steadyaku47

Monday, 31 August 2015

cakap cakap....Life.


I am physically and mentally tired.Too tired to think and write. Too tired to do anything but to let my finger writes what it wants. And my first thoughts are of my late Father.

We were never the best of friends. His generation did things different from ours. There was always love and respect between us - and all was good for as long as I know my place in the order of things....which is we do things his way or it is the highway for me!

He prays in his room and what I did in mine was my business. If I was in his house and he was getting ready to go to the mosque for Friday prayers...it was understood that I would tag along.

When he was home we never have our meals without his presence. I never sit when he is standing. Never sit at a level higher than he is sitting. And when we are walking, unless he indicates otherwise, I walk respectfully behind him.

In the morning I will take the Straits Time and place it where I know he will find it and leave it there until he has read it first. And when he is about to leave for office or comes home from work, we, his children, would rush to take his briefcase from him and carry it to his car or into the house as the occasion demands.  

When he passed away many years ago the lesson I have learned most about life from him is this : First above all else is family. Then go do what you want with your life and be man enough to take what comes your way. He lived his life that way and I have lived mine the same way. We would have much to talked about if we ever meet again in whatever world that is out there.

I am physically tired too. After my wife stay in St Vincent I have now been educated by all those wonderful nurses and doctors there as to how to take care of my wife they way that she should be taken care of - the right way. Unfortunately the right way means that I have to relearned almost everything that I have grown accustomed to doing for my wife before St Vincent.   

For a start while it previously took around forty five minutes to get her up from bed to being ready for breakfast, now days after St Vincent, it takes only twenty minutes. But twenty minutes of steady physical effort to do so. That asks more of me physically than the previous forty five minutes when I could stop, rest and even have a cup of Nescafe if I needed one to wake me up during that forty five minutes.-

No such things now....because the longer any activity takes the more it stresses my wife - so when I start anything I do not stop until it is done. My back hurts, by legs aches and my physical self is a wreck....but over time I know it will only get better  as I get familiar with the new routine. The immediate rewards for me and my son is to see her happier and more responsive to the things around her. The other day she pulled the towel to cover her body as I was giving her a sponge bath on her bed.....whether it was because she was feeling a bit cold or she wanted to be a bit more decent is beyond her ability to tell me....but she did react to a situation that was bothering her! And that was a good thing as far as I am concern!   

As tired as I am now I still cannot sleep. It is now 11.30 pm and I never go to sleep until much much later as these are normally my best times to write. But as I have said earlier I am too mentally tired to write about the things happening in KL and elsewhere...so I let my mind meander wherever it wants to do. 

Right now I am taking five and going to the kitchen to make myself a cappuccino. Whether I come back to write some more is moot. So I take my leave for now.

My Father and Me.




Through the ages...the above is a picture of my beloved late father and friends on board his boat Widuri at dinner after a hard day of fishing somewhere off the coast of Malaysia and below is me and a friend in Melbourne....both possibly at about the same age...and both smiling, happy with life. My dear father...I miss you so very much.


Costa Concordia had a coward as it's captain. We have a delusional Bugis Warrior, a thief and liar as ours!


"This independence is the symbol of the peak of struggle, of the seriousness and courage of the Malays, Umno and BN component parties in building a nation state," he said.

"I would like to repeat here that once the sail has been unfurled, the anchor hauled in, there is no turning back for the captain and his crew.


"Together we stand, let us together rise and let us together, with sincerity and renewed determination, look to the future with strength and independence in solidarity, with rhythm, of one heart and soul hail Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!"
Najib Razak National Day address 2015

steadyaku47 comment :

Huh....Najib calls himself Captain of the ship!

Remember the Costa Concordia's? The Italian court found the Captain guilty of steering his ship too close to the island because he wanted to show off to, amongst others, his mistress, who was on board the ship with him. He was found guilty of abandoning ship and blamed everyone but himself for the ship wreck. Nick named "Captain Coward" he was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment. 



Let us not allow Malaysia to meet the same fate as the Costa Concordia.

In Najib Razak we have a delusional Bugis warrior, a coward, a liar, a thief and a moron of the first degree as captain of our Ship. 
We better help ourselves for God never will!

Sunday, 30 August 2015

cakap cakap...Najib...The End is not Near. It is Here!





