face with police at Jln TAR

The crowd continued in the direction of Sogo.

What was going on? Wasn’t the istana the destination?

Word slowly filtered back.

Destination ‘Istana’ aborted.

The crowd had now reached the junction of Jalan TAR - Jalan Dang Wangi. Unit Amal proved once again to be invaluable in controlling the crowd

The crowd now negotiated into that part of Jalan Dang Wangi that leads into Jalan Raja Laut, whilst the police there could only watch helplessly.

The crowd was now feted to fiery speeches and were told that the rally would not be proceeding to the istana.

YB Salahuddin Ayub

...followed by GMI's Syed Ibrahim

...and lastly YB Tian Chua

It was now about 2.30pm.

Amal unit boys readied the crowd to turn into Raja Laut in the direction of Dataran Merdeka.

to face sheer brute force.

Without any prior warning to disperse, they went to work.

The chemical-laced water cannons were the first despatched out

Even if you were not hit by the water, the remnants on the road emitted a nauseating odour

Then it was time to unleash the teargas.

Volley after volley was fired in the direction of the crowd

The crowd dispersed.

At 2.42pm, a commentator to this blog sms’d me : This is historic. Bersih’s not the record any more

I caught up with Danny. We’d heard that the order was out to arrest the Unit Amal boys.

We saw it first hand as we headed back to Sogo.

Arrested in Sogo

Also arrested in Sogo

At 3.05pm Nanda sms’d this : In front of pejabat Agung PAS

Nanda again at 3.07pm : Anwar on his way.Road is blocked, bus also stuck

Danny and I caught up with Angel on Jalan TAR and decided to head out to the PAS HQ.

Nanda at 3.24 : Anwar, Hadi etc juz arived in front of PAS HQ

We reached the HQ about 3.30pm, just in time to catch the tailend of DSAI’s speech.

Lil Hummingbird sent this in at 3.25pm : Sivarasa just arrested at Sogo

____________________________________________

My estimate of the crowd at Sogo : 10,000 – 15,000

However, it was not so much the size of the crowd that got to me.

Firstly, the number of youth who turned up and were passionate about the issue. This was encouraging.

And contrary to what I had expected, this was not a predominantly PAS crowd. It was a good mix.

I spoke to some of the youth in the crowd.

This was one Malay youth’s response, which typified the views of the others I spoke to.

“Tak boleh buat tak tahu lagilah, bang. Kerajaan zalim. BN dah tak boleh caya, dah”.

This was a response from a young Chinese lady.

“If we don’t want the ISA, we have to fight, lah. Who else is going to fight for us?”.

There is hope yet for our nation.

Najib, call for fresh general elections next month if you dare!

Malaysian Arrests Put in Question Vow of Rights

By THOMAS FULLER
Published: August 2, 2009
New York Times / International Herald Tribune

BANGKOK — Soon after coming to power four months ago, Najib Razak, the Malaysian prime minister, vowed to temper the country’s repressive laws and respect civil liberties though they have often been ignored.

But Malaysia’s honeymoon of liberalism hit the rocks over the weekend, when the police broke up a large rally in Kuala Lumpur, arresting nearly 600 people and reaffirming the governing party’s longstanding policy of zero tolerance toward street protests.

Opposition parties, which organized the rally, were calling for the repeal of a law that allows the government to jail its critics indefinitely without charge. The opposition is also pressing the government to expand an inquiry into the recent death under mysterious circumstances of a political aide after a late-night interrogation by anticorruption officials.

News services estimated that the rally on Saturday, which was broken up by thousands of police officers using tear gas and water cannons, drew about 20,000 protesters, making it the largest demonstration in two years.

“We can provide them stadiums where they can shout themselves hoarse till dawn, but don’t cause disturbance in the streets,” Mr. Najib said Sunday, according to the Malaysian news media.

Since taking office in April, Mr. Najib has gained favor with investors and businesspeople by partly dismantling a system of racial preferences that long caused resentment among the country’s minorities.

He also released 13 political detainees held without trial. An opinion poll conducted from June 19 to July 1 showed 65 percent of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with his performance. The poll, by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, surveyed 1,060 voters.

More recently, Mr. Najib’s government has been criticized as reverting to the authoritarian tactics of previous administrations.

A former health minister and stalwart of the governing coalition, Chua Jui Meng, defected to the opposition in July, saying that Mr. Najib represented an “iron fist behind the velvet glove.”

