8 Jul 2011- The Greek philosopher Plato said that \u201cwe can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light\u201d. <\/p>\n
It would appear that in Malaysia, there are men holding offices of high power who are inexplicably petrified by the prospect of a group of Malaysians who intend to exercise their basic human rights to gather peacefully to highlight the need to address what they see as electoral flaws. I wish to reiterate DAP\u2019s position of supporting peaceful demonstrations and condemning violent demonstrations. <\/p>\n
The act of placing a restriction order on 91 individuals, by barring them from assembling and disallowing them entry into certain spots in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday, is ridiculous and exposes an irrational fear on the part of Home Minister Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn and the police.
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\nWe agree that conflict and violent demonstrations should be avoided, but from the beginning the Bersih 2.0 rally has always been intended to be a peaceful gathering. There is absolutely no element of violence, despite the painstaking efforts by the Police and the Government to portray it that way. <\/p>\n
In fact, the Bersih 2.0 rally was given royal ratification when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself deemed fit to grant an audience to Bersih Chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, and to give royal consent to a stadium gathering in any stadium that the Bersih organisers choose. <\/p>\n
The Prime Minister himself had advised Bersih to use a stadium, but today we find that his Cabinet Colleagues, in particular the Home Minister, does not understand this simple language. Not only are they not allowing Bersih to use any stadium in the Klang Valley, they have now issued a restriction order on 91 individuals including all Bersih leaders. This is notwithstanding the arbitrary arrests of 193 people over the last few weeks including the 6 from PSM being charged under the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960! <\/p>\n
What is happening to our country when even our leaders are treated as strangers in our own land? <\/p>\n
The list of restricted individuals includes not just Bersih leaders Datuk S Ambiga and Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, Mentri Besar of Kelantan Nik Aziz, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and Selangor State EXCO member Teresa Kok, PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and PAS Deputy President Mat Sabu and other PR leaders. How can so many elected leaders of our country be treated as if they are insidious elements? <\/p>\n
Let us not forget that the former Bar Council President Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan was given the Secretary of State\u2019s Award for International Women of Courage by Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. The leaders of the world treat her as a courageous woman, yet in Malaysia she is vilified so severely as a public enemy that UMNO leaders ask for her citizenship to be revoked. <\/p>\n
Indeed Plato is correct to say that truly it is a tragic day in Malaysia when grown men like Home Minister Hishamuddin have succumbed to a bewildering fear of the light. Or are the police and Hishamuddin still a child who is afraid of the dark and not yet grown men? <\/p>\n
Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 8 July 2011. <\/em><\/p>\n –BM Translation-<\/p>\n Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang dan Setiausaha Agung DAP, YAB Lim Guan Eng pada 8 Julai 2011 di Kuala Lumpur: <\/p>\n Ahli falsafah Yunani Plato berkata bahawa \u201ckita boleh memaafkan kanak-kanak yang ketakutan ketika gelap; tragedi hidup yang sebenar ialah apabila manusia takutkan cahaya\u201d. <\/p>\n Ia akan muncul di Malaysia, di mana lelaki yang memegang jawatan tinggi takut untuk berdepan dengan sekumpulan rakyat Malaysia yang berhasrat untuk memperjuangkan hak- hak asasi mereka untuk berhimpun secara aman bagi menyuarakan pendapat dalam menangani permasalahan seperti kelemahan pilihan raya. Saya ingin mengulangi pendirian DAP dalam menyokong demonstrasi secara aman dan mengutuk demonstrasi ganas. <\/p>\n Perbuatan mengeluarkan perintah sekatan ke atas 91 individu, dengan menghalang mereka daripada berhimpun dan tidak membenarkan mereka memasuki kawasan- kawasan tertentu di Kuala Lumpur pada Sabtu ini adalah tidak masuk akal dan mendedahkan ketakutan yang tidak rasional kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri, Hishamuddin Tun Hussein dan pihak polis. <\/p>\n Kami bersetuju bahawa konflik dan demonstrasi ganas harus dielakkan tetapi dari peringkat awal, perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 adalah merupakan perhimpunan aman. Sememangnya tidak ada unsur keganasan, walaupun pelbagai usaha dilakukan oleh pihak polis dan kerajaan yang menggambarkan sebaliknya. <\/p>\n Malah, perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 telah mendapat perkenan diraja apabila Yang di- Pertuan Agong sendiri menimbang tempat yang sesuai untuk orang ramai kepada Pengerusi Bersih, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan dan memberikan persetujuan diraja untuk mengadakan perhimpuan di mana-mana stadium yang penganjur Bersih inginkan. <\/p>\n Perdana Menteri sendiri telah menasihatkan Bersih untuk menggunakan stadium, tetapi, pada hari ini kita dapati bahawa barisan Kabinet khususnya Menteri Dalam Negeri tidak memahami arahan mudah ini. Bukan sahaja mereka tidak membenarkan Bersih untuk menggunakan mana-mana stadium di Lembah Klang, malah, mereka kini telah mengeluarkan perintah sekatan ke atas 91 individu termasuk semua pemimpin Bersih. Ini tidak termasuk penahanan sewenang-wenangnya 193 orang sejak beberapa minggu lepas termasuk 6 dari PSM di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) 1960! <\/p>\n Apa yang telah berlaku di negara kita apabila pemimpin kita dianggap seperti orang asing di tanah kita sendiri? <\/p>\n Senarai individu yang dihalang bukan sahaja pemimpin Bersih, Datuk S.Ambiga tetapi juga Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen, Anwar Ibrahim, Menteri Besar Kelantan, Nik Aziz, pemimpin DAP Lim Kit Siang dan Ahli EXCO Negeri Selangor, Teresa KOK, Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan Timbalan Presiden PAS Mat Sabu dan pemimpin- pemimpin PR yang lain. Bagaimana begitu ramai pemimpin yang telah dipilih di negara ini ditahan kerana kononnya mempunyai elemen-elemen bahaya? <\/p>\n Jangan kita pernah lupa bahawa bekas Presiden Majlis Peguam Negara Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan telah dikurniakan Anugerah Keberanian Wanita Antarabangsa oleh Setiausaha Amerika Syarikat, Hillary Clinton dan Michelle Obama. Pemimpin- pemimpin dunia mengangkatnya sebagai wanita yang berani tetapi di Malaysia, beliau dicerca sebegitu teruk dan dianggap sebagai musuh awam di mana pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO mendesak agar kerakyatan beliau dibatalkan. <\/p>\n —- Mandarin Translation— <\/p>\n \u69df\u5dde\u9996\u5e2d\u90e8\u957f\u517c\u6c11\u4e3b\u884c\u52a8\u515a\u79d8\u4e66\u957f\u6797\u51a0\u82f1\u4e8e2011\u5e747\u67088\u65e5\u5728\u5409\u9686\u5761\u53d1\u8868\u58f0\u660e\uff1a <\/p>\n \u53e4\u5e0c\u814a\u54f2\u5b66\u5bb6\u67cf\u62c9\u56fe\u66fe\u7ecf\u8bf4\u8fc7\u201c\u5b69\u5b50\u5bb3\u6015\u9ed1\u6697\uff0c\u60c5\u6709\u53ef\u539f\uff1b\u4eba\u751f\u771f\u6b63\u7684\u60b2\u5267\uff0c\u662f\u6210\u4eba\u5bb3\u6015\u5149\u660e\u3002\u201d <\/p>\n 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It would appear that in Malaysia, there are men holding offices of high power who are inexplicably petrified by the prospect of …<\/p>\n