cakap cakap...A week of terror or of hope?

There are many things that we should be concerned about that is now happening in Malaysia. I am not talking about the one sided IPP agreements that favours the cronies of Mahathir at the expense of the Rakyat. We can live with that. I am not talking about the billions lost through the debacle that is PKFZ. Somehow our country will recover back from this abuse of the trust we had misplaced in the leaders of BN. There are also the enormous costs of the infrastructure projects all over the country - costs which, if our leaders were more careful in their management of these projects, could have been minimized and saved billions for our country. Again, over time and with diligence and thrift our country will survive. These are all costs that our people will bear for generations to come but bear them we will because the abuse has been done by the very people we elected to govern us!


What we should be concern about is that there should not be any  more unnecessary loss of lives of our people. People dying while under the custody of PDRM or MACC are unnecessary.No more deaths like those of the villagers in Memali simply because their beliefs are considered deviationist. No more deaths of our young people who are shot by Police in "self defence" after being pursued by the Police. No more death of our Armed Forces personals in accidents that could be prevented. No more death  where these deaths could have been avoided if the BN government could understand that compassion for the weak and for those unfortunate enough to have strayed must first come from them.


It is disturbing to see PDRM who already have too much power say that the Bersih Rally will not take place.Disturbing because we know they have the resources at their disposal to forcibly make that happen! The irresponsibility of the BN government in using utmost force and intimidation to "manage" its own people is standard operating procedure. 


If by the arrest of Bersih Rally activist the government can ensure there is no threat to national security - then by all means go arrest every one of them. For we all do not want riots in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Or are these arrest to save BN? I can tell BN now that these arrests will not save BN because nothing can save BN now. PDRM have already arrested hundreds of Bersih activists to prevent them from being a threat to national security. A threat that does not exists! And that they so at the bidding of their political master with little more justification then the belief that the survival of their political masters will also guarantee theirs! These Bersih Activist can now expect to be detained or arrested on charges they may never hear and evidence they cannot challenged  in a court they cannot attend! Is that not what the ISA is all about?


These Bersih activists are now enemy combatants detained more or less at random. Sooner if not later the executive powers of the BN government will surely be massively extended to "cover all eventualities" brought about by the insistence of these Bersih Activists to hold an illegal event! Surely these waging of war by BN against Bersih is an over kill? The BN government uses the perceived threat against the Rakyat's security to curtail the Rakyat's human rights. The BN government will claim that the protection of women, ethnic groups, children, disabled people, the old and property is their reason to move against Bersih acivists. That and not the preservation of their tenuous hold over our country will be their rationale for trying to exterminate Bersih with a giant sledgehammer!


BN wants to wage a war without end against the opposition. Of what use is BN protestation that all they do is to ensure that the security of the country is not threaten when those that are threatened are the very people of that same country? The elimination of this threat to national security is of no significance to the people of this country when it is the people of that country themselves that are being eliminated! Lest we forget the declaration of NOC after the Racial Riots of 13 th May in 1969 to temporarily govern the country conveniently laid the foundations for UMNO/BN rule until today. A rule that has now imposed upon us a government that is corrupt, arrogant and abusive to its very own people. 


Our concern should be for the living. If the BN government makes PDRM and MACC understand that death in custody is not acceptable - then it will stop. As simple as that.
For death is final. Those that have lost loved ones because of the actions of PDRM and MACC have lost them forever. The pain stays with them for life. Fathers are lost by children. Husbands by wives and parents lose their children too. That this has happened time and time again surely must indicate a government without compassion?              


And then there are the deaths that are preventable. Multiple deaths in bus accidents. These death might have been preventable if Puspakom have been more vigilant in their enforcement and the Police more determined in their efforts to rid  our roads of those that does not deserve to be given the responsibility of being in charge of these vehicles. Expired driving licenses and those with adverse driving history should be taken of the road as a matter of course. Surely there are ways to police these matters. Here in South Australia the authorities are able to identify any car driven without a valid registration because the technology exists to identify these vehicles if they are driven on the roads.


All these unnecessary death is the responsibility of the BN government. They cannot excuse themselves by putting the onus on PDRM, MACC or Puspakom or even MINDEF      


But we know that these deaths do not give our Prime Minister sleepless nights! He and his wife have more pressing matters to deal with. The engagement of their daughter, the hatching of more sordid plots and sub plots to harass the oppositions, communists that threaten to wage war upon the King and of course there is that matter of who will present Rosmah with the latest Hermes handbag!  