Lim Kit Siang, a prominent opposition politician, said in a blog entry on Sunday that the large number of people detained “underlines” that the “greatest violators of human rights are often the police and the law enforcement agencies.”

The death of the political aide, Teoh Beng Hock, in July has galvanized opposition parties and caused widespread outrage, especially among the minority Chinese.

Mr. Teoh, a legislative aide in the opposition-controlled state of Selangor, was found dead beneath the 14th-story window of the offices of the country’s anticorruption commission after a nightlong interrogation. A pathologist’s report said he died of internal injuries from a fall.

A government minister initially said Mr. Teoh, 30, committed suicide, but his belt and back pockets were torn, adding to speculation that he might have been forced out the window.

After initial resistance, the government bowed to public pressure and ordered an inquiry into Mr. Teoh’s death as well as the interrogation tactics of the anticorruption officers.

Deaths in police custody have increased in recent years, according to Suaram, a human rights group. According to the Malaysian Home Ministry, 1,535 people died in police custody between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which data is available.

———-

Malaysia criticised over protest crackdown
(AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s government faced criticism Sunday for arresting hundreds of people and using tear gas and water cannon to break up a protest against laws that allow detention without trial.

More than 60 of the 589 people detained in Saturday’s protest, which saw at least 15,000 people massing in chaotic scenes in downtown Kuala Lumpur, were still in custody Sunday according to media reports and lawyers.

“I experienced first-hand the indiscriminate police use of tear gas and its corrosive effects,” said Lim Kit Siang, a veteran opposition lawmaker who took part in the protest.

He condemned Prime Minister Najib Razak over the heavy-handed police response, which saw 5,000 officers, including riot squad members, play a cat-and-mouse game with protesters through city streets.

“Is this an indication that the Najib premiership is going to be the most draconian of all prime ministers since independence in 1957?” he asked.

Najib had criticised the protest plans before the demonstration, saying that he had already promised to review the controversial legislation after taking office in April.

On Sunday he defended the police action, saying they had a duty to preserve security.

“Street demonstrations should not continue and the authorities can take action,” he was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who is charge of the police force, reportedly said the Internal Security Act (ISA) could be amended as soon as the next parliament session.

But the opposition and rights groups are calling for the colonial-era ISA — which has been used to detain government opponents as well as suspected terrorists — to be abolished.

Latifah Koya, a lawyer for the arrested protestors, said police were continuing to hold senior opposition lawmaker R. Sivarasa, as well as the wife and son of an ISA detainee. Two other children were also in custody.

“We totally condemn the police action. People who merely wore tee shirts with an anti-ISA logo were also arrested. We demand their immediate release,” she told AFP.

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that the results of 2008 elections, which saw a major swing away from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, showed Malaysians were demanding greater freedoms.

“The people want change. If the Barisan Nasional wants to remain in power they have to listen to the people who desire liberty and respect for individual rights,” he said.

“They took to the streets because the government has not provided an alternate platform to engage the people,” he said.

Khoo said the coalition, which has struggled to claw back support since the landmark 2008 polls, faced defeat at the next general elections if it failed to introduce democratic reforms.

Uncertainty grips Kg Buah Pala (updates) - Anil Netto

1142: About a hundred demonstrators from Hindraf, MIC and PSM are at Komtar now. They have just handed over a memo for the chief minister.

1050: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has just announced that if demolition proceeds, there is nothing more to talk about: the state government will not give the green light for the project. This is the stand of the Penang state government, a source in Komtar informs me.

1020: Meanwhile, talks between the developer and the state government are believed to be ongoing. The state government now has the added difficulty of dealing with the hardline stance adopted by the Penang Government Officers Cooperative. But it is unlikely that the demolition team will be coming in today, predicts a source.

1012: About 200 people are still in the village. Some of them appear to be heading to Komtar, according to an eye-witness at the scene.

0830: Between 100 and 200 activists and supporters have gathered in the village, as residents wake up to an uncertain future. Most of the crowd appear to be from Hindraf, PSM and MIC.

Police patrol cars have been cruising around. The situation appears to be calm.

One eye-witness says the demolition team may not even turn up today. They could come tomorrow or days later, when the crowd, some of whom are from out of town, dwindles.

Folks, keep praying for a peaceful and just resolution.

read more:- http://anilnetto.com

Why do Malaysians march?

The Sun
by Yeo Yang Poh

WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?

One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?

Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them.

Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.

Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful.

Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears.

Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented. Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse.

The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness. Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march.

And now you ask, why march?

Because you gave non-marchers a false name! You called them the “silent majority”, who by virtue of their silence (so you proudly argued with twisted logic) were supporters of government policies since they were not vocal in raising objections. You claimed to be protecting the interest of the “silent majority”. Now some of them do not want to be silent anymore, and you are asking why?

Yes, because double standards and hypocrisy cannot be covered up or explained away forever; and incompetence cannot be indefinitely propped up by depleting resources.

Because cronyism can only take care of a few people, and the rest will eventually wake up to realise the repeated lies that things were done in certain ways purportedly “for their benefit”.

Because the race card, cleverly played for such a long time, is beginning to be seen for what it really is – a despicable tool to divide the rakyat for easier political manipulation.

Because it does not take much to figure out that there is no good reason why Malaysia, a country with abundant human resources and rich natural resources, does not have a standard of living many times higher than that of Singapore, an island state with no natural resources and that has to import human resources from Malaysia and elsewhere.

Because, in general, countries that do not persecute marchers are prosperous or are improving from their previous state of affairs, and those that do are declining.

Because Gandhi marched, Mandela marched, Martin Luther King marched, and Tunku Abdul Rahman marched.

Because more and more people realise that peaceful assemblies are no threat at all to the security of the nation, although they are a threat to the security of tenure of the ruling elite.

Because politicians do not mean it when they say with a straight face or a smile that they are the servants and that the people are the masters. No servant would treat his master with tear gas, batons and handcuffs.

Because if the marchers in history had been stopped in their tracks, places like India, Malaysia and many others would still be colonies today, apartheid would still be thriving in South Africa, Nelson Mandela would still be scribbling on the walls of Cell 5, and Obama would probably be a slave somewhere in Mississippi plotting to make his next midnight dash for the river.

And because liberty, freedom and dignity are not free vouchers posted out to each household.

They do not come to those who just sit and wait. They have to be fought for, and gained.

And if you still want to ask: why march; I can go on and on until the last tree is felled. But I shall
obviously not.

I will end with the following lines from one of the songs sung in the 1960s by civil rights marchers in the US, without whom Obama would not be able to even sit with the whites in a bus, let alone reside in the White House:

“It isn’t nice to block the doorway
It isn’t nice to go to jail
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways have all failed
It isn’t nice; it isn’t nice
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice
But if that’s freedom’s price
We don’t mind ...”

Yeo Yang Poh is a former Bar Council president. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com.

Permatang Pasir PKR Wants Party To Contest By-Election

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Sunday there has been a request from the PKR leaders and members in the PAS-held Permatang Pasir state constituency for a PKR candidate to contest the upcoming by-election there.

He said he had advised the PKR leaders and members to accept any candidate from the Pakatan coalition to be fielded in the by-election, adding that the request was forwarded to him to be raised at the meeting of the Pakatan top leadership.

The Permatang Pasir seat fell vacant after three-term assemblyman Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman of PAS died of a heart ailment on Friday.

"Personally, I advised them (the PKR members) to let PAS contest the by-election based on the good performance of the late Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman and the cooperation PAS has extended to the Pakatan in Permatang Pasir," he told reporters when attending a wedding of a resident in Permatang Pauh, here.

Nevertheless, the view of the grassroots members would be raised at the meeting of the Pakatan top leadership, said Anwar, who is the member of parliament for Permatang Pauh.

Asked whether the result of the recent Manik Urai by-election in Kelantan, where PAS's majority of 1,352 votes was reduced to only 65, would have an effect on the constituents of Permatang Pasir, he said the situation in Manik Urai and the background of its constituents were different.

On the issue of Kampung Buah Pala residents in Penang facing eviction following the Federal Court's ruling in favour of the land owner, Anwar said he was satisfied with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's handling of the matter and that Lim and the state government should be given a chance to resolve the issue.

Anti ISA Rally '09: The FRU Strikes Back

Sivarasa to be charged tomorrow - Malaysiakini

PKR vice-president and Subang MP R Sivarasa is expected to be charged tomorrow pertaining to his participation in an anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Currently, a two-day remand order has been obtained against the lawyer.

Sivarasa's lawyer M Puravalen said his client is expected to be charged for allegedly inciting people in his speech made near the Sime Darby building along Jalan Raja Laut during the rally.

"But he was nowhere near the building," said the lawyer when met at the Bukit Jalil police station.

