Malaysian Guest an “embarrassment” for British Prime Minister
July 15, 2011
Malaysian Guest an “embarrassment” for British Prime Minister David Cameron
By Clare Rewcastle Brown
The Reasons for the “Embarrassment”
The British Police refused to indulge the Najib government’s demand that they ban Bersih-linked protests in London during the Malaysian premier’s visit.
LONDON: The massive Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur has made Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak an embarrassing guest for the British premier and the Queen this week.
Their respective briefing teams have made both, PM David Cameron and the Queen, well aware of the issue – that Barisan Nasional has been in power for over 50 years, achieving their current status as one of the world’s longest-lasting regimes.
They have also been told that the people who have been criticising the BN regime have ended up being beaten in the streets and locked in jail without charge under the so-called Emergency Ordinance and are without access to their lawyers.
They were also told that in Malaysia people are hauled into detention and treated like “enemies of the state” for wearing the colour yellow and for politely requesting an end to electoral corruption.
It was bad enough having Rupert Murdoch turn up in the middle of the biggest scandal in years over media corruption but entertaining Najib must have been even more uncomfortable for Cameron and the Queen.
Malaysian sympathisers in London have not made it any easier for Najib.Throughout the week Najib’s British hosts have been constantly reminded of the real nature of their guest. “Flash demos” by demonstrators have sprung outside his various key engagements.
These hardcore demonstrators weren’t going to go away easily and infuriatingly for BN, the
British police were less pliant and refused to do anything to budge the demonstrators.
In fact, the local Westminster police acknowledged to the demonstrators that they are constantly pestered by the Malaysian High Commission, who have been asking for information about the locations of the protests and details of the organisers.
Najib’s administration have also tried to demand that the British Police ban the protests from taking place.But the UK is a free country and the police have politely told Najib’s people that they are not prepared to harrass citizens or remove their freedom of expression in order to spare the blushes of a visiting “dignatory”.
Clare Rewcastle Brown is the founder/editor of Sarawak Report
your highness, haiya you …why in YELLOW ah !? too much lah , you !
iwc - July 15, 2011 at 9:16 pm
The room where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib was decorated with yellow flowers( yellow roses?). Yes, one would expect Her Majesty not to be fully briefed on what happened in Kuala Lumpur on July 9, and then shown photographs and videos of Police brutality.
There was also no red carpet welcome for our Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace. Pro-Bersih Malaysians stalked the Prime Minister at No 10 Downing Street, and Mansion House, and also our High Commission at 45 Belgrave Square, Westminster, London. This trip to the United Kingdom is a public relations disaster for Najib and FLOM Rosmah.
Now how will Najib be received by His Holiness Pope Benedict at the Vatican. Let us hope the Pope will advise him to treat his people, not just Christians, well. Like Her Majesty The Queen, His Holiness would have received a good briefing on the recent developments in Malaysia by Vatican officials. I wonder why Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Pakiam SJ, chose to accompany Najib?
Gobala - July 15, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Because he is the Pope’s representative in Malaysia. That should be obvious.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Let’s pray that the Vatican is well informed about the political situation in Malaysia.
Ag - July 15, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Queen : How do you like my dress Mr Prime Minister?
Najib : Oh you look very bersih in it your majesty!
Jojuna - July 15, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Yes. Just look at the videos of 709 over and over again. The trigger happy polis dera rakyat Malaysia (pdrm).
eiz_soil - July 15, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Hmm.., why all this fixation on what the Pope is gonna do, wear and say?
It’s to be noted that the Pope is in his holiday villa at Castel Gandolfo, where FLOM meets up for a mere 10mins.
The Pope sends a message by the amount of time spent with a visitor – too short means that you’re dismissed and of no consequence, exactly 10 mins means you have been given ‘face’ and anything longer means a tongue lashing. The Pope doesn’t wear anything Yellow, except maybe his shoes..
My feeling is that the Pontiff will approach the subject obliquely in Latin: “Audi, vide, tace!” or “Hear, see, be silent”! But then Jibbo is so dense, that he thinks it’s better to remonstrate. HH may then have to whack him on the head with the Pastoral Staff to shut him up! Too bad.., cuz the staff is topped by a 13th century crucifix, which FLOM’s so-called adviser, ‘Harridan’ Kaur considers ‘haram’ during the last X’mas tea party with A/Bishop Murphy. But then again, ’tis is but a fable..
C.L.Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 11:19 pm
If Najib appears in my neck of the woods then Semper and I will pelt him with as many rotten eggs as we could get our hands on. That would make for a nice photo shoot.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Then Semper will run ahead of him and pull his (Semper’s) pants down.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 11:53 pm
Can’t do that Mongkut Bean. Remember the Big Strong and Friendly Deputy Chief of Police in KL. Afraid he will “stand strongly behind” me.
No rotten eggs here, only farm fresh eggs. So have to get a toy water blaster and laced it with yellow dye. The blasters have a range of well over 100 feet enough distance to get to target. Will wait in ambush in front of Consulate General in NYC or in front of Jacobs & Co.
semper fi - July 16, 2011 at 12:41 am
Queen ‘Bersih’ meets Najib
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle
Queen ‘Bersih’ meets Najib
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth greeted Prime Minister Najib Razak during an audience at Buckingham Palace in central London on Thurdsay. What could not be missed was the bright yellow dress worn by the British monarch, known for her subtlety and wit.
