I am so proud of you, Dad...

Stand-off in front of DBKL today. Pic: resident.wangsamaju

 
While I was busy uploading pictures and scouring the internet for news, pictures and most up to date information on BERSIH 3.0, little did I know that my dad had a little adventure of his own up north. In a way, I felt ashamed that I did not do what he did but on the other hand, I am so proud of him for what he did.

UPDATES... UPDATES!!

12.35pm - Update from Loong
News updates!! Apparently there were paratroopers from the air force were trying to air drop onto Dataran Merdeka but were "blown off course" by the wind.


Further confirmation that Pasar Seni is closed but Police are just monitoring the situation.


12.45pm - Updates from Loong
Huge crowd stopped at the police barrier beside Central Market. Looks like the crowd is waiting for BERSIH's leaders to arrive.

BERSIH 3.0 Up and Around - UPDATED at 12.55pm

Petaling Street. Pic: resident.wangsamaju

It is pretty obvious this man here is fighting for his future generations. Kudos, he can stand tall and tell his grandchildren that he was there to fight for their future!

Many Malaysians from around the globe will congregate in various locations around the world tomorrow for a cause to save our nation from further tyranny, corruption and various malpractices through the demands for clean and fair election.

Many stand firm in their desire of wanting to see a clean and fair elections while many are also apathetic about the effects and repercussion of election malpractices that has plagued our nation for many many elections.

BERSIH v2.0 Collection

A day which many of us would want to claim victory. But a victory or defeat lies not in today's battle. Its a start of a journey, ardous nonetheless that we may tread in the coming days and years as we work towards rebuilding our beloved country. I am most certain the newspapers tomorrow will splash news of the authorities successfully repelling the "illegal rally". Numbing numbers would be bandied about, just to prove to the public that the "illegal rally" has not got the support of the rakyat. Well, before I sign off for the day and handing the reigns back to Resident Wangsa Maju and Lee Wee Tak, I offer to all readers a collection of pictures I gathered from around. You be the judge as to the numbers and success of the rally here in Kuala Lumpur. Please do google for BERSIH @ NYC, BERSIH @Melbourne, BERSIH @ Ireland, BERSIH @ Japan etc... Okay.. okay.. lets get back to the BERSIH @ KL. We have pictures that will tell you a story of a thousand words...

Exhortations of Righteousness? or Plain Bullshit?

I have stopped buying and reading newspapers, but, now and then one can't help but to note the headlies... (pun intended) on the local newspapers.. occasionally I also browse The Star for some "free" online propaganda.

Today is one of those days and The Star clearly chose to ignore to point out all those racist statements made by the PM Jibby's ministers in the past few months while chose to trumpet the PM's call to "Learn Tolerance" and "Mutual Respect" as espoused by the Quran. Everything points to the PM being "different" and definitely working towards the goal of 1Malaysia! Bravo!. If taken in isolation, it would have meant something in Malaysia but merge it with all the events that occur over the past few months, one really wonders if this PM has been out of the country and do not bother to keep in touch with local events or what?

Funnily though, after 52 years of BN rule, the country is still "learning to tolerate"? I mean, 52 years of BN rule! They have not achieved what they have been espousing all these while? On another level, would mutual understanding and respect be a more lasting basis of peace in Malaysia rather than tolerance? Tolerance as its means can have a breaking point. Would it not? Case in point.. there were many and the latest that people would have remembered would be the cow-head demonstration that it is now known. So, "tolerance"? Now, that the so called tolerance has hit the tipping point, the state government called for a "dialogue". A dialogue as we know is a diplomatic discussion by putting your grievances on the table and we try to understand the root of the problem and we "hope" to reach an understanding or rather a prelude to a more substantive discussion to resolve the whole matter. But, the "dialogue" as we all have come to understand today is a shouting match with no substance but obscenities and name calling. There is no desire whatsoever by the people who have "lost tolerance" to come with a mind to have a "dialogue". They seem hell bent on creating ruckus, intimidate and drive fear into others. Is this what our people have come to?