Meanwhile the suppression of internal dissent continues with breathtaking regularity and brutal efficiency. I fail to see how declaring the Bersih Rally illegal will do much for the people of Malaysia. Be as it may the Bersih spirit will persists. It is true that Pakatan Rakyat, DSAI, Kit Siang , TGNK are all riding on the coat tails of Bersih. It is also true that the success of this Bersih rally will threaten the survival of UMNO and BN. And so the stage is set for Bersih to fight by proxy the battles of both these sworn enemies. On or Off Bersih will take its place in our history as possibly being the moment when either BN or Pakatan Rakyat first saw the light of their day at dawn in the East or the setting of their day with the sun in the West. Who will see what will be for us to find out in the coming week! It will be an interesting week for some, a week of terror for others. A week in politics is a long time indeed!    

Cakap cakap....BERSIH 2.0

BEAUFORT, June 18 – The opposition is hiding behind the planned Bersih 2.0 rally with a plot to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

Aisehman for once I am in agreement with this DPM of ours! Very perceptive of him to say that the opposition is trying to topple the ruling Barsian Nasional government. Wonder why it took him this long to figure that out. He must have put two and two together - what the last BERSIH rally did to BN and figured out if they could do that at the last 12th general election - they MUST be trying to do the same thing again now!

But just because UMNO is using PERKASA to kacahau the opposition that does not mean that the opposition is hiding behind BERSIH 2.0 to topple Barisan Nasional. What the opposition is doing is not hiding behind BERSIH 2.0 - the opposition is standing shoulder to shoulder with all those that wants a free and fair elections. UMNO hides behind Perkasa. UMNO covertly support Perkasa to do its dirty work for it. The opposition does not hide behind anything. Pakatan Rakyat is out there in the open being harassed by PDRM, by MACC, by UMNO and by all the government machinery's under the control of Barisan Nasional - and yet it is still standing strong and defiant because being right gives you strength to do what you have to do even in the face of overwhelming odds! 

Here is the thing Muidin...this BERSIH 2.0 rally is a rally whose time has come. This is not something Tok Guru or Hadi, DSAI or Kit Siang can just pluck out of thin air and say "Let us get some Rakyats together to demand Free and Fair elections". This is not something that PAS can make happen because PAS supporters by themselves are not enough to make this rally a success. Nor can DAP or PKR - not without the support and participation of the Rakyat.

If you remember it was the people who made REFORMASI a reality for DSAI. There were enough people on the streets demanding REFORMASI to make Mahathir and the BN  government become disturbingly aware of their presence and their support for what DSAI then signified - a much needed promise for change.

Only the people can deliver the critical mass in terms of numbers to ensure that this BERSIH 2.0 Rally will have a voice loud enough to drown Perkasa or Pemuda UMNO. Because this is the Rakyats rally! The 62 NGO's can organize, support and encourage the Rakyat to turn up for the rally but what Muidin and Najib are so worried about is how the Rakyat will respond. That they are that worried is already one plus point for the steering committee of this BERSIH 2.0 rally. Syabas to them!

By all accounts the number that will turn up for this BERSIH 2.0 rally is massive. Huge. Overwhelming. And this of course worries Muidin. He knows that Perkasa is no match to what BERSIH 2.0 can deliver in terms of numbers. Pemuda UMNO is a more worthwhile opponent for BERSIH 2.0 to face only because it is Pemuda UMNO that has more to lose then BERSIH 2.0. KJ has nothing to lose. From where he is now in UMNO's hierarchy he can only go up...and being a spoiler for the BERSIH 2.0 rally seems about the only break he might have to do just that! He is past fighting for his political survival...he is clutching at straws to survive!

And so the stage is set for a confrontation. Not a confrontation for civilized and decent minds to each put forth their views and argue them out rationally and with grace. No, this will be a physical confrontation. Not a confrontation led by Keris brandishing Din or those empty headed UMNO zealots who are incredibly brave when faced with an UMNO assembly that cheers them on in the confines confines of PWTC! No! This will be a dry run for Perkasa and Pemuda UMNO to show UMNO what they can do in the run up to the 13th general elections! And it would seem that Perkasa and Pemuda UMNO are incredibly brave to face the thousands that will surely turn out in support of BERSIH 2.0!

