Disappointment as RPK’s trial is postponed to Nov

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Supporters cheer and wave at RPK as the van he is in leaves the courthouse this morning (Photos by Rakyat@Work)

The crowd knocks on the side of the van: “We are with you, RPK!” Blogger Whisperer sums up the mood:

Many teary eyes around today. I wonā€™t put it as disappointment. Itā€™s purely sadness. I went into the courtroom to convey my support to Pete. I could sense something was wrong as Pete wasnā€™t himself today. I suppose he expected the postponement. My heart bled and my tears broke free. I wasnā€™t alone. Perhaps you need to be here to understand. There is this special bondā€¦ a bond that binds all of us together like a big family. Yeah… a big compassionate family. A new era? Another new beginning? Certainly, a positive one. Come 10 November, come and be part of this special bond and let this special bond rise and spread across this Nation. Again, I would like to say this: Itā€™s worth the sacrifice to be here!
Rakyat@Work reports on what was supposed to be Day Four of the RPK trial:
0940: The van finally leaves the compound, much to the sadness and disappointment of those present, who had wanted to spend more time with RPK. Some quickly send out text messages to friends who had plans to come later. Everyone starts dispersing and reminding one another about the next dates: 10-12 November. We will be back! Long live RPK, Long live Marina, Long live the true rakyat of Malaysia. Long live Justice! 0930: People are stillĀ walking, oblivious to whatā€™s happening. Well, everyone is reluctant to leave until RPK leaves. So, all of us wait for the familiar van to move out. We have a little more time to see the van ‘cos it is blocked by another car. The van backs up and excitement mounts as some of the crowd knock against the side of the van to let RPK know we are still with him. “Heā€™s blindfolded, isnā€™t it?” asks a woman. The crowd continues to shout in Raja Petra’s direction: “We are with you!” Then the van stops. What’s happening? “The driver needs to go to the toilet,” someone remarks and everyone bursts out laughing. I suppose RPK is also laughing inside. More pictures below
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300 turn up for PJ candlelight vigil

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A group of young people at the vigil last night in PJ (Photos by Rakyat@Work)

Part of the “NO 2 ISA” message on the ground where the vigil was held

kkitsam tells us about the messages from Marina and others:
I will say yesterday was a special night, even though the date was bought foward last Friday, and rain from 3.00pm to 6.00pm around KL (after being cloudy all day) failed to prevent a strong crowd of 300 people from turning up. Marina got the crowd going by lighting the “NO 2 ISA” candles and delivering a message. She thanked the crowd for their continuing support and spoke of RPKā€™s medical check up a day earlier. The doctor revealed RPK has a good heart, but his back was bad. Then Gobind got the crowd roaring to fight against the ISA. Both Zorro and Haris also said a few words. It was declared that there would be a Vigil every Sunday at 8.00pm at the same place until every ISA detainee is released.

Rakyat@Work sends in another eye-witness account:

2130: I gotta go ‘cos I have just met a couple who have volunteered to give us a lift back. We leave at 9.30pm. The crowd is still there. As we drive past, our driver honks, like someone else did earlier. Sounds of support and freedom for RPK and the rakyat. Yes! Great night, very satisfying. Please continue to keep RPK and family in prayer. 2100: LKS arrives. Now the crowd has swelled to more than 250 or even 300. Sea change? Fireworks tomorrow? Too noisy now, canā€™t hear what’s going on in front. Be patient, I suppose. Shortly after this, Marinaā€™s walks around: more hugs, more thanks, then goodbye. 2045: Marinaā€™s here; so is Gobind. Marina leads the way: she lights the candles, making out the words ā€œNO 2 ISAā€ on the ground. Gobind helps out as well. Next, Marina updates us with what’s going on and asks all of us to visit the Malaysia Today website ‘cos she has launched ‘My little scrapbook’. Please visit the website – it’s self-explanatory. She thanks everyone for coming from near and far for their support and urges us to continue to seek the truth for justice. Next Gobind gives us some updates followed by addresses by two well known bloggers.
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Scenes from the RPK trial

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RPK returns after a morning break on Day Two of the trial

(Court photos by Rakyat@Work for anilnetto.com)

Anwar rushing to his own court case after dropping by on Day Three of the RPK trial

Women Power on Day Three of the RPK trial

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High risk of “severe global Depression”

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The real cause of the global financial crisis: This may be a comedy clip, but it provides a more accurate analysis – in layperson’s language – of the root causes of the financial meltdown than anything you may read in the mainstream The big ‘D’ word – that’s D for Depression – is now creeping up on the global economy. What really caused the crisis?
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Look who’s at the RPK trial

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This was the scene outside the PJ Sessions Court this week. The woman in red holding the cane is RPK’s neighbour.

