if you have not read this, please do so.
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Why do Malaysians march?
Yeo Yang Poh
On the move ... a section of anti-ISA protesters near
the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?
One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?
Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them.
Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.
Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful.
Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears.
Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented. Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse.
The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness. Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march.
And now you ask, why march?
for the rest of the article, read here:
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=36441
for photos of the rally, see:
http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-was-proud-to-be-malaysian-as-i-walked.html
http://photos.malaysiakini.com/isa_rally/index.php
http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/hidup-rakyat-mansuhkan-isa-mampoi-bn/
------------------------------------
Why do Malaysians march?
Yeo Yang Poh
On the move ... a section of anti-ISA protesters near
the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?
One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?
Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them.
Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.
Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful.
Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears.
Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented. Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse.
The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness. Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march.
And now you ask, why march?
for the rest of the article, read here:
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=36441
for photos of the rally, see:
http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-was-proud-to-be-malaysian-as-i-walked.html
http://photos.malaysiakini.com/isa_rally/index.php
http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/hidup-rakyat-mansuhkan-isa-mampoi-bn/
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