The People's Parliament: People, we got rid of Fairuz. Now get rid of Rashid

Referring to Malaysiakini report : Amendment gives lifeline to EC chief .

Excerpt:
" The Constitution Amendment Bill, which was tabled for first reading in Dewan Rakyat today, may allow Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s tenure to be extended for another year.

Abdul Rashid, who is due to retire on Dec 31 on reaching the mandatory age of 65, may serve an extra year after the Bill comes into implementation.

Clause two of the Bill seeks to amend Article 114 of the Federal Constitution to increase the age of retirement of a member of the EC from 65 to 66 years of age.

-> Retiring on Dec 31
-> Second reading on Dec 11 "

_____________________________________

The People' Parliament, Haris Ibrahim wrote this in his People, we got rid of Fairuz. Now get rid of Rashid post :

" On 20th November, 2007, bodoh! bodoh! bodoh! tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2007 in Parliament for its first reading. This bill seeks to extend the retirement age of EC members to 66.

The bill is scheduled for the second and third reading on 11th December, 2007.

Kim Quek has written an excellent piece on this disgraceful move to tinker with the constitution. It appears in Malaysiakini and you can read it HERE.

On the day scheduled for the second and third reading of the bill, BERSIH is planning a gathering outside Parliament at 11am to call on parliamentarians to vote against the bill.

What can we do now?

Click HERE. This is a link to all the details of the MPs.

Find the postal address or e-mail details of your MP.

Write to your MP now and tell him or her that you want him to vote against the amendment bill. Tell your MP that you will check Hansard to make sure that if he or she speaks during the second and third reading of the bill, that he or she speaks against the bill. Remind your MP that he or she is there to represent you and not the party. Tell your MP that how he or she votes on this bill will determine how you will vote in the coming elections. Tell your MP that you want a new chairman of the EC.

Send a copy of your letter to your MP to thepeoplesparliament@gmail.com

Haris will collate all such letters so that we will all know which MP has been directed by their constituents on this important issue and who from amongst them abided by this direction. "

Click this link for a SAMPLE OF LETTER to MPs directing a vote to oppose the Rashid bill .
_____________________________________

Frankly, as a citizen of Malaysia, I do not find any reason that such an amendment should be made. Get a new chief. Reiterating the demands of BERSIH walk on 10th of November, it is again time for us, the citizens to exercise our fundamental rights. Think about it. Do what you think is right and good for yourself, your children's future and the nation.

ISA is the Choice of Citizens ?

It is hard for a small-time blogger like me to make a decision on such a question. Perhaps, I shall just agree with Nazri Aziz's statement in the Aljazeera Forum . He said "Malaysians are not stupid and will be able to decide for themselves". It is high time for this blog to prove his words as true. Without further ado, let's take a look at a few matters at hand.

Citizens Want ISA It Seems
It is hard for one to restrain oneself from writing a blog when this piece of news from Bernama is floating around the net: Government Will Impose ISA When Situation Warrants, Says Abdullah .
Some important excerpts from the article:
"The ISA is a preventive measure to spare the nation from untoward incidents that can harm the prevailing peace and harmony and create all sorts of adverse things.

"So, I don't know (when to invoke the ISA), but ISA will be there. When it is appropriate to use it, it will be used," Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, told reporters on his return from a two-day visit to Egypt.

The Prime Minister was responding to reports that several street demonstrations would be held in the country soon.

Commenting on calls from the people urging the Government to invoke the ISA to tackle street demonstrations, the Prime Minister said: "I am very surprised that the people want the ISA. I thought they never wanted the ISA".

Questions abundant
Let me put it this way. I am as surprised as the Prime Minister himself when I read the last sentence above. I was in the state of confusion for a while. After some thoughts, perhaps it is best to ask a few questions to our Prime Minister in order to clear things up :

1) When you are talking about people wanting ISA a.k.a. The Detention-Without-Trial Act, which group are you referring to?
a) UMNO, MCA, MIC and BN people? or
b) Malaysian Commoners?

2) Please define properly, in unambiguous, official language on what is considered as "appropriate" for use? If certain races are marginalised and they only choose to submit a memorandum, would that be considered appropriate ? How about those that ask for electoral reforms and clean elections? Is it "appropriate" to use it on them?

3) Will ISA be executed on people who wield keris in meetings, asking when the keris would be used and expressing an interest to bathe it in someone's blood? Please do not tell the citizens that such actions and remarks are peaceful. Anyway, since Nazri had mentioned Malaysians are not stupid, I shall let them judge.

4) Is challenging or criticising the Prime Minister in one's written opinion liable for ISA as well? Citizens are concerned when certain people express words like "Saya Pantang Dicabar" ( I am Allergic to Challenge) in public.

5) Pak Lah, perhaps you should read the statements from Wikipedia on Internal Security Act . Allegedly, it mentioned what you spoke in 1988 and the year before on ISA being a draconian law. Is it true? Now you are saying you will use ISA. What is that supposed to mean, goodness gracious ?

Citizens Want Oppression ?
The defintion of "Draconian" according to Wiktionary :
Etymology: From the Athenian lawmaker Draco, known for making harsh laws.
Description: Very severe, oppressive or strict.
Example of usage: The despot chose a draconian punishment for the revolutionary. The Nazi regime was a draconian regime.

Meanwhile, a Malay progressive published an open letter in her blog titled "Dear PM Abdullah Badawi, Please Don't Follow Musharraf". As a Malay Muslim, she does not support the points mentioned in Hindraf's memorandum but she understands draconian law should never be executed in the name of democracy.

Furthermore, I would like to reiterate Nazri's statement ( Aljazeera Forum ) : "Malaysians are not stupid". I do not think Malaysians are stupid enough to support the implementation of an opressive law that will be imposed on themselves.

However, there could be some "smart" Malaysians who may want to impose such law on other Malaysians for a number of reasons beneficial to themselves, like free lunches etc.

Think about it.....

Maintenance of Peace and Harmony
There are many ways a government can maintain peace and harmony. Take for example, the previous Malaysian Indians rally in Malaysia.

For so many years, Malaysian Indians have been silent over their problems. They did not march or do anything of such massive proportions. The fact that they did it the other day signifies there are serious underlying issues concerning the society that should be addressed immediately.

