Najib’s Alleged Involvement in the Murder of Mongolian Aminah Shaariibuu Again Popped Up In Raja Petra’s Sedition Trial

 

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s alleged involvement in the murder case of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu @ Aminah cropped up again in the sedition trial of popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin today (12 Feb 2009).

Defence counsel Gobind Singh Deo probed assistant director of the Interpol National Centre Bureau at Bukit Aman, Gan Tack Guan, on an apparent photograph of Najib seated at the table with Shaariibuu during her birthday party in the Mandarin Hotel in Singapore.

In addition to that, Gobind also quizzed Gan on a letter that was presumably signed by the deputy premier to support Shaariibuu’s visa application for entry into Malaysia.

The claims that were put forth were information that was derived from the alleged seditious article ‘Let’s send Altantuya’s murderers to hell’ posted on April 25, 2008 in the Malaysia Today website maintained by Raja Petra.

Gobind said that Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir, a Mongolian, alleged that there was no travel record of Altantuya and herself coming into Malaysia via Beijing, and she went on to say it has been deleted.

Gan agreed, but when asked whether the travel records were investigated, Gan said that he could not remember.

Contention on letter signed by Najib 

READ MORE HERE

Like that, how to become Prime Minister of Malaysia? Is this going to be an April Fools’ Day Joke or what?

No wonder people are having doubts about Pak Lah passing the baton to Najib come end March. Some are even saying that there will be no glimmer of hope for Najib to become PM other than to wait for the day that may never come. We also hear from the PM’s Department that Pak Lah’s schedule as PM is already arranged for until August 2009. So where does that put Najib? So come March, will Najib challenge Pak Lah for the Presidency in UMNO  if Pak Lah flip flop and changes his mind which is his standard trademark?

Looking at the changing political scenario and the mess created in Perak, if Najib challenges Pak Lah for Presidency, Pak Lah will surely prevail over Najib.

Raja Petra’s Open Letter To Our Pak Lah : there are many surrounding you with daggers drawn

Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister’s Office
Main Block
Perdana Putra Building
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62502 Putrajaya
MALAYSIA

Dear Pak Lah,

Kong Hee Fatt Choy, Pak Lah. I trust this second open letter finds you in good health. I was told by a reliable source that you read my first open letter. So I thought, since this appears to be the only way to reach you, I would send you a second open letter. I truly hope you get to read this one as well.

Sorry I was not able to also send you my Selamat Hari Raya Puasa wishes. It is not that Chinese New Year is more important than Hari Raya. During Hari Raya Puasa I was in the Kamunting Detention Centre, courtesy of your government. So, I sort of missed Hari Raya, if you know what I mean. But I believe my friends did attend your open house at the PWTC to send you Hari Raya wishes on my behalf, wearing ‘Free RPK’ T-shirts, much to the chagrin of the police who summoned them to the police station later for their ‘statements to be recorded’.

In the past I used to be sad if I was ever away from the family on Hari Raya, not that it happened too often. Even rough and tough Malaysian soldiers serving overseas cry on Hari Raya, so I was told. So it’s not lack of macho that makes you sad when parted from the family on Hari Raya. This time, however, anger overcame my sadness. Instead of being sad, I decided to ‘boycott’ Hari Raya. Maybe anger is a stronger emotion. Anyway, I did not celebrate the recent Hari Raya Haji as well, though I had already been released from detention by then. I have sort of shut out Hari Raya from my mind and have convinced myself that the festival does not exist. I think, from now on, Hari Raya no longer means anything to me.

I suppose this is very useful considering the Attorney General is appealing the Shah Alam High Court decision releasing me from ISA detention. The government’s appeal will be heard in the Federal Court in Putrajaya on 11 February 2009 and if the Federal Court allows the appeal then I will be sent back to Kamunting to serve my two years detention order. So it is necessary that I continue being angry and not get sad about things like being under detention on Hari Raya. Anger makes you strong to resist the powers-that-be. Sadness weakens you.

