protest for our rights is wrong, protest shouting abuse or criticise people is right

yep, welcome to malaysia! only in malaysia, this will happen.

as we all know yesterday was labour day.  as expected, there will be people out on the street on protest or rally. yes, in malaysia, there was a labour day march (read below) calling for minimum wage. a peaceful march… but the police swooped down on the protestors and arrested some of them, including a MP.

why? it was a peaceful march and a march fighting for the rights of all to a minimum wage.  why need to break them up and arrested people? yes, police said they have no permit… but look what happened at all the protests after friday prayers, look at the recent protest by perkasa in front of the MCA HQ. i’m sure they don’t have permit too… but police did not stop them, did not arrest anyone. those perkasa members were shouting abuse at MCA, yet the police close an eye. these people who protest on labour’s day were merely fighting for a basic human rights… but they were stopped and arrested.

the report stated there were water canon and FRU trucks and