MALAYSIA: TV-3 Lies and Misleads to Worsen Islam vs Christianity Controversy

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TV3 News on Proselytisation of Muslims by Christians in Tuition Centre is a FAKE

QUOTE:

"It was pretty clear the qariah and the surau reported on TV3 does NOT exist. TV3 cooked up the FALSE news and at the same time poked fun at Muslim places of worship with that name Al-Musyrikin.

The tuition centre has been there for years for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the children living in the area who are Christians.They comprise students who are Chinese, Indian and a small number of Christian Indonesians. There are NO Muslims who attend Christianity classes there.

The TV station is maliciously spreading FALSE news aimed at stoking religious and racial tensions, that at the same time had ridiculed Islam."
-Fariz Musa

An NGO has lodged a police report against TV3 for allegedly FABRICATING news of a tuition centre in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, on account that the SURAU whose members were shown protesting the centre appears to be NON-EXISTENT.

The TV station was maliciously spreading false news aimed at stoking religious and racial tensions, that at the same time had ridiculed Islam.

The group, Jingga 13, said the private TV station on Aug 21 aired a report during its main news bulletin (Buletin Utama) alleging that the tuition centre had been spreading Christianity to its Muslim students.

The news clip showed footage of a group of about 50 from the Qariah Surau Al-Musyrikin led by a Mustapha Kamal Mohd Yusof - believed to be an Umno branch leader in Seputeh - gathered in front of the centre, protesting the proselytisation of Muslims.

NGO, Jingga 13 Coordinator, Fariz Musa said,

“The (TV3-news) report is meant to portray that there are efforts to spread Christianity through the tuition classes, to the point that it has caused the surau members to protest. Jinggo 13's checks suggest that NO such surau exists in the area.

From Jingga 13's investigations in the vicinity of the tuition centre in the Jalan Klang Lama squatter area, and from speaking with the locals there, we found that NOT a single surau exists in the area. The tuition centre is located in a squatter area populated mainly by Chinese and Indians, along with some foreign Indonesians.

It was pretty clear the qariah and the surau reported on TV3 does NOT exist.

The name of the reported surau itself is suspect, and appears to be aimed at poking fun. The name of the surau 'Al-Musyrikin' that was reported looks like it was intentionally conjured up.

It is indeed impossible that someone would call their house of Allah with a name such as 'Al-Musyrikin' (non-believers). It's pretty clear that TV3 cooked up the false news and at the same time poked fun at Muslim places of worship with that name Al-Musyrikin.

The residents in the squatter area had said that the tuition centre has been there for years for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the children living in the area who are Christians. They comprise students who are Chinese, Indian and a small number of Christian Indonesians.

There are NO Muslims who attend Christianity classes there."

Meanwhile, the news report concerned has apparently been removed from TV3's website.

Selangor Palace is NOT Helpful as a Solution for Selangor OR the Nation

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Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has been dealt a major blow after the Selangor sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today said that the syura (consultative) council announced yesterday was redundant.

In a statement from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) signed by the sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani, it was clarified that the sultan had NEVER recommended that the syura council be established.

It was also explained that the sultan had only advised that in addition to Khalid and the state mufti Tamyes Abdul Wahid, the Selangor deputy mufti Abdul Majid Omar also be included in a meeting with the church.

Mohamad Munir said that the sultan was subsequently "shocked" upon hearing of news reports that the council was established on the his advice, and had expressed his wish to clarify that were NOT true.

"The sultan's position on the syura council or the setting up of inter-religious dialogue (is that), they were never assented to as the state already has the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais), Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the Selangor Mufti Department," said Mohamad Munir.

Yesterday, Khalid announced the establishment of the council to "resolve" the controversy which had emerged from a Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), accused of proselytising Muslims.

Khalid had in a statement said that the idea to form the syura council came from the Selangor sultan when they discussed the matter last week.

"I appreciate His Highness' advice regarding how best to resolve this matter satisfactorily,” Khalid said in a statement.

The controversy surrounding the Aug 3 raid by Jais has backed the state government into a corner, as Khalid's administration maintained its silence amidst brickbats from Christian groups and BN leaders.

Christians leaders and NGOs slammed Jais for allegedly carrying out an unlawful raid on the DUMC premises, while BN leaders chastised the state government for failing to control a department that is under its administration.

Jais, however, have denied that it conducted a raid, saying they did not barge in on the dinner and merely questioned a group of Muslims who attended the event on suspicion that they were being proselytised.

MUSLIMS and CHRISTIANS in a CHURCH Together.... Praying to the Same God, Using Different Books

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Chaldean Cathedral, Kirkuk, Iraq


1st June 2011
Kirkuk, Iraq

Iraqi MUSLIM LEADERS have joined their Christian counterparts for prayers at a CHURCH in Kirkuk, in a public bid to ease tensions in the disputed northern city.

Around 1,500 people -- including Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen -- gathered at the Chaldean Cathedral late on Tuesday (31st May) , singing Christian hymns before reciting prayers and verses from the Bible and the Koran.

"Christians and Muslims have gathered together here in Kirkuk, which has suffered from deadly violence that has scared us all in recent weeks," said Louis Sakho, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk, scene of deadly unrest last month.

"It is appropriate for Christians and Muslims to pray together for peace and stability in our country and our city, which has been shocked by recent events."

Sakho added he hoped to hold similar prayers in Sunni and Shiite mosques in future, "to have a firm and true fraternal stand for peace, stability and security in our city."

Adnan Sayid Fattah Agha, the head of the Kurdish Kakiyah tribe, noted the event "brought us back to the original reality -- Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen together. Their lives and their destiny are one, living together."

Kirkuk lies at the centre of a swathe of territory claimed by the central government and Kurdish regional authorities.

General Zulkifeli, as Chief of the Malaysian Arm Forces, How Ridiculous and Ignorant Can You Be ?

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Tak Masuk Akal

General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin
Chief of Malaysian Arm Forces

Quote

"General (Zulkifeli) does NOT understand the concept of loyalty in the context of a country and its people.

The General must understand that the Armed Forces belong to the people. There is NO need to be loyal to the ruling government.

He should not follow the example of the IGP (inspector-general of police Ismail Omar) and his deputy (Khalid Abu Bakar), who have issued various statements that insulted the rakyat and went against the constitution.

What happened in the context of postal votes is criminal."
- Constitutional Expert, Professor Aziz Basri

General Zulkifeli 'shames' the Malaysian military, says constitutional expert.

A senior law lecturer today tagged Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin as "a shame" to his colleagues for questioning the loyalty of parties involved in the expose of an alleged postal vote manipulation.

Constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari said the general "does not understand" the concept of loyalty in the context of a country and its people, slamming the latter of making "empty denials".

"Loyal to whom? Political parties need not be loyal to the Armed Forces. Everyone must be loyal to the country and its symbol, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said in a statement.

Aziz was responding to a statement by Zulkifeli yesterday, who said that those who had claimed the military's rank-and-file were involved in electoral fraud were traitors.

Aziz, a law professor with the International Islamic University of Malaysia, (UIA), stressed that the Armed Forces is a branch of the federal civil service, which means its only loyalty lies with the COUNTRY and the KING.

"There is no need to be loyal to the ruling government. It is compulsory for the civil service to be neutral, and not side with the ruling party. The Armed Forces simply needs to carry out the government's orders in line with the law. What happened in the context of postal votes is criminal," he said.

Aziz pointed out that the burden of responsibility finally falls on the Armed Forces to prove beyond reasonable doubt that postal vote manipulation has never happened in the military.

He stressed that rather than sniping at the PAS' Youth wing for raising the issue, Zulkifeli should at the very least launch a probe to verify the claims.

"The Armed Forces should thank DPP (PAS Youth). PAS are merely representing the rakyat who want elections that are clean and free of fraud. The Armed Forces must prove it is clean, not demand that the rakyat be loyal to the Armed Forces. The general must understand that the Armed Forces belong to the people. He should not follow the example of the IGP (inspector-general of police Ismail Omar) and his deputy (Khalid Abu Bakar), who have issued various statements that insulted the rakyat and went against the constitution," Aziz said.

PAS Youth, meanwhile, said it was shocked by Zulkifeli's accusation of treason against the wing for hosting a series of confessions by four ex-military personnel who revealed cases of postal vote manipulation while they were in service.

Mohd Adram Musa, the deputy chair of the wing's democratic reform and mobilisation committee, said it was never the intention of PAS to "use" ex-military personnel to dish out exposes", adding that they themselves had voluntarily stepped forward to reveal the foul play.

