BAN THE RALLIES

SAVE THE COUNTRY

The PATRIOT Foundation is deeply concerned with the recent developments with regards to the illegal Bersih 2.0 rally, which will take place on July 9 on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Bersih 2.0 organisers had also announced that simultaneous demonstrations will be held at 2pm local time on July 9 in London, Canberra and Sydney as well as Taiwan.

Two other groups namely Perkasa and Pemuda UMNO have also announced that their members would also take to the streets against Bersih 2.0.

The PATRIOT Foundation is therefore calling for:

1. A ban on all three rallies by Bersih/Perkasa/Pemuda UMNO.

The organisers' efforts to bring issues to the streets can be likened as sabotaging the Nation as whatever happens on that day will tarnish Malaysia's image as a fast developing peaceful nation. They are rebels using several outfits as a front. There are proper channels for grouses and grievance to be aired. Holding a rally or several rallies is certainly not an option.

2. Use preventive laws.

It is unfortunate that earlier warnings issued by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein have gone unheeded. The ministry should therefore no longer hesitate to take preventive measures on the organisers. Any action on the day of the event or after would be futile as the repercussions would already have far-reaching consequences especially on the economy of the country.

3. Negative reporting on the country.

Past experiences of illegal rallies in the country had shown the negative impact on the country's reputation as a politically stable and safe destination. International media reporting on the day itself and those so called independent news portals will do the most damage to the country. Turmoil sells in their trade. Giving factual and direct account is secondary.

4. Organizers should face the music.

All the organisers - be it Bersih 2.0, Perkasa and Pemuda UMNO - must be charged for instigating members to gather illegally. They must be banned from leaving the country before or after the event. The Bersih organizers for instance must not be allowed to leave the country for possible exile to avoid prosecution. In another example, Pemuda UMNO chief YB Khairy Jamaluddin, should be asked to return to be alongside his soldiers instead of fighting for another cause beyond our shores. A responsible General is one who initiates a war and stands by his command.

5. Malaysians to save the country.

Each and every one of us who call ourselves Malaysian should reject and stop all attempts to create chaos on any streets in the country or elsewhere.

We are all peace-loving people who want the country to prosper and continue to develop to meet Vision 2020.

Malaysia is as the national anthem goes

"Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku,

Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,

Rahmat Bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,

Raja kita, selamat bertakhta.

Rahmat Bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,

Raja kita, selamat bertakhta."

We should not allow ourselves to be use by manipulators serving their own self and political interests.

About The PATRIOT Foundation

The Patriot Foundation is an independent, non-governmental and non-profitable think tank that provides necessary feedback to the government and Malaysians on basic social, political and economic issues through open channels.

DO THE RIGHT THING HISHAM!

The Real Deal

Many interesting things have happened lately and although I have the strong urge to write about my recent trip to New York and Washington, I think one needs to be written touching on the indecisive Home Minister on an impending mass rally that if it is allowed will encourage more rallies that will disrupt our tourism and retail industry

Dato’ Sri Najib has been doing a fine job travelling around the world raising Malaysia’s profile among the world business community and luring foreign investments to our shores seeing quick results.

At home, locals mostly the affluent and rich organizers of Bersih are using the majority of the less educated and low income earning mass to flood the streets to cause nuisance and serve the political purpose of the opposition.

What has the Home Minister got to say?

The Star Online quoted the “much feared” Minister as saying the police would handle the issue so as to avoid any quarters from accusing him of political involvement in the matter.

After having said that and the announcement of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, the Bersih movement still intends to continue with their event inviting retaliatory measures and inflammatory remarks by more than 30 other Malay NGOs, which could spell total calamity and chaos in the Capital.

And all the Home Minister can say is “I leave it to the police to act professionally and in accordance with the law,” thinking it will indemnify him from any responsibility if anything untoward were to happen.

Because there is a lack of assertiveness from the Home Minister, instead of parties backing off, we see others even within the ruling party like UMNO Youth getting into the fray disrespecting the warning of the former who is also a Vice President of UMNO.

What The Youth Movement should do instead as a pressure group is to COMPEL the Minister in charge of Internal Security to be more FORCEFUL and RESPONSIBLE instead of joining in to encourage others to undermine the nation’s peace and public order. All it takes is one verbal abuse coupled with emotions not having the benefit of intellect and all Hell will break loose.

I am the last person who’d want to tell the gentleman Minister how to do his job but maintaining law and order and National Security isn’t like dashing ingredients in the kitchen wok on a trial and error basis until the dish becomes a cuisine.

National income from tourism and foreign investments through the hard promotional tours of the good Prime Minister and his Deputy Muhyiddin Yassin are at stake if preventive measures are not taken and animosity is allowed to spill onto the streets. “Two wrongs don’t make a right”, neither does a third wrong if the Home Minister chooses to remain neutral and irresponsible.

We already know the culprits behind this impure endeavor under the pretext of demanding for clean elections! Special branch reports by various intelligence bureaus should be flooding in to allow the Minister to make the necessary decisions without even flinching. Pull them in and if any of them are adamant in going through with it, then take stern action in accordance to whatever the law provides. If the Minister is afraid to take action, which is in the best interest of the majority (the 418 odd police reports by business operators and tourists associations should be enough to bring courage to him to make the right move), then he should step aside and let a real man do the job!

Two of the many provisions are:

‘If the Minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to the maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof, he may make an order (hereinafter referred to as a detention order) directing that that person be detained for any period not exceeding two years’. (s 8(1) Internal Security Act 1960)

And

‘If the Minister is satisfied that with a view to preventing any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public order it isnecessary that that person should be detained, or that it is necessary for the suppression of violence or the prevention of crimes involving violence that that person should be detained, the Minister shall make an order (hereinafter referred to as a ‘detention order’) directing that that person be detained for a period not exceeding two years’. (s 4(1) Emergency (Public Order And Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969).

Much money has been spent to promote Malaysia abroad and our best selling points to lure foreign investors here is our peace, political stability and friendly business environment.

The Forbes Brothers Surrounding The Prime Minister

Forbes Incorporated recently described Malaysia as the “center of the world”. Forbes will be bringing the World C.E.O. Conference to Kuala Lumpur in September. A number of Presidents and VPs of international conglomerates lined up to meet the Prime Minister in New York and at least one renowned mobile manufacturer have intentions to pick Malaysia as its Asian headquarters bypassing China and India, while the others already have a strong presence in Malaysia and are currently acting as our “ambassadors” in the world corporate scene by promoting our country with their counterparts abroad.

When National and Economic Security is at stake, it is not the time to be popular or fear to lose future election votes but to maintain the good run this country is having. This hard call must be for Malaysia, not for the elections. Make the right decision for the benefit of the mass and let the chips fall where they may. We must trust the judgment of the majority who will eventually see the righteous path of our actions.

If we act cowardly and become indecisive, or make the right decision at the wrong time, we will not only lose more seats in the elections, but also the economy and foreign confidence in our state of affairs.