I really don’t know if the Federal Court will uphold the Shah Alam High Court’s decision to free me. If it does, well and good. But if it overturns that decision then you better get ready for a bloody fight, Pak Lah. Sure, the government can ‘legally’ send me back to Kamunting. But I shall be going back there screaming and kicking. The government is going to see a fight never before seen in the history of the almost 50 years of the ISA. And this is no threat. It is a promise. And, as I said, anger is an extremely powerful emotion, which can make you move mountains.

Anyway, that is not the purpose of this open letter. What I want to talk about today is with regards to the current controversy swamping this country, in particular the police brutality issue. This is actually not something new. It has been going on since before Merdeka. When I was a teenager in the 1960s I have personally witnessed and experienced many incidences of police beatings. Your late wife Endon’s brother, Osman, can testify to this. When I got my motorcycle licence at the age of 15 in 1965, my first bike ride was with Osman. I fetched him from your house in Bellamy Road and we went Jackie’s Bowl in Jalan Ampang and got high on weed all night long.

You see, Pak Lah, in those days we used to sport long hair and wear tight trousers and the police somehow became very upset with this ‘fashion statement’. The police would push a bottle down our trousers and if it could not fall to our feet then we would get beaten up. The same applied to our hair. If it dropped over our forehead or touched our ears we would get beaten up as well. So imagine what we had to go through in the 1960s since we had long hair and wore tight trousers. As I said, Osman, the brother of your late wife, can tell you more about this as we used to run in the same pack.

One night in 1965, while waiting at a bus stop along Jalan Ampang (in front of the El Chico next to the AIA building), a few of us — Tun Dr Siti Hasmah’s nephew, Azlan Aziz, included — were picked up by the police. Our only ‘crime’ was that we were sitting at the bus stop. The police took us to the High Street Police Station and we were all asked to line up to witness the police beating up a Chinese youth. They beat him real bad and he was coughing blood. I don’t know if he died after that but I would not want to put my money on whether he survived.

It became so bad that whenever we saw the police we would run away. We actually became quite good at it. For example, once, about ten of us were sitting on our bikes in front of the HKL and a police van stopped and about a dozen police jumped out. We leaped on our bikes and managed to escape just as the police were within an arms-length from us. They pursued us along Jalan Tun Razak with little success. Our bike numbers were on the top-ten list of the police’s ‘most wanted’ but they never caught us. We knew if they did they would beat the shit out of us so it was definitely an ‘incentive’ for us to never get caught.

That was how it was back in the 1960s and, trust me, it has not changed one bit. The police still beat the shit out of you if you ever find yourself in the most unfortunate situation of ending up in their lockup. In fact, your Director of the CID, Bakri Zinin, once beat me up in March 2001 in front of my wife and six other detainees and about a dozen police personnel.

My only ‘crime’ was that I had walked into the Dang Wangi Police Station. I had not committed any crime or was under arrest. I had, on my own accord, walked into the police station and Bakri Zinin happened to be in the mood to beat someone up. So he beat me up. After he beat me up he arrested me and kept me overnight in the lockup under no charges whatsoever. That is how your police operate. And these are all Muslims, mind you. I bet they even pray five times a day and their wives wear tudongs. Now do you know why I am most unkind to Muslims? Many are hypocrites of the highest degree.

I know you tried to implement the IPCMC but were prevented from doing so. And the reason you are not able to implement the IPCMC is because the police, whom represent the major portion of postal voters, threatened to vote opposition if you do. (IPCMC: Police threaten to vote for the Opposition).

In the March 2008 general election, the opposition needed only 300,000 more votes to form the federal government. Therefore, if the postal votes had gone to the opposition, Barisan Nasional would have been out of power. To ensure that the postal votes remained with Barisan Nasional you succumbed to the threats and agreed to compromise on the IPCMC.

In that sense, Pak Lah, you are indirectly responsible for the continuing problem of police brutality. What the police are doing is your fault. This is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog and not the dog wagging the tail. Maybe you would like to reconsider your decision on the IPCMC and demonstrate to the nation that you, and not the police, are running this country.

