The Dataran of stolen dreams

COMMENT At the end of the day, we lost the moral high ground adding fuel to the lies of the regime. It comes as no surprise to me. When you have a crowd of (maybe) hundreds of thousands, something "unusual" was bound to happen.

But let me tell you what this regime fears the most. It does fear violence as witnessed by the treatment meted out towards the protestors. It fears who the violence was directed against.

The ghosts of May 1969 have been truly exorcised. Malaysians are not turning against one another. That bogeyman that pro-regime types including the state propaganda organs have used for years has been destroyed.

‘They' are turning against the organs of the state attempting in their over-exuberance to reclaim something which rightly belongs to us.

I greeted the first light of April 28 in the Ganesha temple with prayers and a conversation with an Indian police officer who was there for the same reason as everyone else - illumination.

The temple folk had told me of an ‘important' police officer who frequented the temple and I sought him out, being at ease with the security personnel of this regime having been one for the better part of my life.

He asked me if I was part of this ‘event'. I answered in the affirmative and the conversation moved on to the behaviour of the police which had been exemplary the night before and my concerns that it would remain that way.

Hisham: Cops will act if Bersih rally at Dataran

Putrajaya has today showed the clearest sign yet that a crackdown on the Bersih 3.0 rally is imminent.

At a press conference today, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein the police would take necessary measures to prevent the rally should "stubborn" organisers proceed with their plans at Dataran Merdeka.

"We have already compromised and offered alternative venues to them... but if they choose to be stubborn, it will be up to the police (to take the necessary action," he said, according to Bernama.

He said it was the police's responsibility to ensure public order was not threatened by anyone.

"I hope the organisers can assemble at the alternative venues offered in the spirit of political transformation and changes brought about by the government.

"As such, all parties should contribute towards building a healthy and mature democracy in the country," he said.

Electoral reforms pressure group Bersih 2.0 has on April 4 had announced that it would hold the rally this Saturday.

The rally was in response to what it terms has the failure of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms to properly address comprehensive reforms to the electoral system.

Hisham: There's still time to go elsewhere

Citing the newly passed Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Bersih 2.0 said it wanted to hold the rally on Dataran Merdeka and informing the police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) of its plans would be a mere formality.

DBKL has since denied Bersih permission to use the field and instead offered the coalition to move the rally to Stadium Merdeka, about a kilometre away.

However, Bersih claimed that this offer came too late as they were only informed yesterday and the offer could have been considered if it came much earlier.

On what action the police should the rally go ahead at Dataran Merdeka, Hishammuddin: “It will depend on the actions of the organisers”.

He said the police have been instructed to prepare themselves and draw from past experiences.

Hishammuddin said that he hoped organisers will accept alternative venues that have been suggested, stressing that there was still time to do so.

Other than Stadium Merdeka, the other alternative venues that have been offered are Stadium Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium and Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/196205

Khairy: I voted for removal of polling agents

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday said that he voted in favour of the Election Offences Act Amendment Bill, which was rushed through on the last day of the recent Parliament sitting, because it still allowed safeguards.

Polling agents still have room to verify the identities of voters despite the amendments, he told reporters after a debate with Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan over electoral reform in Petaling Jaya last night.

Explaining one of the contentious amendment, Khairy (left) voted for the removal of candidates’ polling agents from the Election Commission (EC) registration booths because the commission had complained of trouble.

“In the last general election, the polling agents although I’m not sure from which parties, were telling the EC clerks what to do. They were campaigning and telling voters whom to vote for.”

He added that polling agents can still set up their own booths 100 meters away from the polling centre and monitor “suspicious voters”.

During the debate on electoral reform, the Umno Youth chief reminded Bersih that the Dewan Rakyat however did not pass one part of the amendment which had allowed the EC to determine when the polling agents can enter the polling centre (usually a classroom).

This, he said, would mean that agents can closely monitor if the person entering the polling centre has been marked with indelible ink.

No blue MyKad, no school

PETALING JAYA: Student B Reshina, 17, is studying hard for the SPM this year but she may never get to sit the examination.For she has just received the shocking news – she must stop schooling all because she does not have a blue MyKad.

Reshina (picture left) was one of the many Indians in the country who are stateless because the National Registration Department (NRD) has refused to grant citizenship for vague reasons.

She together with several other families were brought to the PKR headquarters here today to relate their ordeal as stateless Indians.

Speaking on Reshina’s behalf, her sister, Gowre, 24, said two weeks ago, Reshina’s school in Gombak, Chong Hwa Secondary School, stopped her from schooling after receiving instruction from the state education department.

“The state education department should not have stopped my sister from going to school as she is preparing for the SPM,” she said.

Hilmi, Chua in hot water for demolishing shrine

Penang Port Sdn Bhd chairman Hilmi Yahya and Penang Port Commission chairman Dr Chua Soi Lek are facing the wrath of the Hindu community over the demolition of a 40-year-old shrine at the Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal in the Prai Industrial Area.

The state government has quickly dived in to support the devotees of the Muniswarar shrine, many of whom are port workers, and have called for the duo to apologise over the matter.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who made a site visit yesterday, wants Teluk Bahang Umno assemblyperson Hilmi and MCA president Chua to apologise and provide an alternative site for the shrine.
Lim said the act of demolishing the shrine shows “disrespect” to the Hindu and Indian community who have been patronising the holy site for four decades.

