Friday, July 15, 2011

In London, a memo to the PM

A demonstration in Piccadilly Circus recently

Piccadilly, Fri: Ah, it gives a journalist a kick to start an article with such a dateline. Eg Baghdad, Thursday ... KL, Doomsday ..

It's my fifth day in London, and the summer's turning cold very quickly. Nothing to do with the Malaysian delegation that's accompanying the Prime Minister's official visit to Britain, I assure you.
The last time I was in the great city was during 911, almost 10 years ago. I was waiting for a connecting to Moscow as part of the delegation to Russia led by our PM then, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He had to cancel his trip and I, with many thousands others, was stranded in London for a week, not realizing that I would only come again in 2011, after Bersih 2.0, another major phenomenon (to Malaysians, at least).
I caught a glimpse of Najib Razak last night at Dorchester, where he is staying. I was meeting a several young Malaysians residing in London. One is an oil and gas trader who is doing it on his own, a freelancer. Another an architect with a major international firm here. Young, handsome Malaysians bound for success as part of our growing diaspora.

Together with several others, we sat and talked about issues. I asked them what they thought of BERSIH 2.0. Like many here, they thought the authorities should have/could have handled the event better. But not everybody agrees with the use of a democratic tool to help promote some people's narrow political agenda. These are Malaysians exposed to a very liberal way of life in England, a very democratic society. In democracy, one told me, there are avenues other than street demonstrations. 'Have those avenues been exhausted?'

Tonight the PM will meet Malaysians working and living in London for dinner at the Green Park Lane, almost next door to the first Hard Rock Cafe in the world (est 1971), where I had dinner the other night. A group of Malaysians are expected to submit a memorandum to Najib Razak with regards to the BERSIH march of July 9, where a husband of an Opposition political leader died of a heart attack.
I won't pretend to know what these Malaysians in London have in mind ro what they are going to tell the PM in their memorandum. But their views matter. So far, I don't think we have heard any Malaysian group abroad speaking up on the matter.

Our own Circus ... PM's reception committee
There was a mini-BERSIH in this city, attended by a group of about 20 or 30 Malaysians and their friends here who have been organising little protests now and then (against Taib Mahmud, ISA, etc). I hope some of them will turn up tonight and be heard. It is not enough to walk for a cause, y'know, you need to open your mouth and do some talking, too.

And then you walk the talk.

Here in London, I've probably walked 50 miles this week. :-) Cheers!


26 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:51 pm

    how I wish Anuwar and Lim Kit Sial become PM.
    then i can ran amok with the word kotor and told them in islam and in democracy is my right to yell and curse in a peaceful manner.
    Bersih so full of shit!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:32 pm

    Yup right.UK and US the bastion of democracy.Or rightfully the bastard of democracy. These are murderers. From early modern civilization these 2 never stop murdering and stealing other nations in the name of democracy.
    In UK, watch almost every Friday during Friday prayer time, these so-called civilized people demonstrating or rather picketing around the masjids(not mosques or mosquitoes) chanting anti Islam.
    Same in US. Check out the YouTubes the treatments received by the moslems over there.

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  3. Anonymous8:22 pm

    Exhausting all avenues?
    The maturity of politic in Malaysia is a joke. If someone raise a concern, as soon as it gets the supports from the opposition, you can be assured that will never get looked at

    Surely, a peaceful demonstration is an avenues, is it not?
    As you met the protest group in London, what has the protest done to the UK economy? chaos? damage to public property? national security?

    Prior to the 709, has the government exhausted all avenues? Well, from what i can see, 'do what i say' is the only avenue from the Gov.

    Has the police exhausted all avenues? well tear gas, water cannon, road blocks, beating, arrests

    When you have the government and the police limiting their avenues to the above... then you can't blame the public expressing their dissatisfaction and demands openly.

