First world countries hold marches/gatherings/protests/strikes/rallies all the time with the presence of the police. Do the police restrict, beat and arrest them?
No, the police HELP by maintaining order, guiding traffic and blocking off roads to make sure the march can go on peacefully.
What happens here in my beloved country?
They set up roadblocks along major roads around the city the night before, creating huge traffic jams and making ordinary people who wanna go home after work pissed off, cursing in their cars. Malaysia Boleh!
Then on the day itself early in the morning, they nicely arrest people for loitering, wearing coloured t-shirts and looking suspiciously like they might be involved. Arrest you know, no joke. If only all that manpower was used to catch snatch thieves. Malaysia Boleh!
Best of all, instead of helping to keep order, they start the chaos by firing off tear gas, using water cannons, grabbing, kicking, arresting. Malaysia Boleh!
Tonight and tomorrow, those leaders, local news and papers will say all this disturbance and chaos is because of the protesters. Trouble makers. Rioters.
Hell-o Dumb*sses...?
If you just let the people to walk calmly and peacefully in the first place (to the Istana Negara to hand over a memorandum at 2pm), it would be over by 4-5pm. Everyone will be happy and there would be a tiny glimmer of freedom and justice in the country.
But noooooooo.... How can they allow that? These peaceful people in red or black tshirts will create havoc! They will cause traffic jams.... Yeah, like taking up 1 lane will cause as bad a jam as blocking off all roads around the city. Sureee. I get ya.
Tourists that come to Malaysia will get a bad impression of the country - oh please, they will be wondering why the the police is so brutal and why the people can't speak out! You think the foreigners are so dumb?
And the list goes on...
Recently a friend said about the gathering, "I don't know if using an aggressive approach is the way to go"
I stopped him there. Aggressive? I told him to be very careful about misusing words like that. That is exactly how irresponsible reporting comes about.
Word choice is so important, and the media is supposed to have responsibility of delivering accurate news reports.
Instead of reporting a group of peaceful protesters, they are labelled rioters.
Most rural folk who do not have internet access will of course not be as aware of events that unfold, as the city dwellers. So they take the word of our credible local papers, RTM and shake their heads.
Words. That's another problem with our Rakyat. We have been drilled and indoctrinated so that words like march, protest, rally, demonstrate, vigil - automatically carry negative connotations.
Like dogs that have been trained - when they hear the bell, they salivate and think they will be fed. The Rakyat have been trained so that when they hear certain words, they are to cower, retreat and not get involved. Toe the line. Keep your head down. Be afraid - you stick up for something you'll end up in jail. Be a robot - Don't question.
People fear these words, and those leaders want the Rakyat to be fearful.
In so many first world countries when these things happen the leaders listen.
In our country, the Rakyat are silenced. By force.
Wait a minute, let me correct that statement.
In our country, the Rakyat who want truth / justice / equality / answers are silenced.
By force.
1 comment:
~wheeeee~ malaysia boleh ma
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