The day after. The tens of thousands of Malaysians who rallied yesterday in KL have written a new chapter in the nation’s relentless path towards real democracy.
Striking images from Aljazeera.
Despite the heavy-handed police, despite attempts to divide and rule – a democratic awakening and a new consciousness that transcends barriers of race and religion. But it came at a price: a total of 1667 courageous Malaysians arrested by 6.40pm yesterday.
Kicked while sprawled on the road:
Teargassed in Pudu:
But their burning spirits remain undimmed, refusing to be doused by the stinging water from the cannons.
And a declaration from London:
A message from blog reader tunglang:
Listen BarangNaik Regime,
What you saw yesterday was not a ‘small group’ but 50K young and old brave Malaysians from all walks of life. It was truly a live demonstration of 1 Bersih Malaysia (preferred) version that we as Rakyat believe in and aspire for, and was displayed in true multiracial unity for a better future of this country. The world now knows what the majority of Malaysians are united for: a good common cause for free and fair elections.Despite the vile threats of violence by irresponsible elements, irrational blockades and unnecessary use of blatant force by the FRU, SB and PDRM, we bravely made our point loud and clear in a peaceful, organized and civilized manner – we believe in a Bersih election for a Bersih Malaysian government. Not Kotor, not Tipu, not Kejam.
Malaysians’ Bersih 2.0 was demonstrated in good Malaysian spirit in KL streets yesterday. It also shows everyone the true living unity in multiracial diversity which was denied and manipulated as a lie all the while before 709.
Respect our rights as Rakyat Malaysia, not the show of misused force or play of deceptive words or promises.
Lastly, have due respect for our King. Daulat Tuanku. Daulat Tuanku. Daulat Tuanku.
Hidup Bersih 2.0. Hidup Rakyat. Hidup 1 Bersih Malaysia.
Finally, a message from blog reader James in Australia:
To all the brave people of Malaysia, we send our salute. In spite of all the lies, threats, and intimidation, they held their nerves and proceeded with their march with calm, dignity and, above all, stoic restraint, refraining from retaliating against the high-handed violent tactics of the police.
Although they did not reach their stated goal of rallying in Merdeka Stadium…a trade-off that was promised them by no less an authority than the Prime Minister himself in exchange for their originally planned street protests, and who subsequently dishonoured his own promise…these people have, without doubt, succeeded in awakening Malaysian voters to the blatant abuses of the BN government. I suspect the BN might have just signed its own … warrant!
In contrast to the violent reaction of the authorities to the rally in KL, ours, held at Federation Square in Melbourne was completely peaceful. No teargas, no water cannons, no police intimidation or interference. Simply DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. Many of us…Chinese, Indians and Malays…wore Yellow to show our solidarity with our long-suffering fellow citizens back home. I never realised how much I missed my homeland until we all joined in the rendition of the Negaraku. I’m sure a good many of the hundreds of Malaysians that were there this afternoon must have felt very much the same way as I did.
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July 9 – My first experience to join a peaceful demonstration with Bersih. I knew I was going to be a part of an important event. I knew I made the right decision to come out to the streets to join in a peaceful march for a worthy cause. I will not hesitate to do it again. The Happy Participant.
709 will bring about another 308-type of Tsunami to sweep away BN and the Umnoputeras into oblivion!
Dear Brethren (Malaysians), we have been scattered by a great Politician in the early 80’s since then without fail I have been praying for the unity of every Malaysian as I have no guts or maybe have no backups to fight against the defiant leader who have been every cruel to Judiciary and response less to the virtues and I pray that the almighty GOD grants courage’s and determination to every one of those who participated and supported the Bersih 2.0 Rally for “Clean and Fair Polls”. As we know that our basic fundamental needs have been deliberately denied due… Read more »
The issue is simple: fair elections. A lot of people are desperately trying, here and elsewhere, to turn it into demonising the opposition, supporting the opposition, etc. Anything camouflage to demand, work towards and meet this basic democratic requirement. Most of you worship USA. Is it a democracy? A good percentage are ineligible to vote because they have past convictions for crime (the bulk of this minor possession of drugs) or are too poor to have a home (address). Voting machines and voting cards were used to rig one election, and the Supreme court also helped to get “da man”… Read more »
Knowing that BN will never give you a fair and clean election, what are you going to do? Field candidates who have no election workers, no counting agents, and do not know how to complain when cheated?