In fact, it may already be a little too late. Still it is better late than never. If the government ( I would prefer to refer this to the Malaysian Indian Congress a.k.a. MIC ) intends to maintain an ambience of peace and harmony within the community, the leadership of MIC must answer their woes and explain thoroughly to the laymen Indians instead of condemning hard on those who have participated in the rally. Direct or indirect attempts to simply dismiss the rally as non-relevant will not make the people satisfied. MIC should also provide a blueprint on what is their long-term constructive plan to improve the livelihood and rights of the community. Temple demolition issues should be addressed. By right, all these actions should have been done earlier. Prevention is better than cure.

Using an oppressive law to curb dissent is definitely easier than all the efforts above. Members of Parliament should know that their tasks are not meant to be easy. MPs are supposed to be serving the community instead of placing full concentration on money-making only.

Problems should be solved from the root and not the symptoms. The logical outcome of utilising oppression on protesters will create a negative situation. When people choose not to protest, it could be out of fear of ISA. Intimidation using non-humanitarian laws or denial of social issues are equivalent to eliminating the symptoms of a critical disease. The absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of disease. Once the disease reaches the point of incurability, the protests may resume in bigger numbers when overwhelming anger and/or dissatisfaction supercedes fear.

From time to time, MIC MPs must speak to the commoners to understand and solve issues faced by the community. It is THE JOB of an MP. This is the only way to maintain peace, harmony and stability. Opression is not a permanent solution.

Indeed, somebody said the culture of protest is not the culture of Malaysians, especially Indians. I dare to bet protests are not even the first choice of Indians to highlight their problems. It is not the culture of human to feel happy being dismissed or their problems ignored for several times. Is it the culture of the MIC MP to listen and to seek to understand their community?

Ooops, I am sorry, that is supposed to be A JOB, not a culture. Did you do YOUR JOB well (to maintain peace and harmony), my dear MIC MPs? Ask yourselves.

In the meantime, Malaysiakini reports : More rallies in Kuala Lumpur next month (December 2007) .

Oppression is not an option in a democratic nation.

HINDRAF Rally of the Marginalised (Videos and Pics)

Malaysiakini reported 30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KLCC

WE WANT OUR RIGHTS ! ( Picture from BMahendran.com )

Big crowd around the area( Picture from BMahendran.com )

Malaysiakini further reported of A Gandhi-inspired mass civil disobedience :
Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, has declared the movement’s rally today “a success” despite not being able to hand a petition to the British High Commission.

-> Petition 'not main objective'
-> Crowd defiant and persistent
-> 400 protesters detained

For at least five times, the crowd would run at each 'water canon charge', only to defiantly claim back their original positions and chanting "We want justice!" in both Tamil and English.

( Picture from Reuters )

One of the Petronas Twin Towers in the background while chemical-laced water was sprayed onto peaceful marchers. ( Picture from BMahendran.com )



( Pictures from Reuters )

This post can also be labelled as "Heavy Handed Police Force on Malaysian HINDRAF Marchers" or "HINDRAF Rally: Democracy Malaysian-Style on Poor Marginalised Indians" . The full set of the pictures can be viewed in Reuters Slideshow .

Other important pictures on the HINDRAF protest can be viewed in Belladonna's blogspot
1) HINDRAF Protest - Part 1
2) HINDRAF Protest - Part 2

There are helicopters and other aspects of the rally taken from her family's apartment.

Views of Independent Organisations
The President of Human Rights Association (HAKAM) , Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has expressed his opinions on the Personal Dignity Of HINDRAF Supporters . Malik mentioned how different the police treatment on the UMNO Youth Demonstration during Condoleeza Rice's (of USA) visit at the same vicinity of the HINDRAF rally. No heavy handed police force on the former while the latter can be seen as provided by the videos and pics on this page and other blogs.

Haris Ibrahim of the People's Parliament, who is a lawyer did not walk in the rally but as a concerned citizen, he took the role as an observer in the Bar Council team. The Bar Council is apparently upset over the force imposed on rally participants.

Videos

( Malaysiakini.tv on Youtube )


( AlJazeera Official Report on Youtube )

A Youtube user by the name of thaksan had made several recordings AlJazeera news reports at different times.
1) Hindraf report at 9am on Youtube
2) Hindraf report at 10am on Youtube
3) Hindraf report at 11.35am on Youtube
4) Hindraf rally report with Y.B. Mr. S.K. Devamany, the Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands and current Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Member of Central Working Committee ( Must Watch! )

Some important points from the fourth video:
Q: Why then if there is a democratic process in place, you do not allow protests to take place. These people have requested a permit but you turned it down. Why is it necessary?

A: I think the intention was wrong. I think because religion was used and religious issues are very sensitive in this part of the nation. We are a multi-religious nation and things can go out of place and emotions are flaring.

Q: Hold on a minute, you seem to be suggesting the protesters are causing the violence but in fact it was not the case. It was clearly the police that were taking the aggressive stance by firing tear gas and spraying chemicals through water cannons. They were not provoked by the protesters.

A: We have to see the type of people that came for the demonstration. I am not there but I wish that the demonstrators are matured and know how to handle themselves.

Q: Sir, what do you mean by the type of people. Are you referring to the fact that these people are of Indian ethnicity? Is that something that the government cannot accept : Indians taking to the streets?

A: No, No, I don't think so. I don't think so. The fifth prime minister has been giving tremendous allowances for openness and errh, feedbacks from the people, the press has been given freedom, legislatively freedom has been given the last four years.

Q: OK.

A: And the result of this response is because also of the openness. And I think the reactions could be instigated by one or two incidences which could have been overshot, overblown and there is a reason. A layman doesn't exactly know what is being done.


Then, I have more questions to ask the MP from MIC:
1) If it is the openness of the current governance, why aren't the protesters allowed to march?
2) If laymen do not understand "what is being done", why didn't the MPs or members explain it to the laymen and make sure they fully understand way back before the rally?
3) Dear me, are you sure it is only one or two incidences that caused such dissatisfaction? I wish the Indians good luck. I vow to all Indians to perform as suggested by Devamany, do it through the ballot boxes too.
4) Are you really sure the press and legal are really free? Hmmn.. wow... let's see the newspaper tomorrow.
5) The person is still unable to convince me with his answer on "Why the protest is illegal when the country is supposed to be practising democracy ?".

