PKR’s deplorable attitude towards dissent and criticisms / Kecewa sikap parti terhadap bantahan dan kritikan
The response from the party was not far different from the way the police or FRU acted during the 1998-2002 street demonstrations. Our banners and posters were seized from us by members of the PKR
security squad, just like what the police did back in the 1998-2002 street protests.
By Muniandy Vengaiah
I was one of those PKR members who went on the morning of 27th November to the Petaling Jaya Civic Hall to express openly our disagreement and dissatisfaction with the way the party elections has been conducted and its failure to be clean and fair. Our intention was to demonstrate peacefully and in an orderly manner without disturbing the public or anyone in particular.
However, I was very disappointed and saddened to observe how nowadays PKR would respond to any display by party members of any stand or opinion which differs or is not in line with what the party wants.
I had participated before in the Reformasi street demonstrations of 1998-2002 protesting against the injustices committed by the Mahathir regime on Anwar Ibrahim and couldn’t help comparing what happened on 27 November to what I witnessed during the Reformasi demonstrations of 1998-2002.
PKR which was born from the spirit of defiance and in protest against injustice is expected to be understanding and tolerant of peaceful demonstrations which are just open expressions of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. What more when we the demonstrators are its own party members, not from Umno or MIC or MCA or any BN party.
However, it did not turn out that way. The response from the party was not far different from the way the police or FRU acted during the 1998-2002 street demonstrations. Our banners and posters were seized from us by members of the PKR
security squad, just like what the police did back in the 1998-2002 street protests.
Our demonstration though peaceful and orderly was met with hostility by the party. We were subjected to verbal abuse, harassed and prevented from gathering at the public space we wanted.
Members of the media who were just doing their professional duty in covering and recording our demonstration were yelled at and threatened to stop their coverage.
Some of us were roughed up as soon as our intention to demonstrate at the congress venue was known.
In short, if PKR that morning of 27th November had water cannons or tear gas or the FRU at their disposal, I am convinced it would not have hesitated to use all those to disperse or suppress our peaceful demonstration.
This is what PKR has come to nowadays. A party which was supposed to uphold and practice the ideals of free speech and free press clearly has forgotten those ideals. What is the cause of this loss in direction? If a fish rots from its head, I dare say PKR is now rotting because of its leadership which is drunk and obsessed with gaining the reins of government, so much so that it has forgotten the original aims of the party which was to reform and bring genuine change to the country for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
To me, PKR now is not much different from BN/Umno. The date 27 November 2010 is one which really saddens me.
Muniandy Vengaiah
1 December 2010
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KECEWA SIKAP PARTI TERHADAP BANTAHAN DAN KRITIKAN
Saya adalah salah seorang dari ahli-ahli PKR yang telah pergi pada pagi 27 November ke Dewan Sivik Petaling Jaya untuk menyuarakan secara terbuka bantahan dan perasaan tidak puas hati kami terhadap salahlaku perjalanan pemilihan PKR yang gagal dikendalikan secara adil dan bersih.
Tujuan kami adalah untuk menunjuk perasaan dengan aman, teratur dan tidak menganggu ketenteraman awam atau sesiapa pun.
Sesungguhnya saya merasa amat kecewa dan sedih melihat cara PKR sekarang ini bertindak kepada mana-mana ahli yang menunjukkan pendirian atau pendapat yang tidak sehala atau selari dengan apa parti hendakkan.
Saya pernah mengambil bahagian dalam demonstrasi jalanan Reformasi tahun 1998-2002 yang membantah kezaliman rejim Mahathir ke atas Anwar Ibrahim dan mahu tak mahu saya terpaksa membuat perbandingan apa yang berlaku pada pagi 27 November 2010 dengan apa yang telah saya saksikan semasa demonstrasi Reformasi 1998-2002.
Parti yang telah lahir daripada semangat membantah dan menentang ketidakadilan sepatutnya memahami dan bertoleransi terhadap apa-apa demonstrasi aman bagi meluahkan perasaan tidak puas hati. Apatah lagi kami yang berdemonstrasi adalah ahli-ahli PKR sendiri, bukannya Umno atau MIC atau MCA atau mana-mana parti BN.
Ini tidak. PKR telah bertindak mirip seperti pihak polis atau FRU semasa demonstrasi jalananan 1998-2002.
Kain-kain sepanduk dan rentang hak kepunyaan kami telah dirampas oleh skuad sekuriti PKR, sama seperti apa yang polis buat 1998-2002 dahulu.
Kehadiran penunjuk perasaan walaupun aman dan teratur amat tidak disenangi oleh parti. Kami telah dihalau dan dimaki hamun.
Pihak media yang menjalankan tugas dan membuat liputan demonstrasi kami juga tidak disenangi oleh parti. Mereka telah diherdik dan diugut supaya memberhentikan liputan mereka.
Ada di kalangan kami telah dikasari sebaik sahaja tujuan kami berada berhampiran tempat kongres diketahui oleh parti.
Pendek kata, sekiranya PKR pada pagi 27 November tersebut mempunyai ‘water cannon’ atau gas pemedih mata atau FRU dibawah telunjuk mereka, saya pasti mereka tidak akan berlengah-lengah untuk menggunakan semua itu bagi menyuraikan demonstrasi kami.
Inilah PKR hari ini. Sebuah parti yang sepatutnya mempunyai idealisma untuk mempertahan dan mengamalkan kebebasan bersuara dan media sekarang jelas telah terlupa akan idealisma tersebut. Apakah punca kehilangan haluan ini? Kalau ikan menjadi busuk dari kepalanya, berani saya katakan PKR kini menjadi busuk berpunca dari kepimpinannya yang kini mabuk dan kemaruk untuk memegang tampuk pemerintahan negara sehingga terlupa matlamat asal parti iaitu untuk membawa Reformasi dan perubahan kepada negara demi nasib anak cucu kita semua.
Pada saya, PKR sekarang tidak ubah seperti BN/Umno sahaja. Tarikh 27 November 2010 adalah satu yang amat menyedihkan bagi saya.
Muniandy Vengaiah
1 Disember 2010
