Bersih – Malaysiakini
Bersih 2.0 is adamant that Dataran Merdeka will be the venue for its sit-in rally on April 28, despite persuasions from the authorities to move the rally elsewhere.
Responding to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s appeal for Bersih 2.0 to find a “more suitable venue“, the coalition’s leader Ambiga Sreenevasan said this cannot be agreed to.
She said Bersih 2.0 chose Dataran Merdeka due to its historical relevance to the people’s struggle for Independence and a democratic Malaysia.
“We certainly do not see any reason why Dataran Merdeka is unsuitable in the light of the many events that have recently been held there, including 205th Anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Police,” she said.
Echoing Hishammuddin’s position, de facto Law Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz yesterday urged Bersih to approach the owners of Dataran Merdeka for permission.
Will notify police
The iconic field, which is used for concerts and national level parades, is managed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Although Ambiga makes no mentions of seeking DBKL’s permission, she said the committee will be writing to the police to notify them of their plans.
“We sincerely hope that the police will assist in facilitating the traffic flow on April 28 for (the rally) as it has recently done so in several public gatherings,” urged Ambiga.
Bersih is holding its third mass rally – dubbed Bersih 3.0 – in protest against the failures of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) in making key recommendations.
They argued that the PSC failed to identify and recommend appropriate remedial action for flaws in the electoral roll and failed to recommend adequate reforms for the Electoral Commission.
PAA not in force
Meanwhile, Ambiga also stressed that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 – a new law to regulate public gatherings – have yet to come in force.
“In any event, Bersih 2.0 holds the view that the PAA violates the constitutional guarantee of freedom of assembly,” said Ambiga, who is a former Bar Council president and is still a practising lawyer.
The PAA, which was quoted by both Nazri and Hishammuddin in relations to the Bersih rally, has yet to come in force although it has been gazetted because regulations and guidelines have yet to be finalised by the home ministry.
Those who violate the PAA can be fined up to RM20,000.
Critics claim that the stiff penalties and wide powers given to the home minister under this law was against the spirit of encouraging freedom of assembly
.
Dataran Merdeka is a public space. We shall make our way there on 428. All pakatan ruled states should also get at least 300,000 supporters to rally on the same day in their respective capital city. This is the day of rekoning.
Comment by Mata Kuching — April 14, 2012 @ 9:47 AM |
BERSIH 3 – MOBILIZE FOR A MARCH OF COURAGE & COMMITMENT
AND WILL OUR LOCAL LEADERS FLY TO KL OR ARE THEY ORGANISING A BERSIH1 IN KUCHING SINCE THERE WAS NO B1 OR B2?
This question is important as we need to rouse the masses in Kuching and Sarawak in general to awake from their political slumbers and have their mettle tested in a show of courage to confront the enemy directly.
Holding a mass rally would be a unifying act against the domination of the local enemy the white hair demon and his cohorts of pontianaks the blood suckers of our people.
The last real big demo in Kuching must have been in the early 1960s when thousands (a big number for those days) regularly turned out to demonstrate against the British Malayan proposals to create neo-colonial Malaysia.The major show of people’s force was the outbreak of the anti-Malaysia Brunei independence uprising in 1962. Not many of our leaders will recall these events- the real glory days of our anti-Malaysia struggles for real independence. There were mass arrests and detentions. The deaths of a few under interrogation went unreported.
Since those days we have lost our freedoms and democratic rights including the right to demonstrate. We have been long repressed and even more severely than our Malayan counterparts in that we have lived under a fascist dictatorship for over 30 years one which does not hesitate to use force against the people they are throwing out of their land.
Our “leaders” have mainly been reduced to leading from behind – in their armchairs. It has been a series of surrenders to tyranny.
In the last Bersih march some leaders gathered up enough courage to fly to the colonial capital Kuala Lumpur to join in the Bersih2 marchers. They smelled tear gas for the first time and came back signing praises. After that the whole enthusiasm fizzled out.
Then there was the fiasco organised by MOCS which was a mockery and dismal let down to many locals who were keen to join in the march. It became a series of announced retreats in the Press. The MOCS campaign lost its momentum and became history. No one will listen to them again as they take it to be just pompous political blustering. Many were saying “we told you so”.
Perhaps our leaders need to examine the context of their struggle. Many of our leaders in the opposition parties are university educated and seem to have the fight bred out of them. They have been mentally “pacified”.
Even Gandhi a wisp of a man could stand up to the great might of the British empire from S Africa to India he resisted them and led millions to fight for independence.
There are NGOs who have shown great courage in leading the oppressed NCR people to come out and demonstrate and erect anti-logging blockades.
However, these are small actions often not supported by the general public- a stance which Najib recently derided as “standing by the sideline”.
So “dear leaders” the opportunity has arisen again for us to rally for justice. There is a huge pent up people’s fury against the crimes of Taib Mahmud waiting to be released. If you can mobilise this force you will also be mobilising for the real test at the elections. This would fit in with their philosophy of peaceful struggles.
However peaceful struggles is not just issuing press statements. The masses need to be physically mobilised for action.
Comment by ANTI MALAYAN COLONIALISM — April 12, 2012 @ 3:12 PM |
Bersih3.0 should not yield an inch. Stick to Dataran Merdeka and the approval from DBKL should only be a formality at the advice of Home Ministry and the Police. Hishamuddin should be smart enough not to pass the ball around this time. Malaysians are roaring to go to the rally on April 28.
Comment by Bidayuh Headmaster — April 12, 2012 @ 9:10 AM |
The self-interest greedy,arrogant,wealthy,multiple luxury car-owners, almost daily caviar,Japanese abalone,wagyu beef gluttons, protected by swamps of bodyguards with wages much higher than average rakyat,living in magnificent mansions BN-putras would of course demand that the rally be held in as remotest as possible, equally difficult to access sites where the eyes and ears of the world,rakyat would be effective blocked.
Comment by Reapusow — April 12, 2012 @ 6:24 AM |
Quotes by Nazri n Hishamuddin, sounds like the last breath of a dying man,every Dog has his days.
Comment by Lok1 — April 12, 2012 @ 12:16 AM |