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LIVE: Pandemonium erupts as police charge into crowd

Anil Netto
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Poised to strike: FRU personnel glare menacingly from outside at the rakyat gathered inside the lobby of Amcorp Mall

Threat to security?: Haris briefs the rakyat that lighted candles may be viewed by some as a “WMD”! (Pictures by blog reader Michael).

The rakyat refused to back down despite the intimidation (Picture by blogger Jarod. More pictures and report at his blog here.)

There are two vigils today at 8.00pm in Ipoh and 9.30pm in PJ. Live updates with Rakyat@Work reporting from Ipoh and other sources in and around Amcorp Mall in PJ:

This is a sad night for peace-loving, justice-loving rakyat after 23 people were detained when police charged into a peaceful crowd in PJ. But love conquers hatred and violence; justice will triumph over oppression. By attacking a peaceful crowd and detaining justice-loving Malaysians, the authorities have further undermined whatever moral authority they had.

2354: Eye-witness and blog reader Paradiz recalls what happened:

My wife and I were there tonight, the FRU charged at us as the Negara Ku was being sung. They were waving their batons threateningly and shouting for us to disperse. I think they were itching to start beating people up.

We had no choice but to run although some did not. After scattering, we went back into the park and were shouted at by the FRU to disperse. That was when we saw some plainclothes cops chasing a few of the people in yellow Bersih and black and red “Free RPK” T-shirts.

Blog reader Ben reports:

RPK and Marina are safe. I saw them walking towards Shah Motel at about 10.20pm. The commotion was at the MBPJ park.

The Centre for Independent Journalism has issued a press statement condemning the police action:

CIJ calls on the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to free those arrested and explain the use of the riot police in controlling the crowd, which had planned for a peaceful gathering. The continuous use of force against people expressing their views on issues such as the need for free and fair elections and abolishing the ISA is a demonstration of the intolerance for public criticism of the status quo.

2349: Eaglewings reflects on the recent vigils:

For the past four weeks, we had such peaceful vigils. With no police presence, everyone left peacefully and took back a little something with them in their hearts. We made new friends, sang songs together but we were there for only one reason: “Give those detained under the ISA their rights back”.

Today, with police presence, just look at the commotion. Isn’t it obvious? Have they forgotten that they have to protect the rakyat and not attack the rakyat? Until we get rid of this Home Minister, the story continues….

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As chairs fly, Umno could be lurching towards implosion

Anil Netto
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It used to be that flying chairs were associated with MIC meetings. No longer.

The big news today should have been Mat Taib emerging as a surprise contender for the Umno deputy president’s post, joining Ali Rustam and Muhyiddin.

But flying chairs at the Seremban Umno meeting, which left two people injured, have added to the litany of serious troubles facing Umno.

It is not just one incident that suggests that Umno is going through a testing time. Serious money politics, factionalism, the return of the old guard and Mahathirism, bitter leadership struggles and protests at divisional meetings are all evidence of a party in crisis. The big question now is can the party pull through unscathed at a time of economic turbulence or will the fissures that are now evident lead to a final implosion?

Najib is reported as saying that 900 complaints of money politcs had been received by the party’s disciplinary board. 900?! We have heard top Umno politicians complaining about attempts at vote-buying and money politics.

At the Rembau meeting yesterday, a commotion broke out when a number of delegates complained that nominations were closed prematurely.

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RPK boards the Abolish ISA caravan

Anil Netto
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Seremban folks welcome their guest-of-honour at last night’s vigil

“ISA should be discarded into the Straits of Malacca!”

Photos by Rakyat@Work, whose camera battery was threatening to run out at the high points of the vigil.  (Rakyat woke up at 11.00am today after a long and exhausting day – and night – “at work” yesterday!)

Tomorrow’s vigils:

Date: Sunday, 9 Nov 2008 (Sunday)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Taman D R Seenivasagam, Ipoh (Map) and near Amcorp Mall, PJ

These Abolish ISA vigils are making a difference. All three ISA detainees arrested in recent weeks have now been freed – but there are 65 others. One by one, we will get them out.

Last night’s vigil in Seremban was encouraging for two reasons: the presence of more Malays, lending a more multi-ethnic face to the campaign against the ISA, and of course, the arrival of the special guest, the just-released ISA detainee, RPK.

Blog reader Angela Ooi of Seremban reflects:

Thank you everyone who came for our second vigil. We, Seremban folks, could not believe our luck having our beloved RPK spend time with us almost piping hot from his Kamunting cell. Earlier, I had asked Marina what message she had for the Seremban vigil.

She replied, “No message except I will bring Pete to them when he is free.”

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LIVE: Candlelight vigil in Seremban with RPK

Anil Netto
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Updates by anilnetto.com with live reporting from Rakyat@Work, now at the Dataran Seremban Park:

2139: “Come again, people, same time, same place” is the message that goes out as the vigil draws to a close. What a day… Good night and God bless Malaysia!

2137: RPK thanks the crowd for their support. “Now I am going back to rest, cos I’m a bit tired. Thank you for coming and rest well.” The crowd responds with similar words.


2124: Y L Chong leads the crowd in singing “We are the World”.

2122: The crowd chants, “No, no, ISA! We want change! No, no, ISA!”


2114: RPK joins the crowd in singing “Blowing in the Wind”.

2110: RPK has been addressing the crowd, says Rakyat@Work. Speaking on behalf of the other ISA detainees, RPK says that the remaining detainees had actually asked him to send a message to the rakyat to ask us to support them in their ordeal. Under the ISA, the first thing they take away is your hope, explains RPK. That’s why the ISA is so detrimental. Even the Hindraf detainees, who have been there for only 11 months so far, are saying that that the world doesn’t care whether they live or die. “We can only depend on ourselves,” they lament.

