It's not Jalur Gemilang, so what's the fuss?

YOURSAY 'From the streets of Tripoli to the lobby of PWTC, the clamour for change is no longer containable, nor the ignorance of its cries, tolerable.'

Students not apologising for 'Najib flag' incident

Bender: Was it that big a deal for the students to lower the flag for a few minutes signalling a protest against injustice compared to years of suffering that Malaysians had to endure under the corrupt regime?

I say stand your ground, don't apologise and let your voices be heard.

I mean, it was not the Jalur Gemilang that the students had lowered here, so what's with the fuss? It's exactly this kind of attitude that has turned this country upside down.

We're too apologetic about committing an act that offends some individual, without trying to see past beyond the symbolic act itself. Grow up, Malaysians!

Micheal: Why should the students apologise? A low-class PM deserves low-class treatment, such as the lowering of his flag.

This treatment is at least 100 times better than burning and stepping on Penang CM Lim Guan Eng's picture by Umno Penang. These students were expressing their frustration against a flip-flop PM in a democratic but peaceful way.

MalaysiaAustralia: Well done, boys; if Perkasa burning posters is okay, why can't the students lower the PM's flag?

SusahKes: Umno, don't you think that it is time for you to wake up and smell the coffee?

From the streets of Tripoli to the lobby of PWTC, the clamour for change is no longer containable, nor the ignorance of its cries, tolerable. Continue to ignore it at your own peril.

Freemsia: The students not apologising shows character. They are standing up strong and united for what they believe in.

Najib has been flip-flopping over the last couple of years, speaking differently to different crowds. A shameless two-faced politician who tries to portray himself as ‘cool', but in reality is nothing but a greedy politician who wants to stay in power at all cost.

Kamalappans: Hats off to the students. They showed a high degree of morals - they never stomped on Najib's picture or spat on it or burned it. It proves the students are more mature compared to the Umno goons, who have paraded with cow heads and the list goes on.

Sabahan: I fully support the students' action in lowering Najib's flag and their decision not to apologise. In so doing, you have given hope to the country. You are the future of Malaysia.

Cala: The very action of Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) last weekend clearly shows that they know what they were doing and they know the limits of their action. It is plain as daylight that Najib is not capable of honouring his many pledges due to reasons best known to him.

How then can the students show him their displeasure? To march across city and later descend on Umno headquarters was the only option available to them.

At the heart of the issue is: was SMM wrong to enter into a private property and take down the flag (though only for one minute)? If this action is interpreted as correct, can we stop Umno members from entering into a PKR premise and remove the flag also?

Tenth: Student power, way to go. Syabas to all of you for standing up and be counted. We are with you.

Lim Chong Leong: There is nothing wrong in showing displeasure and dissatisfaction against our national leaders and lowering his flag is absolutely a civilised way of expressing that.

What is so great about our PM that he cannot be criticised? It is Umno Youth who members who are ‘biadap' for failing to recognise the people's right to express their dissatisfaction against their leader.

Kingfisher: The PM has got himself into a bind by all his progressive proclamations/promises for transformation and in especially courting the support of the youth with such promises.

His real-world reversals on his pledges and the absence of meaningful progressive measures in basic rights and human development issues is being increasingly perceived by the youth as a betrayal of trust.

This is very unfortunate and there could be a serious opportunity cost. Unfortunately Umno Youth has not shown any initiative either to recognise the aspirations of the larger community of Malaysian youth.

Manjit Bhatia: If Najib and its rotten ilk in Umno can argue that Malaysia is a successful democracy, then bringing down the Najib flag as part of their protest is an exercise of their democratic right by these students.

You can tick them off for their actions. You can even demand an apology from them. But you can't extract one from them by force nor use emotional or psychological blackmail.

And they need not apologise because they have nothing to apologise for.

1Malay-sia-sia: They should have taken down the flag permanently because Najib was never directly elected as president of Umno or prime minister of Malaysia at that.

Anonymous_4031: Will the BN government listen to the students? The ball is in their court. How they play will have far-reaching consequences for BN, Pakatan Rakyat and the students.

Never forget that the death of a single Tunisian news vendor started the Arab Spring fire. Will this fire spread to Malaysia?

In Russia, protestors are marching in Moscow Square. Even the farmers in a Chinese village are on the march against the authorities for stealing their land. And those are communist countries; what more in a democratic nation like Malaysia?

Even Burma has softened its image and is allowing Aung San Suu Kyi to contest in a by-election. Instead of loosening the screws, you tighten them at your own peril. The winds of change are blowing strongly throughout the world.

Chipmunk: I vouch for SMM. You have done what others would not dare do. You have shown Umno who is boss - it is the rakyat, not the Umno goons.

Umno leaders have ruled this country for more then 50 years and they only made themselves richer. They are so fat that they can hardly see their own toes, so how do you suppose they see the poor rakyat?

Umno, a warning to you - this is just the beginning and in time to come, the rakyat will decide who is king. Umno's glory days are over and we need more people like SMM to stand firm for what is right and what is the truth.

Kudos SMM, you have done the rakyat proud.

Anonymous_3fc4: This I believe is the beginning of more things to come and I love every bit of it. Soon, Umno will be history.

The young and smart and educated Malays are fully aware of what Najib and Umno are really up to, and they are not going to put up with it. Good on you Malay youths, show these Umno goons your anger.

Docs: Just like student leader Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razab; I would like to to show my finger to Umno and will not be my 1Malaysia finger. - Malaysiakini