A clash of colours on July 9: Yellow versus yellow

It may look like a battle of the Bersih Yellow versus the Police Blue on Saturday but that is only the external vision. On July 9, what will take place is actually a contest of two Yellows. Bersih's t-shirt Yellow versus Prime Minister Najib Razak's 'banana-republic' Yellow.

The Royal Malaysia Police with staff strength of 102,037 officers is entrusted by the public to carry its responsibilities as a Law Enforcer and to preserve order. Their powers include the legitimized use of force to protect property and reduce civil disorder. It is also independent of the government or supposed to be anyway.

Lately, the crackdowns throughout the country with mass arrests of Bersih supporters has led the Rakyat (populace) to question the Independence of the Police Force.

Kuala Lumpur seems to be under siege. 91 people have been banned from entering the central business district on the 9th of July. Police roadblocks leading into KL have caused massive traffic jams. Three bus terminals will be temporarily shutdown halting public transportation into the city. Temporary bus permits have also been frozen to prevent Bersih sympathizers from entering the city.

Even with the intervention of the Agong to solve the impasse, the Government has gone back on its word to allow Bersih 2.0 to rally in a stadium. The Palace had issued a rare statement asking the Government to behave in a “just and wise manner" reflecting that “we as a civilised society must resolve (problems) through consultations and not…our emotions.”

Everything possible to thwart the people

But Prime Minister Najib Razak was determined to force a confrontation with the people instead of heeding the King’s advice.

Najib’s promises, aired widely on national TV appealing to Bersih to hold a stadium rally, have turned out to be the empty promises that he has often been accused of. But then, Najib has been caught many a time to be in constant denial. Prime Minister Najib now claims that rallies bring about a mob psychology and then conveniently hands the responsibility over to the police, and even threatening Emergency rule.

3,300 police reports have been made against the Bersih Rally, which may accord it a special mention in the Guiness book of world records. Over 230 people have been arrested, with 29 charged in court while others were detained under the Emergency Ordinance which provides for indefinite detention without trial.

Everything humanly possible has been done to discourage the Rakyat from congregating in KL to attend the Bersih March. Rumours are also being deliberately spread by UMNO quarters that the Army is on high alert, ready to converge should chaos ensue.

The unrelenting government stance is meant to send a strong message to the Rakyat including Bersih activists that it will not tolerate any people's movement unless it is an UMNO-led one. Nor will it tolerate any form of dissent against the government, which is the Najib administration. The Najib government has employed every trick in the book to discourage the Rakyat from participating.

Najib's banana tactics

If Malaysians were not to understand this and stay on home on Saturday, then it means that they are accepting a new dictatorship in the country - the Najib banana regime. Yes, it sounds funny but also fitting, matching the PSM Commie plot, Datuk T and Sodomy II.

Police have issued a stern warning that any form of demonstration, even by small groups or simply wearing yellow would be frowned upon. Threats of arrests and bodily harm are the order of the day. It has also warned the Rakyat to seriously reconsider joining the Bersih Rally, as all the Bersih Organizers and Leaders have been banned from KL on that day. In other words, there will be no Rally. It is futile to march. Go home and lock your doors.

This is how low the country has sunk thanks to Najib. We can write all sorts of tales about his power tuslle with deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, and these are accurate - coming from people really in the know. But the fact remains, Najib is PM and he can stop but no, he prefers to save his own skin and leave the Rakyat to face danger while he runs away on July 9.

Yes, there is even talk that the list of 91people is an unofficial list should the likes of another Ops Lalang resurface. The meeting between the IGP and Datuk Ambiga also turned out to be a farce, when KL Police got a court order to prevent the 91 activists including herself from being present in KL on the day of the march.

Now, seriously do you think all 91 will stay away. They are where they are - leaders - because of their personal ability and not becase of birth and uncouth power-grabbing tendencies. Also, do you really think Najib - being such a political coward - will dare launch a crackdown of a major significance. Who is he in comparison with Hosni Mubarak and Ben Ali, while the latest is that even Libya's Gadaffi has to "offer" a peace solution?

Najib knows his hands are tied and that's why all the monkey tricks like the Silat Lincah fighters, the Disperse or We Shoot to Kill banners. The faster Malaysia gets rid of him, the better. Bring on Muhyiddin - he can talk tough now. But let us educate our Education Minister and soon-top-be Prime Minister. It is very close at hand - the next UMNO power transition.

What True Malaysians would do

Looking back, Bersih 2.0 is a ‘Coalition for Free and Fair Elections’ with an objective to hold a peaceful march to the King’s Palace to handover a memorandum on the need to review the Electoral Role. Never once, have Bersih leaders acted in anyway hostile. Never once had they tried to instigate the crowd, or made any statements of dissent or treason.

The only one that we can remember who threatened bodily harm and even scolded the King and the PM was Ibrahim Ali, who even as we write is "begging" the authorities to let him hold a counter-rally in Titiwangsa stadium. We wonder why he needs such a large facility when he is likely to pull in, maybe 500 supporters or perhaps 550 including the Silat Lincah guys.

Whatever it is, the Najib administration’s reaction was totally depressing. In 2011, someone who was educated in England and considers himself a man of the world invites guests to Kazakhstan for his daughter's engagement party allegedly on the people's expense. He uses repressive, high-handed and intimidating methds to quash his own countrymen.

Unable to deter Bersih 2.0 to call of the Rally, he went on a treacherous campaign - publicly reneging on his words in a most shameful way - and employing the full might of the government machinery to oppose the March for Democracy.

Bersih chief Ambiga’s daily routine has been a living hell since being branded as an enemy of Islam, a traitor to the country and a Communist sympathizer. Constant death threats, gang rape, ISA detention and revoking of her citizenship are the threats she receives.

But she has not relented, and she has reiterated that, “Bersih 2.0 on no uncertain terms that any repression, intimidation and obstacles will not for an instant dilute our resolve to gather peacefully at Stadium Merdeka at 2pm on the 9th of July 2011, after which we will disperse just as peacefully.”

Regardless of whether Najib chooses to be reasonable, the people are firmly resolved to ensure that their rights as patriotic Malaysians will not be curtailed. True Malaysians will gather peacefully. True Malaysians will say, SALAM BERSIH!

- Malaysia Chronicle