Trapped by their own greed and stupidity! (reprise)

Umno/BN, after 22 years of Mahathirism, has degenerated into a robber baron regime paralyzed by a complete failure of imagination and rendered powerless to adapt to changes in the political terrain by the sheer inertia of its own overweening arrogance and greed.

Najib Razak and his grotesque wife Rosmah Mansor were pushed into power by 191 corrupt and inept Umno division chiefs - just as George W. Bush was muscled into the White House in 2000 - to take the flak and serve as a target of public ridicule, so that the nouveau riche Umnoputra elite could continue to rob the nation with impunity and hide the loot in numbered accounts and property investments abroad.

With their control of the law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, civil service, the armed forces and the tribal monarchies, Umno believes it can continue to misrule - by brute force if necessary - through deliberate aggravation of artificially engendered racial and religious differences.

The majority of urbanites have long woken up to Umno/BN's dirty strategies and will never again be fooled. In the rural areas where the only source of news are the mainstream media, the awakening is slightly more sluggish but inevitable. 

Mahathir and Daim Zainuddin created a financial buffer against political defeat by nurturing an ultra-rich entrepreneurial class to feed the Umno/BN electoral juggernaut (hence the lopsided contracts signed with Independent Power Producers and utility corporations privatized to political cronies). This unwholesome conspiracy between centralized government and capitalist self-interest to bamboozle the public will grind to an abrupt end when Umno/BN is booted out - and that's why we see panic breaking out in the hysterical headlines and perverse spins of crony media like Utusan Malaysia and TV3. 

It's time to draw a clear line in the sand, people. It's time to open your windows, stand on a street corner, and shout...

"We're as mad as hell and we're not going to take this anymore!"

[First published 19 June 2011... reposted 5 January 2013... 6 January 2014... now one LAST time!]

Arrogance and the Art of Political Shadow Boxing (updated & revisited)

This post was inspired by a journalist friend who left the following comment on my Facebook wall: "I've met [Anwar Ibrahim] in person and he looked right through me, although I had to personally escort him. He makes my skin crawl. A couple of reporters I know who have interviewed him also say that this kind of arrogance was pretty normal even when he was DPM." Anwar had just been acquitted when I posted this in January 2012. Then AG Abdul Gani Patail immediately appealed the verdict, to the disgust of those who can't imagine ever being so viciously vindictive and venomous.

At 19 I met a fortune teller who read my palms and told me I will never have a boss. And that has held true my entire life. I don't regard anybody or any spirit as my "superior."

All political leaders, including Anwar Ibrahim, must ultimately bow to the rakyat as their boss. Others may bow before some concept of God or Devil. I don't.

In effect, other people's arrogance is just a joke to me. Arrogance, I know, is only a front - a form of ego armoring required for warfare. Just as Muhammad Ali used arrogance and conceit as a psychological weapon to inject apprehension and anxiety into his opponents, every successful politician learns to talk big and scare his adversaries. In the animal kingdom, puffer fish and peacocks inflate various parts of their anatomy to scare off rivals and attract potential mates.

Anwar Ibrahim addresses a rapt audience at Kelana Jaya Stadium (photo: TV Smith)

Anwar is good at that - and he is used to being in the limelight. Every rockstar knows what it's like to have thousands clamoring for you to appear on stage - it's addictive and scary at the same time. It takes a special kind of temperament to thrive under those high-pressure circumstances. Anwar has got it in abundance - he has trained himself all his life to become a political icon.

Have you ever had to escort Mahathir or Najib anywhere? Would they have looked right through you too... or looked straight into your eyes and noticed what a beautiful human being you are and suggested you add them on Facebook? The point I'm making is simply this: in a primitive culture where politics holds sway and policemen obey only those they deem their superiors, we desperately require regime change.

Anas Zubedy,
corporate wunderkind

If you remove Anwar Ibrahim from the equation at this juncture, what you're asking for is that the status quo remain unchanged. Look at the ego conflicts amongst activists and opinion makers - people like Haris Ibrahim, Ambiga Sreenevasan, Lim Chee Wee, Art Harun, Azmi Sharom, Malik Imtiaz... and let's toss in a few from the murky side, like RPK, Anas Zubedy, Chandra Muzaffar, Ezam Mohd Nor. Do you honestly think the ship of state will sail smoothly on course if it was left to a committee of debaters, public masturbators and would-be emancipators?