These are the last few months, if not the last few weeks of Najib's political life. Day by day he dreads what the next twenty fours will bring him. Rosmah plots, schemes and seek "divine assistance" and some solace from the spirit world for some respite of the cracking glass house that they are both living in. But no respite comes. Today watching these two live their life is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Najib's focus has become singular. SURVIVAL. He will do anything to survive. He thinks that the consequences of his actions (mostly bad) can be dealt with later. 

But there is one thing that Najib does not understand. 

In today's world all of us are privy to events as they unfold in real time. There are also many of us who will relentlessly pursue the truth, expose the lies, dissect every event, every explanation and every comment made of that event and then rightly or wrongly, we armchair citizen journalist will, without fear or favor, put our spin on the said events and have it for anyone else to peruse as quickly as we can put it on the Net! How quick? In the blink of an eye!

So really he should think before he does the things he does because once done the misdeeds are loaded onto the public domain in the blink of an eye by many a willing friend or foe who each have their own reasons for doing so.   

And once it is on the Net these events have a life of their own.

Najib does not understand that the ostentatious antics of his wife, the takeover of Perak, the murder of Altantuya, 1MDB and the RM 2.4 billion "donation" have been some of the most destructive turning point of his tenure as prime minister. Once these events happened all the salacious details involving corruption, greed and questions of his credibility and integrity are out in the public domain for everyone to access and peruse over and over again to their hearts content. 

How do you manage the extravagence of Rosmah and the other events when all the details  that has happened is already known? It is simply impossible to put a "spin" when your wife is a spendthrift. When Altantuya has already been murdered. When Perak had been taken from Pakatan Rakyat by coercion and cash. When 1MDB is already billions in debt and the paper trials confirmed that the RM2.4 billion donation for Umno was deposited in Najib's personal account.       

No amount of explanation, excuses, spin or outright lies can change the facts of the matter.And the facts confirms that Najib is a liar, he is corrupt, he abuses his public office for personal and financial gain and he is oblivious to the harm he has caused our people, our nation and our future.

Najib does not understand that good governance starts with doing good things. Doing anything that is wrong and abusive will get you into trouble once the people become aware of it. And they people are becoming aware of Najib's misdeeds and abuses in real time - there is no time for Najib to cover up his misdeeds. There is not even a five second delay button that Najib can press to delay his misdeed as they have when broadcasting live TV  Today politics is live as it happened.

For Najib who cannot walk and chew gum at the same time...that is hell. So he does what he does best ....go do an oversea trip and keep quiet and hope all that is unpleasant will all go away. The Internet does not go away. At a click of the mouse it plays back Najib's many unfullfilled promises, his follies  and his wife's antics - again and again until it is embedded in the minds of many many Malaysians. 

Today Malaysians know who is the real Najib. It is real that he is a bloody moronic idiot. It is real that he has no understanding of the deep shit that he is now in and it is real that he is the most despised and rudiculed prime minister ever! And most comical of all the real Najib thinks he is a Bugis Warrior doing battle against all of "us" - the "us" that wants him out of Seri Perdana with that wife of his.



   

Quickies : BERSIH 4


Selamat Pagi Malaysia!



Saturday, 29 August 2015

Quickies : A Moment to Chill on this Day of Infinite Possibility and Unbearbale Tension.




And what they do to arrogant rich people in America.


Zahid Bans Yellow Bersih T Shirt : Two Words : FUCK YOU!






Yellow Bersih 4 t-shirts have been banned by the Home Ministry. Also banned are publications related to the Bersih 4 rally. That means participants cannot wear or have in their possession any yellow coloured clothing that contains the words 'Bersih 4'.
 
Likewise, they are also prohibited from having in their possession any other printed material and pamphlet on the rally. Everyone is prohibited to publish, reproduce, sell, distribute or be in possession of publication which is likely to be prejudicial to public order and security, and contrary to any law. 

