Listening to the government broadcasting channels the predictable storyline came true. The word 'haram' or illegal was being repeated so many times to hammer in the message to the kampung folks watching the local broadcast that the action taken by the police, tear gas, water cannon, more than over 1,000 arrests were justified.
The interview with business people around the area and the supposedly billions of ringgit lost were replayed to give the impression our traders are really a rich lot. If the claim of billions of ringgit is lost by petty traders in the route as well as some shopping malls must surely be telling our businesses makes a very very lot of money no? The taxman should be visiting them if they claim to have lost millions in a day right? But there was really no need to lockdown the shopping mall was there or half of Kuala Lumpur for that matter, no?
Listening to the local news, the rally was haram, the demonstrators were haram and even the parents bringing their children with them were also admonished by the police. But is there anything new in demonstrations the world over that children do join in? If BolehLand politicians are going to make a big issue of children involving in marches, they should chide the Palestinians from involving their children in rock throwing demonstrations against the mighty David army huh?
Al-Jazeera and BBC gave more balanced account. Looking at our local news readers, we must really sympathise with them. Do they really believe what they read? It's like in the Arab Sprint, the government readers were spewing government propaganda and when the government was replaced, the same readers were reading anti previous government propaganda!!! As they say our tv stations and reporters are all 'cari makan' professionals and standard, no? None will dare to mention excessive use of force right?
So depending on which colour and side you are supporting, the number games for marches will be disputed. The police said 6,000 or so and if 1,400 were so arrested, the pictures being posted by marchers tell a very different story. Whose number is believable will be debated for weeks to come.
In the age of social media plus those who attended, numbers do have their significant. Friends who participated together with the other thousands some even said 10,000 or more. Expect these marches to be already blogging and recording their experience and posting images and video clips recorded on their cell in the social media network, FB, foursquare and blogs. Was watching a fren's posting and it showed angry voices of the police, shouting the type of behaviour we encounter with the police. And as social media community are rather gregarious they would have captured the hearts and sympathy of their friends in supporting the cause seeing the action of the authorities, tear gas, marchers running and manhandling of those caught.
Thee is a difference between those who have attended and earned the admiration and respect of people listening to them than those like yours truly who could have attended but were yellow chicken or due to their locality made it impossible to participate. The ones who attended and shared are most likely to gain symphatisers and supports convincingly than those who were not there. So anti Bersih or pro government groups will find it pretty difficult to state their case especially Perkasa Ibrahim Ali that the march was a total failure and the government has won as they belasah the illegal marches and demonstrations 'kau kau' as is the impression given by the government and MSMedia reporting.
And the ceaseless mention of the name Bersih in the TV stations may have a reverse effect on listeners. Though the government try to spin a negative connection and connotation of Bersih, the people have heard of Bersih now and at a later stage, those involved will be able to tell their version of what their movement is all about without having to give a background... thanks to the BN spin machine, more BolehLand folks know what Bersih is about.
To the government, BN, it is about an illegal march, not that their cause is invalid or irrelevant. To others, it is about regaining back what the Constitution allows if only those who hold the weapons choose to allow that option, one of which is freedom of assembly and the other of association. Bersih's agenda is already well known.
It was comical to hear the IGP, who many sighed a great relief when he took over from the previous one deemed anti people and pro government plus lacking in maturity, fairness and intelligence, sounded like a twin of the ex IGP. To say that demonstrations is not BolehLand's way is to not know one's history. Or telling us that whatever is pro government does not constitute haram demonstrations but halal ones, while those supposedly apolitical and opposition led are haram ones huh?
Those who attended and were in Tung Shin reported tear gas being fired inside the hospital compound. The IGP said where got? Police brutality? 'file police report lah' was the response. Given the way the answers were given at the post event press conference from the IGP, it is now telling the kind of IGP that he is going to be, no?
There is no denying that the marchers were a mixed group, not race based, nothing anti government, nothing religious and if twitters are believable they even picked up the rubbish. So in days to come, the government is going to spin and make demons of the marches and will claim it is about arms overthrow, threatened the King, the economy of the nation, driving away investors (which should be discounted because 1Malaysia has proudly proclaimed investors especially Middle East Abu Dubai fellos are pouring billions into BolehLand come what may right?) and dividing the people?
