2pm, July 9th, Stadium MERDEKA: Malaysia’s moment of truth

By BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee

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 rakyat 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.

Released by,

Steering Committee

Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0)

The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:

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

Malaysia rally: Kuala Lumpur 'to be locked down"

Malaysia rally: Kuala Lumpur 'to be locked down'

A similar demonstration in 2007 sparked a police crackdown

Continue reading the main story

Malaysian police have said they will block access to the capital Kuala Lumpur for 24 hours because of a planned pro-electoral reform rally.

Major roads will be shut and public transportation suspended from midnight (1700 GMT).

A group calling itself the Bersih 2.0 coalition plans to hold the rally in a sports stadium on Saturday.

Police have questioned more than 150 activists in recent weeks, and 91 have been barred from the city.

More than 30 activists remain in detention after being arrested almost two weeks ago.

The demonstrators initially organised a street rally, but agreed to hold their gathering in a sports stadium after objections from the authorities.

But police say the rally is still illegal, despite its change of venue.

"Merdeka Stadium, which they chose, is too close to the city centre and can create massive traffic jams and disrupt businesses," federal police chief Ismail Omar was quoted as saying by the Singapore-based New Straits Times.

Police have not given a permit for the rally, but the demonstrators have argued that they do not need permission.

"We are heading for the stadium," a representative of Bersih, Andrew Khoo, told AFP news agency.

"We will keep our focus on the basic demands... to campaign for free and fair elections. We won't be distracted."

Rally organisers say Malaysia's electoral system is plagued with fraud - they want longer campaign periods, automatic voter registration and equality of access to the largely government-linked mainstream media.

The authorities say the protesters are trying to promote communist ideology, thereby "waging war against the king".

Police have accused several of those they have arrested of carrying flyers and T-shirts with "inflammatory slogans".

The police launched a crackdown after a similar demonstration in 2007.

Analysts say that protest helped the opposition win an unprecedented number of seats in the last general election.

By BBC NEWS

Yeh! Yeh! Kita menang!…hmm…or did we?

Bersih 2.0 will hold its rally for electoral reforms in a stadium and not in the streets, the group said today fresh from an audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Istana Negara. “We accept the government’s offer to hold the demonstration in a stadium. We will not hold it in the streets,” Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk: Tan Sri!

Tan Sri: Calm down, Datuk….apa hal bising sangat ni?

Datuk: I have some good news, Tan Sri.

Tan Sri: Ah, what is it this time? Ambiga has migrated and has applied for Australian citizenship?

Datuk: No lah, Tan Sri. Better than that.

Tan Sri: What can be better than Ambiga leaving Malaysia?

Datuk: The BERSIH march is off…cancelled…batal.

Tan Sri: Hmm…that is certainly good news. How come?

Datuk: Ambiga had an audience with the Agong this afternoon and BERSIH has agreed to cancel the street march and hold a rally in the stadium instead.

Tan Sri: His Majesty agreed to meet Ambiga?

Datuk: Yes.

Tan Sri: So that means His Majesty recognises BERSIH?

Datuk: Looks like it.

Tan Sri: So that means we can’t ban BERSIH then.

Datuk: Why not, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: Aiyah...if His Majesty had an official meeting with BERSIH this would mean His Majesty recognises BERSIH.

Datuk: So?

Tan Sri: So it means we can’t ban BERSIH. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of collaborating with an illegal organisation and we would have to arrest His Majesty under the Internal Security Act.

Datuk: Oh…I never thought of that.

Tan Sri: Yes…and that’s why you are a mere Datuk while I am a Tan Sri.

Datuk: That also means we cannot allege that BERSIH is backed by the Communists and Jews. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of working with the Communists and Jews.

Tan Sri: Now you are getting it. So how can that be good news?

Datuk: Didn’t His Majesty think of this? Aiyah…why so stupid?

Tan Sri: Hey, that is seditious. You can’t call the Agong stupid.

Datuk: No, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant it was stupid of us to allow the Agong to meet Ambiga.

Tan Sri: But we dragged the Agong into this. So how can we prevent the Agong from meeting BERSIH?

Datuk: Ia lah. We made a big mistake in issuing that statement from the Agong.

Tan Sri: Hey! Cakap baik sikit!

Datuk: Sorry, I meant we made a big mistake in asking the Agong to issue that statement.

Tan Sri: That’s better. Don’t ever say we issued that statement on behalf of the Agong.

