Dato’ Seri Najib Razak was forced to defend the clampdown on Saturday’s BERSIH2.0 rally when faced with reporters in London, saying that allowing the march to proceed would have resulted in protracted chaos in the country.
The New York Times reported that the Prime Minister told a small group of international reporters on Wednesday that “if we allow for street demonstrations, there’s no end to it, there will be another group that wants to demonstrate.”
“Public order is very important in Malaysia,” Najib (picture above with Her Majesty The Queen) said, adding that if protests are not controlled, “you will get a situation in which more and more of these street demonstrations will take place in Malaysia.”
The government has faced widespread criticism from the media, human rights groups and even the United States government following its outlawing of the July 9 march demanding free and fair elections.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at tens of thousands of demonstrators who poured into the city last weekend and arrested nearly 1,700 as scores were injured and the husband of a PKR division leader died in the ensuing chaos.
The Najib administration has embarked on a damage control exercise, sending UMNO secretary-general Dato’ Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor to Indonesia to explain its actions to the regional giant and also sent a letter in response to the Wall Street Journal’s stinging tone against Putrajaya’s reaction to BERSIH.
The electoral reform group had gone ahead with Saturday’s march despite the government ban and the lack of a police permit, insisting it had a constitutional right to voice its demands.
BERSIH had initially accepted Najib’s offer to move its street rally to a stadium but negotiations
broke down when the coalition of 62 NGOs insisted on the historic Stadium Merdeka despite being told by authorities to move its gathering outside of the capital.
“I was saddened by the fact that they didn’t accept the government’s offer. They still insisted on marching through the streets, because I think they wanted to get maximum publicity and secondly challenge authority in the hope that they can make this an issue,” the prime minister said in London.
He also defended the police, stating that they had used “minimum force, and there was no physical contact at all with the demonstrators,” saying that a maximum of 15,000 had turned up, contradicting both police and BERSIH estimates of 6,000 and 50,000 respectively.
Najib’s defence came after the Bar Council released a report on Tuesday claiming that police used tear gas and water cannons “arbitrarily, indiscriminately and excessively” while the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia has announced that it will hold an inquiry into police conduct during the rally.
The prime minister also said on Wednesday (July 13) that the government would clean up the electoral roll by implementing a biometric register of voter and “clarify” the postal ballot system.
However, despite stating that the government is committed to clean and fair elections, he passed the buck to the Election Commission on extending the period for election campaigning.
Dont be bloody condescending Najib. You are not fit to look after my chicken coon. You are there because of your race, and not because you have the intellect.
anakmalaysia - July 15, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Yeah, he defends Police brutality and suppression of fundamental rights of Malaysian citizens he swore before our King to defend and protect the constitution. What utter nonsense is he talking about.
Something must be wrong with this Bangsawan Prime Minister when he ignores reality and ridicules Malaysians who marched on July 9 to demand electoral reforms for free and fair elections, and showed no remorse of the death of a Malaysian at KLCC.
Gobala - July 15, 2011 at 12:29 pm
What can we possibly expect from a lying coward? He doesn’t even have the balls to own up to the accusations indicting him of murder most foul. When he opens his mouth, only lies come up.
I was there at the rally, and I saw it first hand how the peaceful marchers were brutally and violent attacked without any provocation. My friends who were hiding in Tung Shin Hospital were hit with chemical water cannon and tear gas, but of course, none of that happened according to the lying bastards of this evil regime.
barry - July 15, 2011 at 12:56 pm
See, even QEII supports BERSIH! Or was it a coincidence? Or was it a subtle hint to Najib to buzz off?!
_________
The Queen would have been sufficiently briefed by her Prime Minister and The Foreign Office before she granted an audience for Najib. The British are good at nuances, hints and nods.–Din Merican
Mo Halim - July 15, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Well this comes as no surprise. Of course he will defend the crackdown and whatever violations they did. In fact, I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t do that. Najib is so full of himself, so full of insincerity and so full of lies. I guess growing up and living with so many “tukang bodek” will do that to you.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Yes barry, I have a lot of friends and relatives who went to the rally too. They have video evidence of what happened there. Still the regime would rather trust a black and white, grainy video than high-def colored videos. If that’s not stupidity, I don’t know what is.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 1:26 pm
What Najib is trying to impress Britain?
Malaysia is still following the British colonial systems: government, education, laws… despite 55 years of independence.
Nothing is decolonized or learned after 55 years of independence!
Malaysian people are uprising now, he must be seeking aid & suppression.
rightways - July 15, 2011 at 1:37 pm
She wore yellow, kenapa tak tangkap sama dia Hisham?
