Saturday, April 28, 2012

From the channel that brought you Tahrir Square: The Battle for Independence Square on 28 April 2012



Published on Apr 28, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish

Malaysian police have clashed with thousands of protesters who are calling for an overhaul of the country's electoral system.

Security forces fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from the capital Kuala Lumpur, says he himself has experienced "some police violence."

KETUANAN RAKYAT MEANS POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

An astrological overview of Bersih 3.0

The Chart of Bersih for 28th of April 2012


The Sun is in stable, foundation building Taurus. Here there is a strengthening and a laying of ways of group values, building a comforting and solid sense of community. The Sun here that talks about grounding these new values and making them tangible gets lovely support in a wide sextile to the Moon in Cancer.

The emotional vibe here again on this day is one of nurturing and protecting a new sense of wider ‘family’ or ‘community’ values. There is empathy and feeling for history but also a moving into the direction of newness.

Societal structures that are outworn and exclusive get a challenge from the fiery, pioneering spirit of Mecury conjunct planet of rebellion Uranus.

This looks like a potent aspect for rebellion – there is a lot of mental energy here but also energy to really flip the polarities of existing structures. Individuals get a boost of empowerment to stand up for their rights.

Mars planet of war is coming to touch upon Malaysia’s natal Uranus in Virgo and with this transit there can be flare ups of impulsiveness and accidents. Perhaps the police being angered by peaceful protestors (Sun in Taurus in the 11th) and acting rashly, using law to punish.

Venus the planet of harmony and love in communicative Gemini is right on the ascendant of this chart, suggesting that there will be lots of communication and media interest, (perhaps more than usual) sparked by this event. Lots of debates and talks are indicated.

With Venus on the ascendant and Sun in Taurus, it feels like it mostly will be quite a peaceful event, and this feeling will permeate and people looking on will most likely sense the good intentions of this protest.

Reading by Melissa Lin

Friday, April 27, 2012

A BRIEF MESSAGE FOR BERSIH 3.0 FROM AMBIGA



Thank you so much, dear Ambiga and every brave soul behind the Bersih Movement. Never before in the history of our nation have so many been touched and inspired by what a small handful of determined individuals can achieve when they join minds, hearts, bodies and souls together to demand the elections be fair and clean - and we now know beyond any doubt that Barisan Nasional has been rigging the polls for many, many years just to stay in power and continue robbing us of our past, present and future - and all our rights as free citizens, especially the right to peacefully assemble in public spaces and voice our grievances or jubilation.

It's utterly incomprehensible that anybody in their right mind can be against Bersih 3.0's simple demand that the top echelon of the Election Commission step down immediately in view of their abysmal failure to perform their duties honorably and honestly. But, in a rogue regime where the incorrigibly corrupt, deceitful and hypocritical are allowed to rise to the highest ranks of government - where even an individual under suspicion of cold-blooded murder can be muscled into the top job - it would be naive to believe that the incumbent party is in any manner capable of reforming itself, no matter how much it spends on useless and extravagant public relations exercises.

On 9 July 2011, the Specter of May 13 was slain by the collective will of at least 50,000 who defied the police lockdown of Kuala Lumpur and took to the streets. Never again will anyone fear the possibility of racial riots. If anyone stirs up the shit, it will be none other than the uniformed or plainclothes hooligan auxiliaries of Umno, MIC or MCA.

28 April 2012 is the final showdown between the disintegrating Barisan Najis and the People of Malaysia. Whether or not you are able to be physically present at any of the 72 rallies worldwide, please help by visualizing Malaysia as a free nation where social justice, truth, compassion and wisdom have triumphed over atavistic tribalism, ego insecurity, moral depravity and insufferable hypocrisy.



We demand that the Election Commission chief and his deputy be arrested immediately for massive electoral fraud and betrayal of public trust.

ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS... BOTH THESE TALKING ARSEHOLES ARE CARD-CARRYING UMNO MEMBERS!