The order dated Aug 27, 2015 was signed by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and comes under the Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) (No 22) Order 2015.


steadyaku47 comment : Two words for Rumah Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PM Najib Razak : FUCK YOU!
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has banned the use of yellow with the words Bersih 4 in whatever form ahead of the rally in three Malaysian cities tomorrow. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/home-ministry-bans-yellow-clothing-bersih-4-words#sthash.m179l7t7.dpuf
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has banned the use of yellow with the words Bersih 4 in whatever form ahead of the rally in three Malaysian cities tomorrow.
A government gazette signed by the minister yesterday and which came into effect today states that the order was made under the Printing, Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) (No. 22) Order 2015 lists as "absolutely prohibited throughout Malaysia" the following items:

"Any yellow coloured clothing and which contains the words 'Bersih 4'" and "Any other printed material and pamphlet which leads to Bersih 4 rally". A copy of the order in a Federal Government Gazette is available online. It was dated August 27 and comes into force today.
The order states that the "printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution, or possession" of these items are "likely prejudicial to public order," as well as to security and national interest.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/home-ministry-bans-yellow-clothing-bersih-4-words#sthash.m179l7t7.dpuf

Bersih Quickies : Tiada Esok Bagi Ku!




Someone asked me an interesting question just now, Why am I so critical of the government? Am I not afraid of being incarcerated?

My answer: Friend, Who in the proper frame of mind would want to fight a fair and righteous government? I am more afraid of the damages the government is doing to my country, Malaysia and the future of my children and theirs. I am way past being afraid to fight for a better future of my grandchildren. Full stop.

  • Sumiko Chan Simple answer, tiada esok bagi ku, so how can this go on. How many more futures will be destroyed.
    • Terence Yeoh Together let's make history today and tomorrow.....







Quickies : Najib's ABC


A   Altantuya Sharibu - murder of.

B   Bangsat/Bangan/Bodoh - what he calls us!

C   Corruption - most corrupt PM

D   Donation - RM2.4 billion.

E   Eurocopter / Executive Jets  - expensive toys the Rakyat pays for.

F   FGV

G  Gani Patail  

H  Hermes  

I   ISIS  - reason given for RM 2.4 billion donation!

J   Jho Low.

K   Kampong Baru Ethnic Tension in 1987 / Kangkong.

L   LRT Ampang extension- award to George Kent - irregular / LYNAS

M   Mindef / Missing Jet Engines / Muhyiddin Yassin/ Mahathir

N   Naval Petrol Boats / NFC

O   One MDB

P   Perak Crisis/ Port Dickson / not for Personal Gain!

Q   Queen Control

R   Razak Baginda

S   Sibu / Scorpene Submarine / Sukhoi Fighters Jets / Saiful

T   Tekun RM 1.6 billion federal funds used as loans prioritize for Umno members.

U   UTK - Unit Tindakan Khas - Najib's security detail involve in murder.

V   Vacant - describes the state of Najib's mind.

W   WSJ - Wall Street Journal / Warlords / Warrior (Bugis so he claims).

X   What you should not put on ballot papers against BN logo at elections.

Y   Yawn - what you do when Najib makes any more "transformation" promises.

Z   Zahid Hamidi - the man who wants to be King!

 

Financial Times : The Fake Najib!


Financial Times

Najib Razak, patrician premier mired in scandal


Accusations swirling around the prime minister have transfixed Malaysia, writes David Pilling 
Joe Cummings illustration
This weekend tens of thousands of Malaysians will pour on to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to shout the name of their prime minister, Najib Razak. They will be coming not to praise him, but to bury him. Among the most popular chants is likely to be “Tangkap Najib”, or “Arrest Najib”.

Now 61, with receding grey hair, neatly trimmed moustache and be­spoke suits, Dato’ Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, to give him his full title, can seem a dapper liberal with progressive views on economics and racial harmony. “Najib is the best hope for moderation and reform,” says Sholto Byrnes, senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

Yet there is another side to Mr Najib, who has been prime minister since 2009, says John Malott, a former US ambassador to Malaysia. The real man, who at 23 became the youngest parliamentarian in his nation’s history, is, he says, neck-deep in the racially divisive, money-soaked politics of the United Malays National Organisation, which has governed continuously for nearly six decades. The “fake, Najib”, he says, is the product of millions of dollars spent on slick public relations.

These days, Mr Najib’s PR is not so good. He is caught in a financial scandal that has transfixed Malaysia, an ethnically and religiously diverse South-east Asian nation of 30m people. He recently admitted receiving nearly $700m in his private bank account. The money, he said, in a version corroborated by Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission, came from an unnamed Middle Eastern donor. He had broken no laws, he said.