Until there are enough enlightened souls in our midst - ones who have internalized God and no longer regard external authority as real or legitimate - we will need some sort of political structure. And the best one (or the least noxious) I have seen thus far is the Pakatan Rakyat coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim.

I'm seriously tired of apparently intelligent people putting the brakes on the change by misapplyng their skepticism at what is, to me, a critical juncture in our political evolution. So, who do you wish to see in Anwar's place? I'm really interested to know....

[First published 18 January 2012, reposted 22 October 2012 & 23 November 2016]

The real change is happening quietly, inwardly, unreported and unnoticed... (repost)

Adversarial politics, as practised in Malaysia, is every bit as polluting as the worst kinds of industries. The toxicity, in this instance, is mainly psychic, and results in clouding up the real issues.

On the second day of 2012, Raja Petra Kamarudin let off a loud and extremely smelly fart in the face of Pakatan Rakyat by declaring Anwar Ibrahim "morally unfit" to become Malaysia's 7th prime minister. The fact that RPK chose to do so via the Umno-owned media, a few days ahead of the January 9th sodomy trial judgement reveals that his intent was to inflict maximum damage on Anwar.

What has transpired between these erstwhile political allies to sour their relationship is unknown to me and, no doubt, will be the subject of much speculation. In 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as deputy prime minister and finance minister and viciously booted out of Umno, RPK rose to his defence by inaugurating the online Free Anwar Campaign. Either RPK didn't buy the malicious gossip that Anwar is bisexual - or it didn't really matter to him then.

Well known to be a maverick and loose cannon, RPK isn't someone who can join any club without ultimately coveting the position of supremo. He has an ego that matches his mercurial intelligence - and his immense popularity in the period leading up to and after GE12 was largely due to the sheer audacity of his "No Holds Barred" column in Malaysia Today.

Soon after RPK went into self-exile to avoid another stint in Kamunting, he collaborated with Pakatan Rakyat leaders to forge a united front against Umno/BN. However, disagreements in strategy must have arisen, leading to the formation of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) supported by concerned citizens who didn't necessarily wish to be embroiled in partisan politics but were convinced that the primary goal was to remove Umno/BN from power.

AS MCLM started gaining credibility and clout, RPK began criticizing Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat over what he perceived as their weaknesses and shortcomings. He made it clear that his own mission to restore good governance and justice in Malaysia was above party politics - and, as such, it was his duty to "whack" politicians on both sides of the BN/PR divide whenever they got out of line. Fair enough, and those of us who admired RPK's guts and brilliant mind were happy to endorse MCLM's public outreach activities.

However, just before the Sarawak elections, RPK stunned the nation by agreeing to be interviewed in Australia by TV3. The gist of his revelations was that he had been misled and left in the lurch by a conspiracy to thwart Najib Razak's rise to power and replace him with Tengku Razaleigh as interim prime minister. The edited interview focused on RPK's declaration that he had no evidence of Rosmah Mansor's involvement with Altantuya's gruesome execution - and that he had accepted on good faith the testimony of one Colonel Azmi Zainal Abidin, a military intelligence officer. RPK added that the military intelligence report he had been shown no longer existed.

The timing of RPK's TV3 interview created shockwaves amongst his fans and many turned against him, convinced that he had finally succumbed to temptation and reneged on his own principles. After a few months, the antagonism subsided but avid followers of Malaysia Today had grown a little wary of RPK's volatile temperament.

With his latest move, conspiring with the utterly despised Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times to dismiss Anwar Ibrahim's candidacy as prime minister, RPK has lost even more admirers - perhaps permanently this time.

