My Anthem

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

"Keeping the Rage" on 1MDB: PART 28

Desi proudly declared his support by attending the Bersih protest on BERSIH chief Maria Chin's arrest, and I believe the nationwide protests did help in forcing the authorities to "free" her YESTERDAY (when all our troubles seen'd so far away, I used to sing wit' some Karaoke kakis in Butterfly Varrey, Furong...)after 10 days in jail, mostly under solitary confinement. Most of us supporters even in her absence organised Vigils from town to town, and Desi contributed a small share by his presence and a li'l poster and a li'l speech (see previous post...},

I focused on the daylight robbery occurring the past few years of some RM40 to 50billion (TO DATE, and still RISING!...)  from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, and we all know who's the One who should be held Reesposible and Accountable, don't we? That's WHY Desi says "MO1 Bukan PM Saya! MO1 is NOT my.PrimeMinister". Note my. can stand for MAlaysia, YES!

From the ever-reliable Sarawak Report cometh this update:~~~~


Desi at Vigil 4Bersih Chief Maria Chin



















With ORG.C'TEE MEMBER at Dataran Seremban from 8-10pm, which attracted some 200ardent Bersih supporters. This blogger contributed 5min chatter based on d points in d poster made in a quikkie hour. Regards to awe peAce loving Malaysians who DARE TO STAND UP TO FIGHT INJUSTICE ON ALL FRONTS, yl, Desi



Saturday, November 19, 2016

Bersih5 Rally to Go On Despite Arrests: OPTIMISM IS KEY TO SUCCESS!

Desi knows the preemptive strike by the authorities against the key leaders/organisers of Bersih 5 Rally with the day before arrests may dampen some spirits, there are also other Malaysians who are more than ever determined to make sure the RALLY MUST GO ON. And occasionally we pick up a n article even in the mainstream paper, although from a COLUMNIST not on the paper's payroll, that gives HOPE,

For those making their way to the Rally, I wish thee success, take care and Saty Safe. Beware the enemy within -- THE APs or Agents Provocateur! -- YL, Desi

from thestar.com.my:~~~~~~

Nation

DESI: Saturday, 19 November 2016 | MYT 6:51 AM

Rally to go ahead despite arrests


PETALING JAYA: Despite the arrests of Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah, secretariat manager Mandeep Singh and other activists, the planned Bersih 5 rally will go on.


Both Maria and Mandeep had sent out word that the rally should go ahead without them.

The Bersih 2.0 steering committee said the arrests of its leaders changed nothing.

“The rally will go on as planned,” it said yesterday, and urged Malaysians to join the rally to demand for institutional reforms and to protest injustices in the country.

Maria and Mandeep have been transferred to the Kuala Lumpur contingent police headquarters lock-up, and will be remanded today.

Their lawyers Eric Paulsen and Melissa Sasidaran said Maria was being held under Section 124C of the Penal Code for attempting to carry out an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy while Mandeep was being detained under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting.

Both of them were picked up when the police raided the Bersih 2.0 office yesterday evening.

Bersih 2.0 media and communication officer Yap Pik Kuan said    the raid was carried out at 3.15pm.

Others who were in the office then included deputy chairman Shahrul Aman, treasurer Thomas Fann, steering committee member Jay Jay Denis and advocacy officer Zoe Randhawa.

The police, she said, rounded up everyone and took their mobile phones and MyKads.

Melissa and another lawyer, R. Sivarasa, were initially allowed into the office during the raid but were later asked to leave while others, including lawyers Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Robyn Choi and N. Surendran, were prevented from entering.

Ten laptops, pen drives, hard discs and documents, including bank statements, were seized in the two-hour raid.
TAGS / KEYWORDS:

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AN OPTIMISTIC ARTICLE on page 21 of the Star print edition today; yes, sometimes the MSM carries more independent OPINION pieces NOTY written by their Editors who are constrained. This columnist does offer HOPE! -- YL, Desi






Columnists

naturalLy

Saturday, 19 November 2016

Having the audacity to hope again

We must engage with current issues and we must fight hatred with kindness and compassion.

