Bail Cancelled for 64

By IVAN LOH - Thestar.com.my


IPOH: Police have cancelled the bails of all 64 people, including 10 Opposition MPs and assemblymen who were arrested outside the State Secretariat building during the chaotic May 7 state assembly sitting.

Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said police have agreed to cancel all their bails pending the Attorney-General Chambers' decision to charge them or not.

"I want to appeal to the A-G Chambers to close the case because they do not have grounds to charge them," Nizar told a press conference here after accompanying the 69 to the Ipoh police station Thursday.

"We urge the A-G Chambers to drop all charges against those who were arrested," he said.

He added that the people had a right to hold peaceful gathering under the Federal Constitution.

Earlier, all who were arrested during the May 7 assembly sitting reported to the police station.

Shortly after their arrival, Ipoh CID chief Deputy Superintendent S. Glenn Anthony informed them about the cancellation of their bails.

Nizar said it was inappropriate for the police to have all 64 people report in at the police station only to have them leave several minutes later.

He pointed out that most of the 64 came from Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Penang.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, who was also present, said the police could have just called them on the telephone on Wednesday.

14 arrested by police

I got an early phone call to come to the DAP HQ at 7.30am as the police had prevented our workers form putting up canapoy , hot ballon and related items. By the time i arrived at the HQ 5 staffs of the event manager were arrested by the police. From the inquiries we made, it is learnt that the necessary permission was not obtained to put up the Canapoy from the local authority.

But one canopy was already up late Monday and it was not dismantled by the authorities. When the local authority (MBI) officer came at about 10 am and after some discussion the officers agreed we can proceed with our function at least until 12pm.

After the formal speeches we started to leave for the High Court as proceedings were being filed for those village heads who were sacked by the BN government. We were just outside the DAP Headquarters when police officers suddenly arrested 14 of us.

The following news is from on line news: Since 5 May, police have made a total of 146 arrests mainly for what the police say are illegal gatherings related to protests against political developments in Perak. Today’s incident raises the total number of arrests to 165 in just three weeks.

Police arrested 14 people at 11.30am including Ipoh Barat Member of Parliament M Kulasegaran, assemblypersons V Sivakumar (Tronoh-DAP), Leong Mee Meng (Jalong-DAP), Lim Pek Har (Menglembu-DAP), Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar-DAP), Su Keong Seng (Pasir Pinji-DAP), Chang Lih Kang (Teja-PKR), and Chan Ming Kai (Simpang Pulai-PKR), while they were walking towards the Ipoh High Court today. The 14 were later released on police bail.

Earlier at 7am, the police also arrested five employees from an event management company that PR hired to help organise the "Mogok Lapar Bubar DUN" at the Perak DAP headquarters. The arrested were brought to the Ipoh district police station.

The three-day hunger strike was organised by Perak PR to pressure for the dissolution of the Perak assembly.

Perak - the epicentre of Umno fault-line

by Augustine Anthony -

(This article was written in anticipation of the Court of Appeal judgment in Nizar vs Zambry)

The judgment of Justice Abdul Aziz Abd. Rahim in the case of Nizar vs Zambry has attained clairvoyance status.

It had positioned the institution of rulers above politics, dignified the sultans and preserved the revered constitutional monarchy for generations to come.

In the ancient times the announcement of gestation or birth of crown prince will usually send sages and spiritual leaders into solitude in meditation and prayers in the harsh wilderness with the hope that the ruler to come will be benevolent to the subjects. History bears testimony of such adoration with monuments and poems of virtues and valour of such kings.

Today more than a billion souls, Hindus, Christians and Muslims all in India salute the great emperor Asoka knowingly or unknowingly when they rise in veneration of the majestic Indian national flag, the centre of it bears the wheel of Asoka.

But not all Rulers invite admiration. Scorn and disdain of the people witnessed the extinction of absolute monarchy in many parts of the world and replaced with power to the people by new systems of constitutional monarchy or an outright republic of a nation.

Power is placed in the hands of people’s representatives but authority is given not to deny the will and wishes of the people.

But the hearts of men are so easily corrupted.

Neither constitutional monarchy nor the presidency of a republic could remove the abuse of power and expansion of corrupt playing fields of those in whose hands the people have placed their power and authority that were removed systematically from the absolute monarchs.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so the saying goes.

The creation of constitutional monarchy and a system of parliamentary democracy with people’s power concentrated in the hands of UMNO in the last 52 years only goes to show that indeed UMNO enjoys the goodwill of the people of Malaysia.

But all that is about to change.