Puravelan also said he will file for a judicial review of the remand order because there is no reason for his client to be detained.

According to Bernama, 530 people of the 589 arrested yesterday have been released, while 69 are still being held.

Kuala Lumpur chief police officer Muhd Sabtu Osman said that those arrested yesterday were investigated under Section 43 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 27(5) of the Police Act for participating in allegedly illegal demonstration.

A candlelight vigil will be held tonight at 8pm to protest their continued detention.

Those still detained are being held at the Bukit Jalil police station to
await being remanded or released.

Gov't will provide suitable venues

Earlier today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said he will leave it to the police whether to take action against opposition leaders who were involved in yesterday's protests.

The prime minister said police had a duty to preserve peace and order, and did not want incidents like yesterday continue unabated.

"It is up to the authorities (whether to take action against the leaders involved). Street demonstrations should not continue and the authorities can take action," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Najib also said the government is prepared to provide suitable venues like stadiums for the people to hold peaceful gatherings instead of parading in the streets and inconveniencing others.

"We can provide them stadiums where they can shout themselves hoarse till dawn, but don't cause disturbance in the streets," he added.

Moment of truth for Kg Buah Pala (updates)

2000: The Penang Government Officers Cooperative is adamant that it wants to demolish the Kg Buah Pala houses tomorrow, reports the NST/Bernama here. “We are not cruel, but our decision to demolish the village still stands because the court has decided the land is ours,” the cooperative chairman Abdul Razak Mansor is quoted as saying.

This effectively throws a spanner in the ongoing talks between the state government and the developer, Nusmetro, to resolve the crisis, according to a source.

Meanwhile, villagers reportedly have taken a week off from work to protect their homes from demolition. They are also expecting many activists and sympathisers to turn up tomorrow to lend their support, reports theSun.

1500: The developer and state government leaders are believed to be holding round-the-clock talks to resolve this crisis, a source informs me. The talks, which could continue tomorrow, may be extended if they fail to come up with a solution.

1300: The villagers are now waiting for a detailed blueprint from the developer/state for them to evaluate the proposal that they could co-exist side-by-side with the condominium project, says Sugumaran, the chairperson of the residents committee.

The villagers are in the midst of a heritage festival in the village.

0058: Today is the the day – the deadline given for Kampung Buah Pala residents to vacate their land.

There’s still considerable uncertainty over what will happen tomorrow.

According to one activist, as late as yesterday, the villagers were still hoping for the state to intervene and save their land by acquiring it.

Today, the villagers will be holding Ponggal celebrations with mixed feelings.

They will probably issue a press statement as well.

And then, who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Umno-BN blames ISA rally on Pakatan, to charge Sivarasa on Monday

By Wong Choon Mei

Even as Pakatan Rakyat leaders slam the government for selective prosecution over the August 1 mammoth anti-ISA rally, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has ordered an investigation to determine if opposition politicians including PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah had “masterminded” the protest.

According to Bernama, Hishamuddin – who is the cousin of Prime Minister Najib Razak – said legal action would be taken against those found guilty of having breached the laws.

He also said protesters at the rally organised by the Abolish the ISA Movement or Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA adopted the same modus operandi used by the group protesting the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English earlier this year.

Najib’s administration has since controversially reverted the tecahing of the two key subjects to Bahasa Malaysia at national schools and mother-tongue at vernacular schools amid public calls to do so.

Likewise, Malaysians have been urging the repeal of the ISA or Internal Security Act, an oppressive law that has been frequently abused by the federal government to jail dissenters and political foes without trial for indefinite periods of time.

Growing public distrust for police, institutions

Meanwhile, 63 people out of the 589 arrested on Saturday are still under remand. This includes a 16-year old schoolboy Faizudin Hamzah and PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah, who is due to be charged in court on Monday.

“This is definitely selective prosecution,” said human rights lawyer and PKR communications director Jonson Chong.

Another Pakatan leader, PAS MP for Kuala Krai Hatta Ramli was beaten up even as he pleaded with the police not to use violence against the protesters. He was later released.

Meanwhile, Sivarasa’s lawyer M Puravalen said his client may be charged for allegedly inciting people during a speech made near the Sime Darby building along Jalan Raja Laut during the rally.

“But he was nowhere near the building,” said Puravalen.

Said P Ramakrishnan, president of human rights group Airan: “The BN does not want the rest of the nation to know how dissatisfied and disgusted the people are getting with the BN government, which is fast losing its credibility and moral authority to remain in power.