While on the subject of the police, let it be known that the police managed to reduce Pakatan Rakyat’s majority in the recent Kuala Terengganu by-election from more than 7,000 votes to a mere 2,631. And I have this on video if you would like to see the evidence. You know that the opposition’s majority in the Kuala Terengganu by-election was much higher than 2,631. And I am sure this is troubling you to no end. And I am equally sure you know that this is because the people do not want Najib Tun Razak to take over as Prime Minister in March. As much as you may try to deny this you know I am spot on.

At 3.00pm on Polling Day, the police set up ten roadblocks and no one in town could get out nor those outside town could get in. Kuala Terengganu was totally cordoned off and the traffic jams were so massive that the town was reduced to a gridlock. I was arguing with the police at three different locations and, as I said, I have this on video. At one roadblock, when the police told me that this was ‘arahan dari atas’, I responded by saying that ‘kalau orang atas bodoh dan kita ikut arahan tersebut maka kita juga bodoh’. You should have seen the police stare at me. They looked like they wanted to kill me.

By 4.00pm, voting almost ground to a halt and the 74% voter turnout troubled me. 74% was too low and since the SPR had announced earlier that morning that the voter turnout was going to be 80% I was worried that this would mean another 6% or so are going to be ‘phantom voters’. True enough, an hour later, when polling ended, the voter turnout jumped to 81%. It was later ‘adjusted’ to 79%. This means 5% to 7% additional votes came in although no one was voting any longer. This represents about 5,000 votes or thereabouts.

Say what you like, the opposition not only won the Kuala Terengganu by-election, but it won with a large majority. And this was in spite of Najib and his wife campaigning fulltime in Terengganu and the RM500 million that was committed to the by-election effort. No doubt RM400 million was spent indirectly when Najib launched the special investment fund. Nevertheless, this RM400 million was still for purposes of the by-election and no one can deny this.

Mind you, the RM500 million is just my conservative estimate. It could be more. But it still makes the Kuala Terengganu by-election the most expensive by-election in Malaysian history and yet Barisan Nasional lost, whether it was by 2,631 votes or 7,631 votes. The police air-conditioned tents alone came to RM10 million. The food, at about RM50 to RM60 per day per person over three weeks, came to another RM10 million. Then there was the outstation allowance and so on. I estimate the cost of stationing 8,000 police personnel in Kuala Terengganu over three weeks at about RM25 million to RM30 million. And it could actually be more considering the normal ‘leakages’ in government expenditure.

Then there are the many free dinners and the RM300 to RM1,000 ‘Ang Pows’ for the 80,000 or so voters. Even the press people received RM300 Ang Pows each, though none were offered to the Bloggers, for whatever reason I do not know.

Are you happy, Pak Lah, that Najib spent about RM500 million in the most expensive by-election in Malaysian history and Barisan Nasional still lost? How does this reflect on the confidence the people have in Najib? Do you know that the ‘battle-cry’ in the Kuala Terengganu by-election was the song ‘Najib Altantuya Mongolia’ sung to the tune ‘When the Saints Come Marching in’? Young Malays from the kampong who you would least expect to know this ‘Christian’ song were singing this song.
 
Yes, say what you like, the Kuala Terengganu by-election was not a by-election. It was a vote of no confidence against Najib. And it was the Malays who voted against Najib — and young Malays at that, Malays from the kampong. Did not Musa Hitam and Ghafar Baba, both one-time Deputy Prime Ministers, say that Umno’s strength is in the rural areas and that Umno needs to gain the support of the kampong Malays to stay in power? Well, the kampong Malays have spoken on 21 January 2009 in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. I am just not sure whether you heard them; that’s all. If you did not then I am telling you now. The young Malays from the kampong have said no to Najib. Do you still want to ignore this message and doom Umno to the political graveyard?

There is much more I need to tell you but allow me to end my open letter here, for the meantime. I now need to go attend the PKR Chinese New year open house in Kelang and go hassle Anwar Ibrahim on this Anti-ISA thing that I want the five Pakatan Rakyat states to commit themselves to.

Till we talk again, take care, as there are many surrounding you with daggers drawn — which makes Julius Caesar’s predicament a picnic by comparison. Is it not ironical that in your present situation you can trust your enemies more than your friends? Anyway, once again, Kong Hee Fatt Choy, Pak Lah.

