I just came back from watching Transformers3: The Dark Side of the Moon. The show ended after 12 midnight ( 8.7.11) and on the way back home i saw that several roads branching off from the MRR2 had been transformed: blocked by the police. Long rows of cars were stuck with no indication of being able to get to where they wanted to go and, in some cases, without the possibility of backing up.
Yes,I read somewhere that many roads in KL would be closed after 12 midnight, but surely people must be allowed to drive home unless they had been warned to do so before 12 in no uncertain term. After all the country is not in any state of emergency and the police is only trying to stop a street demonstration from taking place on july 9.
The frustration I had with the sci-fi film in 3D was compounded by the naivete of the police action. How could you just block the entrance to certain roads without showing the alternative route which can be taken? Surely people staying along the blocked road must be given dome kind of a pass to get home. You just can't turn them off like that. In quite the same way the film Transformers 3 asked people to believe the possible exidtence of such electronic anf mechanical giants which can take to the air like rockets and form a comumity of their own to take over the world. Since they were so powerful and could smash skydcrapers and huge building to smitherine with their mechanical arms or with the huge firearms attached to their body, it is just unbelievable that human beings could stand against them.
9.7.11 8.30 pm
Being down with flu I spent the whole day by the radio and tv to see what happens to the illrgal gathering thst has become the concern of everyone in Malaysia.
Yes indeed the gathering is on whether considered legal or not. Thousands gathered at several places and the police began their usual crowd control tactics to disperse them using high pressure water hoses and tear gas. The crowd dispersed and reformed elsewhere. Towards evening more than 700 people and organization leaders had been detained. The Prime Minister had earlier agreed to let the gathering use Stadium Merdeka but it was obvious tha the Police did not agree and closed all entrance to the Stafium. The crowd therefore had no choice but to gather elsewhere and it was learned just now that the people had gathered at Dataran Merdeka (8.45 pm).
It was quite clear from the footage shown on TV that the gathering was multiracial and not confined to members of political parties only. There were both young and old, male and female andbthey were not antagonistic to the Police. I saw some of those arrested holding out their hands to be handcuffed. They came away readily when the polici held them. The 8.00 pm news also showed that they were treated very well bythe police. The most vehement complaints were about the draffic jams at toll plazas and the disruption caused by the gatherings to business. I am still uncertain whether these were caused by the roadblocks imposed by the Police and their crowd contol efforts or by the
gathering of pepole per se.
Whst has the whole thing achieved. If anything at all it has created a social awareness that people can take their grouses to the street and when they decided to do so, the Police cannot really stop them. Arresting the organizers and the political leaders taking part can only show that the government is afraid of such gatherings. The preventive efforts of the Police could create more problem than allowing the peacefull gathering to take place in cpntrolled places like Stadium Merdeka. Trouble makers can be aesily identified when the gathering takes plave in a closed area.
5 comments:
Akhi Norzah,
I can't see any alternatives than to take a hard line. You said the govt seemed afraid. This is perceived by many also.These people with hidden agendas could well present their whatever to the King when they met.So it is not the memorandum thing they were after.
Instead they were 'interrogated' in style and provided with meals buffet style better than some kenduri kahwin (as seen in one of the blogs). They were released a few hours later short of kissing the police on the cheeks with their goodbyes.
Maybe the police, bearing in mind YouTube risks showed their good side and good treatment accorded was a strategy.
This soft touch takes time to sink in so looks like we have seen the first demo and may be a couple more to come.
We the silent majority just have to brace ourselves to more jams and more inconveniences.
I go for allowing such gatherings with the resposibility of keeping the peace and making them fully resposibe for any violence. The way to make resposible is to give them resposibilty. Stoppi g the gatherings wiil be inviting more attempts, especilly when you get a vip treatment if arrested by the police or an audience with the agung if you refuse to
Comply wth govt directive. Yes, Akhi. We'll have to brace ourselves for more.
If they choose to spend energy and time demonstrating against election weaknesses, I feel sorry for them. Kita lekas lupa.
I am glad to have come out of KL to enjoy my retirement with the poor, whose needs are plenty, from education to food; and they have seen changes in the parties governing their state. So who cares about defects in election?
Yes, Pakcik Al-Mansr, you're lucky to live in a State which has got out of the Barisan's grip. But UMNO is trying hard ti cime back into power and a rigged election can just help them to achieve that goal. Your fight for a fairer share of the oil royalties is still not over. So, the sea is quite calm now but it can get rough any time before the election.
I believe the silent majority understood the fight and prefer to demonstrate it via votes instead of a Big gathering and demonstration. I also feel that one mistake made by our BN leaders during the last general election was they under estimate the power of words ... In modern context ... Blogs, emails, website links even social networks such as Facebook and twitter. Though I quite disagree they conducted the gathering during Arab tourists season and the fact that some people taking it out of context.... I know it is critical that our leaders analyze the "hidden" and actual agendas behind the demo. Else I too would rather prefer to serve in my hometown.
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