“It is a typical reaction from an authority that is not capable of debating and discussing this issue rationally and sensibly. It only knows the rough tactics of barbarity and brutality that are alien to good governance.”

Vengeful administration

PKR information chief Latheefa Koya is also expecting the worst for Sivarasa on Monday. A prominent lawyer, Sivarasa has long been a vocal critic of the Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and Attorney General Gani Patail.

He has been representing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in the latest sodomy conspiracy sprung by Najib’s administration and is also helping the reform icon sue Musa and Gani for fabricating evidence against him in an earlier case.

According to Latheefa, charges against Sivarasa could framed under the more serious Sedition Act rather than for participating in an illegal rally as earlier expected.

Police sources told her the decision to detain Sivarasa, who was expected to be released on Sunday, came directly from the police legal department at Bukit Aman, which means that the AG’s office is involved.

Last week, Pakatan leaders led the cream of Malaysian civil society in urging the King not to renew Musa’s contract. The top cop is due to retire in September but it is believed Najib wants to renew his term by another two years.

“Musa Hassan is wreaking personal vengeance against me and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders for the parliamentary round-table last week calling for a new IGP to create a safe Malaysia,” said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Guan Eng says cops should remand criminals and not juveniles

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The DAP today blamed IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan for “excessive, unwarranted and inhumane” police action in crushing yesterday’s anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) rally, and lashed out at the authorities for trying to “remand 13-year-old boys instead of criminals”.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to disassociate itself from Musa and the harsh police action.

Police used teargas and water cannon to disperse more than 20,000 protesters yesterday and arrested almost 600 people in the biggest demonstration in the country’s capital in almost two years.

The prime minister defended the action today and said that the police had a duty to preserve public order.

The protest could put further pressure on Datuk Seri Najib Razak whose popularity is under threat after the mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Images of riot police turning downtown Kuala Lumpur into a battlezone by chasing and beating unarmed demonstrators is not likely to do much good to a prime minister hoping to project an image of being a reformist.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders will be hoping to reclaim the reform agenda from Najib, who had managed to claw back some momentum for BN since he took office in April.

The DAP party boss gave his full backing today to yesterday’s protests, saluting the courage of more than 50,000 people who gathered peacefully in Kuala Lumpur to demand the abolition of the ISA which allows detention without trial and is abused as a political weapon against opponents of BN.”

The arrests of 589 people, he said, constitute a record for the largest number of arrests for one single event.

“DAP congratulates Gerakan Mansuh ISA(GMI) and its co-ordinator Syed Ibrahim Syed Nor, for successfully focusing world attention on ordinary Malaysians’ yearning for freedom, basic human rights and justice by demanding an immediate repeal of the ISA.

“The BN must take heed of the repugnance of the people towards ISA and that arresting more people would not deter or diminish the people’s cries to end such an unjust law.”

Lim also condemned the police and said: “Something is very wrong with our IGP when the police arrest and even remand 13 year old boys instead of criminals.”

“If BN is sincere about holding discussions on the ISA, then it must first agree to discuss with GMI and the opposition parties about abolishing the ISA.”

Hishamuddin: We are probing PR leaders’ role in anti-ISA rally

Hishamuddin with the party faithful in Muar today. They'd support any investigation of PR leaders. - Bernama pic

ALOR GAJAH, Aug 2 — The government is investigating the involvement of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders in the 'Abolish the ISA Movement's illegal rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the investigation to determine whether opposition leaders masterminded the rally was ongoing.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Masjid Tanah Umno meeting here today, Hishammuddin who is also Umno vice-president, said the investigation was normal procedure and legal action awaited those who violated the laws.

He was commenting on a statement by Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Wira

Mohammad Sabtu Osman yesterday, that the opposition's top leaders had addressed the demonstrators at the Pas headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur.

Among those being investigated were Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang.

Hishammuddin said the pro-ISA demonstrators, Majlis Pemuafakatan Ummah (Pewaris), were not excluded from police investigation.

About 10,000 demonstrators participated in the rally yesterday, calling for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA) yesterday. The police detained 589 people to facilitate investigations.

Hishammuddin said the modus operandi of the group protesting the implementation of the ISA was similar to the one protesting the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English policy.