"It is impossible for PAS Youth to use former military personnel who are instilled with discipline and high self-esteem during training and while in service. Indirectly, the Armed Forces general has insulted the four ex-servicemen (who made the recent claims).

"I am confident that there are many other former military personnel who will come forward to expose postal vote manipulation in future... PAS Youth will give them all the space they need," Adram said.

He also slammed Zulkifeli for disregarding the evidence put forward by the four ex-servicemen, saying that the general should have instead arranged to get the information directly from them and subsequently form an investigative body that would in turn present its recommendations to the government.

"Blaming PAS Youth in this postal vote issue is not a wise move. I am very sure the general was not given the true information regarding postal vote manipulationPAS Youth is ever ready to explain this issue to the general... we are not traitors. If we were traitors, we would not give space for a discussion with the Armed Forces general," Adram added.

Must Watch Video Clip: The Confession of Fraudulent Practice of Postal Votes in the Military

Four more ex-soldiers admit to postal vote fraud

Read here for more in Malaysiakini

Four ex-military personnel have confessed to committing election fraud - the same way an ex-army man said he did so earlier this month.

The four, who had served at army and air force bases across the country, say they marked thousands of postal votes in three separate general elections between 1978 and 1999.

The four:

1. Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor ,
2. Kamarulzaman Ibrahim,
3. Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and
4. Mohd Kamil Omar .

They said they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.

Their expose today is the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other personnel.

Kamarulzaman, who was a clerk working at the Terendak army camp in Malacca, said he was ordered to spend three days marking thousands of ballot papers during the 1986 general election.

The 53-year-old said he was given three pens of different colours, which he used alternately to sign the postal votes in the absence of the army personnel who were on their tour of duty.

“For example, I would use a blue pen to sign for one serviceman and a black pen to sign for his wife. I was also ordered to mark votes for the opposition,” he said at a press conference hosted at the PAS headquarters by the party's youth wing.

When asked how many postal votes he signed, Kamarulzaman said he could not remember the exact number but was sure that it ran into the thousands.

“If you want to say how many, let's just say my hand went numb (from signing the ballot papers). I basically voted for soldiers from all over the country.”

Kamil, a retired Air Force commando based at the Butterworth Air Force base, claimed he was offered a “reward” if he complied with the order to mark a box full of postal votes during the 1999 general election.

The 21-year veteran however refused to carry out the order, saying that he realised it was not right for him to mark ballots for his colleagues.

“They gave me a box, and expected me to mark all the ballots in 30 minutes. I realised it was wrong,” said the 49-year-old, adding that he has no idea what the “reward” was since he did not carry out the order.

Nasir, 50, who was a clerk based in Sandakan during the 1986 general election, said he and another colleague were told to split over 900 postal votes between them to be marked on behalf of their fellow soldiers.

He pointed out that being in the military, orders are orders and that soldiers were “not too bothered” about politics.

“Even after retirement, we didn't care so much about politics. But when Bersih came about, we started to realise that what we did was not right,” he said.

Risman stressed that this practice went as far back as the 1978 general election, when he and nine others were ordered to go through around 200 sacks - each containing 10 postal votes - during his time at the Kampung Sawah army camp in Port Dickson.

“I did it just that one time... I don't remember the figures but I believe there were about 10 (ballots) in each sack. In effect there were just 10 of us actually voting,” he said.

RELATED ARTICLE

Army Denies Allegation of Fraud of Postal Voting by the Military

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Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin today described those claiming that its rank-and-file had been involved in electoral fraud as an act of betrayal.

In an emotional statement issued this afternoon, Zulkifeli slammed those making the allegations and questioned their “loyalty” to the Armed Forces of Malaysia (ATM).

He said,

“The actions can be interpreted as treachery and it should stop immediately. The ATM is the nation's wall of defence that should be supported by all levels of the people, regardless of ethnicity, religion and political position...

“It is hoped that the ATM is not made a scapegoat by those seeking to advance their own interests... the people should show their support and appreciation for the contributions of the ATM.In this context: 'How can we be loyal to you if you are disloyal to us'?"

Yesterday, four ex-military personnel confessed to committing election fraud at a press conference organised by opposition party PAS.

The four - Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor, Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and Mohd Kamil Omar - said they had marked thousands of postal votes in three separate general elections between 1978 and 1999.

According to the four, they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.

Their expose yesterday was the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other military personnel.

Zulkifeli countered the allegations, stressing that the Armed Forces has always respected the freedom of its troops to cast their votes, as enshrined under the Elections Act 1958 and section 16 of the Election Regulations (Postal Votes) 2003.

“The Armed Forces denies that there is any manipulation as claimed,” he said in a written statement, issued to the media at today's press conference.

“The voting process carried out by the Armed Forces is clean, transparent and professional without any interference by all levels of the Armed Forces' leadership.”

Zulkifeli also accused “irresponsible parties” of trying to sully the Armed Forces' image by “poisoning the minds of the rakyat and erode their trust and support” in the Armed Forces – which he described as “apolitical”.

In what appears to be an indirect attack on the opposition – which has been highlighting several allegedly dubious arms acquisitions by the country – he claimed that there have been clear efforts to leak out military secrets and to spread false information regarding the efficacy and capabilities of the Armed Forces' weapons systems.

“Such actions will not only expose military secrets to interested parties who want to know the Armed Forces capabilities, but even worse, it has shaken the confidence of Armed Forces personnel,” he said.

A Malaysian Senator, as DEFENDER of ISLAM, Becomes ARSONIST, Threatens to Burn Down Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider News Portals

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A POTENTIAL
ARSONIST-PARLIAMENTARIAN

(in the holy month of Ramadhan)

Quote

".....Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, we are giving you a very last warning. Our warning is a serious one.If you do not stop this rubbish, we are going to burn you down!"
- Malaysian Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor (12 August 2011)

UMNO Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor said today he will wage war IN DEFENCE of ISLAM, including burning two online news portals, which he claimed to be agents against Islam.

He said,

"We are saying here that we will launch an all-out WAR to DEFEND our faith (Islam) if they (anti-Islam elements) do not stop (and) use their agents - Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider - which were biadap (rude) towards the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS).

Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, we are giving you a very last warning. Our warning is a SERIOUS one.

If you do not stop this rubbish, WE are going to burn you down!"

The former ally of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim - now the opposition leader's bitter foe - blamed the news portals for "Jais' woes" for their coverage of the Selangor religious enforcement body's raid at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) compound last week.

Ezam issued his threats at a highly-charged rally of some 200 people inside the compound of the Selangor state mosque in Shah Alam.

Also present were Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Nordin and Umno Youth exco member Lokman Noor Adam , who was clad in a red Patriot T-shirt.

Zulkifli, also a former ally of Anwar, echoed Ezam's warning, calling on Muslims working in the news portals to “repent”.

“I see representatives from Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider here, I would like to tell them, particularly Muslims, to repent.

"You are being barua (running dogs) of propagandist and enemy of Islam. Don't be running dogs of kafirs (infidels) that go against us,” he said.

The group, armed with banners, chanted “Long Live Islam” and “Takbir” as they protested against apostasy among Muslims.

One banner read “Faith Sale, Religion Sale” with a picture of Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad's head protruding out of a toilet bowl. Another banner read “Ban English language Bibles”.

Several of the protesters donned masks of state exco leaders while displaying placards, one of which read “(Selangor Menteri Besar) Khalid Ibrahim is head priest”.

Earlier, Ezam launched a broadside against those he deemed disrespectful of Islam, in which he placed prominent figures in the Selangor state government in the same group.

“We have no problem with non-Muslims. But we have big problems with non-Muslims who are disrespectful to us and our religion, we have big problems with non-Muslims who proselytise to Muslims.

“We have big problems with them more so if they are government excos - Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok, Xavier (Jeyakumar), Elizabeth Wong, we have big problems with you. You better stop before we go all out,” Ezam said.

Later, Zulkifli reaffirmed his support for the Jais raid on DUMC, claiming that there was evidence that showed the dinner event, at which 12 Muslims were present, was intended to proselytise.

“We urge the authorities to take action against DUMC. According to our information, the church is illegal and has not been approved,” he said.

Zulkifli added that he and like-minded protesters would be lodging police reports against DUMC throughout the state from tomorrow onwards, on top of seeking an audience with the sultan to urge action be taken against proselytising.