WHEN Bersih announced that they would hold the fifth instalment of the Bersih rally today, a part of me was relieved.
This was purely for selfish reasons, as I had been planning for the past year to hold an event which I hoped would remind Malaysians that there is strength in diversity and that Malaysia is what we ourselves make it to be, regardless of what politicians and some religious leaders tell us.
The event was held last week, thankfully allowing it not to clash with Bersih. I wish to share two comments on the event that are highlights for me.
The first came from an American woman, who was devastated that their President-elect Donald Trump is a misogynist and a racist, who told me that “in times like these, we need to be together, among beautiful people and beautiful things; to remind ourselves that there are bigger things than the politics (of hate)”.
The second actually happened when I visited The Star’s executive editor, Soo Ewe Jin. He could not attend the event due to health complications but I visited him wearing my kebaya and sarong, and showed him photos from the event.
He commented that he grew up watching the women around him in kebaya and sarong. That Malaysia was more “together” back then.
Following the news the past fortnight filled me with anxiety and concern about what the world is turning into.
While I do not have children, I do feel responsible for the kind of future that we are leaving for our future generations. More importantly, would I want to grow old in such a world?
Trump’s win in the United States demonstrated that for elections to be won, hatemongering, intolerance, unsavoury comments about women and violence are acceptable.
For voters to have chosen such a man as their leader and force upon the rest of us such a man as the leader of the free world is beyond me.
Closer to home, I had to reflect on the current events involving the Red Shirts movement. While I am for democracy and freedom of expression, the actions of the Red Shirts should be dealt with firmly by the police following existing laws.
There are similarities between the Trump campaign and what is propagated to be the Red Shirts movement. Both campaigns have no respect for women, both not only allow but encourage violence and hate, and both campaigns can be succinctly summarised according to one of the famous lines from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, “all (animals) are equal, but some are more equal than others”.
I think I am not alone in wanting a harmonious Malaysia and a country where I can live the best life I can, professionally and personally, and to be allowed to just be and live my life the way I want to. I have no political ambition, and yet I also do not believe that ignorance is bliss in this matter.
When we turn a blind eye to harassment (be it “misconstrued” comments), threats of violence (be it only silat demonstrations) and hatemongering (despite the parties crying foul and claiming that the media misquoted them) we are paving the way for such hatred to be allowed and propagated.
As a democracy, Malaysians enjoy the privilege to make our own decisions – whether to don a yellow, red, or black t-shirt, to join or abstain from the rallies or to simply be keyboard warriors.
We enjoy the privilege to completely ignore the current issues in the country and simply binge-watch episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix today and on other days.
Yet while enjoying such privileges, we must reflect on what has allowed us that privilege in the first place. Even if we are disenchanted by rallies, come the next election, we must cast our vote.
In order to be informed voters, we must engage ourselves with current issues and policies affecting our lives. We have to, in one way or another, be involved.
Whether we are for yellow or red (or black), we must live our lives with integrity. If we do not believe in hate, we must encourage love and compassion in our daily lives through simple yet profound acts.
When we feel hopeless, we must reminisce on the ideals that we believe in, in order to have the audacity to hope again. Personally, I believe in a Malaysia (and a world) that is inclusive, just and progressive.
I pray that nothing untoward will happen today. Yet, just like my American friends, even if hate “wins” – I will fight back the only way I know how, that is with kindness and compassion.
I still believe in Malaysia, and from what I witnessed last Saturday at #bringbackthekebaya – we are still very much Malaysians at heart.
I feel that what I have experienced personally acts like a vaccine against such hatred, sexism and racism that admittedly do exist in our country and the world.
In the words of the late Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.
The Star’s executive editor, Soo Ewe Jin, returned home to God on Thursday. His positive and loving spirit will live on. May he rest in peace.
Lyana Khairuddin is an academic with a local public university who runs to keep being optimistic about Malaysia. The views expressed here are entirely her own.
TAGS / KEYWORDS:Lyana Khairuddin , columnist

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At 9/46AM from The Star Online:~~~

Nation


Saturday, 19 November 2016 | MYT 8:41 AM

Bersih 5: Live reports

KUALA LUMPUR: Supporters of both Bersih 5 and Red Shirts are arriving in large numbers for the rallies here on Saturday.

