COMPARED with many older, higer-positioned BN counterparts. I seldom take my hat off (another reason is there is NOT mucsh hair left on top!:), but To Gan, I say: Syabas! From the Malaysian Mirror:
Gan Condemns Vilification Of Bersih 2.0's Ambiga
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Gan Ping Sieu
Monday, 27 June 2011 15:00
From the start, MCA has made a clear stance about the Bersih 2.0 rally scheduled for 9 July 2011 – the party does not support it. But I am dismayed at the extent some are willing to go to vilify and demonise Ambiga Sreenevasan, the person behind Bersih 2.0.
It is very sad to see certain quarters resorting to personal attacks when they fail to put forward their case in a rational manner. The issue at hand is about whether there is a need to hold a rally to push for "free and fair election". Ambiga’s past or her roles in other events, especially as former president of the Bar Council, has nothing at all to do with this issue.
I personally do not agree with Bersih 2.0 holding the rally in the way it is to be held, but that does not mean that I will smear her just to derail the event. That is a most irresponsible thing to do.
On another note, I feel that Bersih 2.0, while claiming to be non-partisan, has been manipulated by certain quarters. The clearest sign was when Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim last week said he could direct Ambiga to call off the rally if he wanted to. This only reaffirms the belief that Bersih 2.0 is under the thumbs of the Pakatan Rakyat.
Besides, Bersih 2.0 has also conveyed a false impression of our democratic system while its approach is disproportionate to its cause.
GAN PING SIEU is Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports
(The views expressed above belongs to the author in its entirety and does not represent the opinion of Malaysian Mirror in any way)
DESIDERATA: However, Desi would like to add some comment to these two paragraphs:
Gan's:On another note, I feel that Bersih 2.0, while claiming to be non-partisan, has been manipulated by certain quarters. The clearest sign was when Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim last week said he could direct Ambiga to call off the rally if he wanted to. This only reaffirms the belief that Bersih 2.0 is under the thumbs of the Pakatan Rakyat.
Desi's: I was not present when DS Anwar made this statement; but when I read it in context, I believe Anwar was hinting that it's PM Najib Razak's call now as Anwar CONDITIONED his offer to request Ambiga to considrr calling off the walk THAT NAJIB MUST ENSURE CLEAN AND FAIR ELECTIONS. Which is fair enought! I also believe DS Anwar as Opposition Leader was taking Ambiga's open invite to march along with Bersih2.0 must mean there is such a thing as "extended" collective responsibility. Even the PAS chief has accepted Ambiga's invite to march side by side, and Awang Hadi has hinted his troops may number 1,000,000. Maybe readers sould have a sense of humour -- both Anwar and Awang were just showing off their imaginary power of persuasion, and somelightheartedness in expression often tempers a serious issue which has been muddied by the lights of Perkosa's Ib Ali and UMNO Youth's once-second-most-powerful-person-in-Malaysia!
Gan's: Besides, Bersih 2.0 has also conveyed a false impression of our democratic system while its approach is disproportionate to its cause.
Desi's: Sdr Gan -- I can call ye Saudara, yes?! -- impressions are just that, impressions, but in politics, PEREPTION COUNTS LOTS. You give Desi a good impression with your letter's content, hence I engage thee with civility. But should the July 9 Bersih2.0 be thwarted by your BN components' comrades like UMNO Youth and shady allies Perkosa -- ooops, it's Perkasa! -- COUNTER-MOVES, then what impression does it create? To all and sundry -- especially to the international stage which the foreign media will surely highlight -- THAT THE POLICE WILL TOLERATE DEMOS BY UMNO (maybe its component parties like MCA) BUT DOESN'T GIVE A CHANCE TO THE NGOs and the OPPOSITION... Well, we can olways beg to differ in our interpretations, Saudara Gan, Yes?
PS: Can I maybe invite you, dear esteemed Sdr Gan, to be a speaker at a forthcoming BUM2011 FORUM soon?
UPDATE2 at lunchtime, a bollowing from Tumpang Sekole...:)
Go visit Tumpang's site at http://alditta.blogspot.com/2011/06/umno-youth-threatens-to-burn-down-pkr.html~~ CHEERS, maybe you add thy comment dare! ~~ Desi
Image]A group of Umno Youth members gathered in front of their arch nemesis PKR's headquarters in Petaling Jaya late last night in a noisy demonstration, threatening to burn down the building.
About 300 people, according to PKR estimates, had converged in motorcycles and demanded that PKR withdraws its support from the Bersih 2.0 march on July 9.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who rushed to the HQ after being alerted by party members, said that he arrived at about 11pm and observed the demonstration from a distance.
"How do I know they are Umno members? First of all, they were carrying Umno flags and they were wearing their red 'Patriot' T-shirts,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
“I could also see (Umno Youth exco Lukman Adam) and (former Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah) leading the group."
Incendiary speeches on tape
Saifuddin also said that when he got there with several party members, they had recorded the fiery speeches made by Lukman to the Umno Youth crowd.
"He said that he wants to burn down the PKR HQ. He can deny it all he wants, but we have the recording," he said.
PKR Youth deputy information chief Rozan Azen Mat Rasip, who was also there, confirmed that Lukman had explicitly threatened to burn down the party headquarters if they were to continue participating in the July 9 rally.
"He also threatened (PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim) and (Bersih 2.0 steering committee chairperson) S Ambiga for supporting the rally," he said, adding that about 50 PKR Youth members were there to monitor the demonstration.
According to Rozan, the Umno Youth group converged in two locations - first at a petrol station in Shah Alam, second at the Batu Tiga toll on the Federal Highway - before making their way to the PKR HQ in Tropicana, based on information from pro-Umno blogs.
He lodged a police report at the Tropicana police station, just a few doors down the road from the HQ, at about 11.40pm almost immediately after the crowd had dispersed.
[Image]No arrests made
Rozan said that he saw about 20 heavily-armed police officers on stand-by at the protest although no arrest were made.
"That's why we're puzzled," he said, urging the police to investigate the case under criminal intimidation.
Meanwhile, Lukman and Arman were unreachable for comment.
Though Bersih 2.0 - which stands for the Coalition of Free and Fair Elections - claims to be a politically non-partisan group, PKR is expected to mobilise tens of thousands of its members from all around the country for the massive rally on July 9. Calling for electoral reforms, Bersih 2.0 will also be handing over a petition to the Istana Negara detailing their demands before the next general elections.
However, Umno Youth said that they will be organising a counter-rally on the same day, calling it the 'Patriot' rally. Movement chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar had previously said that their objective is to defy Bersih 2.0, as well as supporting engagement with the Election Commission.
Malay rights NGO Perkasa have also vowed to hold another counter-rally in the bid to stop the Bersih rally.
source:malaysiakini
Umno sends 'Mat Rempits' to PKR HQ, no action from police
1 comment:
Spot on pang yau!
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