Top news for Anwar on CNN & BBC

Malaysia seems to be very good in scoring tops for all these things... fake evidence, police intimidation... what else?

Malaysia boleh?

Nervous times in Malaysia

I was there at the explosive Press Conference at Anwar's office in Tropicana. I must say his office was really quite impressive, equipped with a well arranged room especially designed for press conferences.


Above, where the journalists sit, look can you see Haris Ibrahim there? (the one with his hands on his cheek).. He was blogging 'live' from there. Raja Petra was seated further behind, but I didn't take a photo of him.


This statement was handed out 20 minutes before Anwar and his gang came into the room, allowing us newsmen to read and digest what was going to be said first.

The last part of the statement.

Coincidentally, while this was happening at 11AM, begining 9AM, trade on Bursa Malaysia was suspended - which followed until the whole day! My (and many others theory) is that the government was taking preemptive measures to stop losses on the KLCI today. More importantly, how would the bourse fare tomorrow? down badly i'm thinking...

Malaysia-Today hacked

This will surely appear in Malaysiakini soon, RPK's site got hacked!!



Najib's camp at work?

told ya, don't push journalists too far!

I'm quite amused at the actions of the parliament authorities this time around, banning fellow press-men into the lobby area of the house of August - suddenly. Apparently I read that Nazri Aziz (BN Minister) might have had a hand in putting the rule into place! Didn't they anticipate the reactions that might follow? or were they just too naive to know that?

I've been into parliament numerous times before and it is not easy if you're there as a journalist for an assignment because you're stepping into unexpected territory as you may meet anybody and expected to know everything at your fingertips. Plus the hustle and bustle of pushing your way around just to put your microphone or recorder to get some soundbites. It becomes worse when you can't get a concrete story by like after lunch, and you're still hanging around there, just waiting to know when you can get back to office to file your story. Usually, I hate parliament assignments - because they drain you out a lot.

I blogged about how does it feel like being a writer/journalist before, taking a piece from TIME Magazine:

Here I reproduce a portion of that:

Writers are sensitive souls-generally intelligent and hardworking but easily bruised. Treat them right, though, and you will be rewarded. Writers shape words into luminous sentences and the sentences into exquiisitely crafted paragraphs. They weave the paragraphs together into a near perfect article, essay or review.

So the Malaysian Parliament authorities, especially the Speaker should be bigger than just issues of security in the house. Let the Security department of the parliament deal with that will you? - a day before the ridiculous ban was imposed, and I entered parliament, I already sensed a difference in the tighter security at the metal detector at Door 7 where the press usually enters.

Unpopular BN ministers avoiding the press

Look at our BN leaders today, they don't have guts to withstand the questions from the press. They can't really give answers so they have decided to hide behind the "security" they have set up for themselves inside the parliament itself!

Hello, - we elected you guys into that place you're hiding yourselves from the people... Have you forgotten that?

Read this sucky news:
----------
Malaysiakini: Media boycott over Parliament access
Beh Lih Yi Jun 24, 08 10:10am

More than 100 journalists covering the ongoing Parliament sitting are staging a boycott after the Parliament administration restricted media access to the lobby and barricaded the area.
MORE

Journalists outraged, stunned
'Clampdown on press freedom'
----------

And they call themselves to be representing the "voice" of the people who wants more press freedom. I thought just recently, the Home Minister Syed Albar was talking about more "press freedom"? It's like taking a half-hearted step forward and two steps backwards again today.

Nope, they couldn't give concrete solutions or answers to the fuel price hike. Nor have they been totally open with Petronas' accounts. So we should continue, as responsible citizens to vote them out of power - before this country becomes another Myanmar.

PKR, you're earning my vote again

People in power and authority have many many temptations, it takes a person bigger than self to stand up against these bad influences. Unfortunately, it's hard and rare to find a person of such calibre and discernment, that's why we need stronger check and balances within the system of governance to see where we've gone wrong and take remedial actions immediately. We are all humans after all, weak and frail.

Today, I read this news -

----------
Malaysiakini: Khalid's special officer suspended
Jun 23, 08 12:16pm

Selangor Menteri Besar's special officer Yahya Sahri has been suspended from official duties for two months beginning today over his alleged abuse of power in awarding cleaning contracts.

ACA probing the matter
Confirmed by Khalid
----------

Despite Khalid trying to deny it initially, as anyone would - who wouldn't? especially with those Mainstream Media (MSM) editors trying their best to find faults within the Pakatan Government. And trust me, there are many reporters trying to get that juicy scoop poking and using mind games at these people in power just to get these kinda stories.

But because these things happen - as the check and balance in our democracy has been much stronger now after March8th, we have the people in power doing the right things! Oh no, I've never heard of nobody in BN who are in power being suspended when they are being investigated... instead that story in the MSM is nicely packed away into the back pages of their propoganda news.

Malaysiakini immediately put it up on their website. The Star put it up on their online edition (and they sent out an SMS news alert on this issue). But I'll still have to wait and see whether The Star (or any of the mainstream media) puts this piece of news up prominently (on the pages where it should belong) in their filthy BN-propoganda papers tomorrow for the people to judge correctly and fairly.

If Pakatan Rakyat continues to do and say the right things (and stop their rhetoric about Islamic State - PAS!) I will definitely vote for them and who knows, may even consider campaigning for them in the next elections.

Today, PKR, you've proven to be a party which have been bigger than yourselves. Keep up the good job!

break-up of the nation?

I was speaking to my dad just now on the political situation in this country - after SAPP proposed a vote of no confidence.

It can be tough at times, because many times, his viewpoints on politics differs greatly from mine as I find him with the mindset of the older generation. In other words - the generation who witnessed the wicked May 13, 1969.

So i randomly unseriously said to him that the best way out of the current political situation in the country now is a split of the country to let Sabah and Sarawak go their own way, and probably, Pakatan Rakyat states go their own way. He immediately said that if that happens chaos would entail.

I then kept quiet and thought about what transpired in our conversation.

And after a while, I thought, gosh! if both of us can entertain and even talk about that idea in our conversation - then hasn't this political crisis or game or whatever you call it - gone a little too far this time around?

Well, let's compare with a short history in this region, notably Indonesia, which allowed East Timor to go free under the rule of the also weak BJ Habibie in 1999 after the fall of strongman Suharto.

See the similiarity? No, circumstances or conditions (in Indonesia compared with Malaysia) were not exactly the same, but there are several similiarities like BJ Habibie's role with Abdullah's role (and also Suharto's role with Dr Mahathir's role) as Indonesia became more democratic. Malaysia is also undergoing a drastic democratisation process now.

Will we see 2 or 3 separate countries emerge from the current Malaysia we have on our maps today? Can any of us entertain such an extreme idea at this stage?