This is the van they use to transport RPK to court (Photos by Rakyat@Work)

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20,000 throng Anwar’s open house

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Anwar speaks about the political transition in Umno a couple of days ago Some 20,000 people flocked to Anwar’s Raya open house in Cherok Tokun on mainland Penang this morning. According to my contact at the scene, reporters pressed Anwar for a timeline for the parliamentary defections from the BN to take place. “Soon,” he said. “Very soon.”
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Guan Eng explains wi-fi/Wimax plan – plus another view

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I thought I would give the w-fi issue a rest, but then I received a couple of phone calls from assistants in the office of Penang Chief Minister Guan Eng, followed by an e-mail from his press secretary šŸ™‚

After reading your blog with the posting of “Other concerns about wifi project”, CMĀ have instructed me to send you 2 of his press statement during the launchingĀ of Wifi and WiMAX project which issued on 18 Sept and 25 Sept respectively.

So let me share those press statements with you. This one is on w-fi:

PRESS STATEMENT By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Penang On September 18, 2008 PENANG State Government launches Wireless@Penang Which Will Provide STATE-WIDE FREE WIFI BROADBAND Within 2 Years. GEORGE TOWN ā€“ Wireless@PENANG is taking shape and Penang is set to become the first in Malaysia to offer free broadband services on WiFi deployed on a state-wide basis.
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Downpour fails to stop 150 from showing up at vigil

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Aliran president P Ramakrishnan addressing the crowd at the vigil

Music and song lifted the spirits of those present

Regular participant Jennifer with her brother-in-law Dato’ Kam U Tee

Heavy rain last night failed to deter some 150 people from turning up for the Friday candlelight vigil in front of the Dewan Sri Pinang. The downpour, which thankfully cleared up by about 9.10pm, did not dampen the spirits of Penangites who once again turned up to call for the release of all ISA detainees.
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Turning journalists into corporate media propagandists

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Ever wondered what a “professional journalist” needs to do to get promoted or succeed in a mainstream media organisation? (Image courtesy of homepage.mac.com forwarded by Surind. The Asian version is shown below courtesy of bigozine2.com forwarded by Michael.) Here’s an excerpt of a brillant must-read article about how the corporate media weeds out and sidelines journalists who think independently and differently (i.e. those who don’t subscribe to their corporate values). It’s written by the Nazareth-based freelance journalist Jonathan Cook.
If they are to survive long, writers must quickly learn what the news desk expects of them. Newcomers are given a small amount of leeway to adopt angles that are “not suitable”. But they are also expected to learn quickly why such articles are unsuitable and not to propose similar reports again. The advantage of this system is that high-profile sackings are a great rarity. Editors hardly ever need to bare their teeth against an established journalist because few make it to senior positions unless they have already learnt how to toe the line.
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Abolish ISA candlelight vigil in Penang tonight

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The Gabungan Mansuhkan ISA (Abolish ISA Movement) is holding another of its weekly candlelight vigils today at 9.00pm in front of Dewan Sri Pinang. Show your support for the call to abolish the ISA.

End of the road for BN’s reforms?

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Was Abdullah’s announcement that he would not be defending the Umno presidency due to the BN’s poor electoral performance? Or did it have more to do with flagging investor sentiment, which sparked a huge outflow of portfolio investments in the second quarter? That was something I mulled over when writing this article for IPS:
It took exactly seven months after a severe general electoral setback for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to announce that he would not be defending the presidency of the dominant party in the ruling coalition in party polls next year.
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RPK in high spirits as new faces show up (updated)

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Blogger Whisperer sizes up the scene on Day Four of the RPK trial:
The crowd was more than usual this morning with many new faces adding to our undying support for RPK. Say or think what you like… there is something special about this crowd. They are there for one common cause and yeah, they are extremely sentimental about it too. That explains the daily atmosphere around the courthouse. And it is this sentiment that moves many to tears everyday. By all means, it certainly has nothing to do with sympathy here. Those who were present should understand what I mean here. All the gestures (big or small) come purely from the heart…. Nurul Izzah made her appearance with her small entourage today. She took time to mingle with us before she left. Over the past four days, we have had Lim Kit Siang, Ronnie Liu (daily basis), Anwar with Wan Azizah, and Teresa Kok gracing this hearing. I don’t remember meeting so many parliamentarian in such a short span in my entire life. Good change, eh?
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Has the Penang govt blundered?