The epicentre of UMNO’s power shattering phenomenon is hidden deep in the emotions of the Perakians. It may well be UMNO’s fault line that may trigger the next and decisive Tsunami. A sea of people with their emotion translated into tidal waves of anger may well bring about permanent destruction to the once invincible fortress that now lies damaged at the shoreline built by UMNO painstakingly for more than 50 years led by many of their visionary leaders of the past.

But wait! Alas, those political leaders opposed to UMNO who now ride these tidal waves of anger (except for some notable veterans), are poor surfers unable to comprehend the deep current and direction of the waves. Tidal waves are fast and furious. Either you surf it or sink in it.

Many of these surfers are amateur opposition new kids on the bloc with the new found fame of Yang Berhormat. They try very hard to impress the undecided and uncertain people who had swung to the opposition in anger during the 2008 general election.

These YB’s must bear in mind that it takes more to continue winning the hearts and minds of the people than apple distribution in parliament house or bicycle paddling to the parliament entrance or constant holding of candle light in vigils and screaming “Saya YB, Saya YB” when apprehended by the law enforcement officers or even offering prayers to the ghost of unknown Ghengis Khan descendant who was blown to smithereens.

Many of these meaningless publicity stunts exhibited by these poor surfers are not only amusing but alarmingly annoying.

Internal squabbles aplenty, in short the Opposition’s value to people is fast descending to junk bond status.

While the surfers struggle at the high sea, close to shoreline the current Chief Architect surveys the damaged fortress and the coming of the tidal waves. Both he must confront and contain swiftly.

This Chief Architect is formidable, commanding an army of bureaucrat’s allegiance. His monumental fortitude sends uncluttered vibrations that he is determined to stay for more than one term as the commander in chief of the government of Malaysia.

The RAHMAN theory must die or UMNO will die. Die UMNO, this, the Chief Architect cannot and will not allow.

Najib Razak is a bangsawan pedigree. A Razak creation. Born and bred in the ways of leadership. As the son who enjoys the unseen goodwill left behind by the then chief architect of NEP in the 1970’s, he now enjoys the ancient cryptic command of the universe; the Vedas call it positive karma.

His reading of people’s anger is correct. He knows that he needs time to waft like gentle breeze to soothe the angry and humid emotion of the people. His weekly meet the people sessions is just about the right antidote in times like these. Just like his father.

His less than one hundred days in the seat of power shows that he is moving in the right direction.

Will Najib initiate the correct moves to dissolve the Perak State Legislative Assembly? Every thought is pointing to the inevitable. Dissolution of the Perak State Legislative Assembly is imminent.

To save UMNO or to squander the goodwill of the Malaysians?

It is your turn to think, YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak

Hunger Strike Launched

Today the Pakaatan Rakyat component parties announced that a 3 day Hunger Strike would be launched beginning at the DAP Perak HQ and finally ending at the PAS HQ at Taman Istana Ipoh.

We have been planning this strike for some time and finally last night during the Perak Pakaatan Rakyat leaders meeting we decided to commence it this Tuesday and it will end on this Thursday.

Many people for various reasons have in their struggles carried out “hunger strike”. For example the Gandhi had fasted to near death a number of times for the sake of India’s unity. Many more have died due to hunger strike all over the world. One place where there are evidences of death by reason of hunger strike is if one visit sees the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands, India where hundreds have died while fighting against the British. In recent time I get reminded the death of Bobby Sands while agitating against British rule in Northern Ireland.

For us in the present scenario in the Perak political crisis this “hunger strike” is one of the many programes to push for dissolving of the state assembly of Perak. People may ask why only 3 days? But why not?

Yesterday the Court of Appeal decision to allow the appeal by Zambry is not surprising. I differ from the views of the Pakaatan leaders. I am of the view the present constitutional crisis is not for the courts to give a solution. But rather the politicians should get to the people and agitate for a final outcome.

Yesterday’s decision by the court of Appeal may have been a damper. But this is only a small dent. While in the wet market in Tawas today I met many lay people who are dismayed by the courts decision. The encouraging words from all of them are keep on the struggle and you will make it great in the nest elections.

Barisan has won in the courts but the Pakaatan Rakyat will win the hearts and minds of the people. We just lost a battle but end of the day we will win the war!

10 reasons for Najib for wanting a discussion with PR

In the last few days invariably the head lines of all news is nothing other then the on going Perak political crisis.

Prime Minister DS Najib has now agreed to discuss the impasse with the Pakatan Rakyat(PR) leaders.

Why Najib wants to talk now? At least 10 reasons for him to do so.
1) Najib may be willing to discuss because the support for BN is so weak that that a discussion of this nature may enhance Barisan National(BN) status.