Back to the question, is the PM out of tune right now calling for us to learn tolerance? We have learnt tolerance for 52 years! And never once in the 52 years of tolerating have we ended up dragging something sacred and desecrate it in such a shameful manner. So, Mr. PM, you say we should learn more tolerance? Who should Mr. PM? Should we tolerate the abuser? or should we be more tolerant as the one receiving the abuses? Is your call to learn tolerance a one way traffic? Heads you win, tails I lose?

I would not go into detail as to their political affiliations of the people involved in the fracas of the demonstration and the dialogue session. Suffice to say that BN and Umno in particular have been supporting this group of people is enough to speak of your rant for tolerance and mutual respect is nothing more than a mantra that is ancient and is no longer applicable in Malaysia today.m

A Fool? Or Mere Posturing?

Firstly, thanks to Wee Tak for carrying my request to be a writer on this blog and also my thanks to resident.wangsamaju for believing that I can contribute worthy thoughts to be published in this blog. Its been sometime since I last wrote and I find it horribly tiring to maintain a blog and realize that it is indeed a full time job! Now come to think of it, which nincompoop that said that blog writers are unemployed and housewives?

Over the last few months, blogosphere in Malaysia has evolved tremendously. From mere rantings and sharing of opinion and views, they have become a major tool to get their message over to the masses in a very short time. Also since the so called "political tsunami" that hit Malaysia in March 08, the ancient and obese BN has also come to recognize that blogs and the internet has played a major role in their humiliatingly slim victory in the last general election, hence the machinery was started and "major overhaul" was made to make their presence felt in the blogosphere. To BN, its simple really.. dangle the $$$ in front of some bloggers and wallah! They now have a bunch of famous bloggers that will do their bidding.. have they succeeded? I think time will tell. I do not visit those blogs that often but once in a while I still do.. its good really food for thought to see where these people are heading.

Anyway, my thoughts today are not that ancient as March 08 but on some events that happened in our country lately, from the Perak fiasco, to Terengganu and to Selangor, spins, counter spins and further spins may have either left the people trying to make sense of what is happening to be in a state of being dizzy to being right down feeling completely hopeless that the country's politicians are beyond help and reproach.

There have been many articles pinned on how our Home Minister continues Umno's efforts to drive the wedge further between Malaysians through religion and racism from the recent cow head demonstration. Those articles have expressed enough on what needed to be said.

No, today, I would like to focus on the one man that has got no shame whatsoever. Implicated in various matters but never investigated or manage to get off the hook because he has been buddy buddy with the DG of Selangor's MACC. From shady land deals to working hand in glove with MACC in trying to bring down the current state government. From staying in a 24mil bungalow to his shiny botox-ed face.. from holing up in his office post March 08 shredding documents to his escapades to Disneyland on public funds... he is the famous MAT "BOTOX" TEMPE!

While the Home Minster was sent scurrying to contain his "extreme" defense of the cow-head demonstrators, this idiot of the same kind seem to want to continue to rant about it!

Among the gems of his quote (taken from Malaysiakini)

"The reason (the cow's head) was brought was to show that the (state government) had acted without thinking as the site (for the Hindu temple) was ready (in Section 18), so why relocate (to Section 23)?"

To show that the state government acted without thinking? Huh? So, does it mean that the non-Muslims can take a pig's head to show that the state government had acted without thinking as well?

"I don't know who brought it (the cow's head)... but for me, there is no sensitivity (involved) or link to the animal being holy for the Indians (Hindus)," he added.

No sensitivity involved.. because its to show displeasure to the state government? I really wonder how would a pig's head imply?

"That is up to him. I am not involved in that one. I am just commenting on it (the issue) because people have turned it into a racial issue and that is not right," he said.

His comments on Hishamuddin flopping to charge the demonstrators.... equally baffling. So, let me see, its okay for Umno leaders to have differing views, while if Pakatan members have differing views, (beer issue) then there is a disunity in Pakatan, but when Umno leaders have differing views... err.. its up to him? And nothing else? Hypocrite? A fool? or is it mere posturing to gain political mileage?

I simply do not understand how Malaysians can put up with these people! Can we as Malaysians, put a stop and say NO to these sort of politicians? Will the people of Sungai Panjang do the right thing next time out? Kick Mat Tempe out for good!