Politics 101 Malaysia

AsiaSentinel, Dec 11.

In a clear sign that the government of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is fed up with continuing protest, immigration officials detained de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the country’s Subang Jaya Airport Tuesday before releasing him, and arrested at least 12 opposition leaders who attempted to protest at the Dewan Rakyart, or Parliament.

As has happened with increasing frequency in Kuala Lumpur, police Tuesday attempted to block protesters from reaching the parliament building, once again paralyzing traffic across the city.

Officials stood by with water cannons but did not use them. Five opposition protesters got into the parliament building by riding through a police cordon in the cars of elected opposition figures.

Anwar, who was informed by immigration officials that he had been placed on a watch list, was freed after about half an hour. ”Continued”

The four Bersih petitioners involved were Pusat Komas programme director Mien Lor, Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng, Centre for Independent Journalism executive director V Gayathry and Writers Alliance for Media Independence chairperson Wong Chin Huat.

Khalid Ibrahim was detained after giving speech to the Media at the entrance to the House this morning.

malaysiakini, Dec 11.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) urges Parliament to reject the proposed amendment which will effect the extension of the EC chief’s tenure by 18 months. Below is the full memorandum.

[Bersih] urges the Parliament of Malaysia, which consists of His Majesty the Yang diPertuan Agong, Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara to reject the proposed bill to amend Article 114 of the Federal Constitution, which will effect in Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s extension as the Election Commission (EC) Chairperson up to one-and-a-half years.

Bersih stresses that Tan Sri Abdul Rashid, whose service is continuously marred with recurring electoral frauds and manipulations, is not fit for the job and must go immediately. All parliamentarians must therefore vote against this Constitutional Amendment Bill so obviously being rushed through to keep him the job is an insult to both the Constitution and Parliament. ”Continued”

AsiaSentinel, Nov 12.

Now that the biggest demonstrations in 10 years in Malaysia are over and the wounds are being bound up, clearly the big loser is Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the winners are the opposition parties, and the most astute players in the drama are the country’s nine sultans.

The police put the demonstrators at 10,000, but pictures published by such websites as Malaysia Today showed numbers far in excess of that. The protesters put the figure at closer to 40,000. The protesters, headed by the leaders of the three opposition parties, defied government orders to march to the palace of the Yang di-pertuan Agong, Malaysia’s king, to deliver a petition asking for clean and fair elections. ”Continued”

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, malaysiakini, Nov 12.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 10 to call for a clean and fair elections.

Malaysiakini provides a step-by step account of the march.

The Masjid Jamek group:

By 2.10pm, 1,000 protesters had gathered in front of Masjid Jamek, near the LRT station. The police fired, without warning, chemical-laced water. Riot police were in formation outside the mosque. Another 500 protesters were inside the nearby Masjid India.

By 2.25pm, the crowd had increased to 2,000 after the group inside the Masjid Jamek area came out. The water cannon was fired several times as they came out. Protesters seeking refuge inside the Masjid Jamek LRT station also came out.

At 2.39pm, the police began firing several canisters of tear gas at the crowd in addition to discharging the chemical-laced water. At least, four rounds of tear gas were fired. By 2.45pm, the police had taken over the road outside Masjid Jamek after firing about a dozen rounds of tear gas. ”Continued”

1. Almost a month has lapsed since Suhakam promised to reconsider its decision not to hold a public inquiry into the Batu Buruk incident, and two months since the incident itself on 8 September 2007.

2. On 12 October 2007 when BERSIH submitted its protest note on Suhakam’s earlier decision which we considered an abdication of Suhakam’s responsibility, Commissioner Datuk N Siva Subramaniam assured BERSIH and the public that Suhakam would review its decision in an emergency meeting.

3. We pointed out that Suhakam’s current stand as to why it is not doing a public inquiry on Batu Burok would mean that all the police or any offending authority would have to do is, after committing human rights abuses, is to simply prosecute someone in connection with the incident and that would allow Suhakam to not proceed with any inquiry. This surely cannot be a rational view of the law. ”Continued”

The Bersih rally to present a electoral reform memo to the King has ended successfully.

While police were brutal initially, as soon as the 30,000 crowd marched within 200m of the Istana, the police backed off.

Protestors came from all over the country.

by Andrew Ong, Beh Lih Yi and Syed Jaymal Zahiid, malaysiakini, Nov 9.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has vowed to crack down on a planned mass rally in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and gave his support to the police to break up the protest and arrest participants.

“The police have said no, yet they still want to proceed. In that case, surely something bad is going to happen,” said Abdullah during his presidential winding-up speech at the end of the Umno general assembly today.

Abdullah said the rally organisers have shown that they were stubborn and defiant against the country’s laws.

“They are challenging the patience of the rakyat who want this country to be peaceful and stable. That is what they are challenging, not me.

“Tapi saya mesti kata saya pantang dicabar (But I have to say that don’t you dare challenge me),” said Abdullah to roars of approval from the delegates. ”Continued”