EC chief Abdul Aziz Yusof is registered at Umno’s Ampang division


Nama ABDUL AZIZ BIN MOHD YUSOF
No KP 500124105279
No KP Lama 2698922
No Keahlian UMNO 113804
Kod Cawangan 09920036 = SRI AMPANG BARU
Kod DUN 09920 = LEMBAH JAYA
Kod Bahagian 099 = AMPANG
Negeri SELANGOR

EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar is a member of the
Pasir Mas Umno Division

Nama WAN AHMAD BIN WAN OMAR
No KP 490101035179
No KP Lama 2756290
No Keahlian UMNO 2374564
Kod Cawangan 02213049 = KUBANG BUNGGOR
Kod DUN 02213 =  CHETOK
Kod Bahagian 022 = PASIR MAS
Negeri KELANTAN


EC top two still in Umno, PKR wants duo to quit


By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal April 27, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — PKR today demanded the Election Commission (EC) chairman and deputy chairman resign from their posts, and has furnished evidence to show that the two are still Umno members.

Both EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and his deputy Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar have admitted that they could have been Umno members a long time ago, but stressed that it did not affect their ability to carry out their professional duties.

They took great pains to point out that it (being Umno members) happened a long time ago, and that they were inactive members, having not paid any fees or attended any party meetings.

“Both of them have to resign their positions in the EC immediately.

[Read the rest here.]

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Mooza Mohd ~ Notes from #OccupyDataran


The following was lifted from blog entries posted by my young friend Mooza Mohd who beautifully embodies the brilliant exuberance, courage and idealism of Malaysian youth in the Age of Aquarius...

19th April, 2012
2.36am @ Dataran Merdeka

Me & Temme came back from the ‘toilet’ behind the generator of Dataran Merdeka, and as we were walking back, there was shouting and we immediately saw the tents were being kicked and destroyed. Several of these tents had people sleeping in them, including a petite girl in tudung - who later verified she was kicked several times before she got out. She stood there, probably traumatised & crying for like about 5 minutes. Nobody came to check if she was alright for that duration because the gangsters were too busy destroying and abusing the occupiers & friends. A lot of shouting & verbal abuse. Not to mention really rough continuous physical attacks.

When I came to the site running with Temme, about 3 Malay men (they were ALL Malay) took my camera before I could do anything with it - wrangled it away from me, pushing & pulling me until they smashed it onto the floor, then smashed it with their feet.

At the same time I saw Temme getting pushed by about 10 or so men, surrounding her until she fell back. They were pulling her camera, and pulling her bag very roughly. I actually tried to get to her, but saw the girl who was kicked in her tent still sobbing and standing there alone. I got to her, and Kris was already there trying to pull her to safety, we took her aside and I turned to look at what’s happening. It was clear, the occupiers were being harassed continuously, shouted at, pushed, provoked & attacked to the sides. Temme fell backwards when she was being pushed/pulled & surrounded by 10 or so men - also they stole her new camera, along with the pictures in it.

By this time we all knew they were targeting people with recording devices. I stood there watching to witness as many incidents and trying to recognise their faces, when suddenly a man in his 40s looked at me, shouting, “Kau tengok apa? Blah! Kau nak kena?!” (What are you looking at? Get out! You want to get it!?”). Of course, I clocked that this man was a total idiot, a primitive creature. I looked at him, just in my head asking WHY? (Okay, I was thinking, “Why are you such an IDIOT and so ugly?).

This man must’ve totally heard what I thought and came closer to my face, repeatedly provoking me. When he came close, I told him several times, “Jangan sentuh saya!” (“Don’t touch me!”) but he continued to threaten me and shoved his index finger to my forehead until I almost fell back. At the same time, several dudes pointed towards me saying I have the camera, and aggressively shouting to take my camera and my phone from my bag. All of this happened very quickly and I suddenly found myself surrounded by 5 or 6 men pushing and pulling me from all sides, roughly grabbing my bag until it tore. Edwin was there too, and he helped me out - and then I was finally taken away to the sides.

I was in shock and also very pissed off. What I saw 30 metres away from me, 10 or so policemen who had a good view of the entire thing, THEY DID NOTHING. Another group of cops on the other side, about 20 of them scattered at the sides. I stared at these policemen, and they only watched. I saw there were already 5 patrol cars (one just screeched in loudly at the side stylishly) but still, THEY DID NOTHING. I saw none of the policemen trying to ‘calm the situation’ as they so proudly declared on the papers.

Only in the last 5 minutes of the whole attack did they come in & try to negotiate. Negotiate? Yes, that course of action makes a lot of sense when people are getting attacked and harassed for 15 minutes.