Yours truly,

Raja Petra Al Haj Bin Raja Kamarudin

Why the prosecution will not be appealing against the acquittal of Abdul Razak Baginda?

Normally in any murder case when there is an acquittal in a murder trial the prosecution will immediately appeal the acquittal. But it is not in the case of Altantuya.

It is much to my surprise to hear that DPP Tun Majid Tun Hamzah saying that the court had made a finding of fact and he confirmed that the prosecution would not file an appeal. He is saying that Razak Baginda can sleep well from now on. I just cannot believe this coming from a senior DPP.

It is not at all wrong to think now that the verdict was written even long before the trial commenced.

The are so many unanswered questions.

Why was the Judge not interested to find out about the deleted immigration record of Alantuya?

How did Altantuya come into Malaysia when there are no records of entry into KLIA or Bukit Kayu Hitam or Johore Baru or Kuching or Kota Kinabalu? Did she come in from Tarakan into Tawau as what the Filipino and Indonesian Pendatangs do?

Why was the lawyer acting for Baginda initially discharged himself saying that there was too much of interference? Interference from whom? Wife Mazilina? Deputy PM? Deputy PM’s Wife? Who? PM?

Why nothing on lawyer Shafee’s text message with Najb saying “all is not lost” and “only a tentative charge”?

Why nothing on The Special Branch Bala’s Statutory Declarations I and 2? And from Special Branch Bala’s 2nd changed declaration, only those that specifically mention Najib Tun Razak have been altered or deleted, why nothing on this?

Most of us who follow the case from the start could guess rightly the outcome of the decision of the judge and this is what is sad for Malaysia. Some are even saying that the 2 cops will also be out soon as free man.

And one more thing, the prosecution is rushing to appeal Raja Petra’s habeas corpus case and they are also rushing to appeal Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II to be transfered to the High Court.

What glaring double standards!

Pink Floyd – Us and Them – Dedicated to all Peace and Freedom loving Malaysians

Pink Floyd – Us And Them

Time For Syed Hamid Albar to Go Gracefully After all the Fumbles

Can we believe this man?

1) Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar denied he lied about Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Waythamoorthy’s passport was cancelled many months ago. However there was a letter from the United Kingdom border agency saying that it had received a notice of cancellation against the passport because Waythamoorthy was being sought for “criminal charges” in Malaysia. In the letter dated Sept 23, it was stated that the British Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was notified of the cancellation on March 14.

Did Syed Hamid lie?

2) Syed Hamid Albar in justifying Hindraf’s ban alleged that HINDRAF is an extremist group and alleged that Hindraf had made statements to declare that Malays and Islam as their only enemy. This is absolutely ridiculous and a blatant lie. HINDRAF was never a religious body. It only raises legitimate rights of HINDUS and INDIANS to practise their Religion in peace and quiet under the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Hindraf had always maintained it NEVER had any problems with Malays and Muslims but had serious problems with UMNO, which is a bully, and practises racist and extremist divide and rule policies to survive and maintain its political rule in Malaysia.

Again did Syed Hamid lie?

3) Again Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar claimed that until this morning he did not have knowledge of action taken last night 9th November, by the Selangor police, to end the PJ Anti-ISA candlelight vigil and the 1st year anniversary of Bersih gathering at the Petaling Jaya Civic’s Center Park.

Did Syed Hamid lie again?

4) Met by reporters in Parliament lobby today, the minister said he has “not received any reports” on action taken last night by Selangor police to end the Anti-ISA candlelight vigil and the 1 Year Anniversary of Bersih in PJ.

Did Syed Hamid again lie through his teeth?

Anyway, if it was realy true that the cops were acting at their own breaking up the gathering while the vigilants were singing the Negara Ku, who then gave the cops the power to do what they had done?