Also present at the opening of the meeting was Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop, who is also Masjid Tanah Umno chief. — Bernama

Najib defends cops, calls mass rally an inconvenience

Protestors gassed and hounded all over the streets of KL yesterda. - Picture by Choo Choy May

By Leslie Lau- The Malaysian Insider

Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — As Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders demanded the immediate release of hundreds of anti-Internal Security Act activists, including a 16 year-old boy, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak defended police action and dismissed yesterday’s rally as a public inconvenience.

Police used teargas and water cannon to disperse more than 20,000 protesters yesterday and arrested almost 600 people in the biggest demonstration in the country’s capital in almost two years.

The prime minister said that the police had a duty to preserve public order.

The protest could put further pressure on Najib whose popularity is under threat after the mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Images of riot police turning downtown Kuala Lumpur into a battlezone by chasing and beating unarmed demonstrators will not do much good to a prime minister hoping to project an image of being a reformist.

Bernama quoted Najib as saying today that the government was prepared to provide suitable venues like stadiums for the people to hold peaceful gatherings instead of parading in the streets and inconveniencing others.

Sisters in unity... Female protestors locked in a police truck after being arrested yesterday. - Picture by Choo Choy May

“We can provide them stadiums where they can shout themselves hoarse till dawn, but don’t cause disturbance in the streets,” said Najib.

The prime minister did not however say if he backed the comments made by Law Minister Datuk Nazri Aziz who said yesterday that as long as Barisan Nasional (BN) remained in power the ISA would never be repealed.

Aside from having no permit to hold the rally, the authorities have so far also failed to explain why the police decided to use tear gas and fire water cannon on unarmed civilians including women and children.

Activists and opposition politicians have heavily criticised the police.

The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang suggested the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan should instead “play hardball with murderers, rapists, Ah Longs and gangsters but not with teenagers and peaceful, patriotic advocates for the abolition of ISA”.

“The four-day remand of 16-year-old Faizudin Hamzah who was arrested in yesterday’s anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) for four days is outrageous, deplorable and underlines the biggest human rights problem in Malaysia – that the greatest violators of human rights are often the police and the law enforcement agencies.

It is very clear from yesterday’s proceedings that it was the police and not the peaceful and patriotic advocates for abolition of ISA that provoked breaches of peace and created disorder, precipitated by the indiscriminate police firing of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannon on all and sundry.”

He said there could be no justification for the arrest and another four-day remand for Faizudin or the indiscriminate mass arrest of 589 persons including 44 women and 40 underaged persons in yesterday’s rally.

IGP Musa – play hardball with murderers, robbers, rapists, Ah Longs and gangsters but not with teenagers and peaceful, patriotic advocates for aboliti

The four-day remand of 16-year-old Faizudin Hamzah who was arrested in yesterday’s anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) for four days is outrageous, deplorable and underlines the biggest human rights problem in Malaysia – that the greatest violaters of human rights are often the police and the law enforcement agencies.

It is very clear from yesterday’s proceedings that it was the police and not the peaceful and patriotic advocates for abolition of ISA who provoked breaches of peace and created disorder, precipitated by the indiscriminate police firing of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannon on all and sundry.

The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan must be told in no uncertain terms by the Cabinet on Wednesday – play hardball with murderers, robbers, rapists, Ah Longs and gangsters but not with teenagers and peaceful, patriotic advocates for abolition of ISA.

Otherwise, the entire Cabinet must bear responsibility for the IGP playing hardball with teenagers and patriotic Malaysians who peacefully advocated removal of draconian laws like the ISA instead of with hard-core criminals.

There can be no justification for the arrest and another four-day remand for Faizudin Hamzah or the indiscriminate mass arrest of 589 persons including 44 women and 40 underaged in yesterday’s peaceful gathering in Kuala Lumpur of tens of thousands of Malaysians for the abolition of ISA.

The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should see to it that all those arrested, including all women and underaged, are released today or he would be failing in his duty as Police Minister.

Suhakam – the Human Rights Commission – should convene an emergency meeting to hold a public inquiry into the gross human rights abuses by IGP Musa in orchestrating the latest blot on the human rights record of the Malaysian police, with 5,000-police personnel mobilized against defenceless, peaceful and patriotic Malaysians who want a better, safer and more democratic Malaysia instead of being used to fight and arrest criminals to keep the streets, public places and the privacy of homes safe for Malaysians, tourists and investors.

The Suhakam Commissioners should not fail in their statutory duty to protect and promote human rights. They cannot remain mute and blind to the blatant and systematic police violation of human rights in the Kuala Lumpur streets yesterday – in the full sight of the world!

