For all my life, I have referred to myself as Malaysian. When asked for the “race” field, I usually just leave it blank. On 29 September 2007, I registered to be a voter, and for the first time, I was really required to either place “Cina atau India” in the field (Chinese or Indian). This was a request by the worker at POS Malaysia, because apparently, my identity card (IC) lacks such information. I looked stumped for a while, and said, “Indian”.
Today, on Sunday, 25 November 2007, I can proudly say, that I will no longer be referring to myself as Malaysian – I will be now referring to myself as a Malaysian Indian. The idea of Bangsa Malaysia is a farce, and I’m tempted to rip out the Visit Malaysia 2007 sticker from my laptop, which suggests that we’re “Celebrating 50 years of nationhood”. Malaysia, might be Truly Asia, but there’s just a cauldron, brewing hate, in where the contents aren’t happy with the cooks.
Sunday, 25 November 2007, is the day where the second largest protest (ignore the reformasi crap, where even drug addicts were payed to show up for Anwar) has been held, in about ten years (the last, was two weeks ago, at the BERSIH rally). Various news sources are reporting anywhere between 10,000 to 30,000 as the head-count of attendees. I’d take these numbers with a pinch of salt, as 10,000 is the number of choice referred to by The Star (a governmental puppet), and 30,000 is referred to by MalaysiaKini (an anti-governmental puppet). However, let the photos, and videos help you make up your own mind.
People rocked up, around Jalan Ampang, where KLCC is situated, from as early as 7.40am, and the police mentioned that they were given an order to arrest on sight. Some democracy we live in, right?
The police are afraid. The government of the day are afraid. Malaysians, are awakening. And they’re sick and tired of this shit. The Star reports:
“Jalan Ampang, which had been closed from 3am because of the gathering, was reopened at 1pm Sunday. The Avenue K and City Square shopping complexes and the restaurants along Jalan Ampang were closed Sunday morning, while various hotels and Suria KLCC had strict security enforced at their entrances. The KLCC and Ampang Park LRT stations, which were closed from 6am, were reopened at 3.13pm. “
An attendee (or his sister+father), Danny, from The Danesh Project, writes a most interesting piece: Hindraf, proud day for Malaysian Indians. I consider this recommended reading for all. Remember, this was a peaceful gathering that the police, basically turned violent.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and of course today, Sunday, were nasty days to be on the roads in KL. Any road that was inbound, was backlogged with traffic jams, thanks to police roadblocks.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) have urged the police to stop racial profiling of motorists in their roadblocks set up to quash a rally in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.
Since then, there have been numerous reports of racial profiling by the police who only stop Indian motorists, often inspecting their vehicles and mobile phones. “They were targeting Indians only. They checked everything – our driving licenses, identity cards and even our car boot,” said Dinesh.
“As pointed out by Anwar Ibrahim, we disagree with Hindraf putting the blame for the plight of poor Indians on the Federal Constitution and Article 153,“As far as we are concerned, it is the corrupt Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition government that is responsible for the marginalisation and neglect of poor Indians and also the poor of all other races,” he said.
Disgusting that a democratic nation has such “emergency” status. Anwar Ibrahim will not question Article 153, but he’s a bloody snake, and is highly untrustworthy. He might be an opposition leader, but the ex-convict, and sodomite, is not to be trusted (neither is his party) – after all, it was during Anwar’s reign in parliament, that there was further Islamisation of the nation.
Prime Minister, Ahmad Badawi, who’s not within the country as usual (he’s actually at the Commonwealth head’s meeting), gives a warning to the people.
KAMPALA (Uganda): Do not take the police action against three activists of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) as a racial issue, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned.
“It has nothing to do with race. People should stop linking or viewing everything that happens in the country as a racial matter,” the Prime Minister said.
“We are not out to victimise anyone. If someone is wrong, then the person must be charged and brought to justice,” Abdullah said.
He said that if people were allowed to openly commit offences, others who were law-abiding citizens would become angry and upset with the authorities.
Nothing to do with race? Really? Just read the silly social contract, and understand what the fuck is going on in Malaysia. Malay rights? For exchange of citizenship? Excuse me, but I was born in Malaysia. I am a bumiputra (i.e. I am truly, a son of the soil). Why do I not get a 7% discount when I need to buy a property? Why do I not get places in local universities? This list can go on…
Funnily enough, he mentions that if someone does something wrong, the person should be charged and brought to justice – why wasn’t Hishamuddin Hussein, our great keris bearing idiot, not charged already? Don’t question the ketuanan Melayu (Malay rights), or feel the wrath of the keris?
Badawi, at the Commonwealth meeting. Pakistan, suspended from the Commonwealth. Why is Malaysia, not suspended, yet? Why is the international community not interfering? It seems now the memorandum will be delivered to Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace – I hope they go there in droves, too.
Via Malaysiakini again, in a great article titled: MIC: Hindraf is stooge of the opposition, I quote:
“It is evident that with the presence of Lim with Hindraf supporters yesterday, the Hindraf gathering (tomorrow) is planned by the stooges of DAP and to a certain extent, PKR,” said Saravanan (right) in a statement.
Does this mean that the MIC is a stooge of the Barisan Nasional? After all, Samy Vellu, was referred to as a “mandore” on Al Jazeera earlier. Which I understand, is a supervisor of an estate, who’s main passion is raping the rubber tappers.
All this aside, this is just the start of more to come. The people, are fed up. Tear gas, chemically-laced water, out of the cannons, all on peaceful protesters? This can only lead to trouble. Rumours of a 20 year old man, being killed? More than 400 detained? Innocent peaceful protesters, beaten up? Up to four police officers to detain one fellow?
I encourage all Malaysians to start reading Gandhi’s autobiography, which he aptly titled, “The Story of My Experiments With Truth”. I picked up a copy from India, a few years ago, for Rs. 100 (about RM10). Its a good read, and it will inspire more to have peaceful protests, via non-violent resistance. His principles behind satyagraha, are just inspiring. Read: A Gandhi-inspired mass civil disobedience in MalaysiaKini (an online newspaper, I can certainly recommend subscribing to).
Resources
If you have some bandwidth, catch some interesting videos (I hope to update this list, the moment more videos become available), all via Al Jazeera (if I’m feeling particularly energetic, I might analyse them later, for your enjoyment):
- An initial update
- A more interesting update, this time with an interview with S.K. Devamany, a Member of Parliament, representing the MIC
- There’s another video update, with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Musa Hassan, speaking about why the police acted the way they did
- Yet another video update, had Samy Vellu on the phone, along with one of the Hindraf lawyers being in the Al Jazeera studios, giving his view on things
Must read resources:
- Jeff Ooi’s Hindraf Rally… (Ethnic) Minority Report
- Ditesh Kumar’s The Hindraf Gathering, and The Hindraf Gathering, part deux
- Malaysia Today’s report
- While not a must read, take a look at Google’s Blog Search, on hindraf.
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