Seriously, Do People Even Know What Sedition Is?

Fadiah Nadwa Fikri is clearly an intelligent woman, and that in Malaysia, even the 'new' Malaysia is a dangerous thing to some people.

I partly understand. People have been travelling the same sodden path for years and perhaps this change is too much for them. I am pleased though. It is heart-warming to find fellow-intellectuals and comforting to know that we think alike.

Fadiah clearly has more gumption than I do, and certainly far more knowledge on the subject of royalty and its institution. She is very articulate and puts forward her points very well.

In the UK, the topic of the monarchy and its role in society and democracy used to be debated rather frequently, and I recall that in the past, people agreed to disagree. These days, this topic seems increasingly to be the domain of racists and those who fantasise about Britain in the past. (Perhaps understandable as western civilisation is crumbling.)

It suggests that close-mindedness is a sign of a society in decline.

This is particularly why I am opposed to accusations that Fadiah bringing up the topic of royalty is tantamount to sedition.

It is not.

Sedition is when people rouse the rabble and incite violence. Fadiah is clearly miles away from that. She merely opened a path to intellectual discussion about customs we may have held for centuries.

These customs may be sacred to some people, dear to others and archaic or outdated to yet some others.

I am opposed to the new government, especially the police, leaping up and falling over themselves to question or detain her. She has done nothing wrong and in our progressive society, this is a backward move.

Related:
1. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ‘NEW’ MALAYSIA
2. I’m not alone, says lawyer accused of sedition

Seriously High-Quality Manifesto Suggestions

I don't say this merely because the writer of those suggestions makes Candide references.

Some are tongue-in-cheek, I think.

But quite a few of the points raised are well thought through and deliberated. Granted, some are also a bit vague, but debating them before enacting the laws are, after all, the role of our elected representatives.

My favourites (I appear to prefer the vague ones) are:

Discrimination
1. Institute a law to address discrimination in the private sector with a focus on race, religion, political belief and gender.
2. Minimum mandatory 30 days paternity leave to address gender pay gap and change societal expectations on gender.

Civil liberties
1. Limit the police’s ability to restrict peaceful assemblies.
2. Address discrimination against religious minority.
3. Sosma to be limited towards terror activities only.
4. Sedition Act to be scaled down.
5. Tighter requirements for book banning.
6. Stronger privacy and data protections law and enforcement.

Read them in their entirety at Manifesto promises I would like to see made by the self-proclaimed "reasonably libertarian" Hafiz Noor Shams.

Siapa Mudah Lupa?

I learned a new thing today. I now understand why Dr M is vehemently against Najib Razak.

Some of you may remember that in a previous post, I wondered aloud, "Dr M clearly has an agenda, be it for nationalistic reasons (he is in his 90s after all), or to achieve a personal vendetta (you'd think he'd have mellowed by now)."

I think I have my answer: it's a bit of nationalism but also a healthy dose of personal vendetta.

While the rest of us were blithely getting on with life, it turns out that back in May 2016, Putrajaya withdrew Mahathir’s police outrider service, in vengeance for his attendance of the anti-government demonstrations.

A few months later, they also ended the contracts of Dr M’s cook and office assistant.

And now it looks like they have even withdrawn his special police protection.

Now I can see how this might deter a lesser man. But Dr M is a fighter, and his charisma attracts loyal followers who take up his cause. Najib does not quite have the same mettle, and this is where he loses the battle.

Dr M himself, was highly vindictive during his youth, especially in his dealings with Tunku Abdul Rahman. He was formidable in his taking down of Anwar Ibrahim, imprisoning him for sodomy. He was brutal towards those who opposed him politically.

I have not forgotten. Dr M may say, "Melayu mudah lupa," but I am not easily duped into warming up to him.

Justice Pao: The use of ISA to detain Tan Ka Kheng - who was trying to fight against the Bukit Merah Rare Earth plant (ARE), Bakun dam, etc, to protect the people of Malaysia - by Mahathir shows that the law has been misused by BN.