Bishop Tells Malaysian Christians: Use YOUR Vote in Next Election to STOP Being Vilified by Those in Power

Read here for more in Malaysiakini

Quote

"...It's depressing - this continuing trial of Malaysian Christians by innuendo and insinuation.

Those papers (Berita Harian and Harian Metro) are owned by the powers-that-be (read UMNO-BN) who only recently elected to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican.

Only through the ballot box can we bring this continuing vilification of Christians in Malaysia to a shuddering halt.

Christians should press for proof and, if and when, it is unavailable, express clearly their disgust at the next general election.

The days of Christians in Malaysia being supine objects of the machinations of duplicitous politicians are over....."
- Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing, said today he was NOT surprised that “hard upon accusations by Jais of Christians proselytising Muslims comes unsubstantiated print media stories seemingly validating those claims.”

He was commenting on on the stories in today's editions of the Berita Harian and Harian Metro that quote a couple of Muslims claiming that they have been targeted by Christian groups as potential converts.

Bishop Dr Paul Tan is the head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese, who is concurrently president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Malaysia.

The prelate advised Christians to press for proof by Jais (Selangor Islamic Affairs Department) that Christians are targeting Muslims for conversion, and that IF such proof is not proffered soon, to act on what that implied at the next general election.

Bishop Tan said,

“It's depressing - this continuing trial of Malaysian Christians by innuendo and insinuation.

Need we be surprised? I'm NOT surprised the stories in those papers do not have anything more than hearsay to back them.

Those papers are OWNED by the powers-that-be who only recently elected to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican.



I don't know whether to laugh out in scorn or cry out in pain at their duplicity and the naivety of those who help them think that publicly expressed good intentions are a sufficient proof of sincerity.

Only through the ballot box can WE bring this continuing vilification of Christians in Malaysia to a shuddering halt.

Christians should press for proof and, if and when, it is unavailable, express clearly their disgust at the next GENERAL ELECTION.

The days of Christians in Malaysia being supine objects of the machinations of duplicitous politicians are OVER.”

"Mahaguru58" aka Zainol Abideen, Indian SUFI Muslim Penchant for Religious Bile Against Non-Muslims

This pretentious SUFI Muslim, ZAINOL ABIDEEN aka "MAHAGURU58" , a wannabee Malay, attacks Hj Zaid Kamarudin's Islamic credentials because Hj Zaid Kamarudin is part of BERSIH STEERING COMMITEE and working closely with Datuk Ambiga Sreenvasan.

He spills his usual filth in his blog as a Muslim by calling Datuk Ambiga, "seorang MUSUH umat Islam seMalaysia yang nyata"

Of Hj Zaid Kamarudin, this foul-mouth disgraceful SUFI Muslim had this to say,

"Zaid menjadi pisau bermata dua tetapi demi menjaga hati sesama NGO Muslim, mereka terpaksa buat buat tak nampak akan jalan yang dipilih Zaid bersama sama dengan pihak kuffar yang menentang usaha gerakan dakwah Islamiyyah seMalaysia"

Read here more of his unIslamic garbage in MAHAGURU58 BLOG

Related Article

Fatwa dari Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaaan di atas tariqat sufi ini di sini:( http://www.mail-archive.com/islah-net@yahoogroups.com/msg06556.html)

“Keputusan Fatwa Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Agama Islam:"

a)Tariqat Naqsyabandiah Al-Aliyyah di bawah pimpinan Syeikh Nazim bertentangan dengan fahaman akidah Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah dan menyeleweng dari ajaran Islam. Pengamal ajaran ini hendaklah segera bertaubat.

b) Semua negeri dikehendaki memfatwa dan mewartakan bahawa tariqat Naqsyabandiah Al-Aliyyah di bawah pimpinan Syeikh Nazim diharamkan dan tidak boleh diamalkan oleh umat Islam kerana ia bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam yang sebenar."

Mahaguru58 ini mengikuti sebuah tarikat bernama “Tariqat Naqsyabdi Al Aliyyah ".

Ini diakui oleh Mahaguru58 sendiri dalam artikel yang beliau sendiri tulis. (http://mahaguru58.blogspot.com/2006/07/tariqat-naqsyabandiah-sufi-mureeds.html).

Kalau Benar Mahaguru58 Masih Mengikut Tariqat Ini, Minta Beliau Bertaubat


Blogger "Mahaguru58" posing with his SUFI mentors

9th July 2011 SATURDAY - Malaysia's D-Day for Democracy

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE BERSIH RALLY ON 9 JULY 2011


READ FOR MORE in MALAYSIAKINI

6.45pm: IPK KL - Ambiga Sreenevasan has been released from detention. KL CID chief Ku Chin Wa said that the police would decide whether to take action against her after investigations are concluded.

6.30pm: Police say 1,401 protesters were arrested during the day-long operation, including 13 children.

4.40pm: Pudu - Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha'ani B Abdullah condemns the authorities for their harsh handling of the protesters.The police force has not only disrespect the people's rights of assembly but also compromise the safety and health of the public by firing tear gas into the Tung Shin hospital compound.When asked how can the people respond to such violations, he said Malaysians should choose representatives who can protect their rights.

4.50pm: Fadiah Nadwa Fikri of Lawyers for Liberty says that the police have invoked section 28A(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code - denial of access to lawyers - at Pulapol (Police Training Centre), where she says 1,000 people are being detained.
According to her, this is a violation of Article 5 of constitution.

4.21pm: Bersih committee to call press conference at 4.45pm at Midah Hotel.

4.10pm: Light Rail Train (LRT) stations still closed, according to RapidKL - Pasar Seni, KL Sentral, Masjid Jamek and Dang Wangi.

4.01pm: PDRM Facebook - Among the top leaders arrested are:
Mahfuz Omar - KL Central
Salahuddin Ayub - KL Central
Mohamad Sabu - Jalan Mahameru
Fauziah Salleh - KL Central
Tian Chua - KL Central
S Ambiga - KL Central
Hadi Awang - KL Central
Azeez Rahim - Jalan Bukit Bintang

4pm: Istana Negara - The Bersih 2.0 delegation of about 20 people led by A Samad Said were stopped from marching to the palace gates by the police about 200m away.Negotiations with the police failed and the group agreed to disperse. However, Samad said he needed to rest and the group left him alone with the police before leaving the area.

3.50pm: Istana Negara - A small group of Bersih 2.0 steering committee members are marching towards the palace from Midah Hotel. They are awaiting clearance from the palace to submit Bersih 2.0's petition.

KL Hilton - In an impromptu press conference, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, N Surendran and PAS deputy secretary general Syed Azman condemn the police's brutality that they allege has caused injury to several Pakatan leaders.They say besides PKR de-facto chief Anwar Ibrahim, who has been sent to Pantai Hospital, PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Bersih 2.0 leaders Maria Chin Abdullah and A Samad Said have also sustained injuries.

3.50am: Pasar Seni - Bersih leader Wong Chin Huat, after reading out the eight demands of Bersih 2.0, call on the crowd to disperse.The crowd begins to disperse peacefully but many of them still chanting 'Reformasi' and 'Bersih' under the Pasar Seni LRT station.The police responded by firing another round of tear gas into the crowd.

The crowd of about 600 people are now urging the police to show restraint, yelling out “Sabar! Sabar!” (Calm down! Calm down!) at the officers, but more are surging towards the historic stadium despite coming up against police barricades. Some Bersih leaders are trying to get the demonstrators to hold a sitdown, but are unable to make themselves heard above the roar, while earlier cries of “Reformasi!” appear to be weakening.But the cheer picks up each time a new group of demonstrators successfully makes it past the police barricade and into the stadium compound.

3.49pm: Pudu - The group of Bersih 2.0 supporters caught in a pincer between two police cordons in Tung Shin Hospital have now dispersed after police rushed in and begin to arrest dozens.Most have fled using the back roads and alleys in small groups to make their escape while a hardcore few holed up in the upper parking lot of the hospital. The police subsequently fired tear gas canister at them and the last remaining holdouts were either arrested or left voluntarily.At least 50 were arrested as police broke up the Tung Shing hospital crowd.

3.40pm: Titiwangsa Lake Gardens - About 20 Perkasa members are seen at a restaurant in Titiwangsa Lake Gardens, following the goings-on of the Bersih 2.0 rally through the television. However the group's president Ibrahim Ali and his deputy was nowhere to be seen.

