Ahad, 26 Jun 2011

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Hot On The Heels Of Najib’s ‘No Guts Pakatan’, Hisham Threatens ISA

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 05:45 AM PDT

Malaysia Chronicle

As expected, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has threatened to use the Internal Security Act on participants of the three concurrent rallies due on July 9, and while he did not mention which rally, it was obvious that he was directing his comments to the largest one – the Bersih 2.0 Walk for Democracy.

The Bersih rally is organised by 62 of the country’s most established NGOs, who plan a peaceful march to deliver an 8-point memorandum to the King calling for free and fair elections.

The rally is supported by the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. However, the Najib administration is against the rally, labelling it as an opposition ploy, but has failed to provide any good reasons why citizens could not assemble peacefully when it was guaranteed under the federal constitution.

"If there is chaos, I am responsible to make sure that proper action following the law will be taken to control the situation. The ISA does not need to be used but can be used but to use the ISA, there must be reasons that really threaten the country's security and safety," Hisham told reporters on Sunday.

The ISA is dreaded because it allows the government to jail dissidents and political foes for indefinite periods of time without trial.

No guts? Tell it to Onn Jaffar

Hisham’s words came hot on the heels of his cousin, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who warned he would hold the Bersih organisers responsible if there was unrest.

“Do not create chaos just because you want power. If there is chaos, then you organisers will be held responsible,” Najib had said at the opening of People’s Progressive Party’s 58th Annnual General Assembly earlier on Sunday.

The PM also challenged the Pakatan to fight his BN in a general election instead of holding street demonstrations which would only cause problems.

"If you have guts, then fight us during the election and not this way by holding demonstrations. Only those with no guts will hold demonstrations,” said Najib.

But the actions of the two cousins failed to create much impact. In Najib’s own home state of Pahang on Sunday, 1,000 Kuanatan folk took part in a peaceful protest against his plan to build a rare earth plant in Gebeng.

“Hisham and UMNO are no different from the Syria or Libya tyrannical regimes. The use of the ISA to stop a peaceful assembly is unlawful and in breach of our federal constitution. This cowardly threat will not deter the people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly. I have no doubt the July 9 rally will proceed as far as Bersih is concerned,” human rights lawyer N Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.

Even DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has poured scorn on the cousins’ hypocrisy, challenging Hisham to jail his late granddad Onn Jaffar, who played a primary role in the formation of UMNO with his anti-British and pro-Malay rights demonstrations in the 1950s.

“One of the pioneers of peaceful public rallies in Malaysia is none other than Datuk Onn Jaffar, the grandfather of the Home Minister. Would Hishammuddin have arrested his grandfather Datuk Onn Jaffar for organizing peaceful mass rallies and meetings resulting in formation of UMNO if the latter had been alive today?” Kit Siang had said in a statement on Thursday.

A joke

Indeed, given the distinguished backgrounds of the orgainising committee chaired by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, Najib will be hard-pressed to explain to the nation, investors and the global community why he would want to block a rally that promoted free and fair elections.

To do so would indicate that he does not wish for free and fair elections, in line with the accusations of many pundits, who say that without election fraud, it would be impossible for Najib and his UMNO party to win at the upcoming 13th general election.

Meanwhile, to warn off the people, police have begun arresting civilians who wore yellow t-shirts as that is the colour of the Bersih t-shirts. On Saturday, police also remanded 30 members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia for ‘rekindling’ Communist ideology and waging war on the King. According to the cops, the PSM members had worn t-shirts decorated with the faces of past Malaysian communist leaders such as Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin and Suriani Abdullah and this made them ‘suspicious’.

“It has become a joke. There is no way anyone is going to cancel their rally. Nonsense,” Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

On July 9, in a bid to frazzle the Bersih rally, the Youth wing of Najib’s UMNO party and sister-organization Perkasa will also be marching. Both UMNO Youth and Perkasa marches are intended to be counter-marches to the Bersih’s but both are highly unlikely to draw many supporters.

As for the Bersih rally, a huge turnout is expected with many urban dwellers overcoming their initial fears as disgust for the ruling coalition rose.

Pakatan Rakyat, which has been quick to support the Bersih anti-election fraud platform, have also pledged to send their members. In particular, PAS president Hadi Awang has made an inspiring call, ordering all members of the Islamist party – totalling more than a million – to stand up for clean governance and attend the Bersih 2.0 on July 9.

5,000 Penduduk Alor Star Ikuti Amanat Himpunan Bersih 2.0

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 05:37 AM PDT

Dari Keadilan Daily

Lebih 5,000 orang membanjiri Markas Pas Pokok Sena di sini, bagi mengikuti perkembangan terbaru dari pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat mengenai program Himpunan Bersih 2.0 di ibu negara 9 Julai ini.

Kehadiran rakyat yang bilangannya luar biasa itu, sekaligus memberi gambaran betapa sambutan rakyat terhadap seruan menyertai Himpunan Bersih 2.0, sangat menggalakkan.

Apatah lagi, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam pidatonya bijak membakar semangat hadirin dengan mengingatkan rakyat supaya terus yakin dengan perjuangan menuntut perubahan kerana ia asas paling utama dalam melawan pemerintah zalim.

"Kita ada keyakinan, kita menang. Hilang keyakinan, kita kalah," kata Ketua Umum KEADILAN merangkap Ketua Pembangkang itu.

Umno khianati amanah rakyat – Mahfuz

Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena, Datuk Mahfuz Omar yang berucap dalam loghat pekat utara turut mencuri tumpuan apabila mengibarat pemimpin yang mengkhianati kepercayaan rakyat sebagai 'jebon yang menjaga law ayam' (musang yang menjaga reban ayam).