[IMG]http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee122/GreenBug19/YellowQueen.jpg[/IMG]
Sentinel - July 15, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Nothing in Malaysia is decolonized or learned except corruption.
Najib is British educated, seek glory could be in his mind there.
http://youtu.be/j0nFTaaVdOg
rightways - July 15, 2011 at 1:48 pm
“Malaysia is still following the British colonial systems: government, education, laws… despite 55 years of independence.” – Rightways
Wrong, wrong and wrong in all counts. If were are still following their systems, I don’t think we’ll be in such a mess right now. Somehow along the way, they have all been distorted until they resemble anything but the original.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Surely with a immoral, unethical, grudging and dimwit leader like this, the whole Cabinet of Curiosities come to fore. Defending the indefensible. Look at what those idiot running dog ministers like Liow (literally habis-lah) and Yen-yen are saying with their backs against the Tung Shin wall. Just as disgusting!
C.L.Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 2:15 pm
rightways,
You should realized by now malaysian universities are no where like its colonial counterparts. I’m being serious here.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 2:24 pm
did,
British qualified righways realized and qualified on British matters.
rightways - July 15, 2011 at 2:36 pm
I’m just malaysian qualified ma. Sorry lah. Now hoping to get my qualification from America if they will give me.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 2:50 pm
didi,
Malaysia must learn and understand to develop own systems, not necessary copying from British, American or any other countries.
To do this, we must be competent. It is not the English that matters but sound idea. Useless if someones have good English but unable to understand and implement decisions in different environments, right?
_________
I have never met a more screwed up individual than you, rightways. What is wrong with the British system of education which teaches people like me to read, write and think critically. Learn from the best, be it Japanese, American, Australian,Indian, Chinese, German or French.–Din Merican
rightways - July 15, 2011 at 3:06 pm
UMNO Politicians & Police tried to solve a problem with ostrich mentality by declaring Bersih ILLEGAL.
The Police arrested Bersih members & supporters for wearing Bersih Yellow Shirts. This is ridiculous!!! App the Police also arrested people wearing any Yellow Shirts. This is becoming paranoid!!!
Police raided the Bersih office!!!
When UMNO was declared ILLEGAL by Justice Harun Hashim, did the Police take down the UMNO signboards, UMNO logo, UMNO flags and arrest those wearing UMNO shirts and caps??? NO. Did the Police raid the UMNO HQ and other offices??? NO
The Police is biased and partial. An IGP once said the Police must be NEUTRAL. (Star). Apparently UMNO govt uses the Police, AG, Judges, Election Commission, MACC etc to do its DIRTY WORKS.
Police brutalities are seen in videos during the 9 July Bersih Walk For Democracy. Blood was spilled. Tear gas & chemical laced water canons were used. This is a CHEMICAL attack !!!
Tung Shin Hospital was hit by tear gas & water cannons. But Chief Police Officer Amar Singh denied it. Many videos confirmed the hospital was attacked.
Doctors like Dr. Musa, Dr Bux, Dr Ng Kwee Boon, Dr Ng Swee Choon, Dr David Quek etc are willing to sign a letter of affidavit to testify that Tung Shin Hospital was hit. SAC l Amar Singh should resign for telling lies.
Police had committed murders. Sivarasa said Police had shot & killed 279 people (2000-2009) in extra judiciary killings including a 15 year old student Aminrulrasyid. So far no Police had been convicted!!!This is really appalling!!! The Police can capital commit crimes with impunity. Kugan, a suspected car thief was beaten to death !!!
__________
Dr. HC Chan,
They should arrest Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, for wearing yellow when our Prime Minister and his consort saw Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. Why does not Wisma Putra send a protest note to the British High Commission after David Cameron cancelled his luncheon with Dato Seri Najib?
This visit to the UK should open Najib’s eyes and make him recognise that he made a monumental error by unleashing the instruments of brute power on Malaysians who were marching peacefully on July 9, and who are going to vote in the next General elections.–Din Merican
Dr. H C Chan - July 15, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Yeah, like the ‘implementing’ of a thoroughly Western ideology called “Communism” into the Mandate of Heaven. Karl Marx and Engels would have turned in their graves.
Didi, don’t waste your time with a Catholic High School has-been, who supposedly ended up partaking the Anglican Communion – when he should have been developing his own ideas of “Irrelevant Incompetency”. Morphed into a Blue Ocean Creature like FLOM Sdn Bhd.These flurs have no idea what ideals and metaphors are.., much less things metaphysical, moral and ethical. Nasty, venomous stings too.
Btw, where’s kathy? Tell her not to fear Lancelot nor Bean.
