Buy Your Own Crowd Control Gear! (repost)

Getting too popular for comfort? Fans becoming a bloody nuisance? Tired of getting mobbed by autograph hunters every time you step out? Well, that's the price of success. The next time you make a public appearance, be prepared...

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THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL: 

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This will teach all those queers who laugh at you 
behind your back and call you a moron!

[First published 15 November 2007 (5 days after BERSIH). Reposted 22 June 2011]

Divide-and-Rule ~ It's All About the $$$ (another timely repost!)

Believe it or not, I sat through the entire 2-hour recording of this forum convened by Hindraf and the KL Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee. It's taken us more than 42 years since 13 May 1969 to arrive at a point where the once-taboo topic of institutionalized racial inequality as embodied in Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution can be publicly discussed. Most certainly an important step in the right direction!

Public Forum on Institutionalized Racism in Malaysia
by HINDRAF and KL Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee

Forum venue: Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, KL
Date: 17 January 2012 at 7.30 pm.

The speakers were:
1) Mr N. Ganesan - National Advisor to Hindraf

2) Dr Kua Kia Soong - Director of Suaram

3) Assoc. Prof. Dr Azmi Sharom - Law Lecturer and Activist

Chaired by: Dr Lim Teck Ghee - Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives

Malaysia is plagued by a subtle, pervasive and increasingly aggressive form of racism. What started as a defensive affirmative action program has now degeneratied into an aggressive form of institutionalized racism. This is sapping the potential of Malaysian society. The future on this trajectory is disastrous for all Malaysians. It will bring ruin to all of us.

The political, legal and administrative structures of our country - the anchors and sources of this institutionalization need to be fundamentally revamped. For this to happen, the public view of what is truly happening must become sharper. This is not an easy task - given the resources at hand for the beneficiaries of this racist system.

Public opinion must first be aligned with this developing reality, before any change can happen.

This video was presented by the Green Party of Malaysia.

[First posted 22 January 2012]

UMNO: Moving all the way to the right

[First published 29 October 2008. I'm reposting it because nothing has changed and it's still perfectly relevant, even if a few ministers have been replaced with equally inept and brickheaded clones... and also, I'm feeling too lazy to generate fresh material! :-)]



Viewed these videos from Malaysiakini earlier and couldn't help getting incensed by the kurang ajar (uncouth) attitude shown by the Polis Di Raja Malaysia - little wonder so many call them the "Polis Raja Di Malaysia" and fear Malaysia has become "a police state."



Yet we can hardly put all the blame on lowly-paid personnel in uniform recruited and trained to carry out orders from their superiors without question. Were they ever told - and repeatedly reminded - that their primary task is to serve the rakyat, not the interests of a political party named Umno?

Former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor told an outright lie, denying any knowledge of how Anwar Ibrahim got so badly bruised while under police custody, when he himself assaulted the erstwhile deputy prime minister (and, according to subsequent sworn testimony, had to be held back by his colleagues or he might have beaten the helpless prisoner to death).

How does a person with so little self-control and absolutely no comprehension of the law, not to mention a sense of justice, get to be Top Cop in Bolehland?

Well, why do some people spend so much money buying Rottweilers? This aggressive breed of canine apparently originates from Roman times when they were used to herd and guard livestock. I read with interest what the Wikipedia has to say about Rottweilers:

The Rottweiler is a steady dog with a self-assured nature, but early socialization and exposure to as many new people, animals, and situations as possible is very important in developing these qualities. The Rottweiler also has a natural tendency to assert dominance if not properly trained. Rottweilers' large size and strength make this an important point to consider: an untrained, poorly trained, or abused Rottweiler can learn to be extremely aggressive and destructive and, if allowed to run at large, can pose a significant physical threat to humans or other animals. They can be strong-willed and should be trained in a firm and consistent manner. The owner must be perceived by the dog as the leader. If the owner fails to achieve this status the Rottweiler will readily take on the role. Aggression in Rottweilers is associated with poor breeding, poor handling, lack of socialization, natural guarding tendencies, and especially abuse. [emphases added]

Anyone can see the dangers of allowing an errant police force free rein to bully members of the public they perceive as powerless and harass those named as enemies of their political masters. If your child gets savaged by a Rottweiler, the dog's owner must be held fully responsible. I'm willing to bet money that owners of vicious dogs are themselves nasty pieces of work and have serious issues with abuse of power.