This liar of a PM has been blatantly using ISA to remove anyone who stood against him so that he can protect his children and his cronies, who have been pilfering the Treasury.

Yet he has the cheek to say that ISA is good for the country.

Clearly others remember his shenanigans as well, and note that he didn't always have the citizens' interests at heart.

Ferdtan: Thank you Malaysiakini for choosing professor Tan Ka Kheng to interview in 'ISA Focus'. He is a much lesser known ISA detainee nabbed under Operasi Lalang in 1987.

It is heartwarming to know there are people like Tan who unselfishly gave up his time and liberty to stand with the common folks against the tyrannical government then under Mahathir.

The beauty of the whole article is that Tan remains steadfastly resolved after many years had passed to continue the struggle, this time with the Stop Lynas Save Malaysia (SMSL) group.

I agree. In fact, Tan Ka Kheng did the same thing that Wong Tack of the Himpunan Hijau group did, by protesting the harmful industry that our nation was about to accept in exchange for a higher GDP.

Though Wong also embarked on a long walk from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur in his attempt to raise awareness and garner much needed publicity for his cause. Given what had happened to Tan Ka Kheng, it was highly risky for Wong Tack to do the same. Under a different Prime Minister, Wong Tack could have been arrested under the ISA and put away for some time.

Notwithstanding that he had also vowed to block Kuantan port if that rare-earth crap ever came in. Now there's a man who sacrifices his all. As I have always said, this man is a hero.

So then you have Najib crowing about the lack of ISA arrests under his administration:

He contrasted his government’s approach to dealing with political detractors during the administration of the fourth prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had made an about-turn by allying himself with DAP leaders he had previously detained under the ISA, notably the father-and-son duo Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng.

“They even went to jail. Kit Siang went to jail, Karpal went to jail, Guan Eng went to jail, under ISA. They said this Mahathir is a dictator. Biggest dictator.

“I want to ask you, ladies and gentlemen. How many people have I put under ISA? How many? Zero!” Najib said to thunderous applause.

Except that Najib just replaced the ISA with the Peaceful Assembly Bill. No points there for Najib, kleptocratic or not.

Nice try.

Valuing Freedom And Civil Liberties

Malaysia is beginning to look bad.

Of course, some may refute my statement and say that it's always looked bad in the eyes of the world. But you've got to remember that human beings have short memories and in politics, things change in the blink of an eye.

As an example, Madey has been speaking out against the internet block on The Malaysian Insider, to the extent of comparing it to North Korea.

I totally support his views, but it has not escaped my attention that he was the one who began the decline of our civil liberties. It is notorious behaviour for someone who was alleged to have left the political stage over 12 years ago.

I find it particularly amusing because you and I both know that he still holds political sway and his views will not get him arrested or roughed up.

And yet, he's not the only one. Good ole Fahmi Reza has been making headlines again for his portrayal or Najib as a clown, not just in Malaysia or on Facebook, but on Slate, which is a somewhat progressive, left-wing American magazine.

I can understand why Slate is intrigued. America is not without its own issues.

For a country that waxes lyrical about freedom, authoritarianism is becoming vogue in America. A great deal of that explains why Donald Trump, who no normal person should take seriously (even if he, on a rare occasion, makes good points) as a person, is so popular.

Politico says:

Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.

I am surprised that the West; people who claim to be civilised and democratic, are turning away from the values that they once held dear.

They are adopting a barbaric way of life, which we assumed they had shed a century ago. Who would have thought the KKK are alive and strong today - and in modern California, of all places?

It is becoming starkly obvious that the American economy and civilisation is at the end of its cycle. Some new superpower will assume the mantle. People predict it will be China, but who knows for sure?

But it's startling for me to witness these changes and see how Malaysians are beginning to value their freedoms and rights, while Americans are beginning to exchange them for security and what they perceive to be a better quality of life.

It's startling, but as a Malaysian, it's also exciting.

