a view from blogosphere
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According to a report from The Malaysian Insider today, Malaysia’s private broadcasters were warned not to mention (read: censor) about the planned Bersih 2.0 rally, but at the same time they should warn ordinary Malaysians not to take to the streets.
In other words, increase the reality gap in the mainstream media.
Members of the Malaysian public have been advised to avoid wearing “pro-Bersih shoes”, driving “pro-Bersih cars” or travelling on “pro-Bersih buses” for their own political safety.
And if one may add another layer of caution: For those who aren’t sure and are deeply concerned about which politically correct underclothing to wear, it would do them good to quickly seek advice from the authorities concerned. This is because certain underclothes can be too revealing in their intentions.
Of course, this reminder is also aimed at those wearing that unmistakable yellow T-shirts.
The Malaysian Insider reports today:
KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — The police will not only arrest those sporting Bersih T-shirts but may also take action against anyone using any medium to promote the illegal rally, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has said.
“Not just T-shirts but shoes, cars, buses. If these are the tools used to encourage people to gather (illegally), this amounts to sedition,” Tan Sri Ismail Omar told reporters at Bukit Aman police headquarters here today.
Earlier today, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein declared T-shirts bearing messages in support of Bersih illegal as they were related to an illegal assembly.
He, however, did not specify the legal provision that the garments were deemed to have breached.
Ismail explained that it was the duty of the police as the “protectors of society” to safeguardpublic order and national security, which he said would be in jeopardy if the Bersih 2.0 rally were allowed to take place.
“Based on PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) intelligence … if this rally is held, tension, chaos, the destruction of property, injury and even loss of life may occur,” he said.
“PDRM will not allow any individual or certain parties to do anything that could trigger chaos and anarchy.”
He added that the police have received information that foreign elements were poised to exploit the chaos that would “very likely” result from the rally but declined to reveal their identity or if they were working with opposition parties.
Ismail also warned Bersih organisers and supporters not to take advantage of his civil treatment of them so far to continue “inciting” the public to take part in the illegal rally.
“I am still being civil at this point but don’t force me to go to the next stage,” he said.
“Just watch … There have been arrests but you will see further action if anyone still dares to break the law.”
Ismail revealed today that a total of 1,830 police reports were lodged between June 6 and June 28, while 101 people have been arrested over the last four days, 45 of whom are still in custody.
He said the police will take further action when necessary against those detained, in accordance with the procedures and laws of the nation.
This video clip is not meant for the faint-hearted.
Man of the hour misunderstood…
Repeatedly blamingThe Malaysian Insiderfor twisting his statement on Sunday out of context, an angry-looking Ibrahim told Parliament reporters he is willing to be investigated for sedition since he has done nothing wrong.
He explained that when he told the Chinese community to stay home and stock up on food on the day of the Bersih rally, he was not insinuating that they would be attacked or that the gathering would turn into a bloody racial clash.
“I said it was better for the Chinese to stay home and if they need to, stock up on food… what does that mean? That means that usually, when there are street protests, I do not see the Chinese participating.
“The Chinese never participate in street demonstrations as far as I am concerned. So this demonstration, I foresee that it will be the Malays from PAS participating and then Umno and us so it will be a clash among the Malays… so in order to avoid from it spreading to the other races, I said that it is better for the Chinese to stay back, that is all,” he said.
The Malaysian Insider reported the Pasir Mas MP as saying on Sunday during he launch of Perkasa’s counter-protest against Bersih that the Chinese community should stay indoors on July 9 and stock up on food as “anything could happen”.
Several lawmakers across the political divide have lambasted Ibrahim for turning the rally, which calls for free and fair elections, into a racial issue.
Driven by the desire to obey and fulfill their husbands’ sexual needs, a group of married women has launched the Malaysian chapter of the Obedient Wives’ Club. They figured that this strategy would curb social ills by reining in wayward husbands.
So far there’s no report of husbands wanting to set up an Obedient Husbands’ Club as a result of this women’s initiative.
See here for relevant story.
It appears that Malaysia never ceases to amaze ordinary Malaysians and the world community.
This time around it involves a social activist, Fahmi Fadzil, who tweeted in January about a pregnant friend who claimed to have been treated badly by her magazine company. Fahmi subsequently apologised to the big media company over his tweet for the inconveniences caused to the latter.
But it looks like sorry seems to be the hardest word for the media company, which then demanded — as a compromise settlement — that Fahmi to tweet the apology 100 times for three days!
Below is a report from Singapore’s Straits Times. Also see this.
KUALA LUMPUR – A MALAYSIAN social activist said on Thursday he will post an apology on Twitter 100 times over the next three days in a novel settlement to a defamation row.
Fahmi Fadzil said he tweeted in January that a pregnant friend of his had been treated badly by her employers at Female Magazine, owned by Blu Inc Media.
The magazine’s lawyers threatened legal action and a settlement was reached in March, taking the resolution to the Internet because Fahmi could not afford to take out newspaper advertisements.
‘The only demand is to tweet the apology 100 times for three days, and that will be the final and full settlement of this,’ Fahmi told AFP.
He began tweeting ‘I’ve DEFAMED Blu Inc Media & Female Magazine. My tweets on their HR Policies are untrue. I retract those words & hereby apologize’ on Thursday morning.
‘Under the settlement, I have been ordered to tweet the apology over the next three days and that works out to about one apology tweet every 35 minutes, and I will finish the tweets by 6.45pm on Saturday,’ he said.
‘So far, I have finished 13 tweets and have 87 more to go,’ he added. — AFP
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