Inevitably we are forced to conclude that rightwing political parties like Umno tend to favor fascistic policing of the general populace. Simply because rightwing politics appeal to the extremely rich who realize that the social status and privileges they enjoy are usually gained at the expense of a docile and ill-informed rakyat.

Truly democratic governments tend to lean to the left, emphasizing community benefits over individual profits. America, for example, started out preaching Athenian-style democracy; but as a small segment of society began to accumulate vast amounts of wealth and property, fascism took root in the form of massive militarization and an increasingly brutal police force.

The CIA was known to recruit most of its officers from Yale University, headquarters of the secretive Skull & Bones fraternity, mainly because the Agency was primarily focused on preventing a worldwide popular uprising against tyranny (which would upset the supercapitalist apple cart). Since a large number of Yale alumni are the scion of well-heeled families, this would ensure that the Agency would always serve the vested interests of the privileged class - and not the American people in general.

We are witness to a massive awakening in Malaysia. Third and fourth generation Chinese and Indians no longer view themselves as immigrants; they have grown a deep root in Malaysian soil. Their grandparents and parents struggled hard to carve a niche for themselves - and now the young Malaysian is plugged into a fast-evolving planetary mind that transcends artificial boundaries. Even the grandchildren of native rice-farmers, fishermen and rubber tappers have been exposed to the world and will no longer tolerate being rudely addressed by public servants, no matter how high their rank - and, of course, the Polis Di Raja Malaysia are really just another branch of the civil service, entrusted with maintaining law and order - without fear, favor or prejudice.


The sort of police misbehavior we have seen in recent times - from the mishandling of public rallies like Bersih and Hindraf to the commando-style arrest of Anwar Ibrahim over a spurious accusation of sodomy - reveals the kurang ajar nature of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional.

Imagine harassing and browbeating a small group of Indian women for attempting to petition the prime minister over a perfectly legitimate grievance. They were merely hoping against hope that their menfolk detained under the ISA would be released in time to celebrate Deepavali, that's all. Why weren't they allowed to hand the Deepavali greeting to an official from the Prime Minister's Department? They would have simply turned around and gone home, mission accomplished. Can't let these Indians get too uppity, I suppose. Loyar buruk semua! Next they'll be demanding equal status as citizens!

Zorro's Fart Chamber is too merciful a punishment for Hamid Albar and his Umno colleagues. They deserve to also be vomited, urinated and defecated on. As home minister, the despicable Potatohead Gestapoman must bear full responsibility for the way his police force is further worsening the Barisan Nasional's already stinking image of arrogance compounded by stupidity. However, for Abdullah Badawi and his deputy to say and do nothing every time something like this happens implies that they are totally aligned with this damning example of Umno's unpardonable pigheadedness and dangerous jingoism.

FOUR LITTLE, FIVE LITTLE, SIX LITTLE INDIANS...

The Malaysian Police are Prosecutor, Judge and Executioner, all in one
Sunday, 22 February 2009 | Malaysia Today
By Naragan N.

Today, I tagged along with our Human Rights Activists who have been fighting Police Abuses for a long time – S. Jayathas, S. Surendran, Manickavasagam (MP for Kapar) and M. Manohar (MP for Teluk Intan), to find out what actually transpired when the 6 were killed by the Police in Kulim.

Ever since their killing the other day, I have been very bothered by the event. The media shouted out "criminals" – as if that was the foregone truth. The Police had executed all 6 of them as if they were the Prosecutor, Judge and Executioner all in one and utterly above the law. It was not one, not two; it was six -and it seems with impunity. Every one had their own view of the episode. But I needed some answers.

At the outset, let me say that I am not condoning crimes or criminals; but there are so many questions that this incident raises that we need some good answers, and fast, as this situation seems to be spinning out of control – before the ink dries on one, another seems to happen. Kugan's case before Prabakaran's settled, and now the six before Kugan's case is settled.

We visited the shootout site, the families of 3 of the deceaseds and spent some time with the neighbour at the shootout site. The picture that emerges is different than what the mainstream media has been putting out. The MSM paints a picture that the Police only returned fire after being shot at and that this turn of events was totally unavoidable and that they were dealing with a bunch of unscrupulous criminals.


