Why Do Malaysians Demonstrate and March ?

Yeo Yang Poh wrote two great articles that reflects what goes on my mind. It is written in the aftermath of the 2009 Anti-ISA March. It was originally said to be Anti and Pro-ISA March but since I do not see any Pro-ISA marchers significantly in any pictures, I will conclude this as an Anti-ISA march instead.

English : Why do Malaysians march?

Bahasa Melayu : Mengapa berdemonstrasi?

Well, put it this way : No one likes to march amidst tear gas, water cannons, Black Marias, under the hot sun with huge amounts of police running around for the sake of fun.


Compared to BERSIH walk or the previous year Anti-ISA march, the presence of police and aggression are heavier this time around. There are more warnings through mainstream media and a higher potential of confrontation with people on the other side of the coin (Pro-ISA).


If Malaysians are willing to risk all that to participate in a march, it becomes an indicator that a certain part of the population are very dissatisfied and they want to make their mind known and find no better way to express.


Malaysians should be given freedom to assemble as provided as a constitutional right in Open Air places (not just stadiums) such as Dataran Merdeka. It should be part of the aim of 1Malaysia that ensure such right is not violated.

Bernama News on Losses Due to Anti-ISA Protests

Bernama reported : Estimated Losses Of RM100-200 Million Due To Illegal Demo: Raja Nong Chik

1) Can we see the breakdown of the losses in full , albeit OFFICIALLY ?

2) Did all the costs come from Unnecessary Road Blocks, Arrests, Usage of FRU water cannon trucks, Black Marias and Tear Gas?



3) Wouldn't the cost be unnoticeably low if the demonstration is declared legal and allowed to centralise at the front of Istana Negara or Dataran Merdeka? Wouldn't the cost be largely reduced if the items from (2) are not used and the protesters allowed to gather peacefully at Istana Negara or Dataran Merdeka?

4) Why is the demonstration declared illegal? Why is it not allowed? I thought Freedom to assemble is part of the constitutional right of Malaysians?

5) Gerakan Mansuh ISA organised the event. "Mansuh ISA" means "Repeal/Abolish ISA". It does not mean "Review ISA".

6) "Politicised" is a strange word to use considering the fact that only political parties like BN is primarily the chief in deciding on the abolition of ISA.

Malaysiakini pics on the Anti-ISA protests are here.

The Edge Malaysia pics : Scenes of the anti- and pro-ISA rallies in KL

Pictures from joyce-tedoen.com . She went there as a neutral person but managed to catch all these :






Am I not wrong to say that the number of Pro-ISA contestants are almost non-existent? I guess there are no ISA supporters.