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LIVE: RPK goes home in a Roll Royce “fit for a king”

Anil Netto
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“We have to fight all out and get the ISA abolished,” says RPK before he is driven home. Photos by Rakyat@Work

Updates by anilnetto.com with Rakyat@Work reporting live from the scene.

1800: Correction: The person in the front seat of the Rolls was not Tony Pua but someone else. Sorry, Tony!

1743: Blog reader Andrew tells us not to get too carried away:

Your reader’s comments all TOO OPTIMISTIC about the judiciary. One swallow does not make a summer. One case does not exonerate the judiciary’s discredit nor does it signal any significant change. Only a series of good judgments over a prolonged period of time will do this. If any of the other ISA detainees were to challenge their detention, would they be freed?

1723: The thanksgiving continues, this time from Tommy Man:

Hallelujah…Praise to the Lord God the Creator.
Justice finally prevailed. God is our judge. The aggressor will be punished.

1702: Rakyat@Work is now taking a well-deserved break to freshen up before heading for Seremban, where he expects RPK to turn up for the weekly Friday night Abolish ISA vigil at Dataran Seremban Park at 8.00pm. It should be an exciting night!

Utter delight: His supporters chant “RPK! RPK!”

1700: RPK’s release is a blow for advocates of the ISA, says blog reader Sewel:

Refreshing to see Habeas Corpus was used as a leverage to challenge the ISA. This is common law at its best. Justice Syed Helmy has also (given) a much needed credibility boost to Malaysia’s judiciary. Justice Helmy put to rest the false assumption that nobody could question the ISA.

Together with the judgment passed by Judge Komathy on Anwar’s sodomy trial today to disallow (AG’s request for) Anwar’s hearing to (be transferred to) the high court, we are seeing justice prevail. The Judiciary has in fact today in different sittings questioned the credibility and judgement of both the Attorney-General and the Home Minister.

1639: Haris and Zorro thank everyone for their support. Haris reminds the crowd that there are over 60 detainees who need to be freed as well. Everyone here is taking a “piece of justice” home today.

1600: Blog reader Harbans Kaur heaves a sigh of relief:

Yay! Good news. Thanks for the live up-date. I’ve been on tenterhooks all morning wondering if he was going to be re-arrested outside the courthouse. God Bless RPK! We must continue to pressure the release of all other ISA detainees! The anti-ISA vigils should continue.

1540: He is freed! “RPK is whisked away in a beautiful maroon Rolls Royce fit for a king,” says Rakyat@Work. RPK and Marina are in the back seat while Tony Pua is in the front. Some 150 supporters are chanting, “RPK! RPK!”

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RPK to be freed this afternoon!

Anil Netto
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Scenes of jubilation in court this morning after the decision Photo by Rakyat@Work

In a stunning development, Raja Petra is to be freed from ISA detention after a successful habeas corpus application.

Shah Alam High Court Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad ruled that Raja Petra’s detention was illegal and that the Home Minister had acted outside his jurisdiction when he issued a two-year detention order under Section 8(1) of the ISA.

“The atmosphere here is fantastic,” says Rakyat@Work, my contact at the scene. “When the verdict was read out, everyone erupted in jubilation so much so the judge had to admonish the crowd and remind them it was a court of law. We couldn’t help it though! A lot of people were crying openly.”

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Penang trade mission reveals Korean trip expenses

Anil Netto
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Congrats to InvestPenang for revealing the Korean trade mission expenses and for not spending excessively.

The total incurred by the state for the five-day trip amounts to RM32,382 compared to the previous state government’s three day trip to India, which cost RM83,673.

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Total bill for 1988 judicial crisis: >RM10.5m

Anil Netto
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RM10.5 million. That’s what it cost to compensate the judges unjustly sacked or dismissed from the judiciary in 1988 under the Mahathir administration.

The breakdown is as follows:

Lord President Tun Salleh Abas – RM5 million

Supreme Court judges:

  • Wan Suleiman Pawanteh (deceased) – RM2 million
  • George Seah – RM2 million
  • Azmi Kamaruddin – RM500,000
  • Eusoffe Abdoolcadeer (deceased) – RM500,000
  • Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh  – RM500,000

These were the five Supreme Court judges who bravely stood up for justice and democracy when the Lord President was suspended (and later dismissed).  All five were suspended but Azmi, Eusoffe and Wan Hamzah were later re-instated. It was a devastating blow to the country’s highest court – a blow from which it has not recovered to this day.

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Wi-fi forum in Penang on Saturday

Anil Netto
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The state government is holding a forum tomorrow (Saturday) to try and allay some of the concerns that have arisen from its plan to introduce free state-wide wi-fi and Wimax.

2.00-5.00pm – Forum: Wireless@Penang

Venue: Komtar Dome

Organisers: Penang state government and MCMC

Meanwhile, the group calling itself the Penang Wireless Campaign Group is expected to hold a press conference next week.

150 attend Abolish ISA Mass in Pulau Tikus

Anil Netto
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Some 150 people turned up at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus for an Abolish ISA Mass, which could be the first in a series of Wednesday night Masses in Penang to express solidarity with and pray for ISA detainees.

The main celebrant tonight was parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez, looking almost like an Old Testament figure with his flowing white beard and long white hair tied neatly in a pony-tail. The Mass was concelebrated with Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez, College General Rector Fr Edwin Paul and College General acting Dean of Studies Fr Simon Labrooy.

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