Quest for Malay dignity deserves support, but…
It won’t be found in KL’s Chinatown and cannot be gained by intimidating other Malaysians.
Ishmael Lim, Free Malaysia Today
Our rights to freedom of expression, of assembly, and of association are amply covered by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. These rights may, however, be restricted where it is considered to be in the interest of security, public order and/or morality of the state. How that is done is a function of interpretation and not of the law itself, which strives to bring justice and equity to all citizens irrespective of colour or creed.
The assertion that the Constitution is supreme law becomes hollow if government enforces laws that run counter to this and enacts new laws that shun its basis. Lawmakers and enforcement agencies should be seeking to adjust political behaviour to conform to constitutional ideals instead of enacting more laws to prevent the people from pointing out the mistakes of their leaders and of the system.
All right thinking people understand that freedom cannot be absolute. But it is nonsense to say that we cannot be free because we must be safe. If such is the case, then what is there to safeguard us from bad governments and bad leaders if not the provisions in the Constitution?
It is noteworthy that PM Najib Razak should say that there are better ways than street demos to resolve an issue when he addressed the Batu division of Umno a few days ago. Was Najib condemning all mass street protests or was he referring only to the tweety-bird, canary-yellow Bersih 4? Will movements of other colours be tolerated while the perilous yellow is outlawed?
What are the defined aims of the demonstration next Wednesday? How do the protesters intend to achieve those aims? They have chosen to call the event “Himpunan Maruah Melayu,” which can be translated as “gathering for Malay dignity.”
The thuggish profile of the NGO that is supposed to be organising the event should alert the authorities to the likelihood that the march may turn unruly. With seditious flyers calling for a bloodbath, what have the organisers left for the public to misunderstand?
In the protest staged outside Sogo as a prelude to Bersih 4, their stunts of breaking tiles and sticks with their heads and on their bodies did not have the air of Chow Kit medicine men showcasing their jamu. Having swords and parangs in a street protest leaves us in little doubt of their inclination. Their testosterone levels were obviously going through the roof. Their intelligence must have gone in the opposite direction to make them think lethal weapons are great fun for street demos.
That foretaste of September 16 conveyed nothing other than an itch to get in a fight.
Igniting a spark
The intended route of the march also speaks volumes of the provocative nature of the protest because these are all Chinese areas. It would be like Ku Klux Klan marching through the streets of New York’s Harlem district, hoping to ignite a spark. Starting the march outside Plaza Low Yat is blatantly revisiting the ugly rioting that erupted during Ramadan. The dust had hardly settled on that violent commotion when the main player of that disturbance, Ali Tinju, out on bail pending proceedings for sedition, was observed at the front of the Red Shirts in the Sogo spectacle.
We leave readers to think what they will, but Ali Tinju was the supposed cause of the security concern that saw the cancellation of the now infamous “Nothing to Hide” forum at Putra World Trade Centre, when PM Najib failed to show and Tun Mahathir had the microphone snatched from his hands and was escorted off the stage. It is safe to say that Ali Tinju will once again make his attendance felt in Bukit Bintang on September 16.
Can the Red Shirts really claim to represent the Malays? Or are they representing only the bigoted hawks in Umno? Will Malaysians regardless of race or creed be free to share the streets with them unmolested on September 16? Would youths from MCA and Gerakan run the risk of being assaulted if they walk alongside? Are they simply against Bersih 4 or shoring up support for a hugely unpopular prime minister?