RPK, of course, is entitled to his views on what constitutes moral fitness for the nation's highest post. He says it's possible that Anwar Ibrahim may be bisexual; that he's "90% convinced" Anwar is the main actor in the sleazy video produced by the infamous "Datuk T" trio. Nothing anyone in Umno/BN hasn't already loudly proclaimed through the mainstream media as an indictment of Anwar Ibrahim's "immoral" tendencies.

Amidst the myriad moral lapses that tend to characterize public figures, we need to draw clear distinctions as to which ones we must view seriously and which ones we can afford to overlook.

Putting your hand on somebody's lap and putting your hand in the till may be regarded as moral lapses - but each act has entirely different consequences. If I put my hand on your lap and you find it pleasurable, we'll soon be having a bit of grownup fun, at nobody's expense. However, by stealing from the public coffers, my act can be classified criminal and it will eventually impoverish the entire nation.

In a social climate supercharged with false piety and genuine hypocrisy, it may be a sign of moral weakness on my part to deny that I have enjoyed extramarital affairs or smoked a bit of weed or had a couple of beers with my chums or watched some porn.

But to allow crooks to infiltrate the judiciary and law enforcement agencies just to prop up my personal power is most certainly not an act of moral strength. And to say and do absolutely nothing as my uniformed goons beat people to death in custody and throw them out of highrise windows goes beyond moral weakness - it's abominably evil.

The endless catalog of crimes committed under the watch of every Umno prime minister since Hussein Onn needs no elucidation. Most Malaysians with access to the Internet acknowledge that many abominable evils became the norm during Mahathir's 22-year tenure - and that Najib's power rides upon the endemic corruption and moral degeneracy he inherited as the current Umno president and crime minister.

To my mind, if a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government led by Anwar Ibrahim can abolish once-and-for-all the oppressive laws that keep citizens docile, submissive and afraid of their own shadows, then I will lend their ascendancy to power my wholehearted support.

I wish to see a new attitude of dedicated service amongst elected representatives of the people - ministers who do not glorify themselves by arriving an hour late with police outriders just to officiate at public events; who totally understand that they are paid good wages to attend to problem-solving and the smooth administration of essential public utilities and social services - not to hog the limelight or rouse the rabble to racist hysteria.

If a Pakatan Rakyat government can oversee the outright abolition or massive overhaul of our dysfunctional public institutions - starting with PDRM and the judiciary; encourage the healthy growth of participatory democracy and ensure freedom of thought and expression; set a shining example to all citizens and motivate them to greater aspirations, instead of making them cynical and apathetic, then it's absolutely no concern of mine whether members of the cabinet are transsexual, bisexual, trisexual, metrosexual or pansexual. I might feel a tad anxious if one of them was exposed as asexual - simply because I find asexual people a bit creepy.

I would consider anyone morally unfit to be a leader if he or she is a congenital liar with a penchant for excessive luxury and self-aggrandizement - and is prepared to murder anyone who stands in the way of their grotesque ambition.

As far as I know, Anwar Ibrahim has never ordered any of his political rivals to be tortured by psychopathic goons, poisoned, bludgeoned to death, shot in the head, or blown to smithereens with military grade explosives.

The only reservation I have about Anwar's political ideology is that he doesn't seem to share my profound respect for Mother Nature and continues to regard logging and mining as legitimate industries. When he becomes PM, I shall have to convince him that a deep understanding of ecology is far more important than the stupid economy.

RPK, whom I continue to respect and love as a brother and friend, even though we may be diametrically opposed in specific instances - and to whom I will always be grateful for his magnificent role as a powerful galvanizer of political awareness - may have decided that Anwar Ibrahim is "morally unfit" to be appointed our 7th prime minister. He has every right to his personal opinion.*

My personal opinion is that we will never know if Anwar Ibrahim will make a great prime minister until we have given him at least 5 years to lead the nation to a more glorious and noble destiny. At this juncture, Anwar remains the most qualified candidate - and perhaps the only political icon with sufficient charisma and influence to win over enough hearts and minds and reunify this divided nation.

Meanwhile, I'm happy to report that I have been meeting a growing number of mentally and spiritually awakened young people who are more than capable of thinking for themselves and knowing when to put an end to systems that no longer work, because they have been abused for far too long by those who are truly morally unfit to lead.

