TSHin

Malaysian police used batons and water cannon on Sunday to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters at Kuala Lumpur's iconic Twin Towers, arresting more than 20 and beating several as stunned shoppers looked on.

Some 400 people, including trade unionists, opposition parties and non-government organisations, had gathered at an upmarket shopping mall at the towers for the latest in a series of rallies against fuel price rises since the government sharply raised prices on February 28.

They were met by over 400 police, including officers with dogs and on horseback. Police in riot gear wielding batons and rifles were also seen in formation, while two water cannon trucks stood ready.

Shouting anti-government slogans and holding floating black balloons to symbolise oil and inflation, the protestors demanded the government reverse the price rises.

"When the petrol price goes up, all our essential goods go up," K. Brabakarun, a vice president from the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, the main protest organiser, told reporters.

"There's a limit. Workers can't afford a price increase against their salaries so we are telling the government," he said.

The MTUC and other organisations will deliver a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Monday over the issue, he said.

The rise has sparked public anger. Abdullah's administration has pleaded for public understanding, citing high global oil prices.

Crowd numbers at the rallies during the month have been dropping but protesters have become increasingly defiant.

Chaotic scenes ensued as the demonstrators followed a police call to disperse, but then marched further down the street to continue the rally before heading back to the Twin Towers.

Police then used a water cannon to disperse demonstrators, who scrambled across a paved forecourt in front of the towers to continue their rally.

For over two hours protesters repeatedly dispersed to mingle with onlookers, but then gathered again in small groups near the towers only to be chased by police.

Police finally pointed a water cannon at shocked shoppers and tourists outside the Twin Towers and at an exclusive mall across the street to clear the roads, before the protest petered out.

Several protestors were seen being beaten and kicked by police before being handcuffed and arrested. Deputy district police chief Rodzi Ismail said more than 20 had been arrested but police were still confirming numbers.

A leader in the opposition Islamic PAS party, Hatta Ramli, and two of his daughters were among those arrested.

"What the police have done today is to show the government is desperate to disperse all these forms of demonstrations so we must go on to fight," said a PAS official, Zulkifli Ahmad.

Regarding the incident happened in KLCC last Sunday (26/3/06), there was no even single word reported in Monday local prime media. Flip through the Star, China Press, Utusan Malaysia etc everyday, there is wide coverage on various protesting in Taiwan, Thailand, Middle East, Philipines and America. However, there is no article reporting Malaysia police use water canon to disperse the anti-government protesters. Its seem that there is not much freedom a media to report a truth even for justice for the rakyat if it touches the issues related to bring severe damaged to Government.

You can't blame them either since much much lessons have been learned from after sacking the top two China Press editors, terminates Sarawak Tribune license as well as suspension of Guan Ming Daily publishing license for 2 weeks and verbal warning to NST and Utusanas as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. In other words, Government is sending a strong message saying that “you must toe my line since I am giving the license every year”.

The Prime Minister made a personal promise seven years ago to study the petition by about a thousand Malaysian journalists for more press freedom starting with the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Not much improvent or lenient had been seen instead tightening control of press freedom by instructing GLC Media Prima to acquire private broadcast media, a step to strenghten state control over media.

In view of the numerous critical problems (cronisym, nepotism, corruption, abuse of administritive power) confronting Malaysia, our country future is determined by a responsible, fair and sensible freedom of media to bring about a healthy check and balance to prevent further gross excesses and abuses that would destroy the country.

I totally agreed that Press freedom is useless if it is at the expense of peace, respect and harmony. So, it must be exercised with responsibility and sensibility in relation to the environment one is in. However, our government treated Press Freedom is threatened their autocracy and autonomy.

What a pity to fellow journalist in Malaysia. ‘Press Freedom’ is seem too far to reach.

Venue: Jalan Raja Laut SUHAKAM Office
Time: 27/3/06, 10:30am

Police have been deployed to stop the 500 delegates lead by Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), Syed Shahir Mahamud to submit the memorandum to Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia ("SUHAKAM") in reporting the brutality and harsh act of police personnel and FRU towards to a group of people to perform a peaceful demonstrations on unsatisfaction oil price hike in KLCC last Sunday. They start marching 3km from Parlimen to Jln Raja Laut after failing to submit the Memorandum to Prime Minister.

However, 15 activists managed to run through the police pre-set front line during chaos and lodged official report to SUHAKAM. They are Syed Shahir and G.Rajasekaran, representative from MTUC; Charles Santiago from Group of Concern Citizen; VP of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (keADILan), Sivarasa Rasiah; CEO Suaram, Yap Swee Seng dan Secretary General Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), Arutchelvan.Whilst others including Head of Information Party Keadilan, Tien Chua waited downstair. During the meeting, they managed to show the pictures of brutal act carried out by police force during dispersing the crowds.

According to Pesuruhjaya SUHAKAM, Dato' Siva Subramaniam, he will highlight the incident of police act to obstruct and denying Human Right of citizen to make report towards SUHAKAM to Lembaga Suruhanjaya (Supreme Council) asap where it is totally unacceptable and intolerance in this country so call still practicing democracy. Further elaborated by Dato' Siva Subramaniam, everybody has a right to see SUHAKAM and it is none of the police business to concern.

As we all know, the primary duty of MP is to represent the interest of citizens of Malaysia and provide communication channel the voice of rakyat to be heard in Parliment. The Rakyat have made a clear cut to our elected representative to support the establishment and implementation of the Independent Police Complaint's & Misconduct Commission ("IPCMC") proposed in the Royal Police Commission Report in year 2004.

I was shocked and dismayed of some MP and UMNO youth wings had voiced out negative actions towards the establishment of IPCMC. The rhetoric employed is weak and simplistic. Even Umno Youth information chief Azimi Daim stated recently the fear that the formation of IPCMC will be turned into an avenue by certain quarters to expose the weakness in the country’s administration. I can only ask how our leaders are supposed to address any real weaknesses if they are forced to remain blind to them.

As a concept, the IPCMC is modeled in practice as this commission emphasis on accountability and transparency and the most of all it only answerable to Parliment. Different from other bodies, ACA and Public Complaints Bureau ("PCB") whereby both are only accountable to Kementerian Perdana Menteri.