Another version of events, however, links the money to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB. Set up in 2009 by Mr Najib, who chairs its advisory board, 1MDB ostensibly aimed to foster new domestic industries. Instead, it has piled up $11bn in debts, buying land and ageing power stations at home and abroad. According to an account in the Sarawak Report, a UK-based blog, and the Wall Street Journal, money from companies and banks linked to 1MDB was allegedly transferred into the prime minister’s account. Mr Najib has denied any link between the $700m and 1MDB.

Until recently, his days as prime minister seemed numbered. There were four investigations into 1MDB and rumours of imminent criminal charges. But Mr Najib, sometimes criticised for being ineffectual, has fought back. He replaced the attorney-general on the grounds of ill health and fired the deputy prime minister for disloyalty. He promoted four officials from a committee co-ordinating the investigation, temporarily halting its work. Critics accuse him of dismantling Malaysia’s institutions to save his skin.

Podcast

Scandal rocks Malaysia’s ruling party
 

Generic podcast

A political crisis has erupted in Malaysia involving questions about how nearly $700m made its way into the prime minister’s personal bank account and the mismanagement of the country’s sovereign development fund. Ben Bland talks to David Pilling, the FT’s Asia editor, about the scandal.

“When Najib came in as prime minister he set in place a number of good reforms,” says Maria Chin Abdullah, head of Bersih, the coalition of activists organising this weekend’s protests.

“But he’s turned into a person who doesn’t care for the country, who doesn’t bother with accountability. All he cares about is staying in power.”

The grubby political scandal is a long way from Mr Najib’s patrician roots as the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein, and the nephew of its third, Hussein Onn. Educated in Britain, first at Malvern College in Worcestershire, then at Nottingham University, where he studied industrial economics, Mr Najib appears “very polished, very debonair”, says Mr Malott.

Many western leaders have been charmed by Mr Najib’s performance. The swirling 1MDB scandal notwithstanding, David Cameron, UK prime minister, visited him in Kuala Lumpur just last month, and Barack Obama, US president, found time to host him for a round of golf in Hawaii last December.

But his “doublespeak” has confounded Malaysians, says Eddin Khoo, a Malaysian writer, especially since he came into office brandishing a liberal message of political tolerance and racial harmony. Instead, he failed to repeal the hated sedition act and courted hardline Islamists seeking to impose a form of sharia law. The leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, has been jailed on charges of sodomy.

Mr Najib’s government floundered when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared last year. Now the economy is reeling, with the ringgit sliding to 17-year lows and the stock market tanking.

This is not the first time Mr Najib has faced controversy. On his seemingly effortless path to the premiership, there were alleged links to corruption over a French submarine contract, though he denied any wrongdoing. More recently, two of his former bodyguards were convicted of murdering a model. Mr Najib said he had never even met the victim.

Many say Mr Najib changed after he married his second wife, Rosmah Mansor, in the late-1980s. Rosmah has been relentlessly mocked on social media for alleged high-spending and vulgar taste, with images showing her clutching one of multiple Birkin handbags, which retail at between $9,000 and $150,000 each. Even Mr Najib’s brother, Nazir, a prominent banker, has contrasted the prime minister’s allegedly extravagant lifestyle with that of their late father, a leader known for his simple integrity.

Street protests, rumours of plots within his cabinet and continuing investigations into 1MDB make these uncomfortable times for Mr Najib. Still, he is soldiering on. “Let no one doubt: I will continue to serve and lead this nation,” he told an audience at the Institute of Management in Kuala Lumpur last week. At least no one there shouted “Arrest Najib”.

The writer is the FT’s Asia editor

Friday, 28 August 2015

Bersih 4 : Bernard aka Zorro Unmasked would want to be there! He tried to make the world a better place...so should you!




For those of you who question the wisdom of putting your physical self in harms way as PDRM does the bidding of its political masters, I urge that you think again about how what you do will impact upon the future of our people, our nation and our future. 

We know that if this corrupt BN government decides that this Bersih 4 Rally will be made an example of as a rally to end all rallies then we know what they will do. So who will have the courage to attend Bersih 4? 

I know one person who would be there if he only could.....Bernard aka Zorro Unmasked...he tried to make this world a better place....so should you!

Friday, April 4, 2014

Zorro Unmasked : He is not Dead..he is just away!