C.L.Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Know three things will never be believed – the true, the probable, and the logical.
–John Steinbeck
I have just read this on a friends fb page. I have no words to describe what the Government has done to its people.
__________
kathy,
John Steinbeck may be a great writer with such books as The East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but on this, he is sadly mistaken and utterly cynical. He believes in fiction, but I believe in being real,truthful and logical.
The Government deserves all the negative words in the dictionary for this mindless crackdown against Malaysians who were at the rally last Saturday. I frankly, it was stupid to antagonize your own citizens. The support of the Malaysian diaspora too was overwhelming.–Din Merican
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I am speechless CLF. I have no words to describe what happened back home I read the news in horror. I thought, hoped we were above all that.
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 3:25 pm
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/najib-suffers-from-a-mild-stroke-in-uk-martin-jalleh
___________
Martin Jalleh should not stoop so low. While I may from time to time to disagree with the Prime Minister’s politics, I would not write things that are not untrue,even as a satire.–Din Merican
tourman53 - July 15, 2011 at 3:26 pm
“..there was no physical contact at all with the demonstrators..” Najib.
They arrested 1, 667 marchers with what? Yo Mama’s fiddlesticks?
dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
donplaypuks - July 15, 2011 at 3:29 pm
C.L.Familiaris is a Chinese illiterate of Roman empire Catholics/Christian, very good at writing flowering English to cheat and corrupt the innocents.
sginoff
rightways - July 15, 2011 at 3:29 pm
kathy, we need you to engage with the diaspora in Oz to register as voters and take an active role in spreading our struggle for justice and liberty. Don’t worry, things are bound to get worse, before it gets better.
Hope, faith and above all love, for your fellow man.
C.L. Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 4:53 pm
CLF, I will.
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Is frank safe?
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 5:29 pm
The PM should watch the Yellow submarine in UK…
tourman53 - July 15, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Dato’, I hear you and respect your opinion. But dont you think most people dont want to hear the truth. When you tell someone the truth they normally will not believe in it. You though are an exception to teh rule and there are not many like you. if there were the world would live in peace. However you know better than I,. That is just my humble opinion. I stand corrected as always.
I do so love to read his books though.
_________
kathy, we have a duty to speak the truth to power. It is irrelevant whether people will face or accept the truth. Facts and logic will always prevail. I have never worried sick if people will accept or reject what I say, or tell them. They have a problem, not I.–Din Merican
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 5:50 pm
♥ There is nothing more valuable
than serving humankind in Allah’s eyes.♥
Rabia Cristine Brodbeck
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 6:03 pm
tourman,
Hey hey yellow submarine! I love the song. My dad always sang it to me when I was little.
Kathy,
I hear you when you said that some people just wouldn’t believe the truth even if it hit them on the face. Give them facts, give them evidence and they’ll just dismiss it. Sometimes they will give you the most illogical of arguments just so their bubbles will not pop. I don’t know how some people can be so insensitive to lives lost or how they could be so tolerant of injustice and abuse of power. It really perplexes me. But I’m glad that there are still people who are not afraid to tell the truth or fight for the rights of others even when the tide is against them. I guess not all hope is lost.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Truth, in the political context of Malaysia is conditional to:
1. Perceptual ability, that can be affected by education or lack thereof;
2. Religio-Socio-Cultural environment, which in the case of Malaysia, has been made a Humongous Lie – by ethnic stereotyping, labeling and political methods of dividing to rule;
3. Economic circumstances, the younger better educated Malays are more confident as compared to those in the boondocks who are the source from which fascist entities tap. Corruption on the highest;
4. Manipulation and Subversion of the very Institutions that safeguards Justice by rule of law, i.e. independence of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement Agencies.
There is not even a smidgen of Truth in our governance as it stands, it is all Fiction.
C.L. Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 6:31 pm
In His time and His wisdom CLF. All in His time
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Yes didi, it is a challenge to convince those who will not listen,however our job as vicgerents on earth is to declare that which is revelad to us and then let God handle them.
Heard the saying,
‘if you believe no amount of proof is necessary, if you dont believe , no amount of proof is enough”
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Proof? What proof? Proof of the pudding is in the eating. So where’s my pudding?
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Malaysia is still following the British colonial systems: government, education, laws… despite 55 years of independence. Rightways
—————————————————————————————
Sorry I disagree. We screwed up the educational system by dismantling the mission schools and discarding the medium of instruction.
Look at Penang Free, look at St Xavier, look at St Georges, at all the convents, St Michael, St John, St Paul, King George, English College JB, etc… they are not even a fraction of what they used to be.