Several roads, especially those leading to Dataran Merdeka which has been barricaded, have been put out of bounds by the police.
As at 7am, police presence around Dataran Merdeka was evident as Federal Reserve Unit trucks were seen parked close to the vicinity.
Police have said some 58 roads will be closed and traffic would be diverted.
Some areas to be affected by the rallies are Brickfields (Little India), Masjid Negara and Muzium Negara; Sogo and Dataran Merdeka; Parliament House and Bank Negara; Pudu Central and Central Market; Putra World Trade Centre and Chow Kit.
On Friday, police went on a sweep, arresting 12 people, mostly activists or members of opposition parties, ahead of the rallies.
Here is a timelime of the events:
9.20am: Bangsar: The crowd of Bersih supporters gathered at the Bangsar LRT station and Dataran Maybank next door have swelled.
They can be heard chanting and singing phrases like "Selamatkan Demokrasi", "Selamatkan Malaysia", and "Bersih, Bersih!"
There are still no signs of any Red Shirts supporters in the area, and the situation has remained peaceful thus far.

Bersih supporters at Dataran Maybank in Bangsar
9.15AM: Masjid Negara: The situation at Masjid Negara remains calm and quiet. Groups of Bersih supporters are still trickling into the plaza in front of the mosque with the supporters numbering in the dozens. 
Those clad in yellow Bersih t-shirts mingle at the stalls or around the central fountain. There is no sign of the Red Shirts here.
9am: Red Shirts supporters are in a group in Masjid Jamek and Jalan Melaka.

8.45am: A slightly larger crowd of ‘Yellow Shirts’ begin gathering on the other end of the Bangsar LRT station. Bersih paraphernalia is seen being sold.
8.40am: A Red Shirts leader tells the group near Masjid Jamek to not do anything until there are instructions. “Wait for instructions,” he says.
8.33am: The atmosphere outside Central Market is relatively calm, with several Bersih supporters seen around the area, many making their way to other meeting points.
There are several vendors selling Bersih t-shirts and scarves.
There is a light police presence in front of the building, but the area from the market square leading into Dataran Merdeka has been blocked by police, who have formed a line preventing access.
8.20am: Bangsar LRT: People in yellow are milling about and taking pictures as they awaited larger numbers to arrive for the rally.
Some of Bersih's supporters are also clad in purple. They represent the voluntary security unit of the rally and will be managing the crowd as they March to Dataran Merdeka later in the day.
A FRU truck was seen earlier entering the cordoned off area along Jalan Bangsar, where it parked briefly by the side of the LRT station before going on its way again.
The situation has remained peaceful so far, with most Bersih supporters either having their breakfast and sitting around.
Some were also selling scarves, T-shirts, and vuvuzelas.
7.30am: Petaling Street: Bersih protestors starting to arrive. Some seen having breakfast
6am: Dataran Merdeka: FRU teams already on standby at several locations around Dataran Merdeka. Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut cordonned off at the Dataran Merdeka section.



Photo Gallery 1: Bersih 5 Rally Nov 19

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From mmail.com:~~~~

Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan arrives at the Bangsar LRT station ahead of the Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 19, 2016. — Picture by Kamlesh KumarDatuk Ambiga Sreenevasan arrives at the Bangsar LRT station ahead of the Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 19, 2016. — Picture by Kamlesh KumarKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan arrived at the Bangsar LRT ahead of the Bersih 5 mass protest today, heavily guarded by at least four bodyguards.
Over 500 people have already gathered at Bangsar LRT station, the main meeting point before protesters march to Dataran Merdeka here.
“I miss her, but Maria may not be here physically, but she is here in spirit,” Ambiga told the crowd of yellow.
“We are all Maria, Mandeep, and all those who have been arrested. We go on, we go on,” added the former head of polls reform group, Bersih 2.0. “They are not afraid. Are we afraid?”
The crowd shouted “No!”
Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and steering committee member Mandeep Singh were among some nine activists arrested last night.
The Bersih crowd at the Bangsar LRT station ahead of Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 19, 2016. — Picture by Shazwan Mustafa KamalThe Bersih crowd at the Bangsar LRT station ahead of Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 19, 2016. — Picture by Shazwan Mustafa KamalThe crowd at Bangsar chanted “Bersih, Bersih”, as Ambiga addressed them.
Bersih 5 is pushing for free and fair elections, a clean government and a stronger democracy. The pro-government Red Shirts movement is holding a counter rally.
The crowd at the Bangsar LRT station appeared to be mixed, although the Chinese and the Indians seemed to outnumber the Malays. Older people aged above 30 also seemed to outnumber the youths.
There were more Malay protesters at Masjid Negara, however.
About 200 to 300 more protesters headed towards the Bangsar LRT station from Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/ambiga-arrives-at-bersih-5-rally-with-bodyguards#sthash.Ljeka8NL.dpuf