-----------
*[Editor's Note: since January 2012 when this essay was written, much has changed in the political landscape, In recent years RPK has not only come out in open support of Najib and Rosmah's rogue regime, he has also revealed that he wholeheartedly subscribes to Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) - which means that all his past pronouncements about social justice and democratic principles were a mere pretence. I find it no longer possible to describe RPK as "a brother and friend." Indeed, just hearing his name mentioned evinces utter revulsion and a deep sadness in my heart.]

First posted 3 January 2012. Reposted 8 March 2018]

You can't clean a dirty windscreen with a filthy rag (the situation remains unchanged!)

Malaysia's political outlook: not at all promising right now!

The current rogue regime has been in power since 1957. That's plenty of time to become utterly complacent, arrogant, corrupt, and malevolent. After it nearly lost power in the political tsunami of 8 March 2008, one would expect UMNO-BN to do some desperately needed housekeeping, at least toss out a few irredeemably tainted ministers. Instead, they forced Abdullah Badawi to step down and put Najib Razak in his place.

5,000 signatures were collected in a petition sent to every member of parliament, expressing public concern over the prospect of being saddled with a prime minister nobody admires or respects; especially one under a heavy cloud of suspicion over massive corruption and even cold-blooded murder.

This is what Najib Razak looks like. That's right, a badly soiled rag. As defence minister for 14 years he had plenty of opportunities to skim the cream off the milk and buy himself a political support network amongst retired generals and defence contractors.

The people Najib appointed to his new cabinet in April 2009 look like this. Yup, more filthy rags. I guess filthy rags like to hang together. Can you seriously expect these filthy rags to do a good job cleaning your windscreen, so you can at least see what lies ahead?

This is what Malaysia urgently needs: a stack of clean micro-fiber towels to tackle the huge mess left behind by 22 years of self-serving misrule under Mahathir Mohamad. We need dedicated, dynamic young visionaries and a fresh perspective on what Malaysia is really all about.

We need a diversity of viewpoints and a broad spectrum of options. In other words, we want more voices from across the colorful spectrum of cultures that today constitute Malaysia. Leaders and top civil servants who are comfortably bi-lingual, if not tri- or even quadri-lingual, who have a cosmopolitan worldview and are plugged into what's happening around them.

We can't afford to have heads of departments and public institutions with medieval mindsets - whose outlook remains mired in petty jealousies, rivalries and narrow, provincial attitudes. Who are threatened by those from different racial and cultural backgrounds and feel safer when they flock together with their own kind. And whose only reaction when faced with the prospect of being demoted is to wave their kerises and jibber and jabber like baboons.

In effect, the formulas that might have worked back in the 1950s can no longer be applied to the 21st century. Race-based political parties, for instance, are today a serious obstacle to our forging an authentic national identity and shared vision, beyond the limiting confines of tribal loyalties and prejudices spawned by perverted religious doctrine.

Personalities like Ibrahim Ali (right) belong in the museum of political history, along with the dinosaurian despots who use him as a paid rabble-rouser and incendiary device.

They have long overstayed their welcome and it's time for them to go.

[First posted 20 May 2011. Reposted 14 November 2013]

Teoh Beng Hock ~ five years down the line, still no closure!

Teoh Beng Hock (1979-2009)

Beng Hock, a former journalist with the Chinese press, became political aide 
to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP) after 8 March 2008. 
Teoh wanted to make Malaysia a healthier, happier place for everybody.

A dedicated worker who enjoyed a good laugh, Beng Hock was well loved 
by friends and colleagues.

Beng Hock was engaged to 28-year-old Soh Cher Wei, a schoolteacher,
and they had planned their wedding for 17 July 2009.

Teoh Beng Hock was found dead at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, 

around noon on 16 July 2009, after being brutally "questioned" for 9 hours 

by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over 

a RM2,400 discrepancy in the office accounts.

Malaysians were outraged. We knew why Teoh Beng Hock was dead.  

Shortly after his appointment as crime minister, Najib Razak boasted 

he would wrest Selangor back from Pakatan Rakyat - 

just as he stole Perak back through means entirely foul.