But amused or not, Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor bowed low before Her Majesty despite the unmistakable glare of the Bersih shade of yellow, which was outlawed in Malaysia with T-shirts and other paraphernalia connected to it declared illegal and punishable with imprisonment.
In the scandal sheets again over a gargantuan diamond ring said to be worth RM24.4mil (or about US$8mil), Rosmah made sure to keep her hands tightly clasped during the photo-shoot. But even so, she could not resist wearing a string of pearls the size of marbles.
However, it was not Rosmah’s jewellery or lavish spending that set tongues wagging. It was the yellow of Queen E’s dress that drew attention.
Even the flowers in the vase were yellow, and it is believed the Queen chose the colour to send a strong signal to Najib, who had ordered a harsh crackdown on a peaceful citizens march last Saturday.
The July 9 Bersih Walk for Democracy saw police shooting tear gas and chemicalized water directly into the crowds that thronged the streets of Kuala Lumpur, leaving thousands injured and one dead. More than 1,600 were arrested and several remain in remand without trial.
Calls to resign
Calls are mounting for Najib to step down but he has ignored these, galling his countrymen further with comments that underscore a growing arrogance and desperation to cling to power at all costs.
“It was quite mild because although they were taken in, they were released after eight hours and they were treated really well. There was no undue use of force and the demonstrators were dispersed using minimum force,” Najib told CNN.
The United Nations and Washington have earlier in the week issued separate statements rebuking the Malaysian crackdown.
“We are very concerned by the recent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators by the government in Malaysia ,” Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told AFP.
“We are alarmed at the targeting of individuals for championing the rights of Malaysian citizens to express their opinions and to peacefully assemble.”
At 10, Downing Street
Bersih is a coalition of 62 top NGOs and had organised the July 9 march to draw citizens’ support for free and fair elections. But Najib insists there is nothing wrong with the existing system and has blamed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for stirring up trouble.
Meanwhile, in London , Najib also met his British counterpart David Cameron for talks aimed at boosting bilateral relations.
Earlier, the Malaysian leader was met on arrival at at the UK Foreign and Commowealth Affairs Office by its Secretary of State William Hague, before walking a short distance to meet Cameron at 10, Downing Street .
In the Malaysian delegation was also Najib’s cousin, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
Hisham had outlawed Bersih in a bid to suppress its call for a cleanup of the country’s notoriously corrupt electoral system.
He also gave the green light for a string of arrests that have been described as a “binge of madness” by the Malaysian civil society. Anyone who wore yellow in the days running up to the Bersih rally was arrested on the spot.
Would Hisham arrest the Queen then?
- Malaysia Chronicle
rightways - July 16, 2011 at 1:15 am
Then you and I can go for some sushi
http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/prime-minister-najib-defend-bersih-2-0-clampdown/
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 1:43 am
Mongkut Bean,
That’s a date. Tell me when and I’ll be there with the bloghost in tow.
semper fi - July 16, 2011 at 2:07 am
I wonder if the advance team sent to the Vatican to recce the place and make the arrangements for the visit by the PM did ask the Vatican ppl to remove all signs of the crucifx so that TV3 won’t capture any when they do their photography of the visit?
Sentinel - July 16, 2011 at 2:21 am
I hope the Pope can knock some senses into Najib since the UMNO ulamaks didn’t do a good job at it.
didi - July 16, 2011 at 4:54 am
Semper,
Bloghost already got a U.S. visa and we’re waiting for him to make the announcement. Unlikely he will be able to make his way to an unsecure location.
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 5:04 am
It would be easier to get the Pope to join us for a nyotaimori.
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 5:05 am
I also guess the Pope will also wear yellow.
vsp - July 16, 2011 at 6:04 am
Semper, could you be in the business of distributing pictures of Najis bowing to Queen Bersih. Will sell like hot curry puffs in KL and maybe in Pahang too for the 3 million UMNO supporters. Special edition No. 1 T shirt reserved for Mr. Bullshit Hishamuddin Disgrace to Jaafar Onn
Cheers, Yellow is now International Color Code for Malaysia.
james - July 16, 2011 at 6:29 am
James,
Najib not bowing, just trying to get closer to hear the Queen say “we are not amused” with a stiff upper lip. Najib have to pretend he is hard of hearing because the Bersih 2.0 caused him to lose his hearing, too many people screaming too loudly.
Can’t make a sale to UMNO members, only to Moooideen supporters. UMNO members have been brainwashed that yellow is bad. Now even the hawkers can’t sell pulut kuning, kunyit, nangka kuning, durian kuning, and the Buddhist monks have to change the color of their robes lest they be mistaken for Bersih’s supporters.
semper fi - July 16, 2011 at 7:57 am
Semper fi,
If the Queen got the chance, she whack Najib with a club. If Margarat Thatcher who is currently very sick, would give Najib a tongue lashing. Iron Lady style. It’s payback time….Nah! Mahathir!
looes74 - July 16, 2011 at 9:23 am
Tongue lashing?? That’s the job for Sir Lancelot.
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 9:55 am
Prime Minister David Cameron should have worn YELLOW too lah.
arokiasamy - July 16, 2011 at 11:11 am
without the internet, chinese-paper readers never know the humor/sarcasm of her majesty in YELLOW !
iwc - July 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm
they should play ‘yellow’ by cold play?
malaun - July 20, 2011 at 11:34 pm