The protesters come from various groups; they are mostly individuals concerned about various issues. Says one British protester: “We want to make people in the UK and around the world aware and to let them know that there are people who care about the Penan. It is completely unacceptable that under Taib’s administration, much of the forest has been given to plantations and dams. The Penan have the right to their land.”
1837: One eye-witness observes of the delegates: “(Almost) everyone looks Malaysian. Very odd!”
1811: The protesters are holding up placards bearing messages such as ‘Any forest left?’, ‘Stop denying Penan rape’, ‘Don’t halt EU-Malaysia anti-illegal logging deal’, and ‘Declare your wealth’.
1800: Taib Mahmud has entered the conference hall. He must have used a side-entrance. The protesters can’t enter the hall. Delegates’ fee is 1,000 pounds sterling + VAT. For groups of three or more, it is 880 pounds plus VAT per delegate. Way too expensive for the common folks.
1725: Those at the conference are now waiting for Taib Mahmud. Protesters are gathered at the two entrances. His car is now moving around the area.
1714: There are about 30-40 protesters, mostly British, joined by a couple of Malaysians. The Malaysian delegates to the conference are walking into the venue in small groups.
1651: Protesters have gathered at the entrance to the Said Business School, according to a source. Reporters are also present. Malaysian officials are looking a bit lost, unable to stop the protest.
The protest is against the School’s decision to invite Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud to deliver a special address at the opening of a two-day forum, organised by the Said Business School of Oxford University and backed by Malaysian corporations.
Hornbill Unleashed 
No local Londoners and foreigner at the forum. Only Sarawakians brought in by Taib’s secretary. What a farce for Oxford hosting such a forum. May be Oxford is dire of the registration money!!
Comment by Lano — July 26, 2010 @ 9:34 PM |
No local Londoners and foreigner at the forum. Only Sarawakians brought in by Taib’s secretary. What farce for Oxford hosting such a forum. May be Oxford is dire of the registration money!!
Comment by Lano — July 26, 2010 @ 9:31 PM |
What a farce! If a British paper had assigned a reporter to do one hour’s work on Google and then sent her up to Ox-ford with a ticket (I admit that 1k pounds is stiff), she could have worked up a devastating rib-tickling article in the true vein of English humour. This wog dictator!!! So this event was simply a hermetically-sealed junket for Malaysian toadies… “See, we’ve been to Oxford” event. But from this point on, the Said Business Centre is getting my most nastily phrased messages of “appreciation.”
Comment by 'Nother Fellow — July 26, 2010 @ 8:21 PM |
BN boys having a big holiday! Tanjung Manis Corpn picking up the tabs?
Comment by Watcha — July 26, 2010 @ 8:01 PM |
Vely stoopid. Talk-talk for wat? Westing money. Go other people country n make angry, not paiseh meh? Ayo, whai like that?
Comment by Bourgeois Revolution — July 27, 2010 @ 2:12 PM |
Bourgeois,
He could have got away with it, so that’s why he tried.
Personally, I don’t agree with Islamic branding but it was supposed to be an investment campaign, which in principle is OK, what! If only our CM hero was not there! Now, it’ll be more expensive to plan investment drives again, even if Ogilvy is involved. Those guys are expensive.
Well, the world just got smaller for CM Taib. Maybe Rais Yatim, the IT minister is really sleeping on the job. Not worth our money to pay him! 😀
Had they asked me to handle the thing, I’d have arranged an alternative speaker, then appropriate no of hours before event, put some purgative in CM Taib’s food and saved him the embarrassment! 😀
Joke, ah! No one actually can convince CM Taib of anything lah!
Comment by Watcha — July 27, 2010 @ 8:27 PM |
Haha. Probably the IT minister likes HU and let CM looked like Kim Jong Il.
Comment by Bourgeois Revolution — July 28, 2010 @ 4:42 PM |
“Malaysian officials are looking a bit lost, unable to stop the protest.”
What? No water cannon and teargas from the police kah? Where is the FRU when you need them most?
Comment by Kuching man — July 26, 2010 @ 6:55 PM |
no lah. they cannot do that on foreign soil. or otherwise it will confirm taib’s vileness
Comment by kara — July 26, 2010 @ 7:02 PM |
no lah ! cannot do that on foreign soil lah. That would confirm Taib’s vileness lah. the police and FRU will lose their job lah! plus, the cost to transport police and FRU to England is too costly lah!
Comment by Manglish — July 26, 2010 @ 7:09 PM |
They should have given free tickets on AirAsia to half a platoon for plain-clothes PC for duty in London! 😀
But expensive, lor! Even if it’s summer now!
Comment by Watcha — July 26, 2010 @ 10:25 PM |