My Stand on HINDRAF rally

I read with much enthusiasm about the Hindraf Rally this Sunday (tomorrow) . Meanwhile Malaysiakini reported Three Hindraf leaders arrested for you you-know-what.

These are the details that I have found on the net :
Date: Nov 25, 2007.
Time: 7am to 11am
Place: British High Commission, 185 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur

Map and Transport details kindly provided here)

The intention of the rally is to present a memorandum to the British as well as to rally against marginalisation of the minority Indian community in Malaysia.

There are in fact two views to this rally. I would like to bring atttention to two posts on the question "Shall we rally this time around?"

1) A Nay :
Haris Ibrahim, The People's Parliament -> Why I will not walk this Sunday and why the walk must not proceed.

2) An Aye:
Nat Tan, Jelas.info -> Why I will walk this Sunday

Haris has brought up some valid points saying that the rally is communal/race-based and not national based such as the BERSIH rally. There are also concerns among bloggers and commentators that SOMEBODY would try to create a scene out of this in order to make future rallies for the best interests of the nation unlawful.

Point taken, but I would like to bring to attention some of the points mentioned in Jelas.info :

Point 1:
My conclusion is this: If we were to wait for another mass rally that will take a more mature, universalistic approach to race relations while actually having an impact in calling attention to the horrific living conditions facing Indian Malaysians today, we will wait forever.

Point 2:
Let’s be honest, no other group is going to pull those numbers in defence of minority rights in Malaysia.

Point 3:
So, are we going to walk the talk about multiracialism?

Point 4:
Are we who like to quote Voltaire’s “I may disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it” actually going to do anything to defend the right to assemble?

My stand on the issue is similar to this point (Point 4) brought up by Jelas.info . After all, Hindraf has mentioned that this rally shall be a Peaceful Rally, unless of course some Agent Provocateurs appear out of SOMEBODY's (you-know-who-always-sabotages) command. Hope you catch the drift.

Let Indians voice out.

An " Accident " to Press Freedom

Malaysiakini reported Unruly Umno members punch photographer .


( Picture taken from Screenshots )

Scary, isn't it? Well, that is only half of the story. There is something even scarier to come..

Here it comes...

Regarding the incident related to the photo above, The Star published a piece of news. This is the important excerpt :

Cheras Umno head chief Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshi said that it was an accident.

He said DAP Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai had come with a few journalists to the front of the Cheras Recreational Centre, which housed the Yayasan Pendidikan Cheras and Cheras Umno office.

Syed Ali, who is also the foundation chairman, said an Umno member came out to ask why they were taking pictures of the building.

He claimed Tan then provoked the Umno members, who became upset and asked everyone to leave.

“It became tense and there was pushing and shoving. In the process, one of my people accidentally hit the photographer.”

Accident? Excuse me? That is an accident? Hahaha, dear me, that's pretty profound. Now, let's take a closer look at the "Accident" .... Now I found that word quite becoming.. Hahaha


( Picture taken from Screenshots )

Oh, "Accident"? Hmmn, I mean, how? Malaysians should feel happy and lucky that it was not reported that the reporter's face accidentally hit the fist of another person. Goodness gracious, if that's the case, it would definitely be a much more serious, ahermmmm, "accident".

Anyway, it does not matter if it is a (real) blow to Press freedom or an ermmmm "Accident", the person as well as the party whose member has got his hands into the photo and onto the face of another person must apologise.

It does not matter who make any form of provocation first or last. The person who hits another first (whoops, again I missed the word "accidentally"... hehehe) would be in the wrong. The party should demand its member who, ermmmm "accidentally" hit the photographer, to make a public apology.

Errmmm, "Accidentally" hitting someone from the press is a serious matter especially if it involves someone from the ruling party of the government. Apologising and promising that such an incident shall never happen again is an ethical thing to do. The only way to make this public is through a press conference. One should lead by good example (provided if there is any).

Seriously, Malaysians should read these blogs regarding the ermmmm, "accident" for more information :

1) Jeff Ooi : Violence against journalist... Umno style
2) Guangming Employee Punched by Umno, Slapped by MCA
3) What a Lulu : Speechless, Lulu Is Speechless
4) Rocky's Bru : A (real) blow to Press freedom

The bespectacled reporter in the picture is Mr. Koh Chun Seng from Guangming Daily. A police report was lodged.

BERSIH: We Do Not Want Representative, We Want Tuanku (To Tell Us)

Malaysiakini recently reported King: No royal support for Bersih rally ( Nov 16, 07 1:34pm )

Excerpt of the news:
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abdidin in a rare press statement said neither he nor Istana Negara had directly or indirectly supported the massive rally held over the weekend in Kuala Lumpur.
-> Don't get involved in illegal activities
-> Build a better nation together

I was actually shocked when I read that piece of news. If it is really the truth, it will still come as a "no surprise" to me. After all, striving for electoral reform, a clean election as a civil rights is nothing simple. It is a long and painful Struggle.

The African Americans took decades to obtain proper civil rights. Most of the time, in the midst of their journey faced many obstacles that make their struggle looked seemingly impossible.

The most important thing is, they thrived and hold on to their beliefs, have faith in God that one day they will get what they want : to get the fundamental human rights that they have always aimed for. That provided they took actions in the likes of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.

In the case about Malaysia, I think with or without Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the Struggle for a Clean and Fair Election must persist. Of course, if the Monarch is participating, it will definitely be good. Inevitably, we have to react accordingly.

Which brings back to the original story of Malaysiakini. Immediately after reading that piece, I searched through the internet to obtain more updates. Have found a lot of articles.

After reading those, I felt more angry than remorseful. Angry at Yang Di-Pertuan Agong? No, no, no, of course not. Why? That is because I found out that it was claimed by other articles on the net: the statement was made by a person called Datuk Pengelola Bijaya Diraja . It is not coming directly out of the mouth of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. It is through a runner in the Palace. Purportedly, the runner is said to be someone from a certain ruling party (hope you catch the drift). Is there a conflict of interest here?