    /eng

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  4. Anonymous8:40 pm

    Sigh, even when abroad you try to to spin rubbish. Your bosses led by najis have been exposed. Live with it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:52 pm

    apahal ur pounding pavement, Dato?
    Shopping kat Oxford St ke?
    Rugi lah kalau tak check out London summer sale. Then again let's not get too carried away. We must ensure that exchange currency flow is on balance in our favour.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BIGCAT11:32 pm

    London is beautiful, esp in spring. Its every colonised-minded liberal Malaysian's dream to live there or at least visit the city. Almost all self-imposed Malay n Indian Malaysian exiles stay there or plan to do so - RPK, Hindraf leaders, the SD Indian guy, Kalimullah...etc etc. I hope those friendly squirrels at Hyde Park r doing well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ah pong11:42 pm

    i studied in london too...and i met a few malaysian morons there and they were without exception umno supporters... they came with closed mind and they went back with closed mind...

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  8. Anonymous12:50 am

    no retread no surrender
    -TMG-

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  9. bravo for those in london where ambiga failed big time handling the memo.. no anwar & mat sabu in london to fuck up the events eh

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous4:46 am

    Ayoyo Aci AMBIGA,

    Everywhere even Saturday must use Yellow to attract followers? No need all that Aci.

    2011 Mental revolution your style obsolete sudah, you BERSIH should actually bring joy to the people not death, injuries and hatred??

    People like us not interested to see old garang2 keteghaq faces la..

    You just follow this, anytime can get 586,388,103 followers screaming for you;

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4&feature=related

    PERWIRA

    ReplyDelete
  11. Many left Malaysia few days before BERSIH 2.
    Some left for fear for their lives.
    You read all sorts of reasons.
    You believe them?
    Then...you deserved to be ruled by rouges and thieves and their opportunists supporters....which means Malaysians can easily be fooled.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rocky..You knew the Queen of England wore a yellow colour dress greeting Najib.
    Does that not tell you anything?
    Why miss that in your post?
    I agree...not good enough to walk for a cause.
    Must speak up..to walk the talk.
    That is exactly what I am doing.
    For once we agree.
    Enjoy Hyde Park on Sunday..and do not miss out the opportunity to watch a live show or play in London.
    Tickets are always sold out..and you need to buy one from hotel boys at double or triple the price..but it's worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:57 am

    Quote - "So far, I don't think we have heard any Malaysian group abroad speaking up on the matter."

    You must be "Blind, Deaf and Dumb".

    Not difficult to get Govt. supporters, la. Just threaten them with scholarships withdrawal from all the GLCs, PSD, Mara etc and all will come for a free sponsored dinner and jom heboh.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Najib says that If we allow people to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of assembly, they might actually come together and assemble freely? That if we allow them their freedom of speech, they might actually speak freely?

    Is that a bad thing? What is wrong with that?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:53 pm

    Adoi... Clowns betul! And i actually voted for the opposition last election just to spite the current govt.

    Anwar = Wants to be PM before he dies (And be remembered a PM, not a Porno actor or a porno PM, whatever...).

    Dapigs = Using Anwar's influence to influence the Malays. Buddy-buddy with PAS and act as if they are embracing the teachings of Islam (ala communist) to blind side the PAS leaders.

    PAS = Thinks they will be given fair share of power if opposition rule Malaysia. Blinded by faith, they become the foot soldiers for PKR and DAPigs, marching in rallies and lying down on roads and prostituting Islam to non-muslim, while the 2 Lims and the Terasa Cocks laugh at their stupidity of not realising that they are being used.

    I say stop all this clowning around and bring on PRU13. We have suffered enough. Bring back the real Barisan! I think they've learnt their lesson now. And the majority of the Rakyat too. Until then, marching on the street to bring down the govt is a desperate act. Poor sore losers.


    BersihBERSERI.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Now Najib's stooges call me
    "Moron Monsterball" because Rocky call me that too.
    No harm done...call me that and give me more reasons to be smarter.
    I can change for the better.
    Can you all idiots...including Rocky do the same?
    Why not? What are you afraid of? No jobs? No easy money to earn?
    Then learn from the poor and start life all over again.