Let me detail some of the facts we gathered before commenting on them. The scene of the shooting was in a small town of Karangan some 15km from Kulim. It was in a small house which was being renovated in one of the backroads of Karangan, a little off the main road of the town. The fence around the house was a tall wall made up of corrugated sheet – something you would do to cut off from view what was going on inside.

A very forthcoming neighbour told us that when he returned home from work that rainy night at around 10 or so, he was met with a large group of policemen in front of his house, who had already packed his family into the prayer room of his house in the event of stray bullets during the impending ambush. He was asked to get in with them. He only heard the frightening shootout that dreadful night from within his prayer room.

The shootout took place at around 10.30, a very noisy and frightening episode, narrated that neighbour. There did not seem to be any attempt by the Police to try to get the people they were seeking out from the premises, by summoning them out first using hailers or some such device, before the shoot out. The shooting just happened. The neighbour knew nothing more till the bodies of the killed men were removed at somewhere between 4 and 5 am the next morning.

The first of the killed men, the one that the Police probably had a reason to get, the owner of the house where the shootout happened, was shot in the middle of the top of his head, top down it appeared. The family of this victim mentioned he had several more shots on the front side of his body – as if someone shot at him from the front. This individual, we were told by the family had no prior police record.


The second victim that we visited was someone who was actually working in Singapore for a company called SBS (maybe the Singapore Bus Company) who had come back to Kulim for a holiday. He was due to go back shortly and had a return ticket for that. His death certificate also indicated death due to shots in the chest. Apparently he had several shot wounds on the front side of his body also, as if shot from the front. He appeared to be a friend of the first victim.

It is not clear from the little information we got that this person was at all a close accomplice or even a participant in any crime that may have been in the works. Of course, I am concluding this with very little information, but these are the facts as we got them from the family. The family was distraught, because this had damaged the standing of the family in the community, having their dead son branded a criminal. This victim also has no past criminal record, we were told by the family.


The third family we visited was that of a young chap of about 20. His family lives in a dilapidated little estate house in Padang Serai. He had seven siblings and it was obvious the family was just existing. This young chap, it appears, was working for the first victim assisting in the renovation of the house where the shootout happened. The parents did not seem to know much more about what he did. He was obviously not being paid very much, as he had just 2 days before the incident asked one of his family members for 20 ringgit.

He had shot wounds on the forehead and it looked like the back of his head was all bloodied as if from an exiting bullet. He was dressed only in a towel at the time of his death. His parents even had difficulty putting together some money to buy him a shirt and a dhoty for his burial. 36 ringgit was all they had. They could not even afford the coffin in which he was ultimately buried. The Police disallowed the victims' kin to examine the body when they tried to. The body was all bloodied in the front. This victim also had no past record, we were told.


To say the least, this was a carnage. It appears like we are in Gaza or in Iraq or in Afghanistan or even in Sri Lanka – the scale and method of killing suggests nothing short of this. Let me ask, are we in one of these countries or is Malaysia descending there?

It looks like Indian lives have become very cheap, very cheap in this country – the lives of anjing keling, yes that's what it is, the cheap lives of the anjings - that they can be wasted in this manner. Uthayakumar was so right!

By all of this, I am in no way saying crime is alright. What I am saying is the way the problems of crime are being dealt with. Let me lay out some perspectives for you all to consider:

1) What was the need to kill these people? They were not terrorists. They had no previous records. They were not murderers, surely not the mafia. They could have been easily arrested. In fact, where the first victim regularly stays is just a stone's throw from the Police Station. Why were they not apprehended? Or why were they not given a chance to come out with their hands up to surrender themselves for arrest – even in war this is done. Why were they not given this chance?

2) We understand there were a number of sharp shooters from around the country on hand for the job for the Police. This seem to indicate that this was a planned kill event.

3) Why was it that the shot wounds were all in the front side of the victims – not any location on the body, but systematically on the front side?

4) One victim was shot on the top of the head. How could that happen in a normal exchange of fire? That seems to suggest some crouching position and a shot into the head, from the top.

5) Why were the victims not shot at on their legs or where they will not be killed but disabled on being shot?

6) Why were the kin of one of the victims denied their right to inspect the body?

7) If it was a shootout between the Police and the victims, only two could have had the guns, as the police produced two guns; why were the shot wounds so systematic in the chest and the heads on all three of the victims? We do not know about the other two victims – but I suspect they will show similarities.