For more information on some conspiracy theories on the subject of runners doing something extraordinary, please read these articles. It would be best to make sure these are distributed to the public so that Malaysians will be able to judge and comprehend what is happening.

Read these:
Malaysia Today : What the eye does not see (Raja Petra Kamarudin)
Merah Tinta MSO : Respon Cepat, Penjelasan Pengelola Istana Negara Tidak Mengejutkan (Mohd Sayuti Omar)
Malaysia Today : Bohong! Bohong! Bohong! (Kamal Amir Menulis)

I echo the decision made by Mahaguru58, a famous blogger himself. He said : Agong's 'Statement'. Won't believe it till I see and hear His Majesty on live tv!

To date, our Monarch has not made any direct statements albeit by himself on the Memorandum for Electoral Reforms by BERSIH. There are some possible powerful hands (not Agong's) at works, although I cannot say it for a fact.

There are certain quarters that claimed the BERSIH rally is about freedom to assemble and not about electoral reform. That is certainly weird, I would like to reiterate this point :

BERSIH , the organisation is for Freedom to Assemble AND / FOR Electoral Reform. Been that since day one.

Besides that, it should be made known that we need Agong to support a clean and fair election through electoral reforms proposed by BERSIH in the memorandum. He does not have to support the rally and gathering. It is merely symbolic.

In the meantime , one of the heroes of our nation did this: Mind your own business, Syed Hamid tells foreign Human Rights groups . I was wondering whether this is the professional way to respect Human Rights as well as the best way to handle public foreign relations. I find that approach quite impolite.

Anyway, Freedom to Assemble and Clean Elections are Fundamental Human Rights in Any Democratic Country. That I cannot regard as applicable with nations of Communist Governance, Dictatorship or Autocracy.

Regards and best of luck Malaysians. When the going gets tough , the tough gets going.

BERSIH: Malik, Khairy, Nazri in Aljazeera Forum

Malaysiakini has many news, letters and articles on BERSIH rally. To top it off, Aljazeera had just organised a forum to discuss related issues pertaining to the biggest Malaysian rally of this decade.

Speakers comprised Human Rights Lawyer, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar of the blog Disquiet, Deputy UMNO Youth Leader, Son-In-Law of the Prime Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz attended. It was chaired by award winning journalist, Teymoor Nabili .

( Videos by matsputnik posted here on 16 November 2007)
matsputnik : 101 East , Aljazeera (part 1 of 4)
matsputnik : 101 East , Aljazeera (part 2 of 4)
matsputnik : 101 East , Aljazeera (part 3 of 4)
matsputnik : 101 East , Aljazeera (part 4 of 4)

( Updated on 18th November 2007 : Official videos from AlJazeeraEnglish )

AlJazeera English - 101 East (part 1 of 2)


AlJazeera English - 101 East (part 2 of 2)


Key points to take note:
1) Khairy said "The Prime Minister had said during the current UMNO General Assembly that in the near future media can regulate themselves".

[Sagaladoola: Yes, Khairy said that in the forum. My question is, can anybody confirm whether the Prime Minister REALLY said that? Get what I mean?

I have Questions, Is it true that the Media is not allowed to regulate themselves now? Hmmnnnn, then who is regulating the Media now? Dear me, I shouldn't have asked that.]

2) Khairy said Election commissions are doing changes all the time, therefore that shows the government listens to the people but Malik thinks the Saturday rally symbolised Civil Societies wanting an Institutional Reform for the eletions. Teymoor asked whether there is any validity that Election commissions have made those changes.

[Sagaladoola: Very interesting answer indeed. Watch that in Part 4. Do not want to create spoilers]

3) Teymoor took out New Sunday Times and exclaimed: “In the largest protest march in Malaysia in a decade, the local papers were silent on the front pages and wrote about the traffic jams in page 4! “ Of which, Nazri said "Media is free to report anything" when questioned about the local media response on the BERSIH rally.

[Sagaladoola: Oh really, Nazri? I let the viewers judge. Fishy, really fishy. Speechless]

4) Nazri said "What's the point when you can call 50,000 (persons) but i can call 1 Million, does that show that I am right?"

5) Nazri said there should not be any Institutional Reform for this issue.

6) Khairy claimed BERSIH is an opposition initiative proven by these leaders sending the memorandum to Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

7) Malik replied that this is not an Opposition Initiative but a Civil Society Initiative. Opposition parties can be a part of Civil Society. UMNO can join BERSIH, a Civil Society if they want to.

[Sagaladoola: Finally someone said it. I have mentioned it earlier in my post The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led? I asked, "why didn't UMNO support BERSIH electoral reform rally?" Why? UMNO, BN, why? Why didn't you join? There should be nothing to be afraid of. Or... Have I missed out something? I admit that I am a stupid person for asking this question]

8) Take note on Teymoor's questions on "permits for gathering". Excellent , really excellent and I do not mean the answers from certain people in the forum.

BERSIH: Zam, Is this the Professional Way?

Watch the video below before reading the rest of the transcript with added comments from this blogger.


__________________________________________________

Transcript of Malaysia's Information Minister's interview with Al Jazeera News on the Bersih Protest. Taken from Kenny Sia : The ZAM Rap. A similar version can be located at nooryahaya....ramblin on

Minister: I commend yo-yo-your journalists trying to project... to exaggerate more than what actually happened. That-that-that-that's it. We are not the-the and I-I congratulate your journalists behaving like an actor, that-that's it...

Reporter: As you say that, sir, we're watching scenes of protesters being sprayed by chemical-filled water!

[Sagaladoola : At this point of time, Aljazeera is playing a real footage of what is transpiring in the rally. What is the logic behind the Aljazeera journalists be accused as actors (as claimed by Minister) when the scene is real ? What sort of logic is Zam using when he said Aljazeera is exaggerating when the footage of the scene with people running about avoiding the gas and water is real?

Minister should answer in a logical manner.]

Minister: YA! I am watching! I'm here! You've been trying... trying to do it this - to do this everywhere but in Malaysia people are allowed to, you know? We know our police head our colleague... Police have whatever allowed the procession to go to the Istana Negara, you know? Do police, first police, like, they handle them, they attack them, they... the police don't, don't, don't fire anybody?