Former Selangor chief minister Khir Toyo has close friends in the MACC more than willing to help their UMNO buddy frame a few Pakatan Rakyat state exco members.

Teoh Beng Hock's unforeseen death forced UMNO to abort 
its dastardly plot to topple the Pakatan Rakyat state government. 
In a way, Beng Hock died to save Selangor from falling back 
into the clutches of a grimy, slimy bunch of hardened criminals.

The Teoh family, unhappy with the clumsy cover-up by MACC as well as PDRM, 

demanded a second autopsy, this time observed by renowned 

Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand who stated, 

after viewing photos from the first post-mortem, 

that she was 80% positive that Teoh had been murdered.

The whole nation was angered and saddened by Teoh's unnecesssary death. Few have faith in the MACC's political neutrality - indeed, most view the corrupt law enforcement agencies as UMNO's gestapo. Anger at Beng Hock's cruel mistreatment cut across the social spectrum. In an attempt to placate the public, Najib ordered a coroner's inquest which dragged on for 18 months and ground to a grating inconclusion: Teoh Beng Hock's death was neither homicide nor suicide, the coroner announced. The loud public outcry finally forced Najib to accede to a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the case. During the RCI, almost all the MACC officers revealed themselves to be totally incompetent and unprofessional - in fact, they came across as no better than salaried thugs, compulsive liars, and sadistic psychopaths. When the Royal Commsssion's findings were finally made public on 22 July 2011, the public was outraged by the RCI's politically expedient conclusion that "Teoh Beng Hock was driven to suicide due to the aggressive interrogation methods used by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers." Despite the fact that three MACC officers (Selangor deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim, Mohd Anuar Ismail, and Mohd Adhraf Yunus) were held responsible for their tyrannical and unnecessarily malicious interrogation methods, not one has been prosecuted or even fired. Meanwhile, on 6 April 2011, another mysterious death occurred at the hands of MACC - that of customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed.

On 22 February 2010, the son of Teoh Beng Hock 

was born at Pantai Hospital, Batu Pahat.

Watch this fantastic video produced in honor of 
Teoh Beng Hock!

[First posted 15 July 2013]

DEMOCRACY: Elect your own dictator! (repost)

Democracy and the power of the mind
By Stanley Koh

Why do Malaysians continue to support a government that has been abusing its power for so long that its credibility has become thinner than toilet paper?

Are Malaysians really too naive, gullible or blind to see that it is their failed collective political will that is the stumbling block to any real national progress?

One may of course argue that there is no such thing as a perfect government, that Utopias exist only the minds of idealists and romantics, or that the human mind, as played out in the real-world political arena, is far from being plain, perfect or even honest.

Cynics say we deserve the government we elect. But Barisan Nasional apologists tell us to look into what they vaguely refer to as “the statistics,” as if to say that these would show BN’s legitimacy as the ruling coalition in Malaysia.

Still, does it make sense that in 2008 only 4.08 million of 7.94 million voters chose BN to rule over a population of some 27 million? Is it fair for a minority to determine the future of the majority or the nation’s destiny?

The sad truth about the Malaysian majority is that its collective mindset is so passive—some would say deformed—that it does not seem interested in bringing about the revolutionary changes our nation needs for its betterment.

General elections reveal another shortcoming of the collective Malaysian mindset: it lacks focus on national issues. Most of us are foolish, naïve, apathetic and gullible, distracted by side issues thrown at us by power players.

Nevertheless, our national consciousness continues to be shaped by recent political trends and the increasingly strident voices of public interest organizations against the BN regime’s excessive control over civil society and its undemocratic tactics in undermining the opposition coalition.

Is the BN a good and credible government?



Most ignore the regime’s propensity to depend on draconian measures against political opponents: the Internal Security Act, the Sedition Act, the Printing Presses and Publication Act, the ban on rallies and a host of other instruments of power abuse.

[Read the rest here.]

