As I was NOT at the recent Bersih 2.0 rally which rocked Kual Lumpur city, so in order for me to have a better or clearer (no pun intended) views about the situations of the tear-gas filled Bersih street demonstrations, I resorted to both mainstream and alternative media.
As expected I came across different reports, allegations, pictures and comments. As highlighted in The Sunday Star(10 July, 2011), the headline screams “Defiant”. It says that despite the restriction order on 91 leaders from entering KL city centre, stern police warning and a lockdown of critical areas, protesters MANAGED to converge in various parts of the city and tried to march towards Merdeka Stadium.
In other words, the so-called Bersih supporters, being able to group together to demonstrate, to them it must be a success. According to Star Says, the police which imposed a 22-hour of lock down of the city was considered to be a success too.
But according to Datuk Wong Chun Wai in his weekly column “On The Beat”, he says no winners, just losers. But I think Datuk S. Ambiga is a winner, because as Wong says that it is because of the over-excited authorities, Ambiga has become an icon overnight.
I agree with Datuk Wong Chun Wai, that arresting people who wear yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih” is not going to help the government win votes. He says it rightly that something is wrong with us if we believe revolutions can be launched by wearing yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih”.
This Star executive director also comments that the police are trying too hard to be friendly, by putting on its Facebook pictures of those detained being served with a buffet meal.
He ridiculed the rotund controversial Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali walking around in circles. Wong says that after driving his supporters into a frenzy with his racist tirade, he decided to stay home. To save his face, he declared he would take “a stroll” at Tasik Titiwangsa.
As I was NOT in the thick of the action, I am still confused over the actual number of people turned up at the Bersih rallies. As mentioned in Wong’s “On The Beat”,
– 5,000 (according to the police)
– 50,000 (according to Datuk Samad Said)
-1000,000 (Malaysia Chronicle)
But from the pictures above, I think it is definitely more than Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s walkabout in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a day after the illegal rallies.
Mohd Elah, a textile wholesaler, told The Star that she was very excited that Najib had visited them on that day. Excitedly she said she will enlarge the photograph which she took with him using her handphone. And she added that she will have it displayed in her shop.
Then the confusing and conflicting issue of whether police fire teargas and water cannon INTO the compound of Tung Shin Hospital in an attempt to disperse Bersih rally supporters on Saturday.
As I have said I was NOT at the compound of Tung Shin Hospital on that Saturday afternoon just like many other Malaysians, which also includes Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Firstly the police denied such incident, and now our Health Minister together with Hospital board of directors chairman Ng Beh Tong have also said that there were NO such incident.
The inconspicuous three-paragraph or 91-word article somewhere in middle of MCA-owned Star (12 July, 2011) entitled “Tung Shin Hospital not affected”.
Again, I repeatedly say I do NOT know as I was NOT there. As a smart and responsible Malaysian, don’t just believe what you read or hear from any one.
Hishammuddin told the press that they have visual recordings in their operation room. Whatever has been alleged will be investigated with concrete evidence, and action will be taken against those in the Internet and foreign media who have made baseless allegations.
Anyway, watch this video clip by Malaysiakini featuring Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai briefing the press about what happened to Tung Shin Hospital which was caught in the Bersih rallies.
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