Single malt, 2 cubes of ice, you put one more, I slap you!
“He Is Not Dead

I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead. He is just away.
With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you—oh you, who the wildest yearn
For an old-time step, and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still as the same. I say,
He is not dead—he is just away.”
― James Whitcomb Riley
I just heard…just this very minute…that the blogger who is older than me…Bernard aka Zorro Unmasked…..has left us and gone to that  great happy hunting ground in the sky. Dear brother I guess Dr Johnny Walker failed you when you needed him most. I told you that you should have asked for a second opinion from the other Doctor that I suggested…Dr Jack Daniels whom I knew personally…but you did not listen to me! And now you have left us....
Never you mind brother for I know that you have gone to a far far better place than the one you left....the one we are left with!
I first knew about Bernard when he chose me as one of his “Friday guest” on his blog. Our mutual friend Lita told me about it. For the life of me I have never heard of Bernard then and when I went to the link that Lita gave me I came across his Zorro Unmasked blog site. 

My immediate reaction was “ This guy must think a lot of himself to name his blog “Zorro Unmasked”….who does he think he is…a swashbuckling sword man battling oppression and the unjust rule of the Umno led BN government?
But that was exactly what Bernard did! 

He tried to make the world a better place for his grandsons Bernard, Ryan and Patrick and whoever his other son, Kevin fathers…and in the process he made the world a better place for all of us! Thank you Bernard…thank you so very much for that.
I remember waiting for his on the spot reports of bye elections where he was in the thick of it all – reporting from wherever those bye elections were taking place....and my admiration for that old man was sealed. We all try to fight oppression and the unjust rule of Barisan Nasional....we try but Bernard succeeded! If only he had a bit more time....he would have seen real change happening in Malaysia...soon......very soon!  
I remember his encouraging words to me to fight my fight too against the very people he was fighting. I am one.... with Bernard we were two. And every now and then he will remind me that he is watching me and reading what I write…his way of telling me to not falter in our fight against the unjust and against those who are making life hell for so many of our people.
Bernard has fought a good fight and I know that his wife Karen, his children and his grandchildren are proud of what he has done. Thank you Karen for sharing him with us. 
I have never met Bernard in person but he is my friend and comrade blogger. Yes his language does tend to be a bit salty…and he calls a spade a spade….but age does confer upon us oldies some liberties. 

Dear brother I will always think of you with a smile because you were always good of heart. Yes we will continue with the good fight against those that seek to oppress our people so that the future will be better for the generations that will come after us...for I too, like Bernard, have grand children. 

I will not join you just yet Bernard for there is still work to be done to rid our nation of this odious plague they call Umno....Rest in Peace brother.

This should be his last words to u know who!
----------------------------------------------------------

Lias My : Apa lagi yang bertetangan dengan Islam? Bohong? Menipu?

steadyaku47 comment : The "bekas Mufti Johor" made the following comment on Bersih 4 - how desperate can you get...if you cannot get a sitting Mufti to make the appropriate comment, go look for a "bekas" Mufti!

 
 
Sebarang bentuk demonstrasi tidak akan menyelesaikan masalah, sebaliknya mengeruhkan lagi keadaan.
freemalaysiatoday.com


Apa lagi yang bertetangan dengan Islam? Bohong? Menipu?

Najib cancels speech to International Anti-Corruption Conference.

Embattled Malaysian PM Najib drops speech to global anti-corruption gathering

Some 2,000 delegates from around the world will gather in Malaysia next week for the world’s top anti-corruption meeting, but they will no longer be hearing from the leader of the host country




























Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
The embattled leader has now quietly cancelled his scheduled speech to 2,000 delegates on the opening day of the International Anti-Corruption Conference that his country is hosting Photo: AP
For Najib Razak, the Malaysian prime minister beset by controversy over nearly £450 million paid into his personal bank account, the timing of a global anti-corruption conference in Kuala Lumpur next week could not be more awkward.
The embattled leader has now quietly cancelled his scheduled speech to 2,000 delegates on the opening day of the International Anti-Corruption Conference that his country is hosting.
The summit, which is organised by the Transparency International, the world’s leading anti-corruption organisation, is held every two years in different locations.
 
