901: A rally to stand around doing nothing

YOURSAY ‘Seriously, a peaceful gathering where you expect people to just stand still and make no noise - these are the most ridiculous restrictions I've ever heard.'

Cops now impose 10 conditions for Jan 9 rally

Bender: What? No banners, no speeches, no loudhailers, no noise, no filling up the parking area with people... what kind of rally is this?

So the 100,000 people will just stand there in the middle of a hot day quietly doing nothing? That is not a rally. A rally is supposed to be about the people who want their voices heard.

With all these constraints, it'll just be about the police showing their might, like herding a bunch of cows.

Podeh: With all these conditions, Kuala Lumpur police might as well plaster up the mouths of everyone within a one-mile radius of the Duta court complex tomorrow.

Onyourtoes: Told you guys earlier, don't be too happy with the police permit. At the last minute, they will impose this and that which will render the whole assembly useless.

What is the point of having the assembly with no loudhailers or speeches allowed? What is the point of showing our displeasure when banners are not allowed?

How do we express our feeling then? Hey police, you may as well cancel the permit. It is better for us to gather there illegally.

I Love Rosy 2: Seriously, a peaceful gathering where you expect people to just stand still and make no noise - these are the most ridiculous restrictions I've ever heard of.

Blind Freddo: In other words, they are asking the protestors to sit down and shut up. How repressive, how un-Islamic.

But who needs banners and posters and loudhailers and speeches. Take a leaf out of Gandhi's book and let passive resistance carry the message. That will totally confound the cops whose only language is violence.

Kee Thuan Chye: PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and those helping him with the rally should ignore the conditions. They are set by only the Sentul police.

Azmin has already got the clearance with no conditions from Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohamad Salleh. Now, who is higher, Salleh or Sentul district police chief Zakaria Pagan?

So let's have more loudhailers, let's have banners, let's have speeches. The court is inside the building, they can't hear what goes on outside. So how can the gathering disrupt the court proceedings?

As for bringing out the army, we all know that's just a stupid empty threat issued from the mouth of a desperado.

Anonymous_3e4b: I support the 901 rally. Proceed with it and just ignore the 10 stupid conditions imposed. If the Muslims in Middle East can do it, Malaysians should be able to do it too.

James1067: Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the army belongs to the people and not to you personally.

Their salaries come out of the taxes of the people and not some political party. I am sure they know what to do in case of a problem and not be politically inclined to any person or party. So stop threatening the public.

Toffeesturn: The police will look after this situation; the defence minister is apparently an ignorant idiot - the army is the people's army, they are not there to threaten the people, which Zahid is attempting to do, they are there to protect us from foreign invaders.

The BN government, of which Zahid is part of, have brought in foreigners, given them blue identity cards and made many of them bumiputera. These are the real foreign ‘invaders'.

Like Azmin said, ask the army to protect our borders, 901 is an issue for the Home Ministry, not Defence Ministry.

Vgeorgemy: Zahid, go and learn the history of the recent Arab spring uprising. In Tunisia and Egypt, the army refused to shoot the civilians. Why are you so confident it won't happen in Malaysia if you call the army to the streets?

Garrulous Gary: Is this clown Zahid trying to usurp the power of the Agong (who is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces)? Does he think the Armed Forces are his personal militia?

Free & Fair Election: The Malaysian soldiers should take Zahid's words very seriously and ask themselves if they have indeed sold their souls or their family's to Umno.

Who is Zahid to suggest the use of the army when the Agong himself has not uttered a single word?

Jacob George: If indeed Zahid Hamidi did make that statement, he is a bigger idiot than I thought he was. The army does not belong to his father but are there to protect our nation from external enemies.

Zahid should get acquainted with the laws and rules of engagement. This is the problem when one has had too much power for too long, that they think it belongs to them and only them.

Docs: Did the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) impose any conditions on Perkasa or the Umno inspired cow-head protestors when they were allowed to take to the streets?

MC: The biggest problem for students is the Universities and Universities Colleges Act (UUCA) that allows Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin the power to do what he wants.

Khaled Nordin has been promoting all his cronies in various universities as VCs (vice-chancellors) and DVCs (deputy vice-chancellors) so that he can control all the universities in the country. The latest casualty is Kelantan.

I hope the people of Kelantan will rise to defend the dignity and credibility of their universities. We need to abolish UUCA.

Justice Kini: Did anybody ask these students to bring down PM Najib flag? No, they did it on their own. Their actions were probably inspired by Umno when the latter tore up and stepped on former Penang CM Koh Tsu Koon's photos.

But they did not do the foolish things like stepping on Najib's flag or tearing it up. So the students have brains and their parents support them. So this rally is welcome to all who wishes to come.

Righteous: The future belongs to the youth of the country and it should not be a question of allowing them to participate but expecting them to.

Dictators from all walks who are trying pull the youth this way and that when they should be encouraging them to think for themselves. After all, if they are university students they must have some brains surely.

Shanandoah: Whatever the verdict, the BN government has lost the battle. Even with crushed bodies Putrajaya will be lost for good. The aftermath of this verdict and the upcoming GE will definitely be a time of change for all Malaysians.

Kelantanese: The Peaceful Assembly Bill is at work for the first time. And we are more repressive than ever. Congratulations to the police for doing a good job for Najib. - Malaysiakini


Malay: The crowd expected is about or more than 100,000 people as reported. The car park at Jalan Duta High Court can only accommodate 5,000 people. Where is the rest 95,000 or more going to do? It looks like the Police have made a mockery of the situation and we are going to be again a laughing stock of the World. When the Police initially agreed there was NO MENTION of any terms and condition except that it must be PEACEFUL. Later in the evening, Police posted on their facebook 10 terms and conditions that the 901 rally must observe. Why didn't the Police issue a letter and get it acknowledged by the 901 rally organisers?


Remember there is 2 rallies on that day - one Anwar's and the other Perkasa. The authorities allowing Perkasa to use a religious place is really unbecoming. Religious institution should be FREE of these activities. As it is, Sodomy is a CRIME IN MALAYSIA and for Saiful to admit he was sodomised makes matters worst. The Police and Mosque authorities should DISALLOW Perkasa to assemble at the Mosque compounds to protect its sanity.


Looking at the overall situation, the fear is that it is going to turn "bad and ugly". 


Maybe, the best thing to do is to postpone the VERDICT to another day and this will give time for a more proper approval be given to maintain peace and order.