In summary, this ugly incident in the series of incidents of police killing and atrocities seem to emphasise the following issues:

a) The Police in Malaysia continue killing Indian crime suspects with impunity – taking upon themselves the role of Prosecutor, Judge and Executioner all in one. I am sure that the powers be know exactly what they are doing. So, we have to take it that they are trying to provoke a response from us so they can slam emergency rule or something like that and set us all back?

b) The Police very urgently need to be Policed. That looks like a very remote possibility, as long as UMNO rules this country of ours. See what's happening to the reform-driven MACC, it has become just another tool of UMNO. Any IPCMC will probably end up in that same rubbish bin. In any case, this UMNO regime seems to be promoting Police brutality as a means of maintaining their hold on the levers of power.

c) So many crime suspects in Malaysia are from among the Indian community. I think the answer to this has been already abundantly answered by Uthayakumar – this underclass of Indians are a direct result of the UMNO policies over the last 50 years of marginalizing Indians – neglecting the development of the Indian community. There does not yet seem to be any serious effort to get to the bottom of this problem.

d) The way the Police are shooting Indian crime suspects seem to give additional credence to the racist line of UMNO – the anjing keling line. They seem to be wittingly or unwittingly creating a stereotype of the Indians in the country – despicable, troublecausing and uncouth Indian. What do you think the jibes of children in school reflect – when little Indian children are called "anjing keling" by their Malay classmates.

e) Poverty seems to be intertwined with all of this. Take the case of the third victim that we visited - what kind of money was he making for him to be lumped up and shot. Does this make sense, 20 years old, barely making a living and then shot in the middle. These are the youth of the country who should be nurtured and built up into the the human potential we so much need.

This is all very infuriating.

There comes a time when all of this has to stop. This cannot continue. UMNO , stop playing games and get on with doing something positive about the problem. If you do not know how, then get expert help. I am sure there are agencies around the world that can help. Or are we to take it that you just do not want to, and then the only way we can find some resolution to the problem is by replacing you, UMNO.

UNITED WE MUST STAND... UNITED WE MUST ACT!!!!!

Thank you, Hindraf, for Makkal Sakthi!

LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

[Images collected from various sources. 14 April Freedom Rally pics courtesy of TV Smith]

THE SAD SAGA OF RAJESWARI MURUGIAH: view this powerful short documentary on a Malaysian citizen who was wrongfully detained for 11 months because she lost her identity card and couldn't recall the number. From Malaysiakini.tv, 24 Nov 2008

UMNO: Moving all the way to the right

Viewed these videos from Malaysiakini earlier and couldn't help getting incensed by the kurang ajar (uncouth) attitude shown by the Polis Di Raja Malaysia - little wonder so many call them the "Polis Raja Di Malaysia" and fear Malaysia has become "a police state."



Yet we can hardly put all the blame on lowly-paid personnel in uniform recruited and trained to carry out orders from their superiors without question. Were they ever told - and repeatedly reminded - that their primary task is to serve the rakyat, not the interests of a political party named Umno?

Former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor told an outright lie, denying any knowledge of how Anwar Ibrahim got so badly bruised while under police custody, when he himself assaulted the erstwhile deputy prime minister (and, according to subsequent sworn testimony, had to be held back by his colleagues or he might have beaten the helpless prisoner to death).

How does a person with so little self-control and absolutely no comprehension of the law, not to mention a sense of justice, get to be Top Cop in Bolehland?

Well, why do some people spend so much money buying Rottweilers? This aggressive breed of canine apparently originates from Roman times when they were used to herd and guard livestock. I read with interest what the Wikipedia has to say about Rottweilers:

The Rottweiler is a steady dog with a self-assured nature, but early socialization and exposure to as many new people, animals, and situations as possible is very important in developing these qualities. The Rottweiler also has a natural tendency to assert dominance if not properly trained. Rottweilers' large size and strength make this an important point to consider: an untrained, poorly trained, or abused Rottweiler can learn to be extremely aggressive and destructive and, if allowed to run at large, can pose a significant physical threat to humans or other animals. They can be strong-willed and should be trained in a firm and consistent manner. The owner must be perceived by the dog as the leader. If the owner fails to achieve this status the Rottweiler will readily take on the role. Aggression in Rottweilers is associated with poor breeding, poor handling, lack of socialization, natural guarding tendencies, and especially abuse. [emphases added]

Anyone can see the dangers of allowing an errant police force free rein to bully members of the public they perceive as powerless and harass those named as enemies of their political masters. If your child gets savaged by a Rottweiler, the dog's owner must be held fully responsible. I'm willing to bet money that owners of vicious dogs are themselves nasty pieces of work and have serious issues with abuse of power.