3.38pm: Pudu - The 2,000-strong crowd at Pudu have now been denied safe passage to Jalan Sultan, and riot police have fired both water cannons and tear gas on the protesters assembled in front of the Tung Shin hospital. The crowd is now sandwiched between two FRU blockades.The police started spraying the crowd after negotiations broke down between police and Pakatan MPs R Sivarasa and Ngeh Khoo Ham, following confusion over what the crowd is required to do.It was learnt that the crowd were told to only use one side of the road and march peacefully, while it was understood that the police had wanted them to disperse into smaller groups before they would be allowed to march.It is believed that Sivarasa has been detained, though it is unknown where he is being taken to.

3.37pm: Pasar Seni - The triumphant group from Stadium Merdeka marched down Jalan Sultan towards Central Market, but they were attacked by tear gas by police near the Pasar Seni LRT Station.This has forced then to retreat down Jalan Sultan.

3.25pmThe 300 Umno Youth supporters at Jalan Bukit Bintang in front of Federal Hotel begin to disperse after negotiation with the police.Claiming moral victory despite only being able to proceed 200m along Jalan Bukit Bintang - still far from their Stadium Merdeka destination - Umno Youth exco Megat Omardin said that their message have been conveyed.Umno Youth Petaling Jaya Utara chief Arman Azha told Malaysiakini that exco Lokman Noor Adam as well as 20 of their members have been arrested.

3.20pm: Pudu - Police have agreed to give safe passage to the thousands of protesters assembled at Pudu up till Jalan Sultan on condition that they only use half of the road and march peacefully. The accord was met after Pakatan parliamentarians R Sivarasa and Ngeh Khoo Ham negotiated with the police, who also decided to allow the crowd to chant as they march. The crowd has begun to march from Pudu towards Jalan Sultan, thanking the police for allowing them safe passage. The 2,000-strong crowd also began singing Negaraku as they march.

310pm: PDRM Facebook - The total number of people arrested as of 2.30pm has reached 672.

3.00 pm: The crowd disperses into Tung Shing Hospital and a nearby Chinese school. Police are firing tear gas into the hospital in attempts to disperse the protestors.
There is brief respite as Subang MP R Sivarasa tries to negotiate with the police to allow protestors to move back to Masjid Negara.

2.56pm: Puduraya - At Jln Hang Jebat near Stadium Merdeka, 3,000 Bersih supporters are gathered here attempting to move over to Stadium Merdeka nearby.They meet a blockade with barbed wire. The crowd, growing by the minute, groups i front of the cops and chant at them.Led by PAS election director Hatta Ramli and PKR Johor chief Chua Jui Meng, the crowd calls for the police to remove the barricades to no avail.
The two leaders give a short speech each telling the crowd they have accomplished their mission in arriving at the stadium, despite being unable to enter.They thank the police and tell the crowd to return to Central Market.

2.55pm: There's a standstill between the Umno Youth's Patriot rally and the FRU with neither side budging.About three arrests were made when Umno Youth tried to break through the FRU line, breaking out into a scuffle before a tear gas canister was fired. Khairy Jamaluddin is subsequently arrested. Water cannons and tear gas have also been fired at the remaining Umno Youth supporters, pushing them back 50m from where they originally were.The group has thinned out to about 200 people.

2.50pm: KL Sentral - PKR vice-president N Surendran told Malaysiakini Anwar is bleeding from the head and injured one of his knees.

2.45pm: KL Sentral - Anwar Ibrahim tweets that he has suffered a minor injury and that his two daugthers - Nurul Izzah and Nurul Hana - has been arrested during the melee.Bersih 2.0 chief Ambiga Sreenevasan confirms that she has been arrested.

Bukit Bintang - The Umno Youth group have stopped in front of Royale Bintang Hotel where they are walking towards another Bersih group at the Jalan Pudu-Bukit Bintang intersection.

Puduraya - The crowd here is breaking up into smaller groups. They are believe to be taking separate routes towards Stadium Merdeka.

2.43pm: Pandemonium breaks out at KL Sentral as police fire tear gas in a closed environment as Bersih 2.0 and opposition leaders attempted to exit the station via Brickfields.The tear gas forced protesters back into the station, which has been locked down. Journalists outside KL Sentral were barred from entering the station, making it difficult to verify the status of the situation. It was however confirmed that a group of Pakatan leaders and individuals were arrested in the chaos, including Batu MP Tian Chua, Pantai Dalam MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Kuala Selangor MP Dzukefly Ahmad, artist Wong Hoy Cheong, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's son and three other supporters.

2.41pm: PDRM Facebook: As of 2pm, 644 arrested - 597 males and 47 females.

The Bersih group moves towards Maybank, and walk just 500 metres in front of the Patriot group. It is evident that despite their differences, there is some coordination with the Bersih group when scores of Umno Youth exco seen stopping their members from clashing with the Bersih group. However, some are insistent at pressing forward, baying for blood.

2.30pm: Brickfields - The Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih 2.0 crowd has managed to emerge from KL Sentral and have entered Jalan Tun Sambanthan where they are met by almost 1,000 supporters.Bersih 2.0 chief Ambiga Sreenevasan, Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Lim Kit Siang and other personalities are spotted among the crowd.
While proceeding towards the city centre, they were pelted with tear gas cannisters and chaos ensued. Many of the top leaders including Ambiga, fellow Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah and five MPs have been arrested.

2.20pm: Puduraya - The 10,000-strong crowd led by PAS leader Dr Hatta Ramli and PKR leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin has regrouped and move towards town centre.However, the police fire yet another round of tear gas to disperse the crowd.

2.18pm: Pudu-Bukit Bintang - As the drizzle starts, the crowds raise their hands and cheer again, and retreat towards Bukit Bintang.Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy's political secretary Satees Muniandy reports, “I'm at Jln Pudu. Rain is God's blessing. The crowd is building up especially under the bridge. Thousands are not leaving despite water cannons, tear gas.”

2.10pm: Puduraya - The police are increasingly harsh towards protestors. Some are dragged on the road. One protestor was bleeding from the head.Some police officers were seen punching and pushing protestors who were trying to flee. In one incident, several protesters were forced to jump off a six-foot high ledge to evade capture.

1.59pm: Puduraya - Police fired tear gas on an estimated 10,000-strong crowd, which converges in Puduraya, in front of Menara Maybank. Part of the crowd came in from Masjid Jamek while others are from Petaling Street.Police had to resort to using tear gas after the water cannon failed to stop their advance. People in the crowd appear to be recovering from the tear gas and are coming back together to continue with their march.

1.59pm: Police fired tear gas on an estimated 10,000-strong crowd marching in front of Menara Maybank along Jalan Tun Perak. The crowd came in from Masjid Jamek and were en-route to Puduraya.Police had to resort to using tear gas after the water cannon failed to stop their advance. People in the crowd appear to be recovering from the tear gas and are coming back together to continue with their march.

1.57pm: Malaysia Hotel - Khairy Jamaluddin appears at the Umno Youth rally and gives out a short speech. He said that Bersih 2.0 cannot be supported because it is infiltrated by opposition parties.He then leads the crowd in a march towards Stadium Merdeka. They will likely bump into a section of the Bersih 2.0 crowd.

1.55pm: It begins raining in Kuala Lumpur.

1.52pm: Masjid Jamek - There are at least four police trucks stationed at Masjid Jamek LRT station.Crowd has been dispersed by the police tear gas for now, but it is expected they will be regrouped later.

1.43pm: Masjid Jamek - A group of about 10 general duty police officers with gas masks chased after the protesters who ran helter skelter into Masjid India area.

1.40pm: Menara Maybank - Water cannons unleashed on more than 1,000 protestors.

1.38pm: LRT Masjid Jamek - A police officer with loudhailer announced: “Perhimpunan hari in tak ada kebenaran jadi diminta semua bersurai serta merta atau kami suraikan dengan kekerasan.”The officer also gave three minutes for the crowd to disperse.
This was met with “takbir” and jeers from the crowd, numbering about more than 500 people.

1.35pm: Press statement by IPK KL.Thus far, 540 people have been arrested (479 male, 58 women, three juvenile) have been arrested for further investigation.
Among the arrested, 11 were wearing yellow Bersih T-shirt and one was wearing a red Patriot T-shirt. Meanwhile, three individuals believed to be leaders or organisers of the rally were also arrested. They are PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, and party veeps Salahuddin Ayub, Mahfuz Omar.