Apa Nak UMNO Galas Ke Permatang Pasir

Sheih Kickdefella,

Sewaktu isteri saya menghantar ubat kepada saya di lokap Dang Wangi lebih setahun lalu, isteri saya sempat berkata, “Mat Sabu telefon, dia kata bersabar,” kerana kami dipisahkan oleh dua pintu jeriji, isteri saya terpaksa berkata-kata dengan suara yang kuat, akibatnya satu lokap riuh rendah bila disebut nama Mat Sabu. Mungkin itu strategi isteri saya bagi memastikan saya mendapat penghormatan dari rakan-rakan selokap pada ketika itu.

Apabila Timbalan Presiden UMNO dan Ketua Penerangan UMNO dilaporkan berkata mereka mempunyai strategi untuk menang di dalam pilihanraya kecil yang bakal diadakan di Permatang Pasir, terpanggil saya untuk menyemak data-data pilihanraya Permatang Pasir.

Mana-mana Jeneral sekalipun tidak akan mendedahkan strateginya apalagi memaklumkan mereka mempunyai strategi melainkan hanya satu, mereka sebenar-benarnya tidak tahu apalagi yang mampu mereka lakukan dan hanya mampu bermain saraf sahaja.

Kebuntuan UMNO di Permatang Pasir tidak boleh dilindungi kerana data-data pilihanraya yang lalu amat jelas sekali.

DUN N11 Permatang Pasir berada di dalam Parlimen P044 Permatang Pauh merupakan kawasan tradisi Ketua Umum Pakatan Rakyat dan Ketua Pembangkang, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Sebelum pilihanraya umum 1999, prestasi PAS di Permatang Pasir amat hambar sekali dan ia boleh dilihat dari data dibawah,

• PRU 1986 – PAS perolehi 3,030 undi dan tewas dengan majoriti 3,056 undi.
• PRU 1990 – PAS perolehi 3,066 undi dan tewas dengan majoriti 4,272 undi.
• PRU 1995 menyaksikan pertembungan 3 penjuru bila calon DAP ditumpaskan oleh calon BN dengan majoriti 6,198 undi dan calon PAS corot dengan sekadar meraih 1,577 undi.

Tetapi itu sejarah lama, kerana sejarah ditulis semula di Permatang Pasir bila anak emas Permatang Pauh, Anwar Ibrahim dilucutkan jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, disingkirkan dari UMNO dan dihumban ke dalam Penjara.

Semenjak itu, Permatang Pasir adalah mimpi ngeri UMNO Pulau Pinang.

UMNO mempunyai 25 cawangan di dalam DUN Permatang Pasir dengan keahlian berjumlah 5,544 orang.

Didalam pilihanraya umum 1999, calon Barisan Nasional, iaitu penyandang ADUN Permatang Pasir dari UMNO ketika itu tewas dengan hanya berjaya memungut 38.8% undi. Allahyarham Mohd. Hamdan dari PAS menang dengan majoriti 3,194 undi.

Sewaktu UMNO BN menumpaskan PAS dihampir kesemua kerusi di Pantai Barat di dalam pilihanraya umum 2004, Allahyarham Hamdan terus berjaya mempertahankan kerusi Permatang Pasir dengan majoriti 679 undi.

Malang bagi UMNO, prestasi mereka dalam tahun 2004 adalah yang terbaik pasca Anwar disingkirkan UMNO dan prestasi terbaik mereka itu belum cukup menumpaskan calon PAS di negeri tumpah darah Perdana Menteri Abdullah Badawi yang ketika itu dikemuncak ‘feel good’ nya.

Jika dilihat dari sudut peratusan pula, pilihanraya umum 2008 BN hanya perolehi 32.2% undi sahaja dan ini adalah prestasi terburuk keseluruhan bagi UMNO di Permatang Pasir.

Bagaimanapun, jika UMNO merasakan bahawa nasib mereka kini bertambah baik selepas meraikan kekalahan kecil di Manek Urai, UMNO juga perlu mengambil kira bahawa, kemungkinan apa yang berlaku dalam pilihanraya umum 2008 belum lagi yang terburuk.