[First posted 5 May 2010]

The Unpopular Kajang Move ~ An Explanation from PKR Strategist Rafizi Ramli

The Kajang Move: Game Changer in Putrajaya Quest

I am aware that there is a lot of explanation that has to be made on the decision to vacate the Kajang seat to force a by-election. I am also acutely aware of Dato’ Ambiga’s advice communicated personally to me that we have to be as honest as possible with the people.

Apology to the public

So let me begin by offering the sincerest apology to the Malaysian public especially the voters of Kajang. The by-election will certainly consume public money and public space at the time when the people have to go through economic hardship.

There is no excuse for wasting public money except to offer my sincerest apology and for the party to be prepared if the voters of Kajang decide to punish us.

In all honesty, as the strongest proponent of the scheme I bear most responsibility for the decision.

Dynamics in Umno, racial and religious controversies

Yet precisely because we are honest to ourselves and the people, we have to acknowledge that there are problems and challenges that we are facing in Selangor that require intervention.

While Khalid Ibrahim’s administration has shown sterling performance over the last 6 years that endears him to the public, there are rooms for improvement in many areas especially given the latest dynamics in Umno.

It is an open secret that the move to remove Najib Razak has begun. As a party strategist, I cannot rule out the possibility that Najib is removed and Umno falls to the ultras led by Mahathir Mohamad’s faction.

The unscrupulous attack and schemes to take Selangor by hook or by crook will begin the moment the weak Najib is removed. Even as we speak, Umno’s cards are all too obvious in the latest round of racial and religious controversies stirred up in Selangor in the last few months.

Should Najib fall, expect a full blown manipulation of racial and religious issues to create mistrust and frustration with the Selangor government.

Model state as a launchpad for Putrajaya

While Khalid Ibrahim’s administration has set a gold standard in integrity and prudence in managing public funds, we also have to admit there are also other areas that we can improve. 

We need radical approach to solving the traffic woes, the pace of affordable public housing has to pick up. There is a need for more rigorous forward planning of water resources in Selangor and some hard decisions have to be made soon. We have to vigorously protect the rights of the minorities who are the targets of Umno’s political game.

As an MP, I certainly believe we can do better especially with regards to cleanliness and livelihood of the people. We have the potential to be a model state with least potholes in densely populated areas.

In other words, Selangor has to be doubly better than what it is today if it were to become a showcase for Pakatan in its quest for Putrajaya. Just as Istanbul was a launchpad for Erdogan and Jakarta is a launchpad for Jokowi, Selangor can be a great launchpad for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya.

Fortification of Pakatan in Selangor

The job is not done and we are about to face another round of onslaught from Umno.

Therefore, while it is certainly inexcusable to spend public funds unnecessarily in a by-election, it is an even bigger dereliction of public duty if we do not do anything, knowing that this round is going to be tougher.

What PKR and Pakatan Selangor need is a fortification so that we can expedite reforms and simultaneously fend off political attacks and manoeuvres from Umno. We need as many of our top leaders around Selangor to defend Selangor because it remains the crown jewel of any political coalition in the country.

Hence the decision to field Anwar Ibrahim for a state seat as this provides an option that we can readily exercise should the need arise.

Does this mean there will be a change of stewardship of Selangor government? Maybe yes, maybe no. But we do have the option to optimize our leadership potential if Umno stirs up more trouble.

Option is key. Having the option means having the flexibility of manoeuvres that can easily frustrate Umno’s game in Selangor especially with regards to racial and religious controversies.

Avoid the Kedah experience

At the end of the day, I know no amount of explanation can soothe the public anger. I only appeal for time to let the rationale sink in and space for us to do the necessary.

I also have to apologise on behalf of my party for the differences we have among ourselves that are seen as factional and often frustrates the public. Yet we trying our best to resolve it now for the sake of Malaysians, because not doing it now will certainly condemn us to the same experience of Pakatan in Kedah. We learn the lesson bitterly that differences must be managed early because the party always has to be whole to face Umno.

The game-changing Kajang Move

Good political leaders will never be popular. It pains me that we have to drag Anwar Ibrahim through this and subject him to public anger, yet his willingness to be a part of the bigger picture is the mark of the man.

