Brickfields small shops protest: can small people protest at KLCC shopping mall?
When it hurts their profits, they protest. But when they fear it may hurt their profits — or they fear that letting small people protest will hurt their profits, especially b-i-g profits elsewhere up their food chain…no to protests.
By uppercaise
A tale of two shopkeepers
Or: how business works — profits first, people last (except if you bring money)
Two types of shopkeepers: the small ones in Brickfields and the b-i-g rich one at KLCC. The small ones held a street protest yesterday, but the big one doesn’t want protests at KLCC today.
Brickfields shopkeepers closed their shops for an hour to gather outside Lotus (the old Peking Hotel) to wave banners and shout Bantah because of traffic changes in the neighbourhood, involving cars, buses and lorries, which they say drives customers away.
Their profits are affected, they say. So they protested.
Photo: Free Malaysia Today
Universal human rights
- Article 1: All human beings are born equal
- Article 7: All are equal before the law
- Article 8: All may seek redress for violation of fundamental rights
- Article 13: All have rights to free movement
- Article 19: All have a right to an opinion and to express it
- Article 20: Everyone may assemble peacefully
- Article 21: Everyone may take part in the government of the country
The b-i-g shopkeeper, KLCC, at the rich end of town, is threatening legal action to stop a protest. It’s also about traffic — shopping traffic, of people with money to spend. And KLCC doesn’t want other people wearing yellow getting in the way of people with money to spend.
That’s how business works. When it hurts their profits, they protest. But when they fear it may hurt their profits — or they fear that letting small people protest will hurt their profits, especially b-i-g profits elsewhere up their food chain…no to protests.
And the two actions show up the hypocrisy behind the Peaceful Assembly Bill. It’s not so much a law as a political statement turned into a legal instrument. A statement of business interests first, people last. Turned into law. See for yourself. Here is the part of the Bill that reads like a political statement:
that the exercise of the right to organize assemblies or to participate in assemblies is subject only to restrictions deemed necessary … including the protection of the rights and freedoms of other persons.
“rights and freedoms of other persons” includes—
• the right to peaceful enjoyment of one’s possession;
• the right to freedom of movement;
• the right to enjoy the natural environment; and
• the right to carry on business;
That’s why it should be called a Freedom of Shopkeepers (Complain About Loss of Business) Bill. But you knew that already, didn’t you?
That’s the right that KLCC management (ultimate owner, tycoon Ananda Krishnan) wants to exercise: the right of their shops to do business is more important, is superior, to your basic right to meet, to assemble, to voice your opinion, or to wear what you want.
Organisers of the Walk and Talk at KLCC Park have done so peaceably for two weeks, without interruption or disruption to KLCC business. The protest is not against KLCC, it’s a protest against the Peaceful Assembly Bill. But KLCC management tried to disrupt the peaceful gathering by closing off the fountain area. People know why, because KLCC is owned by a big businessman with big political connections and they want to look after each other first.
Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/shops-protest-klcc-bans-protest
