Dataran show of strength clear call for change

YOURSAY 'Kudos to all the courageous and right-minded people who showed up for ‘Janji Demokrasi' last night in Dataran Merdeka.'

Despite ban, yellow shirts swamp Dataran

Changeagent: Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad told reporters that no untoward incidents were reported. "We'll investigate later (for any violations)," he said when asked about the yellow shirts.

No untoward incidents, but he will investigate later anyway. Malaysian police have too much time on their hands.

Quigonbond: The last part of Malaysiakini's LIVE reports where the police grudgingly said they will be investigating any "violations" reminds me of this story.

An immigrant found herself without a job and was scrounging for food. An elitist who accidentally left his credit card in a store happened to cross paths with her, and proceeded to accuse her to a police officer for stealing his card.

A samaritan, passing by and overheard the commotion, investigated. He found the elitist's card and brought it to their attention. The elitist said, "She could have stolen my card." The police then warned the migrant, "You better be careful or I'll book you for vagrancy next time."

The infuriated samaritan told the elitist and police officer to apologise to the migrant and to shake off their prejudice.

The story certainly reminds me of how things are in Malaysia where dissenters are treated as enemies of the state by the prejudiced police force. This national day, Malaysians should wake up and end this nonsense.

Mob1900: The 10,000 crowd is a very, very conservative number. There were at least 50,000, including those not wearing yellow and the crowd was peaceful and relaxed. Great showing, Malaysians!

AnakBangsaMalaysia: Kudos to all the courageous and right-minded people who showed up for ‘Janji Demokrasi'.

Will the police now launch a new 'investigation' headed by ex-police chief Hanif Omar or Musa Hassan to determine that the Janji Demokrasi group was infiltrated by dangerous subversive elements such as communists, Marxists, zionists, Stalinists, Maoists, imperialists, colonialists, artists, dentists and cellists?

Anonymous #92005027: What we want is a good government, elected through clean elections. So whether we attend this rally or not is not so important. We must exercise our right to vote when the election is held.

Kee Thuan Chye: This call for the government to fulfil the promise of democracy would in years past have come from opposition politicians.

What is remarkable about the 'Janji Demokrasi' gathering is that the rakyat are now the ones making the call - a multiracial rakyat, many of them youths.

When it comes from the rakyat, not opposition politicians, the ruling party should tremble. The call for change is in the air. Sure and resounding.

BN might as well surrender. It's time for Malaysians to be liberated and achieve their real Merdeka!

'Permission needed for Merdeka countdown?'

HYL: Is there any permit issued for the official Merdeka bash? How about during the rehearsals? Every morning over these past few days at Dataran Merdeka, loads of people have gathered for the rehearsals.

So did the police ask for the necessary permits for such gatherings? And if I were to go with my friends and family for the Merdeka celebration, do I need to apply for the permit too?

AnakBangsaMalaysia: Once again, we see the police putting up fabricated regulatory hurdles and making veiled threats in order to suppress the civil rights of Malaysians.

The real SOP (standard operating procedure) of the police is to unquestioningly obey the orders of their Umno masters. The police have become nothing more than the uniformed henchmen and hired thugs of the Umno-BN regime.

Dingdongman: I fail to understand why Janji Demokrasi needs to gate crash this event at Dataran Merdeka. Can't they just do it in Shah Alam and make the celebration there even merrier?

A.NB: Dingdongman, how are they "gatecrashing"? Is the event by invitation only, or are the public welcomed to join the Merdeka countdown?

If everyone is invited, then there is no question of gatecrashing here - celebrating Merdeka in yellow is still celebrating Merdeka.

YF: It is obvious that Umno had never expected this to be the most shameful Merdeka ever, from the time they used a cheap word-art logo, its BN slogan and a ‘gospel' song to hijack the National Day celebration.

Now they are in panic mode and all their statements are out of sync. It goes to show that nobody is in charge of the government.

Umno is at its weakest right now and their constant abuse of the law speaks volumes of the desperate state they are in.

Cannon: It's Umno-BN's farewell bash. Let them party and have their last hurrah at Dataran Merdeka and at Bukit Jalil stadium. Even as they celebrate, the writing is fast appearing on the wall.

Ipohcrite: It's time that Information Minister Rais Yatim tells the police that they have a duty of knowing what the Peaceful Assembly Act is all about and to abide by it rather than to find fault with the would-be assemblers even before they have even begun to assemble.

The police must do their job that the taxpayers are paying them to do, not serve the ends of their BN political masters.

Chandran Siva: Merdeka has been hijacked - there is no meaning in celebrating it since equal rights have not been granted to every rakyat to celebrate.

It is just a Umno-BN bash and using the rakyat's money. There will be no more true Merdeka celebrations if this government still rules Malaysia.

Fight Injustice: This is the biggest problem - in Malaysia, a minister makes one statement, the inspector-general of police (IGP) makes another, and the police department makes yet another. This is a very confused country.

NewMalaysia: Under colonial rule, the people fear the government. With independence, it is the government that fears the people. - Malaysiakini