Offices shut early, roads closed ahead of Bersih rally

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — Several offices sent their staff home early today as police began locking down the federal capital ahead of the Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections tomorrow.National oil company Petronas sent their staff home at 4pm today while other offices in the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers closed for the day after lunch. It is understood the management of the Suria mall beneath the iconic twin towers will also put up blockades around the shopping complex as a security precaution although it remains open to the public.
City police have already closed off Dataran Merdeka in the middle of the city today but most roads will be closed from midnight.

The roadblocks and diversions will affect entry points along the entire stretch of Jalan Syed Putra, Jalan Istana, Jalan Bukit Petaling, Jalan Bellamy and the area surrounding Istana Negara, police said in a posting at the www.rmp.gov.my website.Also affected would be the area surrounding the National Mosque in the Lake Gardens area, covering the entire stretch of Jalan Sultan Hishammuddin, Jalan Lembah Perdana and Jalan Chenderasari.In the city centre, blockades will be set up around Dataran Merdeka, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek, Dataran DBKL, Kompleks Sogo, Maju Junction, Masjid Kampung Baru, Jalan Kinabalu, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Sri Amar, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Haji Taib, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Jalan Raja Bot, Jalan Raja Abdullah, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Loke, Jalan Sultan Mahmud and all areas within their immediate vicinity.

Indian students urged to apply now

KUALA LUMPUR: Indian students currently in Form Five have been urged to apply for the matriculation programme for the year 2012/2013.MIC vice-president SK Devamany said Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has invited the Form Five students to apply for next session.According to Devamany it is better that the students, who are scheduled to sit for SPM this year apply now and not later.He said the ministry was offering seats in three streams of accountancy, science and technical (engineering).“This is a good opportunity and every student should apply for the matriculation programme,” he told FMT.

Welcome to gang land

SERI KEMBANGAN: Gang-related deaths and disappearances have become a common feature over the past few years in Serdang.The latest incident revolves around five men, who were said to be involved in numerous criminal activities such as drugs and extortion rackets.Last April, the five vanished without a trace, and it is believed that they were kidnapped by their rivals.

Over the years, Serdang had become a heaven for illegal crimes, mainly involving Indians youths, and FMT learnt that in the last five years alone, 15 were killed or had disappeared.The authorities had yet to charge anyone in connection with these cases.Three rival gangs operate in Serdang - “08”, “Satu Hati” and “36” - and they often crossed swords over the drug and extortion business.

Traffic gridlock in pre-Bersih rally roadblock

The police have erected roadblocks in major thoroughfares in Kuala Lumpur causing massive peak-hour traffic jams in an apparent effort to foil the Bersih rally planned for Saturday.Key roads affected included the Federal Highway near Subang Parade, Subang Jaya near Segi College, Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP) and KL-Seremban highway in Seri Kembangan.
 
Motorists have vent their anger over the roadblocks, which resulted in many failing to get to work on time.Some have poured their frustration by taking to Twitter.

Here are some of their tweets:

Trust me, Najib tells Indian M'sians

The prime minister has sought the trust of the Indian Malaysian community, saying only this will provide hope for the future.Officiating the new auditorium of the Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields today, Najib Abdul Razak said the government has many programmes to address legacy and contemporary issues facing the community.But pivotal to the success of the programmes will be the community's trust in the national leadership.

"We must build this hopeful mindset that has to be premised on solid trust between the leaders,” he said."For me to work with you towards a better future, I need your trust so that we may make this sense of hope reach the community everywhere." He also said it is the duty of community leaders and political leaders in government to "absolutely work together" as "hope for all is not created by accident". "It needs constant nurturing and the utmost sincerity and dedication in those that seek to provide it," he noted.

Speaking to about 600 people, Najib also mooted starting with a comprehensive documentation of the history of the Indian community in Malaysia who have "struggled and evolved" with the nation.

Statement By Agong On Bersih Illegal Rally

KUALA LUMPUR -- Istana Negara last night issued a special statement by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin on the planned illegal rally by Bersih.Below is the translated full text of the King's statement."I am following closely the developments of the proposed illegal gathering and procession by Bersih with the aim of handing over a memorandum to me as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and how the government, particularly the agencies and departments concerned, is handling the issue.

"However, I believe that the nation's leadership under Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak is capable of handling this problem in the best possible way."I urge that amid the political fervour of a section of the people to bolster democracy in our country, it must also be ensured that this demand on democracy does not bring destruction to the country."Generally, we cannot be following too much the practices in other countries, as harmony and stability are vital foundations for a country and which all quarters must protect.

Rajnikanth the man of the masses

Indian cinema has always been synonymous with escapism. Or, at least largely so with picture postcard locales, mesmeric music, vibrant dances and lovely people. It is thence only natural that film heroes and heroines are not just adored but placed on pedestals and revered.Sometimes temples are built for them, and when actors turn politicians, they carry with them their celluloid halos, enslaving their electorates.

This is a phenomenon that is particularly strong in southern India, where Dravidian political parties have been using movies to spread their ideologies, capturing the imagination of the masses.Tamil Nadu’s onetime Chief Minister, MG Ramachandran, acted out the Dravidian dogma, endearing in the process to the poor and socially downtrodden.In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, NT Ramarao slipped into mythological characters – like Rama and Krishna – and transformed himself into an epitome of godliness, eventually winning hearts and votes.