Ini kerana ada beberapa faktor yang perlu UMNO dan BN fikirkan,

• Dalam pilihanraya umum 2008, Anak Pulau Pinang adalah Perdana Menteri Malaysia tetapi hari ini, anak Pulau Pinang itu telah dipaksa mengosongkan jawatan itu lebih awal dari jadual yang lebih selesa bagi beliau.
• Dalam pilihanraya 2008, Anwar Ibrahim belum dapat bertanding dan hari ini Anwar Ibrahim sudah berada ‘disitu’.
• Dalam pilihanraya 2008, belum ada sebarang ikatan diantara PAS dan DAP tetapi selepas 8 Mac 2008, ternyata masyarakat cina amat-amat selesa dengan PAS.
• Pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat yang diterajui oleh DAP tidak menimbulkan sebarang masalah kepada penduduk tempatan.
• Formula yang dibawa oleh Pakatan Rakyat telah berjaya menyakinkan banyak pihak bahawa ianya satu formula yang boleh menggantikan BN.
• Mengekalkan seorang ADUN Melayu sebagai Penyokong Kerajaan dalam keadaan sekarang lebih penting dari menambah ADUN Melayu didalam Pembangkang di Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang.

BN tentu berusaha untuk membangkitkan isu ‘skandal’ ahli exco DAP di Selangor tetapi terlalu sukar bagi mereka yang berada diluar kepompong UMNO untuk mempercayainya berbanding dengan mempercayai bahawa ia suatu pengkhianatan oleh UMNO.

BN mungkin gembira untuk memainkan isu ketidak sefahaman pimpinan antara parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat, tetapi BN juga terbuka dengan begitu banyak masalah dalaman yang bersedia untuk dilaporkan oleh bekas-bekas pimpinan parti komponen BN yang kini bersama Pakatan Rakyat.

Isu lapuk seperti PAS sebagai boneka DAP mungkin hanya memualkan bagi penduduk Permatang Pasir apalagi bila isu sebegitu terbukti gagal memenangkan BN di Parlimen Bukit Gantang bahkan turut gagal di Manek Urai dimana hampir 99% pengundi dari keturunan Melayu.

Melihat kepada kemelut yang bakal mendepani UMNO, tidak hairanlah siang-siang lagi UMNO sudah mengaku mempunyai strategi. Kalau berbekalkan strategi di Manek Urai tentu sekali UMNO akan kecundang lebih dahsyat lagi kali ini.

Di Manek Urai dalam pilihanraya umum 2008, PAS hanya menang dengan undi majoriti 1,352 atau 13.31%, namun UMNO gagal merampas Manek Urai didalam pilihanraya kecil yang baru lalu.

Di Permatang Pasir dalam 2008, UMNO kecundang dengan majoriti 32.3% atau lebih 5,000 undi, laratkan strategi di Manek Urai hendak digalas ke Permatang Pasir?

Tambahan pula, dikemuncak kejayaan BN dalam tahun 2004, UMNO berjaya merampas Manek Urai tetapi Permatang Pasir kekal bersama PAS.

Mungkin ada baiknya, BN tidak membazir duit kerajaan di Permatang Pasir dan ada baiknya, PAS mencalonkan Mat Sabu di Permatang Pasir. Ramai yang sudah mula rindukan Abang Mat.

Review Of ISA Must Take Into Account Prevailing Situation, Says Dr M

KUANTAN, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- Any review of the Internal Security Act (ISA) must take into account the prevailing situation, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said all laws should be reviewed from time to time to ensure they were suited to the times.

"It is not a question of whether I agree or not...what I am saying is that not all laws can become obsolete. If obsolete, then we should review," he told reporters after attending the "A Moment With Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad" programme organised by Mubarak, the association for former elected representatives, here Sunday.

He said this when asked to comment on the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday that the government was gathering feedback on the ISA and was prepared undertake a review of the Act.

On yesterday's streets demonstration held to protest against the ISA in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Mahathir said the people should note that it was not the best way to pressure the government to review the Act.

"We (the government before )had undertaken reviews (of the ISA) a long time ago but because the situation did not permit, we did not amend it. Any amendments must take into acount the prevailing situation.

"But to pressure the government by holding street demonstrations, that is not our culture. That is a culture introduced by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor), which I don't agree with as there are other ways to champion a cause," he said.

On the Barisan Nasional's (BN) chances in the upcoming Permatang Pasir by-election, Dr Mahathir said Umno and BN could win if they succeeded in regaining the people's support.

"The BN's performance in the Manik Urai by-election held earlier this month was good. If there are certain changes made, might be the people will return to support the BN," he said.

Mahathir was accompanied by his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali at the function. Also present was Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

Part 1


Part 2