Police also arrested a journalist/videographer from Malaysiakini who was on duty that night covering the Anti-ISA candlelight vigil and the 1 Year Bersih Anniversary.  This is not the first time they have arrested journalist on duty. I remember the last time, on Jan. 26, 2007, right in front of my eyes, at the Twin Towers, the cops arrested during THE  Protest Rally against rising costs of fuel and other consumer goods, journalist Syed Jaymal Zahiid of Malaysiakini for “asking too many questions.” Syed Jaymal was subsequently charged for obstruction of a police officer, which carries a sentence of two years in prison and possible fines. Jaymal had identified himself as a journalist and was only asking police why they were arresting the protesters. I was beside him when he asked the cop why the arrest.  And for this he got arrested.

In police custody Jaymal was beaten and assaulted. Reports of alleged assault and illegal detention have been since filed. Is this not total disrespect for press freedom?

 The release of Raja Petra from ISA detention is going to give the government major headaches from now on.

Can The Mongolian Govt Take Altantuya’s Case to International Court?

The Mongolian Government says it will take the Altantuya’s case to the International Court if the court’s final decision (on the two police officers) results in unfair trial and proceedings. 

It seems a letter from The Minister for External Relations of Mongolia, Mr. S. Batbold, has been sent to our Foreign Minister Datuk Rais Yatim and a statement to that was issued in the Mongolian press “MONTSAME” on November 7th, 2008.

I personally think this is a nonstarter. I don’t think it’s the role of the International Court of Justice to arbitrate between a private citizen and a state. Moreover, if it’s a dispute between the 2 governments i.e Mongolia and Malaysia, then both parties must first consent to arbitration. I don’t think the Malaysian government would allow this because this would be arbitration against a domestic court ruling which would be interpreted by the Malaysian government as intervention into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.The International court has absolutely no jurisdiction in Malaysia which is a sovereign nation. Anyway, Malaysians are subject to Malaysian law only. And we cannot be brought to trial by any other country’s laws unless the crime is committed in that country.

Besides, the International Court normally only hears disputes that have crossed the borders of different nations. It normally restricts itself to international commercial disputes or crimes against humanity.

I believe this whole exercise is just a waste of time, but, if the motive is to embarrass Najib in the world stage then it is a very strategic move.

Another move could be for Dr Shaariibu to file a civil suit in Mongolia and try get judgement there and then inform Interpol to do the digging for photographic evidence etc, etc. Dr Sharibuu could name Baginda, Najib and Rosmah as defendant. If possible, conduct a trial in absentia and once he gets a court order he can go after the assets wherever they are. Then he can get the Mongolian government to declare them persona non grata and notify Interpol that they are wanted fugitives.

Pak Lah, Have A Cabinet Reshuffle Now And Get Syed Hamid Albar Out Of The Home Ministry!

If the Home Minister had followed the rule of law this would not have happened. The Home Minister is incompetent and so is the AG. It was such a waste of public fund and the AG and the Home Minister must bear the financial consequences and not the Malaysian Taxpayers for this blunder.

Besides, was it necessary to put Pet and his family in such an agony all due to the incompetency of the AG and the Home Minister, and, why such government high handedness?

The Home Minister has abused his ministerial power and misused ISA for his political mileage.

Pak Lah must now have a cabinet reshuffle and get a new Home Minister.  Syed Hamid is doing too much damage to Pak Lah due to all the high handedness and blunders.

Raja Petra To Be Release Today – Thank GOD!

Source- The Star

Best News for the day : The Shah Alam High Court this morning ruled that the detention of Raja Petra under the ISA was illegal and ordered his release. The judge ordered that Raja Petra be produced in court by 4pm today after which he should be immediately released.

WOW! Happiness. I am soo happy. This is best news and it goes to show that there are many judges who are fair , conscientious and capable in Malaysia. The judicial reforms  Pak Lah has been saying all these while is true and has been put in place to fully restore national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary in Malaysia.

Today’s judgement on Raja Petra goes to show that the judge is of superior quality and person of integrity and independent and courageous.

Thank you Pak Lah!

1 Year Later: Remembering 10th November 2007-BERSIH Rally

Always told friends that Barisan National will rule Malaysia even past my lifetime as there will NEVER be a level playing field for the opposition forces when it comes to fair and free elections in this so-called Malaysian democracy.