The Dictatorship (aka NSC) Bill

Unless you're saddled with a hyper-active toddler and a newborn baby and have thus been too pre-occupied to take notice of political happenings, then you may have heard of the National Security Council Bill that the UMNO government has bulldozed through Parliament.

It's a ridiculous piece of legislation.

I am amazed by the amount of power given to the Prime Minister to declare an effective ‘state of emergency’ in what is known/defined as a ‘security area’.

Not to mention the almost limitless power given to security forces, coupled with provisions for the Prime Minister and his favoured minions to acts as dictators in Malaysia.

I think most people are aware that the only reason why this legislation is implemented is to provide its leaders with unsurpassed power to control the country and silence any form of dissent.

This goes hand-in-hand with the "Peaceful Assembly Act" of 2011, which was touted as being "in line with similar laws in the European countries which respect democracy".

What amuses me the most is that Europeans have been relieved of their rights; why we would allow ourselves to sink to those depths is beyond me.

Self-respecting Malaysians protested, of course, but it did nothing to withdraw or rescind that Bill.

That would probably explain why Malaysians have not vehemently protested this NSC Bill.

But it bears keeping in mind; at some point the government will use it against us to keep us subservient to their wishes.

Related: NSC bill will change country forever, says civil activist

Cracking Down On Dissent, The BN Way.

The disappearance of the MH370 showed how petty and shallow foreign mainstream media could be.

From America's CNN to the UK's Daily Mail, the portrayal of Malaysia was that it consisted mainly of bumbling incompetents. Perhaps MAS and the DCA could have been more forthcoming but this was an unprecedented situation and no one was prepared.

So I find nothing to be ashamed of Malaysia for that.

But what does embarrass me about Malaysia, is the way the BN government cracks down on dissent.

“The Malaysian government has revealed itself as petty, vindictive, and brittle when thrust into the limelight on the eve of important state visits. Going after activists, journalists, and opposition leaders are not the actions of a confident government committed to promoting respect for human rights, and visiting leaders need to say so.”

- John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch

The visiting leaders in question are United States President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among others.

Now I confess I don't know much about Japan. But the USA is not in a position to preach because its human rights record when it comes to African Americans leaves much to be desired.

So visiting leaders might have reason to keep their mouths firmly shut.

However, we Malaysians don't need to be silent. And thousands did not remain cowed. My respect to those of you who went out and protested during BERSIH 4.

My respect to Zunar who has fearlessly drawn cartoons that so uncannily depict the situation in Malaysia.

My respect to Adam Adli who faithfully pushes on for political reform.

My respect to Haris Ibrahim who is being tried for words he purportedly uttered at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in May 2013.

My respect to law professor Azmi Sharom who moved to challenge the constitutionality of the Sedition Act 1948, which was enacted even before independence. The Federal Court dismissed it on the 6th of October.

And I never thought I would say it, but despite my reservations over Mahathir, I am pleased that he is speaking out. Read what Zaid Ibrahim has to say about the harassment of Tun M.

But more importantly, support the political activists who risk their well-being to fight for your freedom.

P.S. Who is Khalid Ismath and why was he under solitary confinement?

Wear Black Today!

Last Friday, many major cities around the world organised their May Day protests and executed it.

Kuala Lumpur is no stranger to protests, even despite the consequences.

And yet, thousands braved the warnings; 29 people were arrested and many political leaders were summoned by the police for questioning.

The BN government must be deluded to think that heavy-handedness is going to work. If anything, it strengthens people's resolve and breeds more discontent with the government.

As the political analysts quoted by Malaysian Insider say, "Although the rally will unlikely change Putrajaya’s decision on GST, anger over rising inflation could snowball and threaten the ruling Barisan Nasional in the next general election."

And today, the 5th of May marks two years since the last elections, where Pakatan Rakyat had, in reality, won the majority of the votes.

However, very dirty gerrymandering ensured that despite being rejected by the people, Barisan Nasional managed to bulldoze its way into Putrajaya yet again.

