Oct 222009
 

Something is happening in front of the Dewan Sri Pinang on the quiet. Why is it that we seem to be losing many of our public spaces?

Dewan Sri
Palm trees are chopped down and fencing sprouts up instead: Another open space lost? – Photos by Anil

It so happens that this is the same area where the Abolish ISA candlelight vigils were held in September and October 2008. Perhaps the local government can tell us what is going on here.

Check out the photo below taken just over a year ago and compare and contrast.

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Mar 092009
 

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Hero’s welcome: Speaker Sivakumar is mobbed by ordinary Perakians – Photos by Kinta Kid

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The Perak Speaker acknowledges the crowd

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Keeping alive the flame of democracy, justice and freedom (Click to expand photo)

Kinta Kid reports from the first anniversary commemoration of the Pakatan in Perak last night:

The commemoration took place at the Tow Boo Keong Hall, a venue that actually has two halls separated by a temple in the centre. One of the halls was fitted with projectors for live viewing of the action from the main hall. The crowd was estimated at over 5,000 with the majority of them Chinese.

All the top guns were there such as ‘MB yang sah’ Nizar and Lim Kit Siang. But the hero of the night undoubtedly was the honourable Speaker V Sivakumar, the man who gave the country its Pokok Demokrasi after an emergency sitting of the Perak State Assembly was held beneath a raintree on 3 March 2008. Clearly appreciative of this person, the crowd in the hall rose and burst into applause as he arrived.
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Nov 302008
 

Norlaila, with her son by her side, shares her experience of having her husband detained under the ISA for more than six years

The mystery woman ‘M’

Rakyat@work reports from PJ:

2400: As we parted, Benz says to me. “Tonight was something special indeed; more new faces, more new testimonies, more new insights into the rakyat’s hopes and dreams; in fact, every vigil night, there is something new and refreshing to take home.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. God is good and so are our bros and sis who are blind to race. It feels so good. See you all next week? Over and out.

2210: Vigil ends.

2200: Well, its getting late now, the latest so far. Somehow, the crowd is reluctant to leave. There’s something special about tonight. Richard Yeoh once more leads us into our national anthem, Negaraku, and boy, it sounds a lot better now. No off keys this time, ha ha, it almost sounds as if it’s coming from a CD or tape recorder.

2135: Next comes a gentleman from the PKR. He speaks of the good old days when anthems were sung with such pride and unity among all races. What a contrast to today. It’s a sad, sad story these days… when we are plagued with ‘man-made’ problems.

It’s ironic, isn’t it? While other nations battles with natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and droughts, we, in Malaysia, have to contend with problems created by ourselves.

A woman speaks of the fear of standing up to be counted. She encourages her friends to come for the vigil and shares with us how many others are being either ‘brainwashed’ by fear or living in bondage.

Another speaker, Lokman, asks that the momentum of the vigils be sustained. Have faith in the rakyat playing their part, he says. He has experienced the change and is convinced it’s already working. The good news is that many more Malay sisters and brothers are coming out now.

2110: After Norlaila comes the next surprise! Most of the crowd are caught unaware… not by the FRU but by the presence of a brave lady.

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Nov 232008
 

The latest issue of Aliran Monthly is now out. Meanwhile, the Aliran annual general meeting today has unanimously resolved to call upon the government of Malaysia to abrogate the Internal Security Act and thereby restore justice and establish the rule of law. The AGM also urged all Malaysians to rally together to oppose the ISA and other oppressive laws.

Updates with Rakyat@work reporting ‘live’ from PJ:

2152: Malaysiakini reports that nine people, including three Pas leaders, have been arrested for failing to disperse when police moved into a group gathered at another location  – a field in Ampang Jaya – since 8.00pm. The Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) had organised the event to launch an anti-ISA rally, expected to be held next year.

2143: “Did you guys catch the news of those … who paraded in the pro-ISA demo?” – SEOAdsenseThemes

News report say a couple of hundred people linked to Malay-based “NGOs” had gathered outside Wisma Sejarah, close to the Jalan Tun Razak police station, to lodge police reports against other NGOs such as Sisters in Islam and those campaigning against the ISA.

2130: The crowd is singing the national anthem now before dispersing.

2112: About 200 people are here now.

2109: More sharings from the ‘anak bangsa rakyat‘.

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