Padang Merbok stand-off - who'll blink first?

FREE YOURSAY 'DBKL is rejecting Pakatan's request on the basis that it has 34.5 percent support from voters in Kuala Lumpur against 64.7 percent for the opposition.'

DBKL won't allow rally at Padang Merbok

Ferdtan: It's déjà vu once again. Bersih 3.0 ‘Duduk Bantah' rally was held on April 28, 2012. The tussle between the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the organiser leading to the rejection of the use of Dataran Merdeka is similar to what we are experiencing now.

Maybe the organiser should switch to the people's ‘Independence Square' if they do not want to give permission to the Padang Merbok. This will make them sweat as the Dataran Merdeka is a better venue for the rally.

Let us go and sit around the Dataran if City Hall, like before, may apply for the court's injunction to stop the rally at that specify location. Then we shall see whether the police and FRUs will shoot tear gases and chemical-treated water at the protestors.

There will be no more fear this time and protestors will be better prepared. After all, most of the protestors who will be attending this 505 rally are veterans of Bersih 3.0 rally.

Apolitical Observer: I think the majority of people, especially the business community, is sick and tired with too much politicking in the country.

These rallies are not going to create any change except to act as some moral booster for Pakatan Rakyat and particularly Anwar Ibrahim. Pakatan will do well if they just submit their election petitions.

They should start planning for the GE14 by first doing a honest post-mortem. Though electoral fraud was an issue, the hard truth is their defeat in GE13 had more to do with their own flaws, over-confidence, wrong strategy, wrong candidates, ego and arrogance.

Pakatan has to accept this fact and try to work to rectify it. Energy spend on this post-mortem will be worthwhile, rather than wasting time and effort on organising unnecessary rallies that will eventually burn them out.

Bye Bye: ‘Apolitical Observer' cannot substantiate that the business community is "sick and tired" of rallies. In actual fact, rallies are good for the business if the authorities do not disturb such gatherings.

So I say the June 22 rally, like so many other extremely peaceful and well-mannered ones, must go on. Without the zealous BN officials, it's going be a carnival.

Magnus: That's an easy decision, isn't it? One has to simply ask oneself which in reality, comes first in the pecking order of importance:

a) The primary enabling democratic ideal and principles that allow the formation of workable, orderly and sustainable civil societies to come into being, or

b) the subsequent and secondary administrative or commercial considerations which support the society to keep it chugging along?

Chicken and egg question or one that is a no-brainer?

ONG: The way the KL Datuk Bandar behaves is one more good reason why there must be local government elections.

Based on the results of the recent 13th GE for which Pakatan had 65 percent of the votes against BN's 34 percent in Kuala Lumpur, Ahmad Phesal Talib won't be the mayor.

Panth Krusav: DBKL, this event Black 505 is a public event. Just because Umno is not participating does not mean that the event is against the law.

You are obliged to facilitate public events and not play around with your dirty tactics. Be fair to the public and don't cause Umno to be more unpopular.

Love for Malaysia: Why rally always? Is it fun for the organisers at the expense of other citizens who are peace lovers. We want peace and harmony. Perhaps we can jointly pray to condemn these abuses.

Pisang Goreng: ‘Love for Malaysia', why rally you asked. Because it is to let our voice be heard peacefully, without censorship, without manipulation.

Because when our laws, our police, our judiciary, our government stop following basic principles of morality, fairness, honesty, it tells them that we are hurt.

Yes, we must file petitions, lodge police reports as well, but also get off our comfortable chairs and show that we do care.

I hope that one day our children do not look back at this time and wonder why the richness of our land has vanished, why truth cannot be tolerated, why our communities hold only contempt for one another, and ask us why we only prayed.

KSD: Well, Dataran Merdeka is the logical place for such events and since DBKL has no problems previously giving approval for other events such as the massive Deepavali gathering cum election rally by MIC, they should give approval to Pakatan immediately.

Stadium Merdeka is simply not possible because of the RM80,000 fee they charged last time.

Wira: DBKL is rejecting Pakatan's request on the basis that it has 34.5 percent support from voters in Kuala Lumpur against 64.7 percent for the opposition.

That one-third of the people can call the shots on where the majority can have their rally is because that miserable 34.5 percent are supported by another minority (47 percent) in Putrajaya. - Malaysiakini