In commemoration, Bersih 2.0 has called upon citizens to wear black.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections 2.0 (Bersih 2.0) launches “Ops Hitam 505” (Operation Black 505) on May 5, 2015 (Tuesday), the second anniversary of Najib Razak being retained in power as a minority government by the Election Commission despite the rejection of 53% of electorate.

We appeal to all Malaysians to wear black or to put on black ribbons or cloths on their vehicles, buildings or personal belongings on May 5, 2015, as a sign of rejection of the arrogant provocation by the Najib Minority Government in the arrest, detention and harassment of the leaders and participants of the May Day rallies in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.

To repression, the Rakyat must reply with resistance. Otherwise, the Rakyat will have tougher days to come under the tyranny of the Najib Minority Government, the Police and the EC.

“Ops Hitam 505”, other than being a sign of solidarity with the victims of Police’s witchhunt, is also representing three demands of the Rakyat:

(a) Repeal of GST;

(b) Elimination of all frauds and manipulation especially malapportionment and gerrymandering in constituency redelineation in Sarawak, Sabah and the Peninsula so that there will be no more minority governments;

(c) Establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to end abuse and politicizing of police power.

We hope all Malaysians will show a sea of black in every corner of Malaysia, especially Permatang Pauh and Rompin, where the voters can make their stand with ballot papers, to reject GST, dirty elections and police state.

Wear black today!

Why Is Everything About Race?

I just had to post this piece by Scott Ng because what he said resonated so strongly with me.

When I lived in Malaysia, I always felt the pressure to think like my race, when most of the time, I had differing feelings and opinions about a particular matter.

Read about how Scott had his race, culture and heritage questioned over some of his unconventional views on Singapore.

I Will Speak Out!

First they came for the Politicians and the Activists and I did not speak out, because I was not a politician or an activist.

Then they came for the Lawyers, and I did not speak out, because I was not a lawyer.

Then they came for the Journalists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a journalist.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

Reworded from Martin Niemöller's First They Came poem.

Civil Obedience

In tribute to Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010).

Howard Zinn is simply an amazing man. I've never met him personally, but I've read his books and absorbed his ideas.

If you've never heard of him before, here is a brief biography of him from Wikipedia that sums up the kind of man that he was:

In 1964, Zinn accepted a position at Boston University, after writing two books and participating in the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

His classes in civil liberties were among the most popular at the university with as many as 400 students subscribing each semester to the non-required class. A professor of political science, he taught at BU for 24 years and retired in 1988 at age 64.

"He had a deep sense of fairness and justice for the underdog. But he always kept his sense of humor. He was a happy warrior," said Caryl Rivers, journalism professor at Boston University.

Rivers and Zinn were among a group of faculty members who in 1979 defended the right of the school's clerical workers to strike and were threatened with dismissal after refusing to cross a picket line.

No one could bully Zinn. He had a mind of his own and he used it to inspire progressive young minds.

He saw laws for what they were. He understood that they could be manipulated. He knew that constitutional law -- and freedom of speech, in particular -- was and is a very difficult, ambiguous, troubled concept.

He exhorted his fellow human beings not to be limited and paralyzed by them. And he spoke out against civil obedience, the act of merely bowing to authority without questioning if it was wrong or right.

Excerpts from The Problem is Civil Obedience:

And our topic is topsy-turvy: civil disobedience. As soon as you say the topic is civil disobedience, you are saying our problem is civil disobedience. That is not our problem.... Our problem is civil obedience.

Our problem is the numbers of people all over the world who have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience. And our problem is that scene in All Quiet on the Western Front where the schoolboys march off dutifully in a line to war.

Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world, in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war and cruelty.

Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem.

We recognize this for Nazi Germany. We know that the problem there was obedience, that the people obeyed Hitler. People obeyed; that was wrong. They should have challenged, and they should have resisted; and if we were only there, we would have showed them.

Even in Stalin's Russia we can understand that; people are obedient, all these herd-like people.