So when Raja Petra told me that BERSIH, a coalition of NGOs and opposition political parties, will organise on November 10th, Saturday, a march to Istana Negara from Dataran Merdeka to submit a memorandum to our Agong asking that free and fair elections beheld in Malaysia, I could not resist it and wanted to be counted. I readily told Pet, yes, I shall be there at Dataran Merdeka.

Drove alone from Penang on November 9th and stayed overnight in Kelana Jaya.

On 10th morning at 8am, took the LRT from Kelana Jaya and headed to KL Sentral to have Indian breakfast at Brickfields. After breakfast headed back to KL Sentral to get LRT to Masjid Jamek. In the train, I noticed a few passengers wearing the yellow Bersih t-shirts, just like me. Made eye contact and nodded our heads although all those wearing yellow Bersih t-shirts were all strangers. I could feel there was a strange kind of bond between us all, but the faces showed some signs of uncertainty as though something is going to happen. I could feel the anxiety and fear created by the apparatus to generate “a climate of violence” and “create a scenario similar to the 13 May 1969″, when there was racial riots in Kuala Lumpur and then EMERGENCY declared in Malaysia.

At 9.30am I reached Masjid Jamek. While walking out of the LRT station its drizzling. I see scores of people with  bersih t-shirts all along the road and walkway taking cover from the rain. There were cops at both sides of the road just watching people. From where I was, I was also able to see a big number of people congregating in the Masjid Jemak compound.

I continue to walk pass Masjid Jemak along to Jalan Tun Perak towards Dataran Merdeka and its still drizzling. I reached the fringes of Dataran Merdeka, the rain gets even heavier and I’m almost drench. I noticed Dataran Merdeka empty except large police presence and FRU trucks. I continued to walk somewhere near Royal Selangor Club, 2 cops approach me and asked what I was doing and where I was heading for? Told the cops I’m from the press and I’m going to the Library to take cover from the rain. They give me a nasty look because of the Bersih t-shirt I’m wearing but they allow me to go. I take cover outside the library.

At 11.30 I get a call from Raja Petra who is at the Selangor Club also taking cover from the rain. Pet tells me to go to Masjid Negara. There is a change in plan he tells me. Pet tells me to wait for further instruction at Masjid Negara. Pet also tells me, Muslims in the mosque wont mind me and I shall be safe there.

By noon the rain stopped a little and I decided to walk up to the Masjid Negara. At the Masjid Negara, the gates are closed and there are many people outside and also a huge crowd inside. The mosque was packed to the brim, like it would be during Friday Prayers. I called Pet to inform him that the gates are locked preventing people from entering or leaving the mosque. Pet tells me to hang on there and tells me that the mosque officials cannot close the gates as it is going to be prayer time_Zohor prayer and therefore the officials HAVE to open the gates before 1pm. Pet was right, just before 1pm the gates were opened by the mosque officials.

Inside the compound of Masjid Negara by now there was so many people, maybe 10,000. Everyone was either wearing yellow Bersih t-shirts or the maroon t-shirts belonging to the Angota unit AMAL PAS (PAS’s uniformed wing).  The spectacular sight was however after the Zohor prayers, when the crowd emerged all clad in yellow. I was totally shocked when I saw this. They had kept the shirts in the bags and changed them after the prayers.

Meanwhile, the unit Amal chaps were helping to control the crowd inside the mosque and some were distributing pack food. I too took a packet which had rice, vegetables and meat and ate it under the palm tree with 4 others. It was nice feeling of solidarity.

Pet calls again to find out how I’m coping and he tells me that the cops have moved in on a group of people in and around Sogo area and Masjid Jemak, cops are tear gassing and shooting chemical laced water cannon on them.

At about 1.30 pm, Hywel Davies from AlJAZEERA picks a conversation with me. He asked what I thought of the whole thing? I told him finally civil society in Malaysia has woken up! No one can break this spirit of solidarity amongst the multiracial population as seen here today where me a Hindu never felt so safe among Muslim brothers in the National Mosque of Malaysia. This is a strange feeling and for once I feel proud to be a Malaysian.