2) Najib masterminded the take over of BN in Perak when he was the DPM. Little did he realize this coup d’etat could boomerang to such intensity that it is hurting his public image now? He may never recover and this may soon politically seal his future.

3) In just about 10months the PR government of Perak was able to win the heart and minds of its people. The polices on freehold, the openness on awarding of contacts, the transparent manner of running the state government, appointing NGO’s as councilors, giving lands to schools, Exco members and the MB who are easily approachable nd many more.

4) Rumors are that there are some BN elected assemblyman who may jump ship and this is one way to contain them

5) The present situation is untenable. Perak has 2 Mentri Besar’s (MB), 2 Speakers and 2 secretaries to the House (clerk) The situation is unsettling the BN as much as the PR thus the necessity for discussion.

6) Investors are filling jittery and may continue to refuse to invest in Perak. This will hurt all. But in this drawback, BN elected representatives will suffer most as dishing out contracts by them will dry up. In the process BN will fail to get the continuous support from the people.

7) Who is the legal MB or the ex-MB? Both the MB’s are in that situation. People are confused and the continuous indecision will damage all but the BN will still suffer more. Reading the blog’s and articles one see’s a bashing of the BN. Some how the BN cannot and seems not able to get public opinion on their side

8) Ejecting Speaker V.Sivakumar and the video footage clearly show the ruthless ness of BN. To make matters worse the unprecedented entrance of policeman into the meeting hall has aroused a feeling that the BN had planned this event. In fact we hear over 100 policemen from all over the country was asked to report to Ipoh police who were used to implement this eviction of V.Sivakumar. Local police was apparently not encouraged as they may be familiar to many elected representatives and they may be reluctant to implement BN’s modus operandi

9) When BN took over Perak government immorally they failed to see the importance of the Speakers post, the Committee of Privileges and the Public Accounts Committee. The majority of the members of these committees are from the PR. All these were overlooked. Thus the jig saw puzzle is not complete unless all these posts revert back to BN.

10) The courts decisions are of little help. One day Nizar wins the next day the ex-BN MB is back in power. It all looks like the circus is in town for all to have fun. But it is the Perikians who eventually suffer.

The PR leaders must be cautious on the invitation for discussion with Najib. Najib must win at what ever the cost in this proposed meet. But how will the PR fair?

Remember the fatal mistake Chin Peng made when he agreed to meet Tuanku at Baling in 1956?

அசட்டு குணம்

இன்று காலை முன்னாள் பேராகின் மந்திரி புசார் ஸம்ரி தனது அலுவழகத்தில் போலீஸ் அதிகாரியின் தலைமையில் பேராக் மாநில செயலகத்தில் நுழைந்தார். இவரியின் நுழைவு பலரை அதிர்ச்சியில் தள்ளியது காரணம் இவர் பெற்றதோ தடைவுதரவு அங்கிகாரம் அல்ல.


ஆகவே, இவர் இன்று என்ன அசட்டு குணத்தில் நுழைந்தார் என்பது மக்களுக்கு குழப்பமாக உள்ளது.

எது எப்படியாகினும், குழப்பம் தீர வேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணம் இருந்தால், சட்டமன்றத்தை கலைத்து மறு தேர்தலை நடத்துவதே சிறந்த ஒன்றாகும் என்ற மக்களின் எண்ணம் நிறைவேறுமா என்ற கேள்விக்கு பதில் இன்னும் உறங்கிக்கொண்டே இருக்கிறது.

Pakatan's Policy

Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile, Pakatan excos swung into action in the first few hours after resuming control of the state government.Senior exco Ngeh Koo Ham announced that councillors would be sworn in by tomorrow so that the 14 local councils can function properly.

"Also 817 village chiefs have been issued letters to carry out their duties. The Land Office has also been instructed to issue freehold (land) titles," he told a press conference at 11.15am at the state secretariat building.Ngeh said the Ipoh central bus project would proceed as planned while parking fees would be reduced to 30 sen with immediate effect.

The DAP state chief also announced that the 2009 Sukan Perak had been cancelled, while allocations would be channeled towards sports at the district levels."We'll redeem the three months wasted during the Perak crisis," he said.

Entering into Perak SUK

Yesterday night after the Pakatan Exco meeting, the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser been suspended immediately. The two officials, who have been key allies of Barisan Nasional in the ongoing Perak political crisis, were suspended with immediate effect during an emergency state executive council (exco) meeting last night.

Nizar, his wife Fatimah Taad, and his eight exco members arrived at the building about 7.30am, but were not allowed immediate entry.

Nizar however did not protest against the treatment or the denial of entry to journalists, who were kept out. Just before entering the premises, Nizar and the exco members said prayers by the roadside.