    ReplyDelete
  17. BIGCAT..I won't be surprise Najib ad Rosmah secretly negotiating for an exiled life...to live in England.
    Then make a bargain with Anwar..LKS and Hadi Awang to let him go.
    Now that he knows 13th GE will spell dooms day for UMNO B...planing ahead to save himself and get away from Malaysia very very possible.
    Rocky need not worry.
    They are multi billionaires.
    Drag along and be a good apple polisher..for an everlasting job.
    The problem is...it can turn out to be like Taksin...all property ceased and then Rocky can try luck making a living as a performer at Hyde Park.
    How's this moron vision2020 to you?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:15 pm

    haiya /eng@8:22 PM

    bersih is not a legally registered entity

    they did not apply for permit

    their 8 demands are not in line with fair and clean elections

    their leaders are tainted individuals

    how can the authorities allow these sneaky politicians from creating havoc

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous11:17 pm

    Hey Perwira

    Itu aci mengalami menopause ooppss

    "men no pause" with sagging tits

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous11:20 pm

    Yup BersihBERSERI

    with sleepyhead and sil out of the way, no one will vote omega man, emperor lim and princess kok

    ReplyDelete
  21. jering7:46 pm

    Dato', those who curse you turn to be your loyal reader. Enough about bersih la guys. Now we should crack our bersih head and comes out with idea how to make Malaysia competative. That right. All western country which you guys adore a lot didn't do demo after election. They focus on creating new policy to make their countries better. If you want to destroy our so called beloved Malaysia just because you don't like Najib or Rosmah then you better migrate la. Malaysia is bigger then najib or rosmah or Umno for that matter. You can vote for your preferred leader at the next election la kawan. Don't gaduh gaduh.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous9:22 am

    My Son and his kids wanted to throw rotten eggs at the BERSIH London Demonstrators..

    Alamak,
    all the so called BERSIH demonstrators, mainly unfamiliar alien looking faces, sounds aloso not "oliginal" Malaysians, so they thought those people were filming some Hongkong or Tamil movies.

    he hehe hehehe
    PERWIRA

    ReplyDelete
  23. Walking the talk brings us to the crux of the issue.

    If Malaysia is enjoying a fairly high level/quaity of living, over-employment with importation of foreign labour, and able to change govts from one party to another, like the British, what more freedom does one want?

    Freedom cannot be thought of independent of the issue of justice. If there is little inequity and therfore justice, then there has been enough freedom.

    So, without any substantive issues, the dominant issue has been turned into one between rhetoric and reality.

    Why is the police force, a civil service, being made to defend their work instead of doing it? When will BN politicians take on the task of responsibly and effectively refocusing on issues of performance, at the macro level?

    Walk the talk.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Seolferwulf8:49 pm

    At least in good old England, the cosy links between the gahmen, police and Rupert Murdoch's papers are being exposed for all to see.

    Will the cosy links between the mainstream media in Malaysia and the gahmen be similarly investigated and exposed? Like between Utusan Malaysia and certain elements in certain political parties, pressure groups and NGOs that shall remain nameless?

    After all, if our old colonial masters are brave enough to indulge in cathartic mea culpas, shouldn't their acolytes in Malaysia do likewise?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous8:58 pm

    How can you people gloat about having 20-30 monkeys in London is really beyond me. Have you seen the videos? Oh my. What a joke la these people.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Mustapha Ong7:08 pm

    Hi Bro,

    One of the most stupid and idiotic comments about the Queen's code of dressing. I think they have not seen the Queen dawned in yellow, the international Royal colour. Don't tell me that only our Malaysian Royal families dressed in yellow? Do they expect the English Royalty to dress in blue?

    Please don't spin and show your ignorant in matters that you do not know. Your comment is uncalled for although PM is not at all offended by reading your silly comments.

    ReplyDelete