I don’t see the next election, PR can make any in road. PR will be totally defeated when BN decide to cheat! Stop it or continue to dream about road to Putrajaya. What a fool!
Eu Soon
with your mindset, no wonder Penang housing projects slip thru your fingers…..
Wahhh! Anil your blog is now “invaded” with micro parasites doing the sucking job for UMNO! I can only say, I feel sorry for these low lives…
And to add to his list of BN bestowments, Anwar is now the Great Pretender. I have never known of a more capable man. An agent of the world, from Isreal to China to America, gay, straight, porn actor.
In short, superman. And the longer the list, the more the people love him.
and the best actor award goes to …. Anwar Ibrahim ….. Just got a whiff of tear gas and he had a CT Brain done and going around with a neck collar!!! What a joke …. Ambiga as ex bar council president and lawyer showed to Malaysians it is OK to break the law . The police risked their life to control the crowd, they have done a wonderful job
Anil,
Have you seen the picture of the Opposition leader in Pantai Hospital?
He looked so pitiful with All the Tubes and Wires attached.
Very Good Picture for Police Brutality and Publicity!!!
Hope he gets well soon!!!
Anil, It has Got Nothing to do with Bersih This or That!!! It Is The Pembangkang Rakyat (PR) Agenda To CREATE CHAOS in Kuala Lumpur and Try To SMEAR the GOM!!! Bersih Requested for an Audience with DYMM YDP Agong!!! Our Gracious YDP Agong Granted the Audience!!! Bersih DID NOT Hand over the so called Memorandum!!! MB Selangor OFFERED Shah Alam Stadium!!! PR = Bersih or Bersh = PR INSIST on Merdeka Stadium!!! After watching numerous video clips and also on tv, it was Ambiga walking Closely BEHIND Anwar!!! If it is a Genuine Bersih Cause and Bersih Is Apolitical,… Read more »
Charlie Oscar is speaking like a person who has been subjected to the heavy doses of BTN indoctrination to easily believe in Utusan’s propaganda message.
Hopegfully one day his mind can be Bersihkan.
The use of heavy handed tactic to intimidate, beat and arrest BERSHI supporters and protesters in a peaceful demonstration by BN police is an insult to all Malaysians and its democratic political process. Beating up brave Malaysians that seek to have a truly fair and free election with the goal of suppressing them from practicing their basic human and democratic rights will not stop them from the fight of a better future for themselves and their country. People power will prevail finally.
We shall not e cowed!
“To reach a thousand step, we begin with the first”…Bersih and brave citizens, you have turned and moved the wheel of democracy once again….
UMNO/BN you have dug a very BIG HOLE for yourself. We shall not be denied to achieve our goal… by your uncivilized, uncultured and cowardly actions.
MCA, MIC and Gerakan, the beggar parties, you can kiss each other … before you say good-bye to Malaysian politics….
gerakan k, where r u? dont lie low. speak out ok. i just love low-life trolls.
complete insanity. if this is democracy, i want no part of it. a thriving democracy is where ppl gets a choice of competing policies and ideas to pick and choose from. the fact that NGOs hv to go play cat and mouse with police shows that there is a dearth of ideas and solutions to our everyday problems. this is why 1) it puts Msia at a very bad light. S/pore & neighbouring countries are laughing all the way to the bank. this incident spook investors, not inspire them. and when investors shy away, everyone suffers. a rising tide lift… Read more »
What u see today is just an illusion of a democracy. It’s not real, and that is why we need bersih.