Incredibly brave indeed! What is there to fear when you have PDRM and the ARMY backing you? What is there to fear when you are standing behind armed riot squad police against BERSIH 2.0 particiapnts who are unharmed? And what is there to fear when the government of the day will invoke the ISA and what have you against BERSIH 2.0 to ensure that their "bravery" is not for nothing! The coalition of the "incredibly brave" Persaka, Pemuda UMNO, UMNO, Barisan Nasional - all with incredibly large armies and deep pockets to fight against its own people!

POLICE PERMIT already given to PERKASA!

A government that is willing to push its people to the brink is an irresponsible government. It is irresponsible to allow Perkasa and Pemuda UMNO to hinder what BERSIH 2.0 intends to do. But what does UMNO care? What does Hishmauddin cares? What does the IGP cares? They think that they can control and manipulate the outcome of this confrontation by remote control to favour the Barisan Nasional government - their political masters. It is irresponsible because the volatility of the situation where race, religion and politics is to be manipulated to gain a preferred outcome is fraught with danger and unpredictability. Emotions and passions cannot be held in check. In a riot situation people will get hurt. People will get out of control People will die! Iff one life is lost....even if one Rakyat is injured - it will be a crime that our own government has commit against its own people 

I know that most of you that intends to be with this BERSIH 2.0 rally are afraid! There is no shame in being afraid of baton wielding Policemen bent on beating the day lights out of their own people. There is no shame of being afraid of the ISA. What you should be ashamed of is if you sit by and do nothing! Do nothing about a government that thinks nothing of unleashing its physical force against it own people just so they can remain in power.

The most effective weapon against this Barisan Nasional government is its people. Do not forget that it was the people of Manila who came out in the hundreds of thousands in February 1986 to rid themselves of the Marcos after suffering 20 years of his pillaging and plundering of the people's nations wealth! The recent revolt in Egypt that rid themselves of the corrupt Hosni Mubarak regime was also the result of its people coming together to vent their frustration and anger - but only after 30 years of Mubarak's corrupt regime. And we have had over 50 years of UMNO - is it not enough?

Fifty over years of billions lost because of money politics. Fifty years of corruption, nepotism and greed which have by now become entrenched in the culture of UMNO....and sadly amongst the people of this country, primarily the Malays. Fifty years of teflon coated Barisan Nasional political leaders who still think that what they have done and what they are still doing is beyond our ability to comprehend! Not only do we comprehend but we are now prepared to do something about it! Observe what is on the electronic media! Read what we write on the blogs. Understand the implications of the opposition gains in the 12th general elections. Feel the "SURGE" that now reverberates amongst the people of this country! They are saying "ENOUGH!" They are saying "We will no longer tolerate politicians who are corrupt!"...and Perkasa or Pemuda UMNO stands in our way at their own peril.
　
I am not one for rhetoric's. Neither are those within the steering committee of BERSIH 2.0. What they have is a quiet determination and confidence of those who know they are on the side of what is right. They know that when need becomes greed then it is time that they step up to do their duty no matter what the costs will be to their personal self's! And believe you me that each and every one of those involved in the organizing of this BERSIH 2.0 rally is under enormous personal pressure to stand down and do the easy thing - run and hide from the mighty Barsian Nasional ogre!

Let us do the only thing we can do :

Join the BERSIH 2.0 rally.

Be not afraid for you will have the numbers.

"Safety in numbers is the hypothesis that, by being part of a large physical group or mass, an individual is proportionally less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, attack, or other bad event"

The wildebeest survival strategy is to bolt across a crocodile infested river in huge numbers. Yes there will be some of us that will be injured and taken in by PDRM -some migth even make the ultimate sacrifice with their life - but you need to have the numbers at the BERSIH 2.0 rally if the Barisan Nasional government is to understand that it is the Rakyat that they are up against! They already understand that reality now but this BERSIH 2.0 rally will be our way of showing Barisan Nasional how we intend to vote at the 13th general elections.

Nothing: Not Perkasa, not Pemuda UMNO, not PDRM not the threat of the ISA - nothing should prevent this BERSIH 2.0 rally - because it is a rally whose time has come!

"The public is the only critic whose judgment is worth anything at all".

Mark Twain.