[Sagaladoola: Do what, Zam? It is true that this KL BERSIH rally does not suffer from the same fate as the Batu Burok Tragedy , where there are alleged firing that got some of the participants hit by bullets. Perhaps, the only similarity shared is both are organised by BERSIH ! Dear me .. !]

Reporter: Our correspondent came back to the office, sir, with chemicals in his eyes!

Minister:You-you-you-you are here with the idea, you are trying to project, what is your mind! You think that we Pakistan, we are Burma, we are Myanmar. Everything you-you are thinking! WE ARE DIFFERENT! We are totally different!

[Sagaladoola: If you care to notice, in the truncated video from television made into Youtube entry above, Aljazeera reporter did not use those nations as comparison. Why did the minister mention those countries, hmmnn, any idea? What was the minister having in mind? Curious, curious .. you get what I mean? Hahaha.

Oh let me think. Hmmn, ok... Myanmar and Pakistan dispersed their protests (illegal it seems) as well.]

Reporter: Well unfortunately when you refuse to let people protest, it does appear so.

Minister: Ya ya we are not like you! You-you have earlier perception, you come here, you want to project us like undemocratic country. This a democratic country!

Reporter: So why can't people protest then, if it's a democratic country?

[Sagaladoola: Simple but Good question !]

Minister: YES, PEOPLE PROTEST! People do-do... of course they protest. We are allowing them protest, and they have demonstrated.

[Sagaladoola: This is a rally for electoral reform, seeking only an audience with the Monarch of the nation, Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, not a demonstration (like what the Minister claimed). Wrong info? Hmmnnn...]

Minister: But we just trying to disperse them, and then later they-they-they don't wanna disperse, but later our police compromise. They have compromised and allowed them to proceed to Istana Negara! Police, our police have succeeded in handling them gently, right?

[Sagaladoola: Oooh, footage of tear gas, chemical-laced water being sprayed and people running around playing on the screen. Hmmn, Zam, is that "gentle handling"? Wow, hmmnn, I do not know what to say. I am shocked. Oh yeah, why can't the police compromise earlier? I mea like not blocking so many roads and using gas and chemical. Saves a lot of taxpayers' money if those are not done you know.]

Minister: Why do you report that? You take the opposition, someone from opposition party you ask him to speak. You don't take from the government, right?

[Sagaladoola: Such a stupid question. Zam, reporting real events are what reporters and news stations do.

Besides that, Zam, as an Information Minister, you are from the government. Aljazeera is obtaining information from you now, the government as you speak. Oh dear me, you didn't realise that? Oh yeah, people OTHER than the government have the right to speak too. In case you do not know, this is what people call Democracy. Zam, I thought you said Malaysia has Democracy? Ok, then let's assume I am in the wrong and you are right. You are the government, I am not. Now everything is ok already? Hah?!]

Reporter: Why did you not break up these protests...

Minister: Pardon? Pardon? Pardon?

Reporter: Why did you not break up these protests more peacefully?

Minister: I can't hear you! I can't hear you!

Reporter: Why did you not break up these protests more peacefully?

Minister: No we-we are! We... this protest is illegal! We don't want..this... the... NORMALLY...

[Sagaladoola: When the reporter asked this question, people are still running around helter skelter in the footage escaping from all those chaos. Otherwise, there are pictures of FRU trucks. I do not know about you, but that sure does not look peaceful to me.]

Reporter: OK, so let me return to my former question. Why is this protest illegal?

[Sagaladoola: Hahaha, reporter, that is another good question. Gotcha, Zam. Careful, careful, don't contradict yourself in the same interview. Hahaha...]

Minister: YA! It's a illegal protest because we have the election in Malaysia. It's no-no point on having a protest! We are allowing to every election... every five years never fail! We are not our like, like Myanmar, not like other country. And, and you are helping this. You Al-Jazeera also is helping this, this forces. The, you know, these forces who are not in passion, who don't believe in democracy!

[Sagaladoola: Minister, let me help you answer this question. You should say, "the protest is illegal because the police has not granted a permit". Aiyoh, easy answer right? What say you, dear readers? Like that also don't know?

With each mention of Myanmar in the video, the name starts to get into my head. Suddenly, thought of Monks protesting and the the way they were handled run through my head. Scary! Whoops, did I get out of topic? Back to original story.]

Reporter: Alright, many thanks for joining us.

Minister: I don't, ya, you, Al-Jazeera, this is, is Al-Jazeera attitude. Right?

[Sagaladoola: Zam, don't you think that was rather inappropriate, considering the fact that you said such a thing in international TV watched by various nations around the world. I wonder how they view Malaysia now after all these.

Zam, are you sure this is the professional way as a Minister to handle such issue? Oh dear, let me find a hole first.]
__________________________________________________

In my personal opinion, Aljazeera was trying to ask , why is the rally considered illegal when freedom to assemble is listed under Universal Declaration of Human Rights. No human rights is equivalent to absence of democracy (but the Minister said earlier that Malaysia is a democracy). After all, BERSIH rally is also a Civil Rights Movement. Democracy allows civil society to claim their rights for a clean and fair election.

Check out Article 20(1) of the Declaration : Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Even as I write, Malaysiakini has just published the latest news " Hawker: Police broke my knee during rally ". Jelas.info posted Police beat up innocent bystander at Bersih Rally - Pics & Eyewitness account.

Certainly mind-boggling, Malaysia Gemilang, Malaysia Boleh, Malaysian-Styled Democracy !

Kudos to Aljazeera for maintaining their composure and professionalism.

Other posts on BERSIH rally:
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3
We have to BERSIH-kan Malaysia
The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

(Picture from Elizabeth Wong: Rakyat pantang dicabar!. That's 40,000 participants)

On 10th November 2007, 40,000 protesters marched the streets of Kuala Lumpur, braved the rainstorm, conquered their fears and headed towards Istana Negara to submit a Memorandum for a Clean and Fair Election to Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan, the Monarch of Malaysia.

Malaysian Unplug Uncensored had the full text of electoral reform requests from BERSIH Memorandum presented to His Royal Highness. Indeed all the points stated in the article are with good intentions and for the best of the nation.

