Protest, Malaysian style

Posted on November 26, 2007
Filed Under Malaysian News |

As far as I can see from the video the protest/rally was peaceful enough. The protesters had gathered illegally (without a permit) for sure, but why should it have come to this?The Indians had a legitimate grievance. They want to bring attention to it by gathering. Why weren’t they given the permit to gather peacefully?

There is nothing equivalent to the 1st Amendment which says CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF; OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS; OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, in Malaysia.

How long has Malaysia achieved independence from Britain? Fifty years? How many more years before the government sees it fit to allow people to gather peacefully to bring attention to some grievance? Why does a ban on gatherings always boil down to this: to prevent racial tension?

I am all for keeping the peace and protecting property that could get damaged if a protest goes out of control, but I value my right to speak and protest in public more. What good is a democracy if I can’t peacefully gather with like-minded people?

I think it is about time the government of Malaysia notices that Malaysians are mature people, people who have hopes and dreams of a better future for themselves and for their children. A Malaysia where everyone has the same rights, where no one particular group or race or religion is esteemed better than the others. Where education and hard work will get you ahead, where merit is prized over one’s family or business connection.

Malaysians are waking up to the fact that there are blatant discrimination, that the government is not transparent, that corruption of people in high offices are rampant, that the judiciary is not independent, that the simple right to gather and protest in a democracy is not there.

How long Malaysia, how long before the rakyat is considered mature enough and “given” the right to gather and protest without being fired at with tear gas and chemical laced water cannons?

“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime . . . .” — Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, dissenting Ginzberg v. United States, 383 U.S. 463 (1966)

Sphere: Related Content

Comments

6 Responses to “Protest, Malaysian style”

  1. pat on November 17th, 2007 7:14 am

    Puteri and Nightwing,

    Actually,the protest turn out to be quite violent and causes damage to certain parts of the road.Err…Which gathering was this video about?Because there have been a couple of illegal gathering this past 2 weeks.If it is about those Indians,they’re Indians demanding compensation from the Queen Of England because they claimed that their ancestors were sent to Malaya to become labourers.I think that was a stupid act.Can you believe that theyre asking the Queen to compensate them for RM1million each??I mean for each of the Indians that came to Malaya.

    According to the law in Malaysia about gatherings,yes the police will grant gatherings if the gatherings are not to against the law for example trying to protest against the government.

    Let me quote a saying from Nightwing’s comment “…What the police and politicians are afraid of…is people taking the opportunity to create problems during gathering be it legal or illegal. I.e ppl from neigbouring countries and mat rempits might blend in with crowds…” Definitely! Once a gathering creates trouble,it will give shame to the government especially the country thus we will lose potential investors to Malaysia.Of course we dont want that to happen.

    But anyway,the police are now guarding the entrance to The British High Commissioner in KL fearing another similar incident might happen in the future.

    [reply this comment]

    Puteri reply on November 27, 2007:

    Apalah Pat, peda manah2 dulu video sebedau posting. Of course it is about the Indian protest! Ko news lah bisi damage property .. what property? The fence at the temple? Bus got burnt? Sapa dulu start? Police lah .. peda post ba http://www.jeffooi.com/ Awal awal pagi polis dah nganti ba Batu Caves. Those protestors bisi mai senjata? Of course nadai.

    Anang kelalu arap berita ari newspaper aja, taja aku diau ditu, aku enda ketinggalan enggau perkembangan ba Malaysia. Ba news nuan mina meda one side of the story .. nadai salah sida Indian nganjong petition .. mostly symbolic aja gesture nya, I don’t think anyone believes Britain will ever compensate. Nya cara sida ka ngemalu ka perintah .. bansa siti kaya raya tapi bansa Indian jauh tinggal.

    What kind of rally has the gov’t ever allowed? Maybe by UMNO groups aja. Apa peduli government malu? Not our responsibility! Enti nemu malu, namahal enda nemu malu peda org corrupt? Polis chief bisi multi million dollars?! Judiciary enda independent? Malu agi Malaysia peda mata dunya, peaceful demonstration di hentam ngena tear gas enggau chemical laced water canons!

    Enggai agi investors ka Malaysia enti peda sida corruption is rampant, no transparency in govt, things can only move if some palms got greased, opposition leaders put in prison!

    Just because govt takut some problem might arise, that is no reason to ban all protests! Democracy is a sham if even peaceful protests are not allowed!

    Sorry, I feel very passionate about these issues!

    “Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime . . . .” — Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, dissenting Ginzberg v. United States, 383 U.S. 463 (1966)

  2. Nightwing on November 26th, 2007 6:59 am

    I am not sure what they are thinking of.

    Police is supposed to maintain law and order and not letting things get out of hand.

    In this case, it went out of hand because they distrubted the gathering by forcing people to disperse.

    No way in a million years will the police grant gatherings unless it is Election time (even then it is hard for opposition party).

    What the police and politicians are afraid of…is people taking the opportunity to create problems during gathering be it legal or illegal. I.e ppl from neigbouring countries and mat rempits might blend in with crowds.

    The excuse given, always racial issue….i.e other race might not like it and have their own gatherings.

    If you can, borrow Nanyang by Khoo Kheng Hor. Inside although it is a novel, part of what happended in our history is cover there.

    [reply this comment]

    Puteri reply on November 26, 2007:

    Exactly! Those people don’t look like hooligans. If people really destroying property, sure they can disperse them. The police got pelted a little bit, already takut, took excessive action. Those people broke down the fence to the temple .. we don’t know the full story to that. Maybe the gate was forcibly locked by the police to stop people from going in there .. we are not told .. those Hindus should have been allowed in there, don’t they? Isshh.

    I will try to look for Nanyang .. I like books with real historical events weaved into a novel.

  3. pat on November 28th, 2007 1:16 am

    Actually,memang government mayuh slack and mayuh “dirty secrets” like altantuya’s case is one of it.(Cannot say here lah..too sensitive!!)

    Polis dah awal nganti sidak iya laban perhimpunan nyak memang dah dipadah ba tv and tv dah meri warning ngagai sapa yg join perhimpunan nyak laban nyak perhimpunan haram.And,from what I heard,chaos started bila one of the indians nikau botol air ngagai sidak polis.

    It is sad to hear such thing happens laban as we know,government pun mayuh rahsia and most of the time,berat sebelah.what to do.peda baka anwar ibrahim,terpaksa masuk jail.

    [reply this comment]

    Puteri reply on November 29, 2007:

    Malaysia oh Malaysia.

Leave a Reply




ss_blog_claim=1f23ed337eb47d3b7efe10d79a6b8238