"Jangankan ayam, dengan law sekali jebon ini nak kekah," katanya, penuh semangat.

Ketua Pemuda Pas kawasan Pokok Sena, Ustaz Izzat Shauki pula mencabar semua hadirin lelaki untuk turun ke Kuala Lumpur 9 Julai ini jika benar-benar anak jantan.

"Pengerusi Bersih 2.0, Datuk Ambiga, seorang perempuan pun turun ke jalan raya. Jadi, kalau saudara-saudara yang lelaki tak berani turut sama berhimpun, malulah kepada orang perempuan" katanya

Sokongan rakyat terhadap tuntutan Bersih semakin meluas
Ahli Parlimen Kuala Kedah, Ahmad bin Kassim turut mengingatkan rakyat bahawa prinsip pengasingan kuasa antara pentadbiran, perundangan dan kehakiman perlu dititik berat agar kuasa tidak berpusat kepada Perdana Menteri semata-mata.

"Kalau dah campur jadi macam rojak, ada masalah. Justeru, tuntutan
Bersih adalah sebahagian usaha memperbetul keadaan ini," katanya.

Ceramah berakhir kira-kira jam 12 tengah malam dengan ribuan hadirin yang mengikuti amanat pimpinan beransur-ansur pulang ke rumah masing-masing, dengan tekad untuk menyertai Himpunan Bersih 2.0.

Di wajah mereka, terpapar semangat untuk berhimpun di Kuala Lumpur 9 Julai ini.

Najib’s Umno Is Looking Like A Bully — Malek Abdullah

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 12:31 AM PDT

The Malaysian Insider

The only group that should be held responsible if things get out of control on July 9 is Umno.

From day one, Umno and its sidekick Perkasa has been upping the ante, sketching the worst-case scenario while threatening and harassing Bersih activists.

I suppose what they say about seeing one's true colours under pressure is true.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not looking or sounding like any reformer, Facebook or Twitter fan parties notwithstanding.

The Najib administration should remember this.

If it ups the ante it will ultimately be held responsible for any untoward outcome.

Perhaps he should look back at the history of the administration of Tun Abdullah Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

A major security crackdown on the opposition with mass arrests in 1987 was followed by a poor performance by Barisan Nasional in the 1990 polls.

When people took to the streets in unprecedented numbers after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sacking and prosecution in 1998, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) received a bloody nose in the 1999 general elections.

The 1999 elections was Dr Mahathir's last.

In 2004, with the economy on the upswing and Dr Mahathir retired, Abdullah scored BN's best ever electoral result.

But by 2008, after bruising street battles between police and Hindraf protesters and Bersih demonstrators a year earlier, BN suffered its worst result.

That was Abdullah's last election as PM.

So with rising prices shrinking the wallets of the public and rising dissent against the government, is it really such a good idea to take a hardline stance?

Najib's Umno is coming across as a bully, with fighting words thrown daily at Bersih and its supporters.

And no one likes a bully.

Negara Demokrasi Jamin Hak Berhimpun Secara Aman-Senator Pattani

Posted: 25 Jun 2011 08:58 PM PDT

Dari TV Selangor

Senator Dewan Negara Thailand bagi daerah Pattani, Dr Worawit Baru @ Ahmad Idris menyifatkan perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini sebagai satu kempen penting dan tidak perlu dihalang kerana ia biasa berlangsung di mana-mana negara yang mengamalkan demokrasi.

Menurut beliau tuntutan terhadap pilihan raya yang adil dan bersih merupakan tuntutan semua warganegara.

“Perhimpunan (ini) merupakan kempen untuk perhimpunan yang bersih, yang adil, yang terlepas daripada sebarang tuduhan.

“Jadi saya ingat (ia) pentinglah kalau kerajaan atau mana-mana pihak tidak ada sesuatu (untuk disorokkan),” kata Dr Worawit.

Himpunan Bersih yang dijadualkan pada 9 Julai ini mendapat tentangan teruk daripada kerajaan Malaysia dan pertubuhan berkaitan Umno seperti Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) dan media arus perdana.

Dr Worawit yang juga merupakan Timbalan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Buruh dan Kebajikan Sosial Pattani menyatakan itu perkara biasa memandangkan BN takut kehilangan hegemoni kuasa mereka.

Beliau juga menyatakan keyakinannya dengan keupayaan pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat untuk mentadbir Malaysia jika memenangi pilihan raya umum akan datang.

“Pakatan Rakyat beri gambaran baru (dalam politik Malaysia), melangkaui etnik, tetapi masih lagi menghormati kaum yang banyak,” kata Dr Worawit.

Beliau yang mengenali Anwar sejak 30 tahun lalu turut menyatakan beliau yakin Anwar boleh melakukan perubahan itu.

Menurut beliau, Anwar ketika masih bersama Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) pernah menyatakan hasrat untuk membaiki sistem politik Umno ketika itu.

“Saya masih ingat dulu, Anwar pernah kata dia nak masuk Umno untuk mengubah Umno dari dalam,” katanya.

Pada masa yang sama, Dr Worawit sempat menyeru Pakatan Rakyat untuk terus bekerja keras bagi mengekalkan momentum perubahan yang sedang melanda rakyat Malaysia.

“Kalau kita nak lawan dalam politik berdepan BN, strategi kena tetapkan, kajian kena jalankan, dan kerja kena kuat.

“Malaysia ini jadi susah nak tukar sebab rakyat Malaysia sudah biasa diperintah Barisan Nasional,” kata Dr Worawit.

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