According to the online paper, The Star, the nation's "Beloved Prime Minister" Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said "Saturday’s street protest in Kuala Lumpur was an attempt to drag the royalty into opposition politics". On top of that, he added that the memorandum being handed over to an Istana Negara official was a move by the opposition to “trap” the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Shocking statements. It is indeed a sad affair that our "Beloved Prime Minister" Pak Lah cannot look beyond the division of politics for the benefit of the nation. If the Rakyat can see the bigger picture, why can't the Administration? BERSIH is actually a coalition of 60 plus Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and a small insignificant number of political parties, of which coincidentally consists of the Opposition. Only 5 to be exact.

UMNO should have tagged along for Clean Election demand


(Picture from Elizabeth Wong: Rakyat pantang dicabar!. That's 40,000 participants)

The demands for a clean election would not look like opposition-led as our "Beloved Prime Minister" claimed (although not a fact) if his ruling party, currently the most powerful in Malaysia by the name of UMNO and its sub-components in Barisan Nasional vow to tag along with BERSIH.

If UMNO or Barisan Nasional (hereafter called BN) under the leadership of our Beloved Pak Lah were to participate, things would definitely had turned out differently. The headlines in papers such as The Star and New Sunday Times could be "UMNO supports BERSIH demands for clean election". Sounds nice. How positive it would have been for BN.

Regrettably, a massive party like UMNO decided not to support BERSIH. In fact, Pak Lah proved his critics wrong (on saying he is sleeping all the time) by giving a strong and confident declaration "Saya pantang dicabar" (I do not like to be challenged). This statement proved himself a powerful person and not weak as some thought. According to Malaysiakini on its 6th November 2007 article, Khairy wants Bersih rally organisers arrested.

It is certainly ironic for the Beloved Son-In-Law of the Beloved Prime Minister to make such a public statement because he is neither a Minister or a Member of Parliament. In a bizarre way, true to his predictions, arrests were indeed made on BERSIH Participants a.k.a Citizens concerned with Malaysia. There are some allegations in the internet that certain journalists are being beaten, tear gas being fired and chemical-laced water cannons being sprayed.

It is unclear (to me) on the reasons UMNO and BN are giving such a resistance to the Peaceful BERSIH Rally demands that are beneficial for the nation as a whole. It is open to readers to guess the possible answers. After all, UMNO and BN have ruled Malaysia since Independence / Merdeka, suffering only from a crisis in 1969. To top it off, there are even calls within the party for another additional 50 years of UMNO, BN rule.

Of course, UMNO, BN ruled by winning in the current election system. 40,000 displeased citizens regardless of political affiliations, groups and parties had taken the difficulty of walking in wet clothes to submit a memorandum to reform the election system in which UMNO and BN have been using and winning all these years.

Why did UMNO not join BERSIH in the rally but resent it so much? (P.S. I must admit I am a pretty stupid person for asking this question)

Citizens do not want His Royal Highness Agong to be 'trapped' with Potential Unclean Elections



(Picture from Kickdefella: Daulat Tuanku!)

Pak Lah stated that there are parties that intend to 'trap' (such negative word) Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and attempt to drag His Majesty into opposition politics. The previous section stated that UMNO should have joined the rally so that it does not become opposition politics. It is still unclear (to me) on why UMNO did not join in.

On the other hand, there is absolutely a main reason that Non-Partisan Citizens a.k.a. BERSIH rally participants from all over Malaysia support the submission of the memorandum. That is because they do not want Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to be 'trapped' by "divide and conquer" politics and "unclean elections". After all the citizens are His Majesty's subjects and His Royal Highness is bound by certain governance on making sure the Parliament is formed legally through Genuine Democracy. After all, this Parliament would represent him in governing his subjects. Unclean and Unfair Elections are equivalent to Sham / False Democracy.

The peaceful BERSIH rally is to campaign for Genuine Democracy.

If there is intention of anyone to say that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong is not supposed to be in politics, the perception would be totally wrong. After all, Malaysia is a country of Constitutional Monarchy. The word "Monarch" symbolises none other than Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. The Constitution provided certain power for His Royal Highness to react against those who creates Sham Democracy.

The citizens want Genuine Democracy too. That is what the walk is all about. Do you get the point, Pak Lah?

Malaysian Unplug Uncensored posted the article : " What's Next After the Nov 10 People's Rally ? " after the submission of the memorandum for electoral reform.

I am still in a daze, wondering why UMNO or BN would not participate in this event. If it's good for democracy and citizens, why not? I must be a stupid person myself for not being able to figure it out.

Nuff said. :-)

Other posts on BERSIH rally:
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3
The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3

Malaysiakini reported Organisers hail rally a success
by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz on Nov 10, 07 9:33pm
Bersih rally Despite attempts to spook the public from participating in the Bersih rally, 40,000 people turned up today in the largest show of force since the reformasi protests a decade ago.



Tien Chua of PKR updating participants on the current status.


Hadi Awang of PAS addressing those that came.


( Picture from the __earthinc )
Anwar Ibrahim of PKR making an entrance with Lim Kit Siang of DAP and Khalid Ibrahim.


Anwar Ibrahim gave a little speech. The memorandum has been submitted by Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan.


The job was done. The crowd was ready to disperse peacefully. Throughout the whole rally, Malaysians were well-behaved. It is certainly strange that a Certain Somebody could say rally will "never be peaceful". From what I learnt, only police used water cannons and tear gas on the peaceful BERSIH participants @ Rakyat.


The crowd left the scene only to reveal a substantial number of police and trucks guarding the front of Istana Negara.


A massive traffic snarl on the road as human and vehicles prowl the street collectively.


A funky guy made some funny moves using his yellow bulldozer in support of the BERSIH event. BERSIH participants were amused. A large number of those who did not walk in the rally would like a clean election too. Maybank building, KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC) are in the background.


Some of the people walked to Dataran Merdeka, some to KL Central and others towards Central Market.

A picture speaks a thousand words. Obviously, I have more than one here. You can find more in the net.

Yes, BERSIH rally is a success ! We have created History !

Congratulations, Good Work, Malaysians !

You have braved the storm and conquered your fears !

