10 November march was an Opposition’s staged circus?

BERSIH, an NGO comprises of 66 different organisations organised the “Yellow Shirt March” 3pm on Saturday 10 November 2007’s call for the grace of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong’s ‘intervention’ into the ’system’ and provide a “free and fair elections”.

It was much talked about event where so many ‘underground’ work were carried out to ensure that enough people show for the “Yellow Shirt March”, originally planned from Dataran Merdeka to Istana Negara. In my conversation with a former PAS journalist, this march was originally planned as a PAS lead demonstration. Somewhere along the lines, it was ‘hijacked’ and PAS leaders ‘hand it over’ to Anwar Ibrahim and some PKR leaders, with the dismay of upcoming PAS leaders such as Mahfudz Omar, Salahuddin Ayub and Mat Sabu.

So the planning went into fifth gear. The VK Lingam scandal, which was staged into the public attention by Anwar Ibrahim and PKR, was conveniently and totally capitalised by Bar Council at the 26 September “Walk For Justice” in Putrajaya, to trump up the ‘precursor’ event preceeding the 10 November march.

However, in the haste of the timing and execution, the 26 September “walk” had major flaws:

1. Only less than 6% of Bar Council members participated in a Bar Council’s own organised protest, even though the call was for “Judiciary reforms” and senior and respectable legal practicioners and names in the legal profession such as Dato’ Muhammad Shafiee Abdullah, Hj. Sulaiman Abdullah, Zainur Zakaria, Christopher Fernando, Raja Aziz Adruce, Pawancheek Merican etc., were absent

2. The Malays’ participation in the “walk” was so low; not reflective of the membership composition and naturally, not reflective of the demography of the vox populi.



Thus, this time BERSIH was much ready and had better plans to execute. The role of political parties are so clear in this “Yellow Shirt March”. Suddenly, PAS geared their machineries all over the country, especially from Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah to ensure that there would be full force show of strength and awe, on Dataran Merdeka that Saturday afternoon. Buses were chartered. T shirts were printed. High end base ball caps with the Royal Emblem were worn. It was very clear that a lot of effort was put into bringing people into the heart of Kuala Lumpur, heritage, pride and sovereignty.


The handiwork of the Oppositions are so bloody clear. BERSIH 10 November “Yellow Shirt March” from Dataran Merdeka to Istana Negara is a political event masquarading as the ‘rakyats’ themselves wanted change. At the end of the day, when the marchers reached the Istana Negara gates, Hj Hadi Awang, YB Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail, YB Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng, ALL Oppositions leaders walked in to meet up with the Private Secretary of His Majesty, to hand over the memorandum prepared. No political-free community leaders instead were doing it.

November 11, 2007 14:48 PM
Opposition Trying To Drag Royal Institution Into Politics - PM

PENAMPANG, Nov 11 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi described the action by the opposition in handing over a memorandum on the country’s election process to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as an attempt to drag the royal institution into politics.

“However, I believe the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is wise and will not be taken in by their tactics,” he told reporters after opening Parti Bersatu Sabah’s 22nd Congress here today.

Abdullah said this in reaction to yesterday’s street demonstration organised by the Coalition for Clean and fair Elections (Bersih) in Kuala Lumpur during which 10 of its representatives, including Opposition chief Lim Kit Siang, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang handed the memorandum to an official at Istana Negara.

On the illegal gathering, Abdullah said that he was leaving the matter to the police to handle.

“The police handled the demonstration very well and I’m very happy. We don’t like things like this to happen. It is a burden to the police, in order to control the situation, they have set up road blocks which inconveniences to the public.

“The police discharged their responsibilities. This illegal gathering is not helping the people … many are angry,” he added.

In SHAH ALAM, Selangor Menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo described the demonstration as the work of “desperados”.

“However, it will be counter-productive for them as they have only caused difficulties for the people, who only want to see peace in the country.

“It (demonstration) has also smeared the image of Islam as the religion prohibits such an action,” he told reporters here today.

He had earlier opened a treasure-hunt programme organised by the Selangor’s Permanent Committee for Women’s affairs.

– BERNAMA


The recipe of ’street-mob-politics’ is so apparent whenever someone by the name of Anwar Ibrahim is within the vicinity of any ‘political event’, trying very hard for it to be disguised as a “pseudo-peoples’-call”, ever since 1974, again seen on 3 September 1998 (after being sacked from the Government and UMNO) and now here. Over and over, testing the patience and professionalism of the authorities, especially the Police, making a mockery of any legal avenues and process and of course, challenge the stability amongst the poeple with his well orchestrated and presented rhetorics and convenient twisting of facts. Once, in his abuse of power trial, he actually claimed to the court that he was systematically being poisoned by arsenic, something the Director of HUKM Dato’ Dr. Khalid Kadir, undoubtedly the best mind in endocrinology in the country and seven other leading consultants were unable to find.

I guess the organisers and participants of this march badly missed their “Reformasi” days, which had been defunct, after PKR lost terribly in the March 2004 General Elections and moreover, after Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted by the Federal Court for the sodomy conviction. So this specifically and carefully planned organised event was ‘reunion’ to many “Reformasi” addicts. What is sad is that, 40,000 or so people, in far away places such as Kelantan and Kedah, come and get played into the game of a convicted abuse-of-power criminal!

Sources :http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com