The alternative is not perfect we can agree. But the current is totally unacceptable.
I disagree – and I actually work directly, daily with foreign investors. In the short term – yes, they get concerned with perceived instability. In the medium to longer term, they appreciate a system using merit-based decision making, transparent rules, rule of law (not rule by law). And an education system designed to challenge the best that the country can produce, instead of skin colour. I used to think like you – and voted BN for far too long. Now I have children of my own, with easily 15-20 years commitment to their well-being, I have learned to think in… Read more »
the assumption is this – Remove BN & u Remove Corruption & the nation will Prosper. that is dead wrong for following reasons: 1) India & China is very corrupt but prospering. We like to say how clean S/pore is, but try to defend PAP in front of a S/porean and you will lynched. Korea has 20% of GDP contribution coming from Samsung (talk abt protectionist economy). Hong Kong may be clean but few ppl mention their leaders are stoogies from China. America & European countries takes centuries to get where they are. we are trying to reach there in… Read more »
Then do nothing and rot for the next 50 years?
What a convenient way to go!
Go sleep like Bad Dah-Wee.
Were you there on 709 to see for yourself?
Shiok sendiri is self deception, not the least Tipu to mislead while the Barang Naik Syndrome continuosly tears away the very fabric of society into oblivion.
In Malaysia, life is cheap without human rights if you are not with the Syndrome already which I suspect you are.
This is no make believe 709.
See it for yourself the cowardly blue … in bloody action.
If you still feel entertained right after that, go … ahead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCetbFLceFI&feature=player_embedded&w=400
It is heartening to see the people (Overseas Malaysians, ex-Malaysians especially) rallying in cities all around the world outside Malaysia.
Those who have been pushed to go overseas to study and work because of the discriminatory policies of the ruling regime have spoken!
””’ Don’t doubt our strength. Umno has three million members. If we gather one million members, it is more than enough. We can CONQUER Kuala Lumpur. If we want to create chaos, we can. But we uphold the laws of Malaysia, we like peace,” said Najib. But what did he do ””Yesterday, we only sent our Umno Youth wing, led by Khairy Jamaluddin, to represent us,” Najib said ””’ Remember how he wanted to defend UMNO (at all costs) etc etc Can we have such believe and have such an irresponsible PM … to the people. MAKE THAT CHANGE NEXT… Read more »
The truth of the fact is Bersih’s free and fair elections demand for all Malaysians. Here we have a PM who challenges who has the strength, who can create chaos (if wanted to).
What kind of mentality and personality is this PM to lead us?
Into self destruction?
Has he conveniently forgotten he was elected by the people, to work for the people?
I have to pass this along. The best tweet i read so far on post-Bersih spin is by @hasbeemasputra if 1.6k people were arrested, and only 6k came for the #bersih rally, why were so many people still on the streets?
Anil, ada orang telah mati dalam jalan-jalan Bersih 2.0 (Family says police responsible for Bersih death (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/family-blames-bersih-death-on-police/))
Salah siapa ??? Siapa yang galakkan Bersih 2.0 ??? Anil, dosa besar. Tiada bersih, tiada orang mati. Insaf lah anil. Insaf lah Yang, tunglang and Aus still wander !!!
Hell is waiting for those responsible for Baharuddin Ahmad’s demise. For those not there but denying the fact, cakap besar-besar macam katak gemuk tak berani.
GK Only fool like you are always in a state of denial.
The brother of Baharuddin Ahmad, who died yesterday after collapsing during the Bersih rally, has blamed the death on a “deliberate act of cruelty” by the police.
Kassim Ahmad, 72, told The Malaysian Insider his brother had died because the police had withheld medical aid from Baharudin after he collapsed while running away from tear gas and water cannon bombardment.
“[They] asked the police to help send him to hospital but they refused, so we waited for one-and-a-half hours before the van came,” he said.
Let us remember Baharuddin Ahmad every 709.