My countrymen: do not be cowed, or fooled or intimidated by the force of power and authority. Stand up and be counted.

He Had A Dream

"Don't Be Soft"

Old Nyanyuk may have left his once lofty position as a Premier a while back.

But dictating terms to "lesser mortals" is what he considers a personal calling, therefore he is still at it:

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad has urged the government to no longer be soft towards the opposition who continue to insult the nation's democratic system.

"We need to be a bit tough and not give them face," he told reporters after attending a dinner in conjunction with Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) 2013 here today.

He said the opposition who wanted to recognise the people's choice changed overnight when they failed to get majority support in the 13th general election (GE13).

"Initially, they wanted to recognise the people's choice but now they want to topple the government. They reject the democratic system and opt for street demonstration."

Read this, folks, and be outraged.

We don't need a low IQ politician telling us what or what not to think. Freaking thugs-with-fancy-self-ascribed-titles that they are.

Malaysian charged with sedition, 3 more arrested

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian authorities detained three anti-government figures, charged a student activist with sedition and seized hundreds of opposition newspapers Thursday, raising political tensions after recent national elections triggered claims of fraud.

Opposition activists have staged numerous peaceful demonstrations since the May 5 general elections, which the National Front coalition won with a weakened parliamentary majority. The activists insist the coalition, which has governed since 1957, retained power through bogus ballots and other irregularities, though Prime Minister Najib Razak and electoral authorities deny manipulating the results.

The latest arrests involve Tian Chua, a senior official in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's People's Justice Party; Haris Ibrahim, a rights activist who leads an anti-government group; and Tamrin Ghafar, an opposition party member. The men had criticized the National Front at a recent political gathering.

The three were arrested separately and taken to a police station where lawyers were informed they were under investigation for sedition and would be held overnight.

The Prime Minister's office issued a statement saying the men were detained "after the police received numerous reports against the defendants by members of the public."

"In such circumstances the police are required to investigate and are following due and proper process," the statement said, adding that the men would face "fair and open court proceedings" if charged.

After his arrest, Chua tweeted that Malaysians should not allow themselves to be "overtaken by fear (but should) continue to assemble peacefully and have faith."

Their arrests occurred hours after prosecutors charged student Adam Adli, 24, with making seditious statements that included calling for people to "go down to the streets to seize back our power" while addressing a political forum. He pleaded innocent at a Kuala Lumpur district court Thursday and was released on bail ahead of a hearing July 2.

Sedition as defined by Malaysian law includes promoting hatred against the government.

Rights activists have long criticized Malaysia's anti-sedition law as a tool to curb democratic dissent. Najib said last year the government planned to eventually abolish the Sedition Act, which was introduced in 1949 during British colonial rule, and replace it with new laws that would strike a better balance between allowing freedom of speech and ensuring public stability.

Adam, who was arrested last weekend, faces three years in prison and a fine if convicted.

Hundreds of people demonstrated peacefully in recent days against Adam's arrest. Adam became publicly known in 2011 when he brought down a flag bearing Najib's portrait at the ruling party's headquarters during a demonstration. He was subsequently suspended for three semesters from his teaching course at a Malaysian state-backed university.

Separately Thursday, the Home Ministry said it had seized more than 2,500 copies of newspapers published by opposition parties from stores nationwide since Wednesday. The government-issued publication licenses for those newspapers specifies they should be distributed among party members only and were not for retail sales, the ministry said in a statement.

******

http://news.yahoo.com/malaysian-charged-sedition-3-more-arrested-082110169.html

Where To Congregate Before Heading To Stadium Merdeka

Seven marches to Stadium Merdeka planned

4:51PM Jan 10, 2013

Organisers of the People's Uprising Rally are calling on participants to join seven processions towards Stadium Merdeka before the Saturday rally officially gets underway.