When I finally remembered to breathe all of this in, I saw a man surrounded by two gangsters, and then later 5 and later 10, and it came to about 20. I didn’t get a good look but I clearly saw there was kicking. And this happened at the very end, about two policemen became part of that crowd, again, trying to ‘negotiate’ things.

The gangsters left. A handful policemen stayed.

Time to transmute the tragedy of history into pure comedy!

When everything was finally a little bit calmer, it was already 3.34am on my clock. What #OccupyDataran did was quick and brilliant when Fahmi suggested everyone to participate in the Sidang Rakyat to recollect the timeline of what happened in recording. After most of the accounts have been shared, the occupiers & friends came to a decision to collectively stay in Dataran and continue to occupy peacefully.

Police reports were made the whole day by the various individuals who got attacked, hurt, abused & their property damaged/stolen.

Dataran Merdeka will remain occupied.

p/s: Most pissed off that the gangster in his 40s contaminated my third eye with his finger. Need to do a thorough cleansing to dispose his ugliness. What an asshole.

TEXT POST FRI, APR. 20, 2012
thoughts: occupying our space

They’ve planned the city well. Surrounding Dataran Merdeka - the symbol of the people’s independence - you can see buildings of Ministry of Culture & Communication, Federal Court, DBKL, Royal Selangor Club and also banks in the likes of AGRO Bank (seriously, that’s its name), HSBC, CIMB, Bank Rakyat (People’s Bank). Nearby there’s a huge fortress called the Dang Wangi Police Station, MARA building, Bank Negara & other capitalistic institutions. Buildings for the people? Oh yes, they’re there too. It’s called shopping malls and food courts.

Why #OccupyDataran? People need to reclaim their space. It’s been too long that our space have been determined by the government & elitist. Free space is hard to come by, and without it expression of the free minds & ideas could not materialise collectively. Occupiers of Dataran Merdeka are there for a simple reason. They know this is not the best possible condition to live in, governed & ruled by a small percentage whose voice & reason monopolise the country, and they are there to provide alternative ways to organise our community.

Reclaiming the space is the first step into shaping ideas by the people for the people. Dataran Merdeka is free for anyone, including the rulers, and there, people can introduce different alternative methods which could take shape in a project. I disagree to the notion that the occupiers only stands for protesting against the government. That they only stand for rebelling, negation & sourcing more angst. Yes, there is resentment, despair & and the feeling of being cheated continuously, but they do not dominate the main reason why they are there. What it stands for is a new idea. A collective of ideas that could replace the decaying ones that has been jeopardising the rights of the people repeatedly.

The presence of different groups in Dataran Merdeka (#OccupyDataran, #MansuhPTPTN, Lynas, Bersih 3.0 & other parties) suggests clearly that there is something wrong with this government. It suggests corruption, unfreedom, censorship, and compromised justice. These issues are brought to light when these groups create a united community in the encampment.

[Read the full post here.]

Images courtesy of Mooza Mohd and Peter Jackson





Monday, April 23, 2012

Hasan Ali unveils new threat to the nation ~ Al Gayda!



One of the funniest episodes yet of That Effing Show :-)

Najib's insane ambition to go nuclear is another reason to vote out Barisan Najis!

Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant before 11 March 2011

How local democracy shut down Japan’s nuclear power plants

Fearing a public backlash at local polls, no local government would dare to re-start a reactor in their locality now. Anil Netto interviews Ohashi Masaaki.

Scholar-activist Prof Ohashi Masaaki  
In a lesson for countries everywhere, Japan’s vibrant local democracy is sealing the fate of the country’s once-entrenched network of nuclear power plants.

After the Fukushima disaster on 11 March 2011, the nuclear energy industry in Japan came under intense public scrutiny. Japan has 54 nuclear reactors in 17 locations. Already 52 reactors (including the eight in Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station, four of which were damaged or had serious problems) have been stopped while the remaining two are coming up for periodic inspection.

Visting Japanese scholar-activist Ohashi Masaaki stresses that local government consent is essential for any reactor to be restarted. “This is the nice part of decentralisation,” says the professor of international development, NGO studies and South Asia studies at Keisen University, looking relaxed in his hotel room at the end of a whirlwind speaking tour to universities in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. “Although the central government wants to have a nuclear reactor, the local government has a right to say ‘No.’"

[Read the whole story here.]