Datuk: Okay lah, but at least the street march is off…now it’s been reduced to just a rally in a stadium.

Tan Sri: How many people do you think will attend the rally?

Datuk: Not sure. Maybe 100,000…could even be 200,000. Now that it is no longer an illegal assembly and there is no danger of arrests many more people may turn out. Those who were initially afraid to turn out may now turn out since it is safe. Mana tahu? Could even be 300,000 people.

Tan Sri: How would 300,000 people park their cars at the stadium?

Datuk: Oh, cannot lah. There is not enough car park space for 300,000 people. They will have to park their cars elsewhere and walk to the stadium…or take public transport.

Tan Sri: So, to get to the stadium they will have to walk, right?

Datuk: That’s right.

Tan Sri: Which means they will be marching to the stadium instead of marching to the Agong’s palace, right?

Datuk: Yes, that’s right…oh…I see what you mean.

Tan Sri: Yes, that’s what I mean. So the march is still on then. Only now it is a legal march, not an illegal march. And they will march to the stadium instead of to the palace. And we can’t do anything about it because the Agong has agreed to this. We can no longer arrest the marchers.

Datuk: Aiyah! This is a disaster. We got tricked. What to do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: What can we do? His Majesty has just given BERSIH legitimacy and it has been agreed that a legal rally can be held in the stadium and because of the huge crowd that may turn out they cannot drive to the stadium but will have to march there dressed in yellow shirts.

Datuk: Mampus!

Tan Sri: Yes, mampus. This is even worse. At least if they proceeded with the original plan we can ban BERSIH and declare it a menace to society and a threat to nation security. Now we can’t touch them. We can’t even arrest anyone on 9th July. And because the rally is legal more people will come out. They are not scared any more. And Umno Youth and PERKASA can’t march on the streets in opposition to BERSIH. If they do we will have to arrest them.

Datuk: Alamak. We can’t touch the BERSIH marchers but will have to arrest the Umno Youth and PERKASA marchers. And Khairy already said if BERSIH cancels the street march he is prepared to work with them. So Umno Youth must now support the BERSIH rally at the stadium.

Tan Sri: Exactly. Now you know why I am a Tan Sri and you are just a Datuk?

Datuk: And that means we can’t also ask the Agong to revoke Ambiga’s citizenship.

Tan Sri: Revoke citizenship for what? For obeying the Agong by cancelling the street march and by holding a rally at the stadium like how Najib asked them to?

Datuk: Somehow I think we have been had…suckered big time.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…please get out of here and leave me alone. I need to draft my resignation letter.

Datuk: What should I do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: I suggest you also go draft your resignation letter. Najib will want both our heads on a silver platter after this.

Bersih’s Ambiga: No street march, rally will be held in stadium

Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan emerged after an audience with the King Tuesday and said the planned rally on Saturday would be held in a stadium.

There would be no street march, she told reporters.

She said Bersih would hold discussions with the Government about the venue.

On her audience with the King, she said: "We had a most wonderful meeting and are most grateful to the King."

She was accompanied by Bersih steering committee member Zaid Kamaruddin and national laureate Datuk A Samad Said.

The leaders had made a request Monday for an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin after he made a statement Sunday advising restraint and compromise as street demonstrations would do more harm than good.

Abhisit resigns Democrat leadership

Prime Minsiter Abhisit Vejjajiva announced his resignation as leader of the Democrat Party on Monday morning.

The outgoing premier made the announcement after the Pheu Thai Party crushed his party in the 2011 general election yesterday.

"I've decided to resign because I could not led my party to a victory in the election," Mr Abhisit said.

The Democrat executive members will hold a meeting to select a new party leader within 90 days as the las required, he said.

Before the election, Mr Abhisit said he would step down as Democrat leader if his party won less seats than the previous general election.

The unofficial election result shows that the Democrats won 159 seats yesterday. In 2007, the party won 164 seats.

What Could Happen To Thai Rice Market After Election?

What could happen to Thai rice market after election?

Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, holds a general election on Sunday and the two leading parties both have policies designed to win over the 24 million people who depend on rice for a living out of a population of 67 million.

The Democrat Party, led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, pledges to maintain its "price guarantee" scheme, under which the government pays farmers the difference if they sell paddy to millers at prices lower than a set level, currently 11,000 baht ($358) per tonne.