By chance, it will open in Kuala Lumpur as Mr Najib’s government is engulfed in allegations of corruption and financial impropriety surrounding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a scandal-plagued state investment fund.
The prime minister has strenuously denied any wrongdoing connected to the payments into his bank account or to 1MDB, which that has amassed debts of £7 billion since he founded it in 2009.
The prospect of the prime minister addressing the conference had delighted critics who are demanding his resignation.

His office has not explained why he is now sending along a junior minister in his place.
“It’s standard protocol of the International Anti-Corruption Conference to have the democratically elected head of state open the conference,” said Chris Sanders, Transparency International’s spokesman.

“His appearance would have provided an opportunity for the global anti-corruption community and Malaysian civil society, and media, to question the prime minister directly at the conference about the 1MDB affair and other recent events.”

Mr Najib pulled out of the summit as tens of thousands of protestors prepare to stage anti-Najib rallies in Malaysian cities this weekend. The protests are going ahead despite threats by police to arrest organisers as the gatherings do not have permits.

The scandal swirling around 1MDB took a new twist last month when it was reported that financial investigators had found a payment of nearly £450m into Mr Najib’s bank accounts.
The country’s anti-corruption commission said that the money was contributed by an unnamed donor, not by 1MDB, but officials said they were still investigating.

Mr Najib’s officials have said that the payment of nearly £450m, made through an Arab bank, came from a Middle East benefactor for political party use purposes before the last election. Mr Najib has denied any personal financial gain.

But the contribution of such a large sum – nearly as much as the £470m raised by Barack Obama to fight the 2012 US presidential campaign in the most expensive election in history – has only fuelled controversies.

Mahathir Mohamad, the former Malaysian prime minister who was once Mr Najob’s mentor, has been among the most vocal critics questioning the donation and leading calls for his resignation.

Mahathir MohamadMahathir Mohamad, the former Malaysian prime minister  Photo: Rex 

Mr Najib has accused Mr Mahathir of leading a conspiracy to oust him. His government has also said it is the target of a plot involving Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of Gordon Brown, who runs Sarawak Report, a London-based anti-corruption website.

As the scandals deepened, Mr Najib sacked his deputy prime minister and other Cabinet members who did not stick to the party line and replaced key anti-corruption officials.
With his government battered at the same time by economic woes as falling oil prices have pushed the ringgit currency to a 17-year-low, there has also been a crackdown on opposition media.

Malaysia on Thursday announced that it will block websites supplying information about and encouraging participation in the the protest rallies. The home minister had earlier said that the organisers from pro-democracy group Bersih were spreading "anti-government propaganda" that damaged the country's image and hence was a threat to national stability.

Have no Fear...Bersih Man is Here!






Public Service Announcement.



‘Street Rally Guide For Beginners’

Ground zero? / Source: http://www.travelfish.org

A Malaysian friend of mine caught glance of a great piece of social media flutter today on Facebook that is just begging to be posted here. Suaram, a human rights organization in Malaysia, has published a ‘Street Rally Guide For Beginners’ just in time for the much-trumpeted Bersih 3.0 sit-in protest planned for Merdeka Square this Saturday.
Last June, Bersih 2.0 (the second of the Bersih protests) rallied 10,000 to 20,000 people in downtown Kuala Lumpur — though numbers vary even more than that — clogging major roads which led to clashes with government forces who used high-pressure water hoses and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Bersih (‘clean’ in Bahasa Malayu) protests began in ’07 when the group first began calling for election reforms and transparent democracy.
Perhaps wielding a bit of foresight for the events that lay ahead, Suaram’s comprehensive (and at times comical) guide offers basic safety tips and sensible advice for protestors. If you plan to join the Bersih protestors (or any rally for that matter), do yourself a favor and scroll down through the selection of pages I’ve taken out of their guide.
Never know when those running shoes will come in handy
Police will appreciate the fresh breath too
Police will appreciate the fresh breath too
Watch the old folks... Not much different than being in a Chinese tour group
Watch the old folks... Not much different than being in a Chinese tour group
Don't stray from the herd. Haven't you ever watched Animal Planet?
Don't stray from the herd. Haven't you ever watched Animal Planet?
Think zen
Think zen
Beware of gas
Beware of gas
Beware of water too
Beware of water too
If it's 'UM - NO' -- then walk away
If it's 'UM - NO' -- then walk away
Be odurate, be vague
Be obdurate, be vague
And most importantly... Stay vigilant
And most importantly... Stay vigilant