At about 2 pm, from where I was, I could see a stream of yellow slowly moving on the highway towards the Istana. Everyone is excited by now and ready to join the crowd in the highway. The AMAL unit moves into action and forms a human chain and we move very orderly to join the group coming from Dataran side on the Highway. I’m right in front, cross some 3 feet railings in the middle of the road to join the marchers. Everyone is running and its chaotic. Suddenly, from nowhere I’m locked hands and my hands are tightly interlocked with Salahuddin Ayub , MP PAS Kubang Kerian . We are walking fast as though running and behind us there are others sort of running to catch up. Everyone seem like very excited. As we march we chant HIDUP! HIDUP! HIDUP RAKYAT! DAULAT TENGKU! This is our battle cry. By now the marchers have swelled to 40-50 thousands – A SEA OF YELLOW!

I’m still marching in front and it looks like there are other groups from Sogo, Masjid Jemak, Daya Bumi, and all around town have come in to join us. The crowd look charged. Suddenly I see the FRU barrier i.e a human wall of cops, cops with batons and shield right in front of me. I’m smack right in front with the Amal boys facing the cops just meters away from the police human chain. There is a stand-off between the crowd and riot police-backed by water cannon trucks – about 200 meters from Istana Negara. Three police helicopters are hovering above.

The human line formed by the  AMAL unit separated the crowd from the police line, thus preventing any untoward and unwanted incident from happening. I was amazingly impressed and confident that this would be a peaceful rally, which it was. I felt safe mingling with both the crowd and the police at this stage.

We told the crowd to stop moving any closer to the police barrier. The crowd was very good and responsive and very polite and was good humoured and followed instructions. The crowd sat down waiting for the delegation of BERSIH leaders to handover the petition to the palace officials. We sat with the rest of the crowd waiting for the delegation to return from the palace ground. Meanwhile, the police helicopters chattered over us taking snap shots and it was difficult to talk due to the noise.

It’s 3.30 and suddenly there is a loud roar and the crowd all stand-up, we hear Anwar has come on a motorcycle to join the delegation to the palace. The crowd gets frenzy when they see Anwar coming down from the bike. Anwar is hoisted on a shoulder and handed the load hailer. He gave a brief speech which could not be heard from where I was because of the helicopters were still hovering overhead.

At 4 pm, Anwar and the delegation is out from the palace after delivering the memorandum. Immediately, the KL Police Chief on top of the FRU Truck used the load hailer asking the crowd to disperse in 5 minutes. The crowd agrees and they slowly move back towards town. The crowd move very peacefully.

I walk with the crowd back to Pasar Sani LRT Station. The Amal unit is still seen ensuring that there is orderly dispersal of the crowd.  Throughout our dispersal, the cars that passed by would wind down their window, honk like crazy and roar encouragement at us while giving us the thumbs up. The crowds finally dissipated.

While walking back I see the crowd so mixed with old and young of all races walking so peacefully and happy as though the impossible has been achieved by their participation in this important event and they have finally made history in Malaysia.

Happy Deepavali to All ISA Detainees in Camp Kamunting

Diwali or Deepavali is the “festival of lights” a Hindu festival dating back to the Vedic perid 2000 years before the birth of Christ. It marks the triumphant victory of good over evil, victory of light over darkness.

The legend behind this festival is, Narakasura, a demon, ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram with an iron fist. Under Narakasura rule, the subjects suffered a lot of hardship and suffering. Seeing the suffering of the people, Lord Khrishna set out to destroy the demon Narakasura. The day Narakasura was slayed by Lord Krishna was celebrated as Deepavali, the triumph of good over evil.

All Malaysians Hindus as well as all Malaysians regardless of race must unite on the occasion of the Deepavali this year to combat and overcome the “darkness” in the Malaysian society, particularly the marginalisation of the Malaysian Indians, whether because of poverty, economic injustice, educational deprivation, social degradation and other forms human rights violations, specially the detention of Raja Petra and others under the ISA.

Lets UNITE as Bangsa Malaysia and triumph over all evil and darkness on this auspicious day.

Happy Deepavali and don’t forget all our 75 brothers detained under ISA in Camp Kamunting.