Inevitably we are forced to conclude that rightwing political parties like Umno tend to favor fascistic policing of the general populace. Simply because rightwing politics appeal to the extremely rich who realize that the social status and privileges they enjoy are usually gained at the expense of a docile and ill-informed rakyat.

Truly democratic governments tend to lean to the left, emphasizing community benefits over individual profits. America, for example, started out preaching Athenian-style democracy; but as a small segment of society began to accumulate vast amounts of wealth and property, fascism took root in the form of massive militarization and an increasingly brutal police force.

The CIA was known to recruit most of its officers from Yale University, headquarters of the secretive Skull & Bones fraternity, mainly because the Agency was primarily focused on preventing a worldwide popular uprising against tyranny (which would upset the supercapitalist apple cart). Since a large number of Yale alumni are the scion of well-heeled families, this would ensure that the Agency would always serve the vested interests of the privileged class - and not the American people in general.

We are witness to a massive awakening in Malaysia. Third and fourth generation Chinese and Indians no longer view themselves as immigrants; they have grown a deep root in Malaysian soil. Their grandparents and parents struggled hard to carve a niche for themselves - and now the young Malaysian is plugged into a fast-evolving planetary mind that transcends artificial boundaries. Even the grandchildren of native rice-farmers, fishermen and rubber tappers have been exposed to the world and will no longer tolerate being rudely addressed by public servants, no matter how high their rank - and, of course, the Polis Di Raja Malaysia are really just another branch of the civil service, entrusted with maintaining law and order - without fear, favor or prejudice.


The sort of police misbehavior we have seen in recent times - from the mishandling of public rallies like Bersih and Hindraf to the commando-style arrest of Anwar Ibrahim over a spurious accusation of sodomy - reveals the kurang ajar nature of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional.

Imagine harassing and browbeating a small group of Indian women for attempting to petition the prime minister over a perfectly legitimate grievance. They were merely hoping against hope that their menfolk detained under the ISA would be released in time to celebrate Deepavali, that's all. Why weren't they allowed to hand the Deepavali greeting to an official from the Prime Minister's Department? They would have simply turned around and gone home, mission accomplished. Can't let these Indians get too uppity, I suppose. Loyar buruk semua! Next they'll be demanding equal status as citizens!

Zorro's Fart Chamber is too merciful a punishment for Hamid Albar and his Umno colleagues. They deserve to also be vomited, urinated and defecated on. As home minister, the despicable Potatohead Gestapoman must bear full responsibility for the way his police force is further worsening the Barisan Nasional's already stinking image of arrogance compounded by stupidity. However, for Abdullah Badawi and his deputy to say and do nothing every time something like this happens implies that they are totally aligned with this damning example of Umno's unpardonable pigheadedness and dangerous jingoism.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI ~ MAKKAL SAKTHI!

It would have been so easy to uplift the spirits of the entire nation - and particularly the Indian community - just by releasing the Hindraf 5 in time for them to celebrate Deepavali with their families.

Indeed, if I were a prime minister on the way out, I would have seen this as a perfect opportunity to redeem my lacklustre track record in office with a spectacular gesture of clemency, goodwill and reconciliation.

I would have repealed the ISA, freed all the detainees, and denied the Pakatan Rakyat the pleasure of doing so when they take over the government - as must surely happen, sooner or later (when enough BN politicians succeed in sprouting some gonads). Instead, we get THIS ungracious small-minded act of unmitigated malice...

UTHAYA'S NIECE, 11 OTHERS HELD
Andrew Ong | Oct 23, 08 6:08pm | Malaysiakini

The six-year-old niece of detained Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar was arrested with 11 others when they attempted to submit a letter at the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya today.


P. Vwaishhnnavi (right) is the daughter of Hindraf chairperson P. Waythamoorthy who is currently in self-imposed exile in London. Her mother K. Shanti was among those arrested.