His bravery and sacrifice for Bersih just cause is beyond our mortal words and tears.
May God bless him and his family exceedingly.
Ai yo yo, apa ni Anil,
jalan-jalan, lari kiri kanan, kena air dan asap, tup tup pop pop sudah jadi new chapter in democracy ???
Demo-crazy adalah ~ Itu pun 5000 ribu orang lebih. Dekat Malaysia ada lebih daripada 20 juta orang.
5000 / 20000000 X 100 = ??? %
Ish… tak tau kiralah. Where is the kangkung professor, please help !!!
hahah gk, Satu penipuan dan pembohong besar. Ini lah UMNO dan PM. Cakapan “`Saya berpegang kepada undang-undang dan perhimpunan adalah menyalahi undang-undang tetapi juga hantar suatu rally yang illegal dan tidak lebih 500. hohoho Sangat malu
That’s the trademark of a … a spin-master…
And there are empty (zero IQ) craniums supporting such(people)!
Off the beat: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/10/nation/20110710162511&sec=nation
Celebration. More readers. Yeeeah.
A brave PM would have met the Bersih rally yesterday, not did the chicken walkabout in KL streets today. A brave PM would have admitted to the glaring cheats in our election process, not denied Bersih their demands for free and fair elections. A brave PM would have allowed Bersih’s peaceful rally free access to KL streets and Merdeka Stadium, not broke his promise and hindered them with violent oppression of men, women and children. A brave PM would have allowed an old man without shoes to see the King, not blocked his way to the palace. A brave PM… Read more »
Tunglang,
We were once part of the 4 tigers in East Asia but now no more. Thailand has taken over our place.
We now don’t have the Tiger fangs, Tiger stares, Tiger prowess, not even Tiger stripes and tails in international standing.
On the inside (in this beloved country) we still have the Tiger spirits roaming in some of us, the Tiger instincts and bravery for things right, just, truthful and proper. Tigers love freedom, not enslavement, not intimidation, worst of all not be challenged or cornered undue-ly.
It is not too late to bring back the Asian Tiger in us, Malaysians.
God is with us (it rained on that fateful 709) all the way.
Let’s bring back the stripes.
This ia great struggle for the people of United Malaysia to achieve real democracy & freedom. Without this Malaysia will not go to achieve their desired national goal. They have already stuck up into the slow pace of development but need faster growth rate. this is not achievable in the hands of present conservative people in power.who,s behabiour is like fudal lords.
We Bangladeshi people welcome the struggle and we have morale support to it. God bless you all.
Not a whiff of response from the regime about bersih’s demands. They just don’t care two hoots. Besides round 2 demonization of bersih by msn and the pm himself began as soon as the demonstrators got off the streets.
In the next BERSIH rallies in London and Melbourne, we’ll the presence of truckloads of the Malaysian riot police
Intimidation, lies, arrest and crack down by the police have not deter the brave people of Malaysia from coming out to express their desire for a free and fair election. All Malaysian have come together as one from KL to around the globe from Vienna, Austria, Geneva, Switzerland, Singapore, Melbourne , Australia, Istanbul, Turkey Hong Kong, Ottawa, Canada, London & Taipei, Taiwan, Seoul South Korea, Osaka Japan, Auckland, New Zealand etc etc etc. With the half true and TRUE LIES from none other than our PM Najib and UMNO, can we expect a fair and free election. Malaysia Insider reported… Read more »
Anil,
Who Intimidated the Police?
Amongst the Duties of the PDRM are to Uphold the Laws, Ensure Peace and Public Order for The Rakyat!!!
When Hooligans loiter in the Streets, What do you expect the Police to do?
If Hooligans Do Not Obey Orders, What do you expect the Police to do?
The Opposition leader (not Bersih) claimed “Perhimpunan Global BERSIH 30 Negara”
So, Who Is Lying AGAIN???
So, What Is Bersih???
That cucumber has a clone. Pickle real good.