Don’t blame the British, we screwed it up ourself!
Sentinel - July 15, 2011 at 6:56 pm
My heart has adopted every shape; it has become a pasture for a
gazelles, and a convent for Christian monks, A temple for idols, and a
pilgrim’s Ka’ba, The tables of a Torah, and the pages of the Qur’an…I follow the religion of Love; wherever Love’s camels turn, there Love is my religion and faith” – Ibn Arabi.
Mr bBan, hello there! You , have eaten the pudding!
kathy - July 15, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Where is Ibrahim Ali al-Kataki when you need him? Can someone please ask him to quickly assemble 50,000 pahlawan and all the silat experts and surround the British Embassy and protest against the British Monarch for going against the country’s law to ban yellow?
And while he is doing it, can UMNO Youth go surround the Indonesian for reporting in their MSMs Malaysia is rich but not free?
Tak berani? Kenapa tak berani? But yet ask fellow Malaysian Chinese to stock up provisions and hide safely at home?
This PM need to go….
Sentinel - July 15, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Thanks sentinel. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell rightways but he insists that he is british educated therefore has the authority to talk about it. But you are right about those schools you’ve named. I was from a convent school myself and my aunts, who went to another convent school, told me my time was so different then theirs. As for English college,JB, I can tell you the differences since all of my male family members went there. It’s really obvious that the school has been going downhill. It’s not the same anymore.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Where is Ibrahim Ali al-Kataki when you need him? – sentinel
Have you look under the tempurung?
didi - July 15, 2011 at 7:11 pm
That is a Royal snub. And if Najib doesn’t see it for what it is when the whole world could, he must be one dumb ass destined for the world’s dustbin, to be forgotten like trash that he is.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Is Frank safe — kathy
Frank was thrown under the bus.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Yup Bean, Royal flush down the toilet too. The PM of UK probably realizes that this tong sampah flur won’t last, and he’d be just wasting his time, while there’s a small fire in Ulster to put out.
Problem is, even if there’s an internal revolt (which can’t happen, ‘cuz the Party elections have been put off this year), his main rival within is certainly no Brainiac. He’s worse than plebeian, though his wife is quite a nice simple lady, unlike the bejeweled FLOM witch.
You see FLOM got those baubles, just to impress and bedazzle the Queen – not knowing that the Queen dresses in Yellow and couldn’t care less about the size of that allotrope of carbon (diamond) that she’s wearing.
C.L. Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Uncle frank, is thinking out the route for his next run..
I think it has something to do with wind direction, tear gas, water cannons and haze.
C.L. Familiaris - July 15, 2011 at 7:42 pm
The New York Times reported that the Prime Minister told a small group of international reporters on Wednesday that “if we allow for street demonstrations, there’s no end to it, there will be another group that wants to demonstrate.
—————————–
So what’s wrong if another group wants to exercise its constitutional right to free speech and to peaceably assemble to petition their government, Mr Prime Minister?? Democracy can be noisy at times, but that’s democracy.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 7:47 pm
So what’s wrong if another group wants to exercise its constitutional right to free speech and to peaceably assemble to petition their government, Mr Prime Minister?? Democracy can be noisy at times, but that’s democracy. -Mr Bean
_________________
I don’t think Najib even knows what democracy means. I guess he is saying there should not be any demonstrations what so ever. BERSIH isn’t the first street demonstration. He didn’t really do anything about Ibrahim Ali shouting like a maniac while holding placards with spelling errors by the streets. What does he call that? The double standard is appalling. You are right about Najib. He deserves to be in the world’s garbage bin.
didi - July 15, 2011 at 8:26 pm
And that’s for spinning a cobweb of lies, in the end he gets caught in his own cobweb of lies. It is all too familiar. If you keep on repeating enough times you end up believing your own lies. And the lie here that he tells himself every morning is that he is the people’s Prime Minister who has their best interest at heart. There is no need for all these street demonstrations. So these street demonstrations must be foreign inspired, motivated and funded.
C’mon, Mr Prime Minister. Instead of spanking Rosmah’s ass you may want to take turns and let her spank you instead, to bring you back to earth.
Mr Bean - July 15, 2011 at 10:10 pm
One can defend that there be no street protests but how is one to defend the treatment meted out to the crowds last Saturday? At least from the clips I have seen, the gatherings were a threat to nobody and even though they were technically illegal, the sledgehammer methods used to confront fellow Malaysians were indefensible.
Isa Manteqi - July 15, 2011 at 11:35 pm
1) I have never met a more screwed up individual than you, rightways –Din Merican
Din Merican, you got me wrong , simply don’t understand what I said and means. Racist UMNO-led BN screwed it up, maybe you too once in the government, not rightways.