Other posts on BERSIH rally:
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3
We have to BERSIH-kan Malaysia
The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2

Malaysiakini reported 40,000 protest for free and fair elections
Nov 10, 07 8:16am
Bersih rally 40,000 protesters massed outside Istana Negara this afternoon, facing off against riot police in defiance of a government ban on the rally calling for clean and fair elections.


A few steps away from reaching Istana Negara. Just after the bridge is the roundabout to the final destination.


BERSIH participants enjoying every step of the way. Some were chatting while there were those who enjoyed the city view.


In the background is Istana Negara. We have just reached the roundabout !


This road is originally meant for cars.


The Yellow Wave have reached Istana Negara. People was sitting down while the memorandum was being submitted by organisers of BERSIH.


Daulat Tuanku ! Daulat Tuanku !


An organiser was thanking citizens for being concerned with the nation. It was said that, at the same time, activists for democracy were demonstrating in front of Malaysian embassies in several countries (Thailand, India, etc.) demanding for electoral reform.


FRU in the background. Everyone was reminded that the rally was to be maintained at all times peaceful. Typically, Malaysians are peaceful people.


Hidup Rakyat ! Hidup Rakyat ! BERSIH ! BERSIH !


Balloons galore. The storm had become a drizzle.


Reporters and photographers climbed up the construction to get better pictures of this Historical Moment.


Sea of Yellow has created a new chapter in History. The crowd is so large (40,000) that the view went all the way into the sublime. There you go , we are now part of History !

Daulat Tuanku ! Hidup Rakyat ! BERSIH, BERSIH ! Allahu Akbar !

Malaysians, you have made it !

Other posts on BERSIH rally:
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3
We have to BERSIH-kan Malaysia
The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1

Malaysiakini reported Bersih plays cat-and-mouse with cops
by Beh Lih Yi and Syed Jaymal Zahiid Nov 10, 07 8:38pm
Bersih rally The organisers apparently hookwinked the police by telling the protesters to march directly to Istana Negara, instead of going to Dataran Merdeka.


The four points demanded by BERSIH for a clean / fair election :
1) Usage of Indellible Ink
2) Clean-up of Voters Registration
3) Abolition of Postal Votes
4) Access to the Media

Judging by the large number of people that turned up, it seemed not only BERSIH are making the demands. The Rakyat (citizens) wants a clean election too. It is with great disappointment that Pak Lah said he supports Genuine Democracy. How about the reasonable demands from BERSIH and the Rakyat? My dear Pak Lah, after all, if there are too many discrepancies or issues with elections, that would not be genuine. That would be Sham Democracy.

If Pak Lah has problems with BERSIH demands, then I would really want to know why?

Isn't he supposed to be supporting genuine democracy?


Most participants of the Yellow Wave event wore the BERSIH T-shirt. There were variants of course, but the four points of BERSIH demands stay.


Taken from LRT station Bandaraya. The sky darkened. Heavy rain ensued later. The red coloured shirt people were those from Unit Amal. Kudos to them. Good work in controlling the big crowd.


Yellow March for Agong and Clean Election begans around 2.20 p.m.


A big crowd was heading towards Istana Negara.


Participants braved through the storm. Nothing would stop them in getting a clean election. Bukit Aman is in the background.


Police officers were standing by the side of the road. No one was allowed into Dataran Merdeka, which is located behind the Royal Selangor Club as seen in the background.


Participants from Bandaraya passed by the 2nd meeting point, Masjid Negara. 2 crowds merged into one. Cars honked in support of the BERSIH rally. I chatted with folks from Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan. Many guys in their twenties marched. Some told me their parents attempted to discourage them but they persisted.


This helicopter was hovering above the rally all the time.


By this time, the Central Market, Masjid Jamek, Masjid Negara and Bandaraya crowd had become one. Look at the stream as it went to Istana Negara for the memorandum submission.


I was taking some time to enjoy the scene too. History was in the making. The BIGGEST RALLY IN MALAYSIA to date. I am part of history !

Other posts on BERSIH rally:
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 1
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 2
BERSIH: The Yellow Wave (Pics) Part 3
We have to BERSIH-kan Malaysia
The Yellow Wave: How Come Opposition-Led?

Bloggers, beware of hired hackers

Malaysiakini published my letter Bloggers, beware of hired hackers .

by Sagaladoola
Nov 6, 07 5:22pm

I wish to bring to the attention of all bloggers and concerned citizens Malaysiakini's report, Bersih website hacked ahead of Nov 10 rally.

The hacker posted a message saying that the Nov 10 gathering will be postponed. On the contrary, Bersih had later reiterated that the gathering would proceed as planned. A large number of organisations will be there and various political parties had confirmed their participation in this peaceful gathering.

A few days ago, a famous independent news portal, Malaysia Today, suffered a similar fate. Currently, Malaysia Today is back online. Elsewhere, I have read of another blog by a member of parliament (Ronnie Liu) having a few days worth of articles being removed the same way.

It is certainly ironic that as the days of the rally draws near, several websites are being attacked. Perhaps, there is some greater hidden powers at work - one that may not be comfortable with certain concerned citizens in the form of bloggers and writers expressing their opinions on the Internet. Otherwise, there could be certain parties who are not pleased with calls for electoral reforms for the better.

If the latter is the main reason for such unruly behaviour, the actions of the hacker(s) and the people who gave the orders are indeed strange. After all, if one is patriotic towards the nation, one should always support a move that supports true democracy through a necessary change in electoral processes. Naturally, upon careful thinking, it may not be hard for Malaysian bloggers and citizens to guess who the real perpetrators are.

Online bloggers should periodically back up their work in Word documents or Notepad files to ensure that their hard work are not permanently lost. Bloggers who do not use familiar blogging sites such as blogspot.com or wordpress.com but use their own purchased domains should exercise extra caution by incorporating better security. Personal, purchased domains are more vulnerable to attacks.

P.S. The Member of Parliament mentioned here is Ronnie Liu. His website http://colour-blind.org/ was hacked. Meanwhile, he will be reusing his older blog http://ronnieliutiankhiew.wordpress.com/ for any public updates.

PAS, Samy, Hindu Temple Demolition

I had earlier chronicled the Kampung Rimba Jaya Temple Demolition in my post Deepavali and Bulan Syawal Destruction.