Police Watch Malaysia coordinator S. Jayathas, who was also held, claimed that they had been told that they were part of an illegal assembly for having gathered near the entrance of the building.

“We were trying to obtain permission from the security guards for Vwaishhnnavi to submit her letter. They said that we were from Hindraf, but we insisted that we were 'concerned Indians' who were accompanying Vwaishnnavi,” Jayathas said when contacted.

They are currently at the Putrajaya district police headquarters, but police chief Abdul Razak Abd Majid declined comment when contacted.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman confirmed the arrest of eight men and three women during the incident. He clarified that Vwaishhnnavi has not been arrested and is in her mother’s care.

He also said the 11 are being investigated under the Societies Act. (The Home Ministry had imposed a ban on Hindraf on Oct 15, declaring it an illegal grouping.)


I call upon the joyous spirit of Deepavali and Makkal Sakthi to permeate the dense minds in Umno, so that even the most debased and debauched amongst them may see the light and achieve their own redemption.


May these benighted bodoh sombong (arrogantly stupid) souls find the inner strength to transcend their own genetic and cultural limitations - and finally emerge from beneath their hereditary tempurungs (coconut shells) into an exciting new world of infinite possibilities.


A world where we can proudly proclaim our Bangsa (race) as Manusia (human) first and foremost; and then as Malaysians of diverse and many-splendored ancestries.

I tip my cap to the unknown Photoshop wizard who created these hilarious images. They are works of art indeed, and perfectly capture the playful and festive spirit of Deepavali - as all true souls would wish it to be!

PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVE THE PUBLIC!

Photo courtesy of hidupku

Press Statement For Immediate Release

ALLOW FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

The Centre for Public Policy Studies regrets the police prohibition of and use of violence on a number of recent gatherings in Kuala Lumpur.

Two weeks ago on the 10th November 2007, BERSIH, a coalition of non-Governmental organisations and political parties, organised a march to submit a memorandum calling for measures to ensure free and fair elections in the country.

More recently, on Sunday the 25th November 2007, Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) organised a rally to submit a memorandum calling for equal treatment of Indians, highlighting their socio-economic marginalisation in the country.

The Government has responded by saying that demonstrations are unnecessary, that memorandums should be handed in personally, and that any concerns can be brought up in forums through a consultative approach.

However, such forums, panels and meetings have been conducted on numerous occasions to little avail. These articulations are compiled into reports and submitted to various committees, but it is precisely inaction and non-response from the Government that has fuelled frustrations amongst those groups who have not received equal treatment.

Article 10 of the Federal Constitution guarantees that every citizen has the right to assemble peaceably. This is affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The BERSIH and HINDRAF rallies were peaceful gatherings and should not be misconstrued as otherwise.

1. The CPPS calls on the Government to recognise the rights of civil society to freedom of assembly. The right to freely assemble peacefully is one of the hallmarks of a democratic society. If we want to consider ourselves a true democracy, then the police should stop immediately its highhanded excessive use of force at dispersing peaceful crowds, including the use of tear gas and unrelenting water cannons at peaceful demonstrations and rallies.

We need to urgently review the policy and processes regarding the provision of permits for peaceful assembly as guaranteed in our Federal Constitution. If the police had given permits to assemble and march peacefully, subject, of course, to reasonable and agreed-upon terms, the unnecessary disruption and subsequent chaos would have been avoided.

2. The CPPS also urges the Government to examine the root causes of the deep sense of grievance and frustration that underlie these rallies and demonstrations . The issues being raised by civil society organisations recently are valid and should be urgently considered. The views and opinions of this large cross-section of society cannot be swept under the carpet. These expressions of frustration and anger arise from a significant proportion of the Malaysian public. These must be factored into policy-making processes, and not ignored.

3. At the same time, it would be useful for the Government to meet the leaders of these rallies and find out more about their grievances, taking action to resolve outstanding problems that have adversely affected sections of the Malaysian society. New approaches are urgently needed to ensure greater national unity, peace, stability and progress.

Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Ramon V. Navaratnam
Chairman,
Centre for Public Policy Studies
26th November 2007
Kuala Lumpur

For more information, please contact Ms. Tricia Yeoh or call 03-20932820.


Batu Caves, early hours of 25 November 2007. Photos from IndianOnline.com