Anti-Bersih Rally In Malacca Sees Racially Charged Speeches And Posters Inciting Bloodbath
Otai Reformasi, a group of veteran activists, claimed the anti-Bersih rallies have gone overboard by threatening violence, and their materials were spreading racial hatred and promoting unrest.
By Sadho Ram — 06 Sep 2015, 08:36 PM — Updated over 9 years ago
Persatuan Silat Kebangsaan (Pesaka) named as the organiser of 'red shirt' rally
Gabungan NGO-NGO Malaysia chairperson Jamal Md Yunos has confirmed that the organiser of the Sept 16 red shirt rally is indeed the Persatuan Silat Kebangsaan (Pesaka).
“They are the organisers and they have made applications with the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to hold the rally,” Jamal told Malaysiakini.
“Gabungan NGO-NGO Melayu received an invitation from Pesaka (to join the rally) and we will give our utmost support to ensure that the rally becomes a success.”
Meanwhile, Jamal (photo) is confident that both Perkasa and PAS members will participate in the Sept 16 rally.
malaysiakini.com
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has deemed the rally illegal
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar stressed that he would not allow the rally to go on, especially in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Police have yet to receive any permit application from the organisers of the Himpunan Maruah Melayu rally next week.
"We are not allowing it (the rally) due to security concerns.
It was reported that the organisers of the rally were adamant about carrying on with their demonstration, despite not receiving clearance from police to do so.
Meanwhile, PM Najib Razak is not planning to interfere or stop anyone from attending the 16 September rally
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said Umno members are free to join the Sept 16 red-shirts rally but reminded them that they must follow the law.
"No, (I won't stop Umno members from joining the rally).
"It is a free country, as long as they observe the law. No one is above the law, including Umno members. They are not above the law," said Najib, who is also Umno president.
Najib also denied that Umno is the organiser for the rally although he admitted that there are NGOs affiliated with party leaders who feel compelled to go to the rally.
malaysiakini.com
Talking about freedom of speech, human rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan thinks even racists have the right to rally
Human rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan said even racists have the right to assemble, in reference to the planned Himpunan Maruah Melayu in Kuala Lumpur on September 16.
"The right does not discriminate on what is being championed by those who gather, so long as it is peaceful and without weapons.
"A gathering to defend the honour of Malays, even though racist, should be allowed. This is their right," Syahredzan (photo) said in a Facebook posting today.
Syahredzan said the right to assemble without weapons is enshrined in the federal constitution and it stands, so long as it does not turn violent.
malaysiakini.com
6 SEPT: 'Cina Turun Bersih, Sedialah Bermandi Darah' posters will be investigated under Sedition Act 1948
The report quoted Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Law Hong Soon saying that the images and text used in the posters is an implied threat, and the police are investigating it under the Sedition Act 1948.
"He stressed that the police is keeping a close eye on developments, but to date have yet to receive any notification of a rally," the report said.
The report said that so far, no party has come forward to identify themselves as the event’s organiser, although the campaign materials have gone viral on social media.
The posters have the words 'tanah tumpah darahku' - a line from the the national anthem which literally means 'the land where my blood spills' - with a picture of a man in a silat pose.
malaysiakini.com
Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Jamal Md Yunos and Perkasa's information chief Hassan Basri Muhammad have denied all allegations pointing to them as organisers of the 16 September rally
Nevertheless, Hassan reportedly confirmed that the group will be holding a meeting soon to decide whether to mobilise its members to join the rally.
malaysiakini.com
“I am not the organiser, but I will be there with some 30,000 of my people,” said Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Jamal Md Yunos.
Jamal said he could not reveal who the organisers were but stated his strong support for them, adding that all would be revealed soon.
“I will be bringing the NGOs under me and Umno people under my division, maybe close to 30,000 people, to the Bukit Bintang area. The exact location will be revealed later,” he said when contacted.
“Thanks to the illegal Bersih 4 rally, because they broke the law and went against the police and rallied at the Dataran Merdeka area. They have caused the Malays from NGOs and political parties to be angry.
therakyatpost.com
6 Sept: On 5 September, 1,500 people from 20 Malacca NGOs marched to Melaka Tengah police station to make a police report to voice out their opposition to the 2-day long Bersih 4.0 rally which took place before the Merdeka day in KL, Astro Awani reported. According to Malacca UMNO Youth Chief, Zali Md Yasin, this rally was to express their love for the country and to defend PM Najib's leadership.