Puea Thai Party, controlled by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, promises more aggressive intervention, saying it will buy paddy directly from farmers at 15,000 baht ($488) per tonne, well above current market of 7,000-8,000 baht.

Here's what might happen if either of these win on Sunday.

Would Thaksin's party price Thailand out of the market?

Traders reckon the price of 15,000 baht per tonne that Puea Thai is offering could push Thai export prices up to $850-$870 a tonne, way above the current $525.

That would inevitably push buyers towards Vietnam, which has cemented its position as the world's second-biggest exporter by undercutting Thailand. Its rice is currently below $500 a tonne.

"Intervention on rice prices at that high level is bad because the prices will be pushed up by fake demand and buyers will turn away," said Rakesh Sodhia, managing director of Fortuna International Ltd, an Indian trading firm based in Bangkok.

Some traders said a jump in export prices to above $800 a tonne because of government intervention could cut Thai annual exports by up to 5 million tonnes.

Thailand exports 8-10 million tonnes each year of rice, which generates around $6 billion annually to the economy and is a major part of the country's farm sector that makes up 12 percent of GDP.

Cutting that by 5 million means it would be overtaken by Vietnam, which already exports around 6 million tonnes a year.

"It would mean a collapse in Thai rice exports as no one will buy from us. They'll turn to other origins," said Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

Rice accounts for only about 3 percent of exports and though the direct hit on the economy would not be big, there could be ramifications such as the cost of storing the grain if the government had to buy it, the losses when it is finally sold and the impact on a sector that is vital for the rural poor.

What if the democrats win?

The Democrat's price guarantee scheme has been welcomed by exporters as it allows prices to be set by the market, which in turn enables exporters to offer competitive prices.

"This policy would help exporters compete in the free market as normal, where you can see that we can sell 8 to 10 million tonnes a year," said Korbsook Iamsuree, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

At the same time, the policy would support farmers, she said.

One problem: farmers have not really taken to the scheme, in part because of the paperwork involved.

After protests, in a messy compromise, Abhisit's government has allowed the guarantee scheme and direct intervention to run side by side, buying grain directly from some farmers at 11,000 baht per tonne.

When will any new policy come in?

Neither party is likely to win an outright majority, so there will probably be a period of horse-trading before a coalition emerges.

Under Thai election law, the parties have up to 60 days to form a government, so it could be early September before there is a new administration. In practise, it should be much shorter.

Either way, any change in policy is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the export market, even if it is implemented quickly.

"The impact on the rice market would be seen in November at the earliest," said Korbsook.

The next main harvest will start in November and the government normally implements support schemes at that point, when new supply starts pushing prices down.

Thailand produces around 23 million tonnes of paddy in its major crop.

What happened to rice prices in the lead-up to the polls? Thai rice prices, which have fallen around 5 percent so far this year, jumped to $560 a tonne in June -- up 8 percent in that month -- as local traders and millers hoarded rice, hoping to resell to the government after the polls if aggressive intervention is implemented. The prices retreated this week to $525 a tonne, as high prices forced buyers to switch to rice from other origins and cut demand.

Raja Petra Kamarudin --- "Bodoh sombong"

Raja Petra Kamarudin lives in England currently.


In Malaysia there is only one person dares to write the truth, not MCA, MIC or Gerakan to face the reality.

We have to salute him for his courage and honesty. May God protect and bless his health to fight thro' till success surfaces.


Pls read it out to your aged parents or grand parents. They would bless this Malay guy called Raja Petra Kamarudin, who is the nation's only hope & saviour with
principles & dignity & a role model on justice & fair play !!



Raja Petra Kamarudin --- Bodoh sombong !!

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's father is one example of an English language teacher from India who came to Malaya and eventually married a Malay woman, resulting in the birth of Dr Mahathir.

Many Indian and Chinese immigrants married in Malaya , sometimes to fellow Indians and Chinese and sometimes to local Malays (that is why many Malays look more Indian and Chinese compared to their Indonesian cousins). And
understandably they sired children born in Malaya . And these local born sons and daughters of the immigrants are those Malaysian Indians and Chinese of today, many who have never stepped foot in India or China since the day
they were born.

Their parents and grandparents (some are third or fourth generation Malaysians while some, like the Melaka Chinese, have been 'locals' since 500 years ago) came to Malaya to serve the country and died in this country. And
some of these 'immigrants' have been in the country longer than even Malays who are only second or third generation Malaysians.