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This whole business of converting leasehold land to freehold appears to have been done without considering the long-term implications. I know the state government, faced with budgetary constraints, is hoping to raise funds from land conversion. But has it considered the impact on the future price of land in Penang, which could put it beyond the reach of the lower-income group, and the future needs of the state for public land to build vital infrastructure and amenities? There is a good reason for some land to be classified as leasehold in the first place – though leasehold property owners may disagree. Now, the Queensbay project, for which the land conversion was done under the previous administration and defended by the present administration, is embroiled in controversy. Senior conveyancing lawyer Agatha Foo is quoted in theSun as pointing out a provision in the National Land Code which expressly prohibits the state from disposing “any part of the foreshore or sea-bed for a period exceeding 99 years”. Land commentator Prof Salleh Buang agrees: “The law says it very clearly. It is on record that you cannot make such land freehold.”
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Abdullah, the biggest casualty of the ‘tsunami’

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It’s People Power. Exactly seven months after the 8 March political tsunami swept the land, Abdullah has announced that he will not be defending his Umno presidency. Consider it a delayed reaction to the stunning setback suffered by the Umno-led ruling coalition in the general election and the further erosion in support evident in the 26 August Permatang Pauh by-election. Abdullah is the biggest casualty of the ‘tsunami’. “It’s very disappointing,” said a Penang-based activist. “He was pushed out and he went away like a mouse.” But before anyone celebrates, mull over this: it leaves the door open for Najib to take over, though he first has to navigate past Razaleigh in the party elections before Abdullah will hand over power. If he does, are we in for another round of repressive rule ala Mahathir?
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Anwar drops by at the RPK trial (updated)

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kkitsam was in court this morning on Day Three of the RPK trial and sends us this report:
I was there this morning. First time to court. Arrived there very early at 7.45am, wearing the uniform ā€œI am with RPKā€. The crowd grew bigger by the minute. From my chat with Marina, she said the cards sent to RPK on which were written ā€œNo to ISAā€ would not be passed to him. So from now on, Iā€™m going to avoid that. Our hero RPK arrived at around 8.30am. The crowd was happy to see him; some even said itā€™s better for him to be in court rather than in the Kamunting cell. I got to squeeze into the court room, and by 8.40am, the room was full, with many others standing at the back.
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RM3 billion of your EPF money in Bakun Dam

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RM3 billion of your EPF money has been lent for the Bakun Dam project (Photo credit: Raymond Abin/IPS) One of the interesting things that I discovered when I was doing some research into the Bakun and Murum Dams was that as at December 2007, a total of RM3 billion of EPF money had been lent to the Bakun Dam developer. (The loan is guaranteed by the Federal Government.) The other startling fact is that there are still some affected residents of Bakun who have not yet received compensation after 10 years. One of the firms likely to benefit from the abundant electricity from the Bakun/Murum Dams is CMS. Now CMS, one of the big corporate players in Sarawak, basically belongs to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s family: its main shareholders are the chief ministerā€™s daughters Jamilah Hamidah and Hanifah Hajar, son-in-law Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree, and family concern Majaharta Sdn Bhd, each with a 14 per cent stake. Taib’s wife Lejla has an 11 per cent stake while sons Sulaiman Abdul Rahman and Mahmud Abu Bekir own 9 per cent each.

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Other concerns about the wi-fi project

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Just Wi-fi sent in this comment, outlining concerns about the free wi-fi project in Penang – this time largely unrelated to health risks – which give us some food for thought:
I work as an engineer with a tech company; installing wi-fi networks is part of my job. To be honest, most of us do discuss how the devices are affecting us. Some of us feel dizziness and some us experience headaches, especially in areas near signal-boosted wi-fi antennas (amplifiers). But again, these powerful devices are to transmit data within building to building and should be ā€˜awayā€™ from offices, residential areas. What concerns me is that the installation plan and study have been carried out. There are many challenges for this project.
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Bangsa Malaysia observing RPK trial

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Rakyat@Work shares with us his experience at the RPK trial today. It was the people who were there who caught his attention:
Day Two: arrived at about noon; court hearing began at 12.30pm till 1.30pm; already drizzling then. Met two interesting true supporters. A man told me he left home very early to ensure he gets a seat for he is committed to follow through the entire case. Very early means reaching the court house before 8am? I simply asked him about the jam. He replied, not really a problem ‘cos he came by bus.
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Altantuya’s father wants justice for RPK

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Susan Loone’s blog carries a message that was emailed to her by Altantuya’s father, Shariibuu Setev.

Prosecution’s bid to transfer case is “baffling”: Anwar

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Anwar in court this afternoon Anwar recalls that PM Abdullah said in no uncertain terms that Attorney General Ghani Patail should not be involved in any way in the case, but “we have seen letters to show that Ghani Patail is involved”.
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