While the media reports claim the one-hour long rally which ran according to official directives, with 80 policemen on watch, was peaceful as there were fights or chaos reported, a viral Facebook post purports to show what appears to be posters around Malacca in Malay and quite seditious in their nature, inciting 'bloodbath'
The rest of photos in the post shows rally goes dressed in red, as it can be see below:
Responding to the anti-Bersih rally, Otai Reformasi, a group of veteran activists, is calling on the police to block the planned Red Shirt rallies which have been publicised to take place on 16 September and 10 October. Otai Reformasi's spokesperson Ronnie Liu said while they respect the right to assemble, organisers of the anti-Bersih rallies have gone overboard by threatening violence.
"We are not saying that people cannot organise a gathering, but it has to be peaceful. But even before the Sept 16 and Oct 10 gathering, there have already been promotional materials that are very provocative.
They are threatening a bloodbath; this is really going to the extreme," the former Selangor executive council member told Malaysiakini when contacted.
malaysiakini.com
Ronnie said the materials, which label the Bersih 4.0 as a "Chinese affair" and call for Malays to hold their own, were spreading racial hatred and promoting unrest. The group lodged a police report against the planned rallies at the Dangi Wangi district police HQs.
"I hope the police will not allow this to get out of hand," Liu said.
Liu also urged Malay NGOs Pekida and Perkasa to disassociate themselves from these counter rallies.
"I hope Perkasa and Pekida will come out and declare that they are not part of the rally. This is because the promotional materials claim the NGOs are part of it and if they do not distance themselves, that people may think they are really involved," he said.
In the police report, Liu asked the police to investigate if Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Yunus is responsible for the planned rallies as he had issued such threats prior to the Bersih 4 rallies.
Jamal had, prior to the Aug 29 and 30 Bersih 4 rally, led a demonstration in which participants displayed their martial arts skills. He later said they would also train using the parang.
malaysiakini.com
Meanwhile, DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang also urged the police to intervene on the planned 16 September anti-Bersih rally calling for Malays to unite, saying it would create racial strife. He said:
“If there is a group calling for a 'Chinese rally to counter the Malays', the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi would have swung into action, both by word and deed, and those organising such a 'Chinese rally to counter the Malays' would end up, and rightly so, in police custody,” he said in a statement.
He added that the two-day Bersih 4 rally last weekend was a credit to both the police and protesters for showing the world that demonstrations could be held peacefully, but irresponsible parties were distorting the non-racial Bersih 4 to be viewed as a Chinese rally challenging the political power of the Malays.
themalaymailonline.com
“In the first place, there had never been a 'Chinese Bersih demonstration', as the Bersih 4 participants were Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, age, gender or politics, and although the Malay participation in the first day of Bersih 4 was low, on the second day, Malay participation was easily some 40 percent of the crowd,” he said.
“Furthermore, the participants were not only from all races, [but] their demands [were] for a good government and free and fair elections transcend race altogether.”
themalaymailonline.com
"I call on the home minister and the inspector-general of police to take strong action against anyone trying provoke or foment racial strife in plural Malaysian like the so-called Sept 16 protest," he said in a statement.
Lim said police would do better to focus on this instead of offering rewards to find who stomped on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's photograph at the Bersih 4 rally.
"Those who had stomped on the images of Najib and Hadi were wrong and should apologise for their actions. But why is the police giving higher priority to such wrong and misguided conduct as compared to criminal acts like inciting racial hatred and strife, as launching a Malay rally against the Chinese, by falsely accusing the Bersih 4 rally as a Chinese demonstration?" asked Lim.
malaysiakini.com
Joining the DAP Supremo in his criticism against the planned Red Shirt rally, former Cabinet Minister Rafidah Aziz also slammed the people behind it, saying it serves no purpose to counter the Bersih
A screenshot of Rafidah Aziz's Facebook wall with the posting chastising leaders who racialise issues instead of giving resolutions that can help the rakyat.
Image via TMI"It serves no purpose for anyone to mount a counter demonstration to Bersih 4, which had clear demands. "What are they going to demonstrate for? Just what are they trying to prove," said the former International Trade and Industry Minister on Fecebook.
Rafidah, former Wanita Umno chief, slammed those who painted the Bersih 4 rally in a racial light, saying they were avoiding the real issue and took the easy way out by playing the race card, "blaming others and playing the number games to give the impression of 'strength”.
“In the process, the issues that the Rakyat are worried about, and want to see expeditious resolution to, are being simply marginalised and skirted around,” she said. She added that the issues the country is facing had to do with governance, transparency and integrity, not race.