Throughout the last few days, I reassured myself that it was Churchill who chose to be unpopular and remained a minority voice of alarm against the advancing Nazis till the end despite a public popularity to appease the Nazis. At the height of Nazi’s power, Churchill stood alone when every one else in Europe bowed to Hitler.

The conviction of doing the right thing, in the face of extreme criticism and public anger, remains a yardstick of what an honest leadership is.

I thank the top leadership of Pakatan who understand the necessity of doing this. I thank my comrades in the second leadership line up of Pakatan who have given the moral and political support for us to proceed.

I hope that one day when we are in Putrajaya, we can look back to the difficult days of what will be called the “Kajang Move” as the game changer in our quest for Putrajaya. I honestly hope that it will our defining moments that allow us one step closer to Putrajaya.

I may be naïve and ridiculed for my naivete, but that’s as honest as I can be.

Let’s look ahead for a stronger Pakatan in Selangor poised to take over Putrajaya in the next election and don’t look back.

Rafizi Ramli

29 January 2014

The Unstoppable Tide of Inevitable Change Keeps Rising!

Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya, 25 May 2013, around 6:45PM

As dusk fell so did a gentle rain...

... but the crowd came prepared & stayed put!

Enterprising young man does a brisk trade with rally paraphernalia

Does the sign read "Reformasi" in Chinese?

Alongside the festive atmosphere, a grim determination to reclaim the nation

Student leader Safwan Anang in training for a promising career

What a neo-Nazi criminal regime fears most: a Malaysian Spring of hope!

Election Commission heads MUST roll!

Badrul Hisham Shaharin @ Chegubard: an inspiring reformer

Never before have Malaysians been so united...

... against the real enemy of the people, a corrupt kleptocratic elite!

Most stayed till late to welcome Ambiga, Tian Chua, Haris & Anwar

Before the rally dispersed, the floodlights dimmed...

... turning the event into a beautiful manifestation of hope, optimism & light!

LIVE REPORTS

11.45pm -  After seven hours, the Suara Rakyat 505 rally came to a close with everyone singing Negaraku. Prior to that, emcee Badrul Hisham Shaharin says he needs 500,000 volunteers for an event he called "March to EC", hinting that there are far bigger rallies being planned.

11.20pm - In a show of humility, Anwar Ibrahim tells the crowd that he is sorry that Pakatan Rakyat was not able to form the federal government.

"So some of our plans can't be implemented because of that," he said.

Regardless, Anwar (left) says that Pakatan will never give up and that it was BN who should be accepting defeat.

He says that the White House had congratulated Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak with a condition: That the polls must be free and fair.

"That's why the EC must resign now! Now! Now!" he said.

He said that Monday is the last day for the public to lodge police reports on electoral fraud and urge them to do so, particularly over the fact that "indelible ink" was removable.

He added that there will be a few more Black 505 rallies left.

"Do we go on or stop here?" he asks, to which the crowd replied "Go on!".

He then promises that any mobilisation of the people will be done peacefully.

11.05pm - Emcee Badrul Hisham Shaharin has called for the Dataran PJ floodlamps to be switched off and for rally participants to whip out their phones and lighters to light up the venue.

The idea is to celebrate the release of Adam Adli, a student activist accused by the state of sedition. He is Penang now to visit his ailing mother.

"We will shine a path for democracy," he said, while estimating that the crowd size has now swelled to 70,000.

The crowd oblige and the wave their electronic devices. Looks like a swarm of fireflies.

10.45pm - Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar (left) says that the Election Commission must pay for their "crimes".

"You can never escape the clutches of the law," she said.

She said Pakatan had scored a moral victory on May 5 but the coalition and their supporters still have much to do.

"Tough times don't last. Tough people do," she said.

She adds that Pakatan will continue to mobilise the public to ensure that BN doesn't get its way when the electoral boundaries are re-drawn.

10.40pm - Haris Ibrahim urges the crowd to boycott media organisations that are lopsided or aligned to BN.

Following this, he announced that the Asalkan Bukan Umno group has prepared a video clip to show how BN had cheated during the general election.