If people have different views, why should the nation be divided? Unless we are told to live in a feudal and ala North Korean state where thought control only allows for one type of thinking and behaviour akin to all hail the great leader and first lady and treat them like some demi god with threat of punishment if one opposes and deviation from this brainwashing will be branded treason and seditious.
BolehLand fellows must really dismiss the notion that the security of the nation is being threatened by peaceful marchers? The government has already showed so much of its firepower and in the last few weeks reminded BolehLand citizens that there are three line of defence, five actually, to defend the nation, viz BN government to be precise.
The well known police which seems to be the security arm of the ruling government, the army and the third the million over silat martial arts group. Having learnt kung fu before, my sifu always stresses the esoteric, healthy and self development including spiritual and love for others side of the marital art. One isn't sure what type of silat martial art is being taught and if this art is synonymous to the Malay art of self defence which is confrontational than self defence,it gives a very bad name to the race to preach a confrontational 'fight, fight, fight,' kill, kill, kill, kind of martial arts, yes? If this is true, we have many potential silat 'killers' in our midst no? Parents must be very worried sending their kids to learn silat in schools as their kids will turn on them if the kids see their parents as having opposing views and threatening the kids' freedom, huh?
Not so long, we were told of about 1 million youths being urged by 1Malaysia as another line of defence specifically to defend Putrajaya, those school going kids who can't vote are asked to sacrifice their lives instead huh? Then each year we are also told of the growing millions membership of UMNO and BN who are also ready to fight fight fight. With so many defenders, BolehLand is certainly a safe safe safe safe safe place and external invades be warned right?
But if such defences, silat proponents, party members and youths are used to whack and fight with their own kind those who do not share or easily brainwashed, then something is very very wrong with our leaders for asking these defenders to wallop and fight their own people!
In history, when a person or group defy against gargantuan odds, these underdogs are often regarded as having succeeded and won the battle. David over Goliath and even if it ended in death like the Spartans or General Custer or in modern times the Arab spring and even the Palestinians over mighty star of David's military hardware or the malevolent kind of battle of terrorists over the most powerful nation.
In such historical context, the marchers today have scored a 'moral' victory with the phalanx of perhaps 6,000 armed personnel and constant badgering, intimidation and harassment from the government propaganda machine, even the contradictions of not using places of worship for protests the 'sermons' were political in nature and of course the police roadblocks and arrests.
Whether their demands for electoral reforms will be met will be a harder one to claim victory, simply because the EC fellos are kotor and it's unfair to blame them as they all cari makan and you don't bite the hand that feed you do you, even if you are willing to whack the hand that paid taxes for you to feed the EC to do your bidding, huh?
Today, the lesson for BolehLand is that its citizens can come together united by a common cause and a healthy ones. The dangerous ones are those that are based on race or religion who wish to pit against another race or religion Sadly the latter is the one being encouraged than one that people of all walks of life, belief or status are brave enough to join in. Seeing the youths in the march is also a new trend and we hope the youths will play an active part in nation building and not be swayed easily by any political groups but decide on who they wish to support after being open to listen to both sides.
Let us hope today's brave people efforts will not go to nought. Let us hope there are those in the police force who are not robots and will truly be able to see the hypocrisies and contradictions and treatment towards different group and not be blind to follow their masters if inside them they have a heart to know that they are not doing the right thing - excessive force and double standard enforcement.
The march has shown that the pro government groups will not participate because they know the police will do their 'dirty' work to oppose any groups that are anti government. If UMNO youth believed in the cause and against it because of the opposition agenda, they could have marched in the thousands on another day right? Why choose the same day even if it is an opposition agenda, the issue is still for a clean and fair election process, right?
The hype, the spin & aftermath of July 9 can only affect each of us if we are willing to participate in how BolehLand is being governed and how the liberties of the people are safeguarded. If we just complain about inconveniencing our Saturday shopping or traffic jams as youths in FB against the march are against it because they can't go out and enjoy. Let us hope these youths will remember they can still go out and enjoy without their civil liberties threatened because today there were thousands willing to sacrifice their own civil liberties so that the selfish ones are able to enjoy them, right?
To the government and police, shame on you for using excessive force. To the marchers even the Patriot we applaud you for believing in your cause and didn't resort to violence. - YAHMEH!!!
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