The question of who came first is an arguable issue. There are Indians and Chinese who have been in Malaysia for hundreds of years and there are Malays who have been in the country less than 100 years. Nevertheless, this article
is not to argue about who is more Bumiputera - the Malays, Indians or Chinese.

Everyone - Malays, Indians and Chinese alike - are sons and daughters of immigrants. It would be very difficult to dissect the three different races based on generalising. You would have to look at it on a case-to-case basis.
My family came to Malaya in the mid-1700s. Tian Chua's family came to Malaya much earlier than that. Dr Mahathir and Khir Toyo are merely second generation Malaysians although one became the Prime Minister and the other
the Chief Minister of a State.

Okay, the purpose of this article is not to argue who is more Bumiputera as we can argue till the cows come home and will never reach a consensus. What I want to talk about is who has served this country and, therefore, can be considered a true patriot.

The railway, roads, bridges and buildings, right up to maybe the 1980s or so (that means for more than 100 years), were built by the Indians and Chinese (not the Malays). I still remember even as recent as the 1970s when Indians
would work in the hot sun building the roads and laying the railway lines. They also worked in the estates and plantations. And the same goes for the tin mines and the construction industry, which were mainly a Chinese affair.
And many died. There were numerous cases where entire Chinese communities were wiped out by disease and war and they had to bring in fresh loads of Chinese workers from China to replace those who had died. And the living
conditions of these workers were pathetic. Trust me when I say detention under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting is luxurious compared to what these Indians and Chinese had to endure.

The Malayan civil service, legal system, education system, and whatnot, depended on the English educated Indians brought in from India . It was not until the 1920s or so, when the immigration policy was tightened, that the Malays were educated enough to start filling the ranks of the civil service.
Even by the time of Merdeka the country still depended on the immigrants because there were not enough educated Malays to serve the country.

And almost all these people died in this country (only some went home to die) and their Malaysian-born children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are those Indians and Chinese you see in the country today.

To sum up: this country was built by the non-Malays. What we see today is the result of the contribution by the non-Malays. Initially, Malaya's economy depended on rubber and tin, long before we had factories and heavy industries. And it was because we had immigrant Indians and Chinese is why
we saw a thriving rubber and tin industry. If not because of rubber and tin, Malaysia would be amongst the poorest countries in this world.

Then we had three wars - the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Konfrantasi with Indonesia . And not just Malayans, but many foreign 'Mat Salleh' (white skins), as well as Africans, Fijians, Gurkhas, Indians, Punjabis, Bengalis, and many more, died in these wars. Of course, Malays died as well. But Malays were not the only ones who died in these three wars.

But is the contribution of these patriots ever remembered? The Malays scream, rant and rave that this is a Malay country. They declare that this is Tanah Melayu (Malay land). But we might not even have a country, at least not in the form that we see it now, if not for the fact that many not of Malay origin laid down their lives for this country. If the non-Malays,
including the 'Mat Salleh', had not died for this country, Malaysia would no longer be an independent nation but just a small province of Indonesia .

When Malays talk about dying for your country, they just look at the three wars. But the death toll for these wars does not even come close to the death toll of those who died serving this country in other ways. Some died defending the country in wars. But many more died in the effort to build this country to what it is today. And many also died of mere old age after
serving this country their entire life and then retired here as citizens.

But how do we repay these patriots or children and grandchildren of patriots not of Malay origin? We insult them. We threaten them. We discriminate against them. We oppress them. We persecute them. We treat them as second-class citizens. We refuse to recognise the patriotic contribution of
their parents, grandparents or great grandparents in efending this country and in building this country to what it is today.

So these people feel hurt. So they feel that the sacrifices and contribution of their forefathers are not remembered and appreciated. So they decide to leave the country and go to another country that can better-appreciate their
talents and skills instead of threatening and subjecting them to screams of "go back to your own country".

Who are the traitors here? Are the traitors those who hijrah in search of a better life like what the Prophet Muhammad did? Or are the traitors those who ignore the patriotic contribution of Malayans from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s?

The Umno Ministers should be made to pass a history test before they can be appointed as Ministers. And they should also be made to pass a lie detector test every time they make a statement. As the Malays would say: bodoh (stupid) is bad enough. Bodoh sombong (arrogantly stupid) is unforgivable.
And Umno Ministers are just that - bodoh sombong.