"We want you to bring this video to the rural areas, to show how they were being cheated by BN," said Haris.

10.30pm - After sharing a cell in Jinjang, Tian Chua (left) and Haris Ibrahim share the stage together.

"Don't think that these arrests will scare the people. We will not be cowed.

"It is not us that are afraid. It is they, for they are holding to power without legitimacy," said Chua.

10.20pm - Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan says she was not scheduled to speak today but  the recent arrest of Adam Adli, Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim and Tamrin Ghaffar had moved her to do so.

He urges those with evidence of electoral fraud to approach Bersih's people's tribunal.

"If the EC has any dignity left, they must resign now. (The failure of the) indelible ink is reason enough," she said.

10.15pm - In a strange move, Kuala Kerai MP Dr Hatta Ramli and Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul decided to speak at the same time.

But it was Hatta who stole the show with his wisecracks.

He said that BN was no so worried about a certain word and have asked the Multimedia and Communication Commission (MCMC) to investigate politicians who mention it.

"What is the word? The word is musim bunga. I dare not utter the word in English.

"What I got my car fixed, I couldn't tell the foreman to change my suspension. I had to say 'Please help me to change my musim bunga'," he quipped.

9.45pm - Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli (left) says there would not be enough jails for the government to incarcerate all those who voice out against electoral fraud.

Rafizi, who chairs Pakatan's committee to probe electoral fraud, says that people have lost confidence in the EC because the have broken their vows.

"If the rakyat says there is fraud, isn't it their duty to investigate?" asks Rafizi. He says that Pakatan will be filing about 29 election petitions and strongly hinted that Bersih 4.0 might involve occupying Dataran Merdeka.

9.30pm - The Dataran PJ field has now reached saturation point. Emcee Badrul Hisham Shaharin (right) announces that there are 50,000 people in attendance.

9.25pm - Blues singer Ito, from the Blues Gang fame, belts out "Ubah Sekarang" to which the crowd responds by waving their hands in unison.

9.20pm - Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh (left in photo) is speaking now and she said that the Election Commission chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusoff is living off public funds.

She says that his wages will not be "halal" if the EC continues to disregard public opinion.

9.10pm: Badrul Hisham Shaharin, aka Chegubard, takes over as the emcee and introduces DAP's Ronnie Liu onto the stage.

"We need to reform the electoral system. If not, we won't make it to Putrajaya.

"I believe it is time we launch Bersih 4.0!" he said, to the crowd's approval.

9pm: As the rally continues, the crowd size had doubled to approximately 20,000.

8.15pm - The sky is threatening to open up on the crowd and is serving up a slight drizzle. Many people are sporting umbrellas.

7.30pm - Crowd size has grown to 10,000, which is much smaller than anticipated by the organisers.

7.15pm - Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, takes the stage and urge participants to call on their friends to join the rally.

"Tonight, we will be joined by the reformasi 'tank' - Tian Chua! Then there's another person, whom before we had a chance to invite him told us that he will join us - Haris Ibrahim!" announced Badrul Hisham.

Chua, Haris and Tamrin Abdul Ghaffar are being investigated for making seditious speeches during a forum on May 13. Another speaker at the forum, Adam Adli, has already been charged for sedition. All four are expected to speak tonight.

Badrul Hisham (left), who is believed to be wanted by the police for making "seditious speeches" alongside the abovementioned group, also announced that PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli will be presenting a slideshow later to show examples of electoral fraud.

Meanwhile, Badrul Hisham said the main objective of the rally is to campaign for reform in the electoral system.

After Badrul Shaharin spoke, there is a short break for mahgrib prayers.

6.45pm - Student activist KS Bawani (right), of the "Listen, listen, listen" fame, urges participants to "incite" their friends and relatives to join the rally.

“We had said before the general election that if the EC cheats, we will go down the street, this is the right of the people.

“We don't want to talk anymore. We've had enough. The people are not stupid, we don't want to wait for another five years.

“We don't have much time, we need to incite more people. Please tell your uncles and aunties to come to Amcorp Mall,” she says.

[Photos & report courtesy of Malaysiakini]