May 7 Wear Black Day
As the poll reform group Bersih spokesperson Wong Chin Huat has been arrested under the Sedition Act tonight by a team of police. It is sad to see that the police has once again been manipulated for personal gains. Looking at the letter to the editor from Bersih as posted on MySinchew, I wonder what "sedition" actually means.
The original article below is taken from http://www.mysinchew.com/node/24055?tid=14
May 7 Wear Black Day
2009-05-05 15:42
LETTER TO EDITOR
We the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (BERSIH) call upon all Malaysians to wear black to work, to school, in play or at home the coming May 7th (Thursday) to present “1BLACKMalaysia” to Prime Minister Najib Razak as our strongest protest to the on-going Perak coup he has orchestrated.
Despite the court’s scheduled hearing on the legality of Zambry Abdul Kadil’s legality as the Menteri Besar on May 5th and 6th, a sitting for the Perak State Legislature has been scheduled to begin on May 7th bypassing the speaker V. Sivakumar.
A motion has also been tabled to replace the speaker, who has vigorously defended the Legislature’s rights and power throughout the coup, with R. Ganesan, a non-lawmaker from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).
To prevent the public from knowing what would happen in the assembly, a “media curfew” was imposed whereby only 13 selected media outlets are granted access, on top of a general lockdown of the city of Ipoh, where the Legislature is seated. While the Zambry regime had since retracted the "media curfew" under strong public outcry, the initial move reveals a regime that fears public scrutiny.
These latest developments show total disregard of Najib Razak on rule of law and constitutional democracy in Malaysia. He has also ignored the voters’ wrath on unconstitutional means of power grab, as showed in the Bukit Gantang by-election where the margin for the ousted MB Mohammad Nizar increased by over 2000 votes.
Najib’s slogan: “1Malaysia, people first, performance now” is now a cruel joke on Malaysians. Is this the old “1Authoritarian-and-CorruptMalaysia” getting worse? What “people first” when people are forced to be blind, deaf, mute and immobile with the media curfew and city lockdown? What “performance now” when the “performance” in law-breaking may never be known?
In response to all these, we urge all Malaysians to wear black on May 7th. It will be a peaceful but powerful message of civil disobedience that we the people are politicians' bosses and no politicians defiant of public opinion can escape punishment at the next poll. Civil disobedience is a peaceful act that every citizen can participate and make a difference. In history, civil disobedience led by Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King and the Polish people had successfully ended tyranny and injustice without bloodshed or disruption.
Let’s paint every state and territory, every town and village black with our clothes, headbands, hats, turbans, veils, armbands, ribbons and stickers on that day. Let everyone see a sea of black walking into an office, a market, a mosque, a temple, a church, a college, a park, a bus, a commuter or LRT car, a ferry or an aeroplane.
Let us be united in one BLACK colour and let show the world that the 1Malaysia under Najib Razak is “1BLACKMalaysia” living in darkness.
Let’s show the world that Malaysians will stand up against any invasion of democracy, freedom and peace by unscrupulous politicians. We will not allow coup be the way to power in Perak, or anywhere in Malaysia. No one shall take away our democracy, freedom and peace. Najib may hijack our unelected institutions like the judiciary, civil service, police and Election Commission, but he will never win our heart and mind. And he is no reformist until he dares to face elections in Perak.
Let us show Najib in one colour - "1BlackMalaysia!". Let us tell him in one voice for Malaysia: "Democracy First!" Let us pose him the one solution for Perak: "Elections now!"
Yes, Mr Prime Minister of Malaysia, and the World, listen to us: 1BlackMalaysia! Democracy First! Elections Now!
1. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
2. Centre for Orang Asli Concerns
3. Citizen Think Tank
4. Centre for Independent Journalism
5. People's Parliament
6. Centre for Policy Initiatives
7 Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti, Selangor (Empower)
KUALA LUMPUR 5 May 2009
MySinchew 2009.05.05
The original article below is taken from http://www.mysinchew.com/node/24055?tid=14
May 7 Wear Black Day
2009-05-05 15:42
LETTER TO EDITOR
We the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (BERSIH) call upon all Malaysians to wear black to work, to school, in play or at home the coming May 7th (Thursday) to present “1BLACKMalaysia” to Prime Minister Najib Razak as our strongest protest to the on-going Perak coup he has orchestrated.
Despite the court’s scheduled hearing on the legality of Zambry Abdul Kadil’s legality as the Menteri Besar on May 5th and 6th, a sitting for the Perak State Legislature has been scheduled to begin on May 7th bypassing the speaker V. Sivakumar.
A motion has also been tabled to replace the speaker, who has vigorously defended the Legislature’s rights and power throughout the coup, with R. Ganesan, a non-lawmaker from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).
To prevent the public from knowing what would happen in the assembly, a “media curfew” was imposed whereby only 13 selected media outlets are granted access, on top of a general lockdown of the city of Ipoh, where the Legislature is seated. While the Zambry regime had since retracted the "media curfew" under strong public outcry, the initial move reveals a regime that fears public scrutiny.
These latest developments show total disregard of Najib Razak on rule of law and constitutional democracy in Malaysia. He has also ignored the voters’ wrath on unconstitutional means of power grab, as showed in the Bukit Gantang by-election where the margin for the ousted MB Mohammad Nizar increased by over 2000 votes.
Najib’s slogan: “1Malaysia, people first, performance now” is now a cruel joke on Malaysians. Is this the old “1Authoritarian-and-CorruptMalaysia” getting worse? What “people first” when people are forced to be blind, deaf, mute and immobile with the media curfew and city lockdown? What “performance now” when the “performance” in law-breaking may never be known?
In response to all these, we urge all Malaysians to wear black on May 7th. It will be a peaceful but powerful message of civil disobedience that we the people are politicians' bosses and no politicians defiant of public opinion can escape punishment at the next poll. Civil disobedience is a peaceful act that every citizen can participate and make a difference. In history, civil disobedience led by Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King and the Polish people had successfully ended tyranny and injustice without bloodshed or disruption.
Let’s paint every state and territory, every town and village black with our clothes, headbands, hats, turbans, veils, armbands, ribbons and stickers on that day. Let everyone see a sea of black walking into an office, a market, a mosque, a temple, a church, a college, a park, a bus, a commuter or LRT car, a ferry or an aeroplane.
Let us be united in one BLACK colour and let show the world that the 1Malaysia under Najib Razak is “1BLACKMalaysia” living in darkness.
Let’s show the world that Malaysians will stand up against any invasion of democracy, freedom and peace by unscrupulous politicians. We will not allow coup be the way to power in Perak, or anywhere in Malaysia. No one shall take away our democracy, freedom and peace. Najib may hijack our unelected institutions like the judiciary, civil service, police and Election Commission, but he will never win our heart and mind. And he is no reformist until he dares to face elections in Perak.
Let us show Najib in one colour - "1BlackMalaysia!". Let us tell him in one voice for Malaysia: "Democracy First!" Let us pose him the one solution for Perak: "Elections now!"
Yes, Mr Prime Minister of Malaysia, and the World, listen to us: 1BlackMalaysia! Democracy First! Elections Now!
1. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
2. Centre for Orang Asli Concerns
3. Citizen Think Tank
4. Centre for Independent Journalism
5. People's Parliament
6. Centre for Policy Initiatives
7 Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti, Selangor (Empower)
KUALA LUMPUR 5 May 2009
MySinchew 2009.05.05
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