According to the latest instructions by rally organisers, the seven rally points for the procession and the respective leaders of the processions are as follows:

Universiti Malaya mosque 
Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR)
Ng Suee Lim (DAP)
Adam Adli (Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia)

Brickfields 
Maria Chin Abdullah (Bersih 2.0)
S Arutchelvan (PSM)
Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque @ Zunar (cartoonist)
M Kulasegaran (DAP)

KLCC 
Husam Musa (PAS)
Teo Kok Seong (DAP)
Mazlan Aliman (Anak, PAS)

Jalan Sultan 
Ishak Surin (Muafakat)
Tan Kok Wai (DAP)
Wong Tack (Himpunan Hijau)

Central Market 
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAS)
Teresa Kok (DAP)
Elizabeth Wong (PKR)

Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Baru 
Badrul Hisham Shaharin @ Chegubard (Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia)

Masjid Negara 
Azmin Ali (PKR)
Muhajid Yusof Rawa (PAS)
Khalid Samad (PAS)

According to political activist Hishamuddin Rais, who is on the organising committee, the announcement of designated procession leaders was requested by the police.
He told Malaysiakini that the organisers will also be heeding a police request not to march from Dataran Merdeka.
Hishamuddin (far right) also announced that organisers strongly discourage the use of private vehicles by rally participants and urged them to use public transport to reach the rally points.

He said those setting up stalls to cater for the participants are only allowed to operate at the Maharajalela monorail station, the vicinity of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and the Hang Tuah LRT station.

Once the stadium reaches saturation point, late-comers are required to sit outside the stadium.

He also urged all participants to behave appropriately during the rally.

"This is a peaceful assembly. Please avoid all forms of provocation. Don't create chaos," he said. 

Seeing The Light

I've always fancied myself as being somewhat quick on the uptake.

But even the smartest of us, miss things that in hindsight are blatantly obvious. Sometimes, it is because we are unwilling to accept reality. We deliberately blind ourselves to the truth.

Seeing the light can be a relief, though at times, it can even be painful.

I have seen the light. It has been rough, but I have seen it. Perhaps overdue, but I have finally been enlightened.

Others, on various issues of their own, are still struggling.

Do not let those who seek to deceive you succeed. Do not give them the opportunity to ensnare your mind any further.

Be open to the truth.

Forget about the physical achievements and think about that which is spiritual.

Why would you glorify first rate infrastructure when you are bogged down by third world mentality?

We are capable of so much more.

There is a brave new world waiting for Malaysians but it is not in hanging on to the past and the present political leaders whose performance despite the fresh slogans, are banal at best, and who have yet to learn that slogans, spin and lies do not make a nation, least of all a great one.

- Steve Oh -

Amen to that, Steve.

Good Job On The Internet Blackout

The American SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) was marketed by the American politicians to sound like it was doing the public a favour -- stopping pirates (think one-eye-patched robbers of the seven seas) from their online activities.

After all, it was Hollywood and some of the big music labels who were affected by the user-to-user sharing. Such a travesty of human rights. Not.

It wasn't the end of free distribution of copyright material that most people objected to.

It was the way the government was trying to nail potential wrong-doers down. Anyone could have been a suspect based on various degrees of involvement.

Very much like Section 114A which we protested yesterday.

The SOPA was shelved, in spite of the subtle way it was portrayed. Americans, God bless their souls, could spot the potentially nefarious invasion of privacy.

But I think we made our opinions public yesterday, given that CNET and Global Voices Online have picked it up.

I don't particularly want to know much about what the PM Najib thinks or says, but there was this nauseatingly "concerned" message saying that he had "asked the Cabinet to discuss Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950 ...."

Well.

I'm trying to look past the posturing but it's hard to say what will transpire. But at least we have made our stand, and for that, I am proud to be Malaysian.

Withdraw Disciplinary Charges Against Adam Adli

To:
PROFESOR DR. ZAKARIA BIN KASA
Naib Canselor UPSI
Pejabat Naib Canselor
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak

Tel : +605-4506777 / +605-450 6380
Faks : +605-4582773
Email : ncupsi@upsi.edu.my

Withdraw Disciplinary Charges Against Adam Adli Abdul Halim Immediately

Malaysians oppose the action of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris authority on Adam Adli Abdul Halim as he was merely practising his right to freedom of expression by lowering Najib’s flag on 23rd December 2011.

