Don’t give up!

As Ipoh was busy saying NO TO ISA last night, fellow Malaysians supporting the same cause in PJ were being treated like criminals!

As I read the hour by hour account in Anilnetto.com, here, here and here, I feel terribly sad at the way my fellow Malaysians were being treated. Treated in an uncivilized manner; threatened, chased, dragged, hauled, manhandled, punched… (some eye-witness accounts from Anilnetto.com):

At that point, the line of FRU personnel started moving towards us, knocking their shields and shouting in a threatening manner and they walked through the crowd – at which point we had to open up the crowd as they moved towards the core of the crowd. We broke up and there was some scuffling and there was some chasing.

My wife saw the plain-clothes police taking away a few women and small-built persons (could be teenagers). The police also dragged a man on the floor for 10 feet while heading to the Black Maria.

Then I was dragged into the truck while punched twice at my face. The police officers applied some yellow lotion on my wounds to avoid the bleeding. I manage to recognise the plaincloth who beat me.

One 53-year-old woman spoke at a press conference saying that while she was singing the Negara Ku, she was dragged from the back and fell down, hitting her head. She needed four stitches. Her 24-year-old son was detained.

Pandemonium broke out. I started to make a gradual retreat. I noticed scuffles between plainclothes police officers, believed to be Special Branch people, and some of the supporters. One of my friends who was shooting away with his camcorder was manhandled and hauled away. This is a sad day. We were on the verge of dispersing and going home, and yet the police had to charge into us.

These are Malaysians who care for their nation and hope to have a harmonious, peaceful and safe place to live in. What have they done to deserve this treatment? Is the peaceful gathering to light candles in solidarity against a draconian act, criminal? Is wearing a T-shirt to support a certain cause, a threat to the nation? Is their presence there a threat to national security, that the authorities have to deploy the country’s federal reserve unit to deal with them?

Mr. Home Minister, is this how you treat people who have a right, as much as you do, to speak up! Can we, deploy the same treatment on you, if your actions give us reason to believe that you are a threat to our peace of mind?

Mr. Home Minister, if you are pissed off because your ego is dented and you have a score to settle, don’t pick on us! Because we will not be intimidated and we will not give up!

Ipoh’s Abolish ISA Candlelight Vigil: A report (updated)

I just came back from Taman DR. Seenivasagam, venue of Ipoh’s chapter of Abolish ISA candlelight vigil. This will be more of a pictorial post because this head of mine is a bit fuzzy now. From the excitement of our very own candlelight vigil!

Nevertheless, I must mention of visitors to Ipoh’s vigil from outstation. Din Merican, Bernard Khoo, Din Ahmad from KL, Omar & Shireen, their son Kamal and Andy, from Penang who came to join us to say no to ISA. Thank you for your show of solidarity. (I was informed that bloggers The Whisperer and Mind Matters from KL were with us at Ipoh too. Thanks for coming.)

I am proud that Ipoh folks came out in numbers (about 400 I think) tonight to show support. People from all walks of life, parents with children, couples, some who came alone, some with friends, some with family. Thank you for taking this step to come out from the comfort of your homes and to make your stand.

My observations: People are afraid to attend tonight’s event, fearing arrest and detention. My friends asked if there is an approved police permit. I noted 4 policemen standing at the far end of the field. They were just watching and at a point of time, one of them used his mobile phone to record the speeches. Yes, anything can happen. Imagine if all of us fear trouble, there will be no one to speak up for our rights. So it’s time we change our mindset and step out to make a difference.

Here are the pictures of tonight.

(Ipoh’s No To ISA message; candles on top of pomelos, Jong’s masterpiece)

(A section of the crowd)

(Din Merican speaks)

(Encik Megat, Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA of Perak)

(Bernard Khoo aka Zorro challenging people to blog)

(DAP presence; YB Lim Kit Siang, YB Kula and others)

(Shireen & Jong)

(A star is born…)

(KL & Penang visitors with us; standing from left; Omar, Bernard, Andy, Din Merican, Jong, Din Ahmad, Jude & squatting; me & Shireen)