1.33pm: Jalan Tun Perak - PAS leader Dr Hatta Ramli with a loudspeaker tells the crowd of at least 4,000 that party vice-president Mahfuz Omar and about 300 others have been arrested."The rakyat's struggle requires sacrifices... Those under 40 here have never seen real democracy in this country," he said.The crowd reply with "Allahuakbar".There are traffic marshals from Bersih also directing the crowd to make way for vehicles passing through.

1.30pm: Malaysia Hotel - About 500 Umno Youth members have gathered at Jalan Bukit Bintang. They are all wearing red T-shirts with the word 'Patriot'. These T-shirts are also being given out to the public, including tourist.The Umno Youth rally is aided with a pickup truck. Speakers would give speeches from the back of the truck and throw down T-shirts.Among those present are Umno Youth leaders Arman Azhar, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Zaki Zahid but there is no sign of the movement's leader Khairy Jamaluddin. His officers insist he will show up later.The group is currently stationary and chanting "Hancur Bersih" and "Who are me? Patriot!". They narrowly missed a Bersih 2.0 procession by about 10 minutes.

1.22pm: Petaling Street - The group of a few thousand which is marching to Stadium Negara turn back to Jalan Tan Cheng Lock after encountering a roadblock.A large group of Sarawakians are chanting 'Hidup Sarawak', receiving applause from the rest.

1.21am: Top Bersih leaders Ambiga Sreenevasan, Haris Ibrahim, Wong Chin Huat and A Samad Said are in Hilton Hotel. They are with politicians William Leong, Kamaruddin Jaafar, Zaid Kamaruddin, Syed Azman Syed Nawawi and Tian Chua. They join Anwar Ibrahim who is in the hotel.It is confirmed PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has been arrested and was brought to Pulapol (Police Training Centre). Earlier, PAS vice-presidents Mahfuz Omar and Salahuddin Ayub were also arrested.

12.51pm: Hilton Hotel - PKR leaders Nurul Izzah Anwar, Syed Husin Ali, Lateefah Koya arrive in Anwar Ibrahim's hotel room. Local and foreign media are at the lobby.

12.55pm: Pudu Plaza - DAP leader Teresa Kok is defying her ban and leading protesters to start the march towards Merdeka Stadium.The crowd is shouting, "Bersih, bersih," "Hidup rakyat" , "Rakyat sudah bangun," and "Daulat Tuanku."The have at press time reached Shaw Parade, with no sign yet of any police interference.
The crowd soon swells to two thousand, with the DAP-led march cleverly sticking to tourist spots at Sungei Wang and Low Yat Plaza past Federal Hotel to foil police action.They are also sending motorcycle recces to keep them informed of police presence ahead.

12.50pm: About 3,000 to 4,000 people are marching from Petaling Street in downtown Kuala Lumpur to Stadium Negara.They are chanting "Bersih, Bersih, Pilihanraya" and "Hidup, Hidup, Rakyat".Six middle-aged protestors began a rendition of Negaraku, which immediately received a strong response from the crowd, which sing along.

12.20pm: Pudu Plaza - At Jalan Landak, Pudu, some 200 people have started to gather, preparing for the rally.Police are scattered about, searching the protestors' bags and belongings without any further action.A small quarrel breaks out between protestors and Pudu security personnel when they try to chase them away.Some foodstalls and restaurants are still operating, and a durian stall is seen offering protestors a taste of their wares.DAP leaders who have shown up include Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, PJ Utara MP Tony Pua, Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, Bukit Bendera MP Liew Ching Tong, Segambut MP Lim Lip Éng, Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah, Lukut Adun Ean Yong Tin Sin, Pasir Pinjir Adun Thomas Soo, Bahau Adun Teo Kok Seong.

--------------------------------------------
9.35am: Masjid Jamek - Seven people have been detained. It is unsure why. Reporters are now allowed to get near the truck where they are held. "You cannot be here. Please speak to my officer if you want to enter this area," said a police personnel.

9.30am: Maju Junction - Four men are being whisked away by the police after police found a yellow shirts in one of their bags.

9.25am: Kampung Baru - Another 18 males have been brought to the police truck, joining the nine detained earlier. The truck is parked in front of the Kampung Baru mosque, has locked up by the mosque committee about ten minutes ago.

9.00am: Stadium Merdeka - The route to the stadium from Jalan Maharajalela is being blocked with a barbwire barricade. Journalists who wish to enter the area must registered with the police.

8.40am: Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman - Bar Council's monitoring team hits the streets donning black suits and a "Observer" tags on their jackets. "We will monitor the rally and take photographs if necessary. There are about 100 observers from Bar Council. Some of them are also providing legal aid," said HR Dipendra, who leads a team of 15 observers.

8.45am: PAS headquarters. PAS' top leaders are believed to be holed up here.A group of unidentified men has set up a video camera opposite the PAS building.

As of 8.30am, LRT services are operating as usual, without any stations inaccessible.

8.10am: Tune Hotel - The Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman interchange is being manned by about 100 police personnel who are inspecting all vehicles entering the area. Tourist appear to be having trouble finding taxis.

7.50am: Masjid Jamek - Heavy police presence. Road in front of the mosque has been sealed off.

7.45am: Masjid Negara - A dozen FRU jeeps and a water cannon truck is stationed at the Jalan Keretapi roundabout oppositite the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court complex. No roadblocks are visible, but there are many police personnel in the area.

MALAYSIA'S MOMENT OF TRUTH : 2pm, July 9, 2011 (Saturday) Stadium Merdeka:

CLICK HERE ON LOCATION AND TIME OF BERSIH RALLIES AROUND THE WORLD




Below is Bersih 2.0's statement in full:

2pm, July 9, Stadium Merdeka:
Malaysia's Moment of Truth

Malaysians from all walks of life have travelled a very long road to reach this defining point in our nation's history.

With less than 24 hours to our intended peaceful gathering, our resolve to walk the last, most difficult mile as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections and a better Malaysia for all is firmer than ever.

Our reason for gathering is pure and simple – to demand the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped.

The authorities have put obstacle after obstacle where they only needed to provide sincere cooperation to win the trust and confidence of the people.

Having faced half hearted offers of stadiums, arrogance regarding meetings as well as denials of permits, arrests, detentions and so much more, we feel that we have done all that is humanly possible to demonstrate sincerity and good faith in dealing with the government – but we have only been met with reversed decisions and stone walls.

There are no walls however, that will arrest the advance of the cause of peace and justice.

Come the 9th of July, we will uphold our constitutional right to converge peacefully on Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

No government agency has any right whatsoever to prevent Malaysians from exercising their freedom of movement and access to our capital city. No threat or intimidation can overturn this fundamental truth.

Malaysians have now seen for themselves the degree of paranoia and lack of principled leadership that seems to have gripped the government. It is thus all the more imperative that patriotic Malaysians rise now and take this stand together to save Malaysia from slipping further into this insane darkness.

Since the beginning of Bersih 2.0, we have witnessed nothing but the utmost bravery and commitment to peace and justice demonstrated by ordinary Malaysians from every walk of life.

Inspired by this example, the Bersih 2.0 leadership reiterates our own unyielding commitment to our shared cause, and to being at Stadium Merdeka at 2pm tomorrow.

We will meet at the carpark, and trust that the doors will be opened for us.

This is Malaysia's single most important defining moment in recent history, and we are fully confident that the rahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifkyat will heed the call to safeguard the principles Malaysia was founded on and together ensure that we pass down to our children a nation that is just, democratic and united in love for one another.

RELATED ARTICLE

PEOPLE, THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Read here for more in FREE MALAYSIA TODAY

Tomorrow is the big walk.

It is open to all Malaysians who believe in upholding democracy. Democracy is a big word but it has a simple meaning: it is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

It is the people who are the masters of the country. The destiny of the country lies in their hands. Only they can decide which way they want the land of their birth to move.

They do this by casting their votes at the appointed time. They speak through the ballot box. They choose representatives of good character to sit in Parliament to champion their interests. But in the course of time, things can go wrong. Like what is happening now.

The government is NOT on the side of the people wanting to exercise their right to a peaceful assembly for a cause that strenghtens, and not wrecks, public institutions.

When thousands of ordinary men and women show up for the “Walk for Democracy” tomorrow, be it on the streets or in a stadium, they are not waging war against the government.

They have no reason to do so.

They are not rebels pouring out of the jungles or coming down from the mountains to capture the capital and set up another government. They are just plain ordinary citizens who wish to support a non-governmental organisation fighting for clean and fair elections. What is wrong with that?

But what is wrong with the government? Why is the state acting irrationally? Why does it see red in yellow? Suddenly everything has turned ugly. The government we elected to represent us has become our enemy.