2) we screwed it up ourself! – Sentinel
Right, Malaysia government screwed it up! rightways don’t blame the British.
Certainly, the British systems are far better than Malaysian. Malaysia has been a copycat and rote learning from the British systems for 55 years.
The British systems serve British interests well, not our interests. They are capable of freedom of choices and actions in their own rights. How can Malaysia afford copying the same stuffs practically everything from the British? Do British give Malaysian rights to vote and elect their political masters/colonial masters to serve you in Malaysia? Ponder about it, Din Merican.
rightways - July 16, 2011 at 12:39 am
“..the sledgehammer methods used to confront fellow Malaysians were indefensible.”
Thanks Isa, it’s really unconscionable. Illegal or not, it’s terrifically enjoyable, yet painful. The Camaraderie is Fantastic. Maybe we should it a Carnival like that in Rio, of sorts, sans mortality. But the Morbidity is due to excesses, not on the walkers part.
Wanna join the fun next time round? Promise – will keep you in the back line, provided there are no goons ‘main belakang’. Worst place is to be in the middle – too crowded! Some Pak/Mak-ciks and Uncles/Aunties, lagi terror lah. You’ll never ever feel old again!
Euphon - July 16, 2011 at 1:19 am
Then you and I can go for some sushi
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 1:37 am
ooops wrong thread …. that was meant for semper, after pelting rotten eggs on Najib etc in Manhattan
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 1:41 am
I still don’t get it rightways. If the Malaysian government screwed up a copy cat system, how could you expect them to start up their own system? Plus what’s wrong with copying from a proven system and just improve from there?
didi - July 16, 2011 at 4:50 am
Nothing in Malaysia is decolonized – rightways
You ready for a colonoscopy? Big, strong and friendly Amar Singh standing solidly. behind you.
semper fi - July 16, 2011 at 8:05 am
Police Chief Amar Singh doing colonoscopy? He may want to consider a mid career change and attend Med School first.
Mr Bean - July 16, 2011 at 8:53 am
Yes I agree wholeheartedly we need to make the people in Government listen or anyone in Government, those that represent us.
kathy - July 16, 2011 at 10:03 am
Colonized? Hax3.. What a disgrace by this opiate addict, whose ancestors lost the Opium War big-time.
In this case a colonoscopy is inadequate and Amar Singh can only do proctoscopy, unless he’s a horse. Perhaps, we could use an archaic rigid sigmoidoscope, so that we can see where all this ‘spleen’ comes from. I’ll do it FOC, without lubrication even. I’m sure there’s one kept in a medical museum somewhere..
C.L. Familiaris - July 16, 2011 at 11:43 am
Wah CLF you flower English i cannot understood. I Catholic school graduate and British train need to Wiki wiki to understand what Proctologist Singh do. Sigmoidoscope invented by Sigmund Freud? Like that need to use Mobil 1 lube job udderwise bile come out one.
semper fi - July 16, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I still don’t get it rightways … -didi
Decolonisation begins with us, i.e. within you and us, Malaysia not outsiders.
You must understand British the best, capable of carrying out AIRSTRIKE or any other forms with NATO, etc like on MENA countries. Can we the Malaysia capable of doing the same (copycat)?
Malaysia can do it provided we UNDERSTAND, not ROTE learning/copying the best from elsewhere.
Buying/copying technologies or systems are useless if ones cannot improve or develop to suit our own as it would be obsolete fast.
rightways - July 16, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Well semper, do you think this ‘British’ trained can understand what this BBC presenter John Berger is trying to say about “originality” and “metamorphoses”? I have doubts.
C.L. Familiaris - July 16, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Know three things will never be believed – the true, the probable, and the logical.
–John Steinbeck
————————–
@kathy,
I think John steinbeck was right. Truth can only be related as it is. Lies can be twisted, added, subtracted etc. to suit your objections and delusions. As such lies are more easily believed particularly if the emotive response of fear, hate and disdain are evoked.
Even if you were not to be believed if you live your life truthfully and authentically, take heart that you have within you a higher state of happiness i.e. inner peace (according to Buddha).
Amus - July 16, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Try UNDERSTANDING from brothers and sisters how they excel despite adversaries:
http://www.dump.com/2011/01/25/understanding-the-rise-of-china-video/
rightways - July 16, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Yes Amus, it is what i believe Steinbeck is saying or alluding too. We must always choose the right path inspite of turmoil around us.
kathy - July 17, 2011 at 7:45 am