Demokerasy in action: one law two systems for Perkasa and students

 

Malaysian democracy showed its two faces this week when 1,000 people took part in a street protest for an hour demanding the removal of a senior government officer and backing federal “transformation” plans for turning Felda, the farmers’ collective, into a giant agri-business organisation. On the other hand 30 university students were given the usual full police action of harrassment, arrest, and denial of legal counsel.

Perkasa 1,000 rent-a-mob gets away with street protest

The street protest involved Malay rights group Perkasa, Umno and an organisation known as the “Coalition to Dignify National Leaders” in Malay. They demanded the removal of the director-general of Felda and other “traitors” for objecting to government plans for listing a Felda subsidiary on the stock market. The Felda head has been ordered to go on “study leave” from Nov 25.

No arrrests were reported. 

Advertisements

Assembly Bill: Court backs away from test of whether Constitution comes first

Wikipedia

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has backed away from a chance to uphold the Constitution’s supremacy over Parliament in refusing to allow an application filed by the PAS deputy president and two MPs of the party.

In yet another decision in a long trail of similar decisions over decades, the court upheld the Malaysian parliament’s supremacy (and by extension, supremacy of the ruling government) over the Constitution by saying it could not interfere with Parliament’s right to make law.

The Constitution grants Parliament the power to make laws, the judiciary to pass judgements on the law, and the King and Cabinet to carry out actions under the law.

The court refused to allow leave for a judicial review of the Peaceful Assembly Bill, now before the Senate, dismissing the application as “an abuse of the court process” and also, unusually, awarding costs for what is a preliminary filing.

No stock – Banksy in London

 

Banksy, the UK street artist, put up four new pieces in London this week, all of which were buffed or removed very quickly according to a street art blog. One was on the side of the National Gallery, one near Liverpool St. Station, one on Wapping High Street indeed. The one in the photo was spotted at East India Dock Road. Uncanny, that*.
» Banksy | » Street Art London | » * In KL at the weekend

 

KLCC’s grand sale! Don’t miss it!

KLCC’s most likely response:

No stock!

Sold out oredi!

Very sorry ah

KLCC takes legal action to stop Freedom Walk

Gathering planned for Saturday, UN human rights day
‘Flashmob’ to view Christmas trees at KLCC Suria

Organisers of the two previous weekend protest gatherings at KLCC Park have been issued a threatening lawyer’s letter from the shopping mall and convention centre owners to stop another protest planned for Saturday to view the Christmas decorations inside Suria KLCC mall.

KLCC said through their lawyers that they would hold the organisers personally liable for any losses or damage suffered by tenants of the shopping centre, and would seek an injunction to stop any protest event from being held there.

Two previous protest gatherings were held at the KLCC Park but were forced to a corner away from the mall’s park entrance when workers cordoned off the area in front of the fountains.

Last week, poet laureate A Samad Said recited a poem Missing Space in front of about 400 people who came for the event; among them were DAP politicians.

KLCC, the luxury shopping mall and convention centre, is owned by companies belonging to tycoon Ananda Krishnan, and built on land formerly occupied by the Selangor Turf Club for its race course. The turf club were persuaded to move the race course outside Kuala Lumpur and surrender the valuable city centre land. Rights to develop the land for commercial use and hotels were awarded to Ananda Krishnan’s companies by the Mahathir Mohamad government.

View this document on Scribd

» Full screen view

Liberty isn’t won in a day. It’s a process.

Power comes from the obedience of the governed … if the sources of this obedience are undermined, tyrants can be toppled
Gene Sharp

When someone let out her frustration at the reluctance of people to be involved in the reform movement, and another Tweeted of becoming fed up with all that talk of “street parties”, my response was only to say: “Liberty isn’t won in a day. It’s a process.” Feeble and trite, I thought.

So it was comforting to read Al Jazeera’s interview on Monday of Prof Gene Sharp (photo, above), whose ideas and thoughts on non-violent struggle have inspired reformers everywhere.

How to bring down a dictator [Video]

You read the book. » From Dictatorship to Democracy
» Menuju Demokrasi Tanpa Kekerasan and also in » simplified Chinese script
» See also: How to keep a dictatorship in power

Now see the movie

Making fun of them also works

Something missing at KLCC

Ada sang perubah permainan
kami perubah kekuasaan
Inilah tekad generasi baru
akarnya keadilan syahdu
There is a game changer
But we are changers of the powers
This is the young generation’s determination
its root is noble justice
A SAMAD SAID
Merindu Ruang (Missing Space)
recited at the KLCC Freedom Walk
2 Dec 2011

Missing Space at KLCC

 

Samad Said: Change the regime

The prime minister’ speech said he needs a game changer, but what we need is regime change
A SAMAD SAID
Poet, novelist, journalist
at the KLCC Freedom Walk
2 Dec 2011

 

Samad Said speaks out for Malaysians’ independence

Photo: Teo Nie Ching

Poet and writer A Samad Said, of Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, ASAS 50, and BERSIH 2.0, reciting his poem Unggun Bersih today in front of a crowd at KLCC Park, in the second week of public gatherings to protest against the government’s Peaceful Assembly Bill which bans street protests and confines public demonstrations to “designated areas”.

Malaysians Can Walk Freely | Facebook