Now it is state power versus the will of the people. The state says the rally is illegal. Bersih is illegal. Bersih T-shirt is also illegal. Everything connected with the movement is unlawful. Even the meeting at the palace between the King and Bersih does not appear to be legal. The state is doing everything in its power to make the people hate Bersih – and love the government.

It is plain for all to see that the people are not taking the bait. Acting harsh and repressive is clearly not going to win the government any brownie points.

Malaysians love peace but at the same time they do not like to be bullied into submission. Times have changed. People can think for themselves and separate truth from lies. In the Bersih story the government does not come out smelling sweet, innocent, clean.

The show will go on tomorrow and history is in the making. Do you want to take a stroll? It is up to you, the people, to decide the course of history. The government would prefer you not to go, but you do NOT need to heed its advice.

Then again you can be arrested for wearing a yellow Bersih T-shirt or simply anything yellow. You can be roughed up, beaten, tear-gassed at a hint of trouble.

The walk may turn into a rout. The risks are there. You are defenceless citizens up against the might of the state.

The crackle of a gunfire may ring out but the government must know the sound will reverberate all over the world.

People, the choice is yours.

The UMNO-Led BN Govt Gone MAD... ...

The WALL STREET JOURNAL

Read here for more

RUNNING SCARED IN MALAYSIA...

by

John Malott
(Mr. Malott was the United States ambassador to Malaysia from 1995-98)

The Malaysian government has pulled out all the stops to prevent an opposition rally this weekend.

This week, army units conducted crowd control exercises with banners that said, "Disperse or we will shoot!" The police set up roadblocks and arrested Malaysians simply for wearing yellow T-shirts, the signature color of Bersih, a coalition of 62 nongovernmental organizations that demands changes in Malaysia's electoral system.

To date, the police have arrested over 250 supporters of Bersih, claiming that they are "waging war against the king."

Then something unprecedented happened. Malaysia's King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, allegedly the target of Bersih's campaign, intervened. He called on both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Bersih to resolve their differences in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, for the good of the nation.

There was a collective sigh of relief in Malaysia.

The leader of Bersih, Ambiga Sreenevasan, an attorney and former president of the Malaysian Bar Council, met with the king and announced that the "Walk for Democracy," as it was called, was cancelled. She said that she was ready to meet with the government to discuss Bersih's concerns about electoral fairness.

Prime Minister Najib then offered an olive branch, saying, "We are willing to provide a stadium for them to rally in … from morning until night," an offer that Ms. Ambiga and Bersih immediately accepted.

Then Mr. Najib backed off. His government says that because Bersih is still illegal, it cannot apply for a permit. It also has banned Bersih's leadership from entering Kuala Lumpur on the day of the rally.

On Thursday, he joined a gathering of martial artists who said that their 50,000 members will "wage war" against Bersih. Donning their militant uniform, Mr. Najib said, "If there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from within, you, my brothers, will rise to fight them."

Mr. Najib has undermined the authority of the king, who gave Bersih and its concerns credence by meeting with its leadership and calling for a negotiated solution. The political situation in Malaysia is a fast-moving target, and each day brings new developments. Ms. Ambiga and Bersih now say that because of Mr. Najib's actions, they will go ahead with their assembly, no matter

Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Bersih's main issue is not freedom of assembly but the fairness of Malaysia's democratic process. Bersih's backers ask how anyone can be opposed to free and fair elections.

It's an easy question to answer. The United Malays National Organization, of which Mr. Najib is president, is the longest continuing ruling party in the world, and it is running scared.

In the last general election in 2008, Malaysia's opposition took 47% of the popular vote. That year Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the party of Mr. Najib's nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, went from one seat to 31. The establishment parties in Malaysia's neighboring states are also in retreat. The opposition scored a major victory in Thailand last weekend, and in Singapore opposition candidates made surprising gains. No wonder Mr. Najib and company are worried.

Many observers of Malaysian politics believe that electoral reform will lead to the ruling party's defeat, and that is why UMNO is afraid of Bersih. In the last election in 2008, the party received only one-third of the nation's votes. UMNO rules only because of its coalition with other political parties, which it increasingly marginalizes, that represent the Chinese and Indian minorities.

Mr. Najib and his allies say that the opposition's gains in 2008 prove that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Impartial observers disagree. Academic studies have enumerated how the Election Commission gerrymanders electoral districts to benefit the ruling party.

The U.S. Department of State's human rights report bluntly states that opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association.

"News of the opposition," the U.S. says, is "tightly restricted and reported in a biased fashion."

In the recent state elections in Sarawak, the government announced $390 million in local projects during the run-up to the polls. Prime Minister Najib was caught on video tape telling one village gathering that the government would give them 5 million ringgit ($1.5 million) for a local project on Monday, but only if they elected his candidate on Sunday.

Who would win elections in Malaysia that truly are free and fair?

The U.S. State Department reports that despite the many election irregularities during the 2008 elections, "most observers concluded they did not substantially alter the results."

But unless the electoral reforms that Bersih is calling for are made, we will never know.

Despite the government's intimidation, thousands of Malaysian citizens of all races and religions are expected to exercise their constitutional right to assemble and call for free and fair elections.

Tomorrow's protest represents a brave step in what not just Malaysians but also the international community should hope will begin the country's transition to full democracy.

Mr. Najib should display his own courage and ensure that a peaceful rally that seeks the fundamental rights of democratic peoples everywhere does not turn into a bloody confrontation.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Faced with mounting pressure that a rally will be held this weekend, the Public Services Department (PSD) has issued a circular barring civil servants from participating in an illegal assembly or any movement which may hurt the security of the nation.
  
  The letter dated June 30 and signed by the PSD director-general, Abu Bakar Abdullah, did not name which rally.Three are planned for this weekend, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0), Perkasa and Umno Youth.Read here for more
  
  
• Khairy Jamaluddin accused the city police today of reigniting tensions over the Bersih rally by getting a court order barring him and 90 others from entering the city on Saturday.
  
  The Umno Youth chief arrived home from a volunteer mission to Gaza this evening to find himself “outlawed from the city he lives in.”“Instead of working on a solution they have taken the solution away,” the Rembau MP said of the court order that denies Bersih’s hopes of holding its rally in Stadium Merdeka.
  
  “The situation is in limbo. Nobody knows what is next,” he said, adding that the Umno Youth leadership would meet tomorrow morning to discuss its options.Earlier today, Khairy had posted on micro-blogging site Twitter that he has “just landed back in KL after trying to break Israeli blockade of Gaza only to find that I’ve been blockaded from KL. Excuse me if I say WTF?” Read here for more
  
  
• The police have placed a restriction order on 91 individuals, including organisers of the Bersih 2.0, Perkasa and Umno Youth's Patriot rallies. The order is to stop any of the 91 from being present at several spots in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.
  "This means that anyone (on the list) caught present at these areas will be arrested on sight," said the city deputy police chief Amar Singh.
  
  Full list of 91 individuals
  
  Perkasa
  
  Ibrahim Ali
  Rahman bin Abu Bakar
  Syed Hassan Syed Ali
  Irawah Fahmi Ideris
  Roslan Kassim
  Sharifuddin Abd Hamid
  Dr Zubir Harun
  Ameir Hassan
  Ahmad Saad
  Ahmad Zaini Ismail
  Muhammad Zaid Md Arip
  Abdullah Mansor
  Zaira Jaafar
  Norkhaila Jamaludin
  
  Pemuda Umno
  
  Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar
  Megat Firdouz Megat Junid
  Reezal Merican Naina Merican
  Megat Zulkarnaian Omardin
  Rizalman Mokhtar
  Tengku Azman Tengku Zainol Abidin
  Lokman Noor Adam
  Abdul Azeez Rahim
  Ungku Saleh Ungku Jamal
  Arman Azha Abu Hanifa
  Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz
  