PAS on Temple Demolition
Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Chairman of national unity of PAS had written a letter to Malaysiakini condemning the demolition procedures of the Hindu temple in Kampung Rimba Jaya. In fact, the PAS representative had expressed deep regret over the violent manner the issue was handled.

Surprising isn't it? I mean, this is PAS, the Islamic Party of Malaysia. The temple was of the Hindu religion. It is supposed to be no concern of theirs. Perhaps, PAS is not 100% intolerant as certain parties painted it to be. Kelantan, the state in which PAS reigns, houses Wat Photivihan, biggest reclining Buddha statue in Malaysia. There were rumours circulating that PAS even allowed a Hindu temple to be built in one of their newly obtained constituency. The Hindus were asking for permission from a previous MP of another party for years but to no avail.

Maybe it is high time that people take a deeper look at what PAS has to offer for the people. Put aside some of the negative impression. That is provided that PAS has a complete and clear blueprint on governing the nation for the people to analyse.

Samy on Temple Demolition
In the meantime, Malaysiakini posted another interesting article titled MIC retracts ban on Deepavali events. Earlier, Samy Vellu, the President of the Indian representative party, MIC, with courage not commonly seen, called for a ban on open houses during the upcoming Deepavali celebration.

If Samy Vellu had proceed with such action for the sake of the community he is supposed to represent, in my personal opinion, the Hindu gods must have been compassionate enough to bestow some Light on the greatly marginalised Indian community of Malaysia after witnessing much sadness and grief that they had over the recent event.

And I thought the Hindu gods must have been so understanding that they shone some light on the minds on MIC leaders as well, awakening them so that they will do what they are supposed to do.

Happiness is a rare occasion and difficult to be obtained it seems, the ban was retracted so 3 hours after the initial announcement. There are reasons of course, as KTemoc writes in his article : "Deepavali Open House & MIC - Must I Cancel?" .

3 hours, phew.. that was quick.

Let me make some important extracts from KTemoc's blog:
_________________________________________________

Samy gave the excuse that there has been an 'overwhelming request' by the members of the community for the ban to be overturned - hmmm, 'overwhelming request' from the MIC community or the entire Indian community? Alas, he didn't bother to elaborate, but I need to ask the question - where's the MIC protest against the demolition of Hindu temples now?

But you know something?

Well, it seems that Mama is still in mourning for his late brother, who passed away early this year, therefore he won't be having an ‘open house’ anyway.

While I respect his piety for his late brother, I certainly don’t his grandstanding - hey, Mama, when you've already planned not to have an 'open house' in the first place, please don't act tough by saying you won't be holding an 'open house'.

It’s little wonder that the other MIC leaders were annoyed at the ban which wouldn't have affected Samy, but which would have denied them the opportunity to ... er ... showcase their ... er ... hospitality

hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
_________________________________________________

I certainly understand why KT ends his article with a very loud laugh. It is not hard to know why.

Good luck Malaysian Indians. Pray hard..... during Deepavali..... May God bless you.

Deepavali and Bulan Syawal Destruction

Malaysiakini reported Shah Alam council blamed for bloody fracas at the Kampung Rimba Jaya, Hulu Kelang 100-years-old temple demolition. Although the internet blogs generally placed more attention in this , it should be made clear that other structures such as Surau and houses in the village were destroyed as well.

Mainstream blogger, Lulu made a transcript from the Malaysiakini article above. There are a few key points to note from the incident, taken directly from the transcript.
________________________________________________

Point 1: Throwing Stone During Prayers


Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) president A Vaithilingam said Majlis Bandar Shah Alam (MBSA) mayor Za’ba Che Rus had no control over his enforcement officers who were throwing stones into the temple while a special religious ceremony was taking place.

"How can they (MBSA personnel) attack devotees like that? No enforcement body in the world attacks people with stones,” he said."

Point 2: Unreasonable 2 Hours Notice Period
Vaithilingam also slammed Za’ba for allegedly personally telling temple authorities at 9am on Tuesday that the temple was to be demolished in the next two hours.

“What else can the innocent devotees do when given only two hours? ... " he added.

Point 3: Deepavali will be celebrated by all Hindus on Nov 8.

Point 4: MBSA Wounded Detainee, Medical Attention Not Immediate
Uthayakumar said that he witnessed one detainee who had a five-inch cut on the head while he was detained at the Section 11 Shah Alam police station.He claimed that the wound was inflicted by a MBSA enforcement officer with a parang.

Uthayakumar and three other lawyers were arrested ....
________________________________________________

What can I say? Is that an act that respect human rights? Why can't MBSA give the residents more time to pack up and leave? If Malaysiakini stated it right, I would consider 2 Hours as downright illogical judging by the amount of things they have to move out.

Malaysia was initially built as a tolerant nation that respects human rights and reasoning. What has Malaysia turn into? It seems during the administration of Pak Lah's Hadhari, negative news has become a almost daily staple for Malaysians.

Meanwhile Malay blogs, UMNO Reform and Malaywomen expressed their greatest regret and anger over such incident. It is not hard to understand the reason. These days there are more occasions to class struggle rather than racial or religious struggle.

According to Malaywomen (if he got it right), a 7-days eviction period was given to residents earlier. Still, the time for these people to move out is relatively short. It makes no sense as most people will have difficulty locating a new place to shift to within a week. Moreover, there is another mind-boggling theory to this.

Malaywomen purportedly said, "The hotshot developer who had promised to allocate a new location for the demolished temple to the Malaysian Indian community in Kampung Rimba Jaya must deliver that promise as soon as possible. Do not piss people off with insincerity and lies." If such promise had really been made then it should be immediately fulfilled.

Ironic, isn't it ? Now, who is supposed to be accountable for all this? No one is sure. There is a Malay saying that goes "Gajah Sama Gajah Berjuang, Pelanduk Mati di Tengah-tengah". Translated it means the little deer dies standing in the middle of the battle between two elephants. Such an apt description. Metaphorically, we can be sure that the residents of Kampung Rimba Jaya represents the unfortunate deer, the victim of such governance.

Raajarox provided a number of pictures on the incident...... (2 of the bunch displayed below)