2. We strongly feel that the disciplinary charge should be withdrawn because:

a) Adam Adli Abdul Halim was exercising his right to freedom of expression which is guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and Article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
b) He has not endangered public order as alleged by UPSI’s disciplinary body -- if so, Royal Police Malaysia is the body to take action -- but he has not broken any law in the country.
c) The disciplinary action against university autonomy and democracy which was allowed by Section 4, 15 and 16 of University and University College Act. UPSI has utterly disgraced itself, by toeing the government line and choosing to persecute Adam.

3. We urge UPSI authorities to:

a) Withdraw all pending disciplinary charges against Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
b) Preserve freedom of expression and academics of students as universities play a central role in the development of humanity and modern society.

Yours faithfully,

Crankshaft and like-minded readers

The Peaceful Assembly at KLCC

An excerpt from The Malaysian Insider:

Today, Wong was told that he needed the permission from KLCC’s management to gather in the park.

But he told reporters later that they will continue to hold protests every Saturday at KLCC until the law is revoked.

The Peaceful Assembly Bill, which bans street demonstrations, was passed on November 29 on BN votes after the opposition Pakatan Rakyat bloc staged a walkout.

“We must have a parliamentary select committee before the Peaceful Assembly Bill becomes law, we want public consultation. All of us want to give our views in a real democracy,” Lim said to the crowd.

The controversial law bans all street protests, imposes far stricter requirements on rally organisers as well as higher fines for more offences and gives blanket powers to the police.

Today, Wong brushed aside any suspicion over the coincidence that the main area between KLCC and the park was closed to the public for cleaning, on both days.

“We are very heartened that for two weeks in a row they have shown their support for us with actions. That counts a lot. They are spreading the awareness of being clean,” he said cheekily.

“We are defying the law because it is unjust, it is unreasonable, it is an insult to our intelligence and common sense and we want to show how ridiculous it is when a security guard says you need to apply for permit before you can read and listen to someone reading poems.

“If the law is passed, we will do it again. We want to get the state to arrest us and charge us in court for holding balloons, for carrying flags, for singing the national anthem without permit, without notifying the police 10 days in advance. The law needs to go, kill the bill,” he said.

The Guardian On Malaysia's "Arab Spring"

Malaysia's ruling party has accused the opposition of trying to topple the government by manufacturing its own version of an Arab spring uprising through street protests.

The criticism comes a day after the parliament's lower house passed a law banning street demonstrations and imposing other restrictions on rallies that rights groups have described as a threat to freedom of assembly.

Read the rest at: Malaysia's government accuses opposition of fomenting 'Arab spring'

The Memorial Service

THE MALAYSIAN PARLIAMENT

1957-2011

Age: 54

The Malaysian Parliament passed away on Tuesday, 29 November 2011, at about 4.00pm at its historical home on Jalan Parlimen during the passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011.

The Parliament leaves behind 28 million heartbroken Malaysians, including the Fisherman, the Postal Worker, the Nasi Lemak Mak Cik, the Kindergarten Teacher, the Retired Old Man, the Teenage Boy, the Unemployed Fresh Graduate and many others of who looked to it as a place where their voices could be heard.

A memorial service for Parliament will be held on 1 December 2011 at 8.00pm just outside its home with a non-religious wake open to all who keenly feel its loss.

We encourage all Malaysians to attend this memorial service to mourn the passing of the Malaysian Parliament. There will be an open session for anyone to read eulogies/sing a song/read a poem in remembrance of the deceased.

Messages of condolences can also be written at this page below.

Your presence in this time of sorrow is much appreciated.

Please observe the following:

-Bring candles and white flowers

-Bring pots, pans, drums or anything that can be part of the STOMP percussion session

-Wear black