  Bersih
  
  Ambiga Sreenevasan
  Mohamad Sabu
  Hishamuddin Md Rais
  Khairul Anwar Ahmad Zainuddin
  Maria Chin Abdullah
  Chua Tian Chang
  Kamarulzaman Mohamad
  Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli
  Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud
  Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh
  Teresa Kok
  Badrul Hisha Shaharin
  Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin
  Arutchelvam Subramaniam
  Wong Chin Huat
  Ong Boon Keong
  Enalini Elumalai
  Haris Fathillah Sathiasingam Mohd Ibrahim
  Khalid Yunus
  Zulkifli Noordin
  Dr Zubir Harun
  Abd Hadi Awang
  Anwar Ibrahim
  Lim Kit Siang
  Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
  Nurul Izzah Anwar
  Kohila Yanasekaran
  Zaid Kamaruddin
  Khoo Teng Swee
  Fadiah Nadwa Fikri
  Yap Swee Seng
  Salahuddin Ayub
  Mahfuz Omar
  Nasarudin Hasan
  Mazlan Aliman
  Dr Syed Azman Syed Nawawi
  Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad
  Dr Mujahid Yusof
  Khalid Abd Samad
  Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin
  Azman Shapawi Abd Rani
  Suhaizan Kaiat
  Nor Azli Musa
  Mohd Firdaus Jaafar
  Loke Siew Fook
  Lau Wen San
  Mohd Azmin Ali
  Mat Shuhaimi Shafie
  Satipul Bahari Amamt
  Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli
  Mohamad Izzudin Hilmi Mohd Zaini
  Mohd Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin
  Muhammad Hilman Idham
  Mohd Shukri Che Ab Razab
  Mohd Syukri Kamaruddin
  Ahmad Syazwan Muhammad Hasan
  Choo Chon Kai
  Sarasvathy Muthu
  Soh Sook Hwa
  Nurul Izham Nurul Anuar
  Abd Rahim Osman
  Mohd Sibri Ismail
  Mohd Lukam Muda
  Prof Kamaruddin Kachar
  Mohd Noor Nordin Abdullah
  

Bersih 2.0 RALLY WILL TAKE PLACE at STADIUM MERDEKA on SATURDAY 9th July at 2 pm

FOLLOWING FULL STATEMENT FROM:

Steering Committee
Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0)

Bersih 2.0 WILL happen at Stadium Merdeka on July 9th (SATURDAY)

Bersih 2.0 is disappointed in the manner in which the Prime Minister and his cabinet has reneged on their offer to provide a stadium for us to hold our peaceful gathering.

As members of civil society that are committed to principles of integrity, we fully intend to abide by the advice of Tuanku DYMM SPB YDP Agong and hold our gathering in a stadium to state our demand for clean and fair elections.

We have chosen Stadium Merdeka as the best venue for this event, due to its symbolic nature and central location, and we will not for one moment be swayed from our decision to gather there peacefully.

If the Prime Minister is a man of his word, he will make the appropriate arrangements for the event to proceed peacefully at Stadium Merdeka.

Whether or not the government abides by their principles, we the Malaysian people will always uphold ours. Our determination to exercise our constitutional right to gather peacefully for a just and reasonable cause is unwavering.

Recent statements by the Deputy IGP seem to indicate that the police fully intend to take action against us if we do anything on July 9th beyond staying at home.

However, patriotic Malaysians who want nothing but the ability to choose our leaders through genuinely democratic means will never be cowered by the unjust and immoral exercise of power.

Our first and foremost responsibility is to our future and our children, and we have resolved that they shall inherit a nation ruled by not by fear, but by the principles of justice.

Whatever happens between now and then, the rakyat will gather peacefully in an orderly fashion to call for clean and fair elections at Stadium Merdeka on the 9th of July at 2pm.

We are coming, we will be peaceful and together, we will build a better Malaysia.

Steering Committee
Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0)

The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:

Ambiga Sreenevasan (Chairperson), Andrew Khoo, Arul Prakkash, K Arumugam, Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Subramaniam Pillay, Dr Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat, Yeo Yang Poh and Zaid Kamaruddin.


-----------

RELATED ARTICLES

• Information and culture minister Rais Yatim said that the cabinet had decided the Bersih 2.0 rally could not be held in any stadiums within Kuala Lumpur, casting fresh doubt it would go ahead at all."Their application to hold the rally in Kuala Lumpur, such as in Stadium Merdeka, Stadium Negara dan Stadium Bukit Jalil will not be entertained." Read here for more
  
  
• The management of Stadium Merdeka has refused to allow the facility to be used for the Bersih 2.0 rally on Saturday.Read here for more
  
  
• Dewan pemuda PAS Pusat mengulangi komitmen mereka untuk menghantar 30,000 ahlinya dari setiap negeri ke himpunan aman Bersih 2.0 yang dijadual diadakan di Stadium Merdeka pada Sabtu ini."Kami akan pastikan jumlah asal 30 ribu pemuda dari setiap negeri akan dicapai.Kita harap jangan luntur semangat dan batal hasrat menyertai himpunan tersebut walaupun telah ditukar ke stadium," kata ketuanya, Nasruddin Hassan kepada Harakahdaily hari ini.Read here for more
  
  
• Pemuda PAS Johor akan mengerahkan lebih 30 ribu ahli dan penyokong untuk hadir secara beramai-ramai ke Perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 yang akan diadakan di Stadium Merdeka, Sabtu ini.Mereka tidak perlu bimbang untuk hadir kerana himpunan itu bukan himpunan haram, sebaliknya himpunan halal yang dilindungi oleh Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Malaysia dan tidak bertentangan dengan Akta Polis 1967.Ketua Pemuda PAS Johor, Suhaizan Kaiat berkata, tambahan pula, Jawatankuasa Bersih 2.0 tidak perlu mendapat permit daripada pihak polis untuk mengadakan perhimpunan dalam stadium kerana kawasan tersebut adalah kawasan persendirian.Read here for more
  
  
• Rakyat TIDAK harus BERUNDUR tuntutan Bersih
  
  Read here for more
  
  Senator Mumtaz Md Nawi menyifatkan Bersih 2.0 menempa satu kejayaan awal apabila Yang di-Pertuan Agong memberikan ruang untuk mereka mengadakan perhimpunan di stadium pada 9 Julai ini.
  
  Sambil mengucapkan tahniah kepada sekretariat Bersih 2.0 yang bersifat terbuka untuk sebarang rundingan, Mumtaz berkata, Bersih 2.0 menunjukkan pendirian yang jelas iaitu ingin memastikan lapan tuntutan mereka didengar untuk diambil tindakan.
  
  "Ini menunjukkan sikap terbuka pihak Bersih 2.0 nak menyelesaikan isu. Ia bukan masalah nak menunjukkan bantahan sahaja.
  
  "Kalau memang tujuan mereka nak berjalan, mereka akan teruskan di jalan raya tapi kerana tujuan untuk menyelesaikan masalah.
  
  "Ini satu tindakan matang dan rasional pihak Bersih 2.0 dalam menghormati Yang di-Pertuan Agong, bersikap terbuka, dan sekurang-kurangnya sudah nampak satu kejayaan apabila diberi satu ruang untuk dengar tuntutannya secara terbuka," kata beliau ketika ditemui di lobi Dewan Negara hari ini.
  
  Naib Ketua Dewan Muslimat PAS Pusat itu juga berkata, sikap Bersih 2.0 ternyata berbeza dengan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) yang sudah menutup pintu rundingan dan menafikan segala dakwaan ketidaktelusan yang berlaku.
  
  "Kenyataan SPR seolah-olah mereka tidak akan meminda apa-apa pun. Prosedur SPR sepatutnya boleh dipertingkatkan.
  
  "Jadi keengganan mereka untuk berikan satu ruang untuk perbincangan menyebabkan wujudnya satu gabungan yang dianggotai 80 NGO ini.
  
  "80 NGO nak kemukakan tuntutan pun mereka seolah-olah menutup pintu perbincangan. Inilah yang tak selesai masalah," katanya.
  
  Justeru katanya, rakyat tidak harus berundur sebaliknya turun beramai-ramai menyatakan lapan tuntutan tersebut.
  
  "Kita mahu kuantiti (peserta himpunan) yang ramai untuk menunjukkan bahawa ada ramai yang nampak SPR tidak telus dan kita tidak boleh berundur.Kita ada ketua negara iaitu Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Bila Yang di-Pertuan Agong beri arahan begitu (berhimpunan dalam stadium) kita akur.Akurlah kerana tujuan kita bukan hanya nak menujukkan kuantiti yang ramai yang tidak berpuas hati dan mahukan perubahan tetapi yang penting kualiti dan hasilnya," katanya.
  
  
• BERSIH and the Inane Responses
  
  Read here for more in "SAKMONGKOL AK47" blog
  
  "....By asking the elections commission to conduct itself properly shows that Bersih accepts that the means to unseat a government is through the voting system.
  
  But the voting system is in need of better supervision and that's where the demands on the election commission come to the fore.
  