He added the port authorities have admitted that they had not given any notice to the shrine’s caretakers before it was torn down on Friday at 8am.

“Although the government can demolish a building without notice but we in the Penang state government would always give a notice or at least paste it around the affected areas,” Lim told reporters.

Ananda Krishnan Visits Buddhist Monk Son

GEORGE TOWN, 24 APRIL, 2012: Billionaire T Ananda Krishnan took time off from his busy schedule to meet up with his Buddhist monk son Ven Ajahn Siripanyo, who is at a meditation retreat in Penang Hill here, reported local Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh.

Clad in T-shirt and jeans, the 74-year-old tycoon was spotted arriving at the foot of the popular tourist attraction in a BMW with several bodyguards at about 9am yesterday.

According to the report, Ananda was whisked off to an undisclosed location deep inside the forest in Penang Hill, where his son was having a retreat with 60 others.

It is learnt that Ven Siripanyo is his only son from a previous marriage.

The report said Ven Siripanno came to the hill retreat on Sunday before staying overnight at a colonial-style building in the forest.

According to local residents, the tycoon bought the retreat three years ago before restoring it to its former glory.

There are 30-odd rooms in the building.

The daily also reported that Ven Siripanyo was seen putting his palms together and took a bow when he saw his father.

He then led his father to a garden where Ananda Krishnan took photographs of trees and butterflies as he walked along.

It is learnt that the tycoon left the hill at about noon while his son and the others left for Thailand later in the evening.

Nicknamed AK, Ananda Krishnan is estimated to be worth US$9.6bil (RM29.66bil) according to Forbes' latest list of wealthiest people, making him the second wealthiest in South-East Asia after Robert Kuok and number 89 in the world.

He has a multimedia empire which includes two telecommunication companies Maxis Communications and Measat Broadcast Network Systems (Astro) and three communication satellites orbiting the earth.

Source : http://malaysiandigest.com/news/43214-ananda-krishnan-visits-buddhist-monk-son.html

Hanuman: Suara Hati – Bahagian 24

Tidak! Jika itu yang aku katakan, ayah dan ibu akan meninggal dunia. Aku tidak sanggup. Jadi, apa yang perlu aku lakukan? Ya, sengaja aku menggaru telinga kiri.

“Ke sini, wahai kera,” panggil Sita.

Matanya asyik tertumpu pada subang di telinga kiriku. Dia akan tahu siapa aku. Akulah Hanuman, anak Rama. Akulah anak yang menagih kasih sayang orang tuanya.

“Di mana kau curi subang ini?” Sita terus merenung telingaku. Kemudian wajahku.

Ya, ibu. Akulah anakmu! Peluklah aku, ibu. Aku menagih kasihmu.

Ibu berlalu ke jendela. Sugul. Air matakah itu?

“Mengapa? Adakah ia membawa apa-apa erti?”

“Tidak. Tidak.”

Ibu mengesat air mata. Dia memandang keluar jendela melewati tendas. Di luar sana, para pengawal sedang taat menjaga pintu masuk ke istana Ravana.

“Ibu menangis?”

Hah? Apa yang telah aku sebutkan?

“Tidak! Dan jangan kau panggil aku ibu. Aku bukan ibu kau. Kalau Rama sanggup mengambil seekor kera menjadi anak angkat, tidak bermakna aku juga akan turut sama menjadi bodoh untuk menganggap kau anakku.”

Ibu!

Itulah Sita, ibu kandungku. Itulah Sita yang tidak membenarkan mana-mana lelaki lain – termasuk anak kandung – menyentuhnya.

Dan inilah aku, anak yang menagih kasih. Salah akukah dilahirkan sebagai seekor kera? Hinakah aku sehingga ayah dan ibu tidak sanggup menerima aku dalam hidup mereka?

Lebih baik aku mati, fikirku sambil berdiri sedih di hadapan ibu. Lebih baik aku menyerah diri kepada Ravana. Biar dibalutnya ekor aku dengan kain. Biar disimbahnya minyak tanah ke atas tubuhku. Biar dibakarnya aku hidup-hidup. Mustahil akan lebih menyeksakan daripada seksaan yang sedang aku tempuhi sekarang.

Bodoh! Kalau aku mati, siapa yang akan membantu mempertemukan ayah dan ibu? Siapa yang akan membantu ayah membunuh Ravana? Letchumanen? Dewata Mulia Raya sudah pun mentakdirkan bahawa hanya aku dan ayah dapat bekerjasama membunuh Ravana.

Mungkin selepas itu sahajalah ayah akan mengakui aku anaknya. Sekarang biarlah dia berusaha mendapatkan isterinya. Sehingga itu, aku hanyaah pengikut setia Rama. Paling lebih, anak angkat. Tidak boleh lebih daripada itu. Aku mesti tekadkan hati.

Tidak mengapa. Sekurang-kurangnya aku tetap boleh memanggilnya sebagai ayah di dalam hati. Kami tetap boleh bersama. Demikian aku berfikir lagi sambil memandang keluar ke arah raksasa yang sedang mengawal pintu kota ke istana Ravana.


Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/04/22/hanuman-suara-hati-%e2%80%93-bahagian-24/