Why does Umno still work with Communist Party of China? Umno hypocrite!

Hisham defends Bersih arrests, says activists had ulterior motives

UPDATED @ 06:46:42 PM 26-06-2011

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 26, 2011

The home minister said today his orders to the police were to “take action to maintain peace and security.” — file pic

HULU SELANGOR, June 26 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has defended the arrest of 30 Bersih activists in Penang under Section 122 of the Penal Code, saying today there were reasons to justify the police action.

The police said they are probing an alleged attempt by some Bersih activists to revive communism and are investigating 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jayakumar for “waging war against the Yang DiPertuan Agong.”

Hishamuddin, who is the Home Minister, said that he had yet to be briefed in detail on the arrests, but stated that preliminary reports showed that the activists had “other agendas” in mind.

“I have not received a detailed report. But preliminary reports show that the movement, which was said to be mainly a “peaceful” demonstration, (had) other agendas (in mind).

“I believe in facts. I will wait for a further report, but my orders to the police from the start was follow the law, take action to maintain peace and security,” he told reporters after opening the Hulu Selangor Umno division meeting here.

He did not elaborate on the reasons for the arrests, and stressed that it was the police who made the arrests and not him as he did not have the power to do so.

“It’s not me who arrested them. The police decide,” he said, adding that the public should look at the incident from a “wider perspective.”

Deputy Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said today that remand orders would be exercised in order to detain the 30 activists under Section 122 of the Penal Code.

The law was used to prosecute militant terrorist group Al Ma’unah who were involved in an audacious arms heist at an army camp and a tense standoff in the jungles of Perak in 2000.

Section 122 of the Penal Code states: “Whoever collects or attempts to collect men, arms or ammunition, or otherwise prepares to wage war with the intention of either waging or being prepared to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any of the Rulers or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or abets the waging or the preparation of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

“It’s not as straightforward as the points (put forth) by Bersih ... Why do you need to have roadshows (throughout) the country?” Hishamuddin said.

The government has said it will not issue permits for Bersih’s planned rally on July 9 that demands free and fair elections.

When will Umno sever all bilateral ties with China, given the fact that the Communist Party of China (CPC), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China (PRC)?

Denouncing attempts by various groups to link the minor political group backing Bersih to “communists”, Ambiga said, “I don’t know what it’s about... They are caught in a time warp. Who talks about communists in this day and age?”

Indeed, Umno is in a time warp, an archaic party that is, slowly but surely, sinking like the Titanic! ;-)

Bersih says will march on without permit

UPDATED @ 06:49:41 PM 27-06-2011

By Debra Chong

June 27, 2011

Ambiga waves as she arrives at the Dang Wangi police station for questioning, June 27, 2011. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — Despite being hauled up for police questioning today, Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan insists the July 9 march for electoral reforms will continue as planned.

The prominent lawyer said she will also not apply for a police permit to hold the street demonstration as the home minister and the police have made it clear one will not be issued.

She then slammed the authorities for hauling up civil society members campaigning for electoral reform instead of engaging them.

“Instead of threatening people, engage with us,” she urged the authorities, repeating the movement’s statement made last night.

Ambiga also repeatedly called the arrests of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members in Penang during the weekend “ridiculous”, denouncing attempts by various groups to link the minor political group backing Bersih to “communists”.

“I don’t know what it’s about... They are caught in a time warp. Who talks about communists in this day and age?” she quizzed, claiming the arrests were baseless.

The British colonial authorities battled communist terrorists from 1948 to 1960 in a police action called the Emergency and Malaysia later enacted the Internal Security Act (ISA) to allow detention without trial. The Communist Party of Malaysia (CPM) later laid down their weapons in 1989.

“Whoever wants to support Bersih, it’s up to them. It's open to all citizens,” she stressed.

Ambiga, who arrived at the Dang Wangi police station at about 2pm and left nearly two hours later, told reporters she had been questioned on three issues.

The first concerned the Bersih rally launched last week at the Chinese Assembly Hall here; followed by a recent police report in which she was accused of holding an illegal assembly outside the Jalan Travers police station; and the last was about her speech at a PKR-organised event held at the Girl Guides’ Association in Brickfields on June 12.