  This aim should be supported. Some people will show their support by participating in the rally. Some will not do so. It's a matter of choice.
  
  The right to express their wishes must be upheld by the government.
  
  If Perkasa and other groups supportive of the sitting government are allowed to gather and demonstrate, that right must also be given to others. If the Bersih planned rally is wrong in law, then the same judgment applies to the rallies carried out by supporters of the sitting government.
  
  Our laws are clear. If people break the law, irrespective of who they are, they must be brought to before the forces of the law. We have the institutions to deal with that and we certainly don't need a third line of defense. Can any secret society and gangster organizations apply to be a bona-fide 3rd line of defense?
  
  The problem here is that the elections commission is seen as a pliant tool for one side of the contestants.
  
  It doesn't answer questions with solutions but gives all sorts of excuses. People accept the principle of elections as a means to establish governments. But they also want that means to be above board. They accept they are powerless unless they act collectively and speak as a voice. The powerless are striking back demanding that competition to get power to form governments be carried out fairly and in even handed manners.
  
  The body that oversees elections is conducted fairly and transparently is the elections commission.
  
  We mustn't lose sight of the object of the current disputes now.
  
  Bersih's objective is to call upon the election commissions to conduct itself as it's chartered to do. This isn't a rally threatening the sovereignty of the Agong or to strike fear at Malays.
  
  The election commission is an independent commission. It's not just another government department answerable to the Chief Secretary or even to the PM. It's the custodian of fair and transparent conduct of elections and it must guard this role jealously. It does so jealously from the meddling and intervention of interested parties. It must also rid itself of any perceptions of being a submissive tool for those holding power at the moment.
  
  Its responses to criticisms therefore mustn't be evasive. It has to avail itself to the latest methods and technology that upgrade the participation of people in an electoral process. If the use of indelible ink is good for participatory democracy it must adopt the method as a natural development without having to be at pains defending its non-usage. If making voting compulsory and its cost effective doing so, then it must do so.
  
  People are now diverting their attention to debating whether the planned assembly of people in the Bersih Rally should be allowed or otherwise. The real issue has and is always the conduct of the elections commission.
  
  The watching majority must be dismayed at the response of our police. The police with all the sophisticated instruments of crowd control and other suppressive means appear to have admitted that they are powerless to control the crowds.
  
  What have we spent public money for then? The idea of a police is to keep the peace. In keeping the peace, it must conduct its business in a professional manner and be fair minded. If Bersih is not allowed to hold rallies, then other parties must also be disallowed.
  
  In Penang, the police have given permit for some people to hold a rally? In Rembau, some people consisting of ex policemen were given permit? Ibrahim Ali was even given a permit to denounce a rally that has not taken place. He is a clairvoyant extraordinaire- can see the future. In ancient times, people like Ibrahim Ali got burnt at the stakes. Shall we roast Ibrahim Ali then?
  
  Let's not forget the object of the issue. It's the election commission. It answers to the Agong and therefore should not be seen as working for an interested party. What's the problem with clearing the electoral registers off dead people? How can it apply its resources and time to restructure how postal votes can be seen to be fair and transparent? How can it monitor and apply strict rules to election spending and election funding etc.?
  
  These are important issues to those looking at elections as a means to exercise their democratic rights to elect a government of their choice. This isn't an issue whether public demonstrations or going on a march as practices that are good only elsewhere but not suitable in Malaysia. The need to express publicly the collective wants and demands is part and parcel a democracy.

DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, How Stupid Can You Be?

Read here for more

Muhyiddin Yassin’s IDIOCY!

by

Marian Mokhtar



Of all the comments about Bersih, none are more despicable than those of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who claimed that our reputation would be tarnished because the proposed Bersih march was politically motivated and threatened national security.

Surely not!

Bersih does not pose any threat to national security but is a threat to Muhyiddin, Umno and its cronies.

If the rakyat goes ahead with electoral reform and democracy is restored in Malaysia, then these people in Umno, and those who are closely associated with Umno, will lose everything. Some will lose their freedom.

Did Muhyiddin ever consider why he and his colleagues in Umno/BN allowed democracy to be destroyed in Malaysia, in the first instance?

Did he think that after 54 years, the rakyat would sit around and watch their country disintegrate?

It is all very well to call the Bersih rally illega, l but what about the illegal machinations with which Umno/BN has conducted itself and the way it bulldozes the rakyat’s concerns.

There are several reasons why Malaysia’s reputation is tarnished and none involve Bersih.

Many of the reasons have racial and religious undertones.

• We have seen the cow-head incident and the Interlok book, test our Hindu brethren. We then saw our Christian brothers being subject to vilification by the ban of the word Allah, the removal of religious symbols in the presence of senior Cabinet ministers and how a child was whipped for eating pork sausages at school.
  
  
• Sections of the community were also accused of planning to topple the government to pave the way for a Christian prime minister.
  
  
• However, when Malay and Muslim extremists disturbed the peace and called for a jihad, they were just given a rap on the knuckles.
  
  
• When the prolonged bombardment of sex, videos and lies did not achieve the desired effect on the rakyat, ministers then decided that we were communists intent on sabotaging the nation. Even wearing Che Guevera t-shirts became a crime.
  
  
• Now people are being arrested for wearing or selling yellow T-shirts.A few years ago, people were arrested for wearing black T-shirts, for distributing birthday cakes and for assembling under a raintree – Perak’s Tree of Democracy.
  
  
• Now that Bersih is attempting to restore true democracy to the land, Muhyiddin’s suggestion that Ambiga Sreenevasan is a national threat is laughable.
  
  
• Would he consider former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed who refuses to relinquish power and who has his hand up Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s back and manipulates him like a glove puppet, a threat?
  
  
• What about Mahathir’s agent provocateur, Ibrahim Ali, the president of the NGO Perkasa who despite his seditious talk, manages to elude arrest?
  
  
• It is said that Ibrahim Ali will be charged with sedition but we know that this is merely a last ditch attempt to appease us. The authorities realise that Bersih will continue with its march and the rakyat is determined to call for free, fair and clean elections.
  
  
• The Election Commission (EC) is as much to blame for the decline in Malaysia’s state of affairs as the government.If only the EC did not have a puppet who is in Najib’s pocket, as its leader, and if only it did half its duties, then Malaysia might not have fallen into the abyss.
  
  
• Muhyiddin has the brass cheek to suggest the EC is not aware of our protestations of vote-rigging, of abuse of postal voting and the shambolic way the ruling party intimidates or ‘coerces’ people into voting for them.All our complaints were brushed aside.
  
  
• Muhyiddin who attracted scorn when he declared he was ‘a Malay first and Malaysian second’ does send out mixed messages and perhaps, is not aware of what he is saying:

1. As the Education Minister, Muhyiddin changed the language in which Science and Mathematics were taught in all our schools.
   
   
2. In international forums, our poor grasp of the English language is evident.To arrest the decline in English, Muhyiddin arranged for English speaking teachers from around the world, including the Peace Corps, to come to Malaysia to teach English.
   
   
3. Are there sufficient numbers to reach out to all schools? Are these people going to turn our education system around?
   
   
4. Why did he choose to ignore the untapped talent of thousands of the older teachers who were schooled in the old ways and who speak good English.
   
   
5. Why enlist foreigners at the expense of these able teachers? Is it because the majority of the English speaking Malaysian teachers are non-Malays?

• Muhyiddin said that because of Bersih, tourists will stop visiting, investors will sidestep us and that our ‘image globally as a peaceful and developed country’ will be tarnished.How shortsighted is he?
  

Muhyiddin’s policies just prove that Umno has no political will to change or to accept reform.

If Bersih achieves its aims then there will be renewed business opportunities, more growth, increased investment in the nation and less theft of the rakyat’s money.

Corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and cronyism will be brought to manageable levels. Hopefully, our institutions like the EC amongst others, will regain their integrity.

The first Bersih rally in 2007, when 50,000 took to the streets in a peaceful march, was marred when the police used heavy handed tactics and turned chemical laced water from water cannons onto the crowds and also attacked them with tear gas and baton charges.

Bersih is not a threat to national security but is a real threat to Umno/BN. Umno/BN is the real threat to national security

Please join the rally on 9 July and exercise your democratic right to free, clean and fair elections.

The police are going to be sent to the rally. This time, they should join the march, instead of turning against it.They should do this to regain their reputation which Mahathir trashed and most importantly, for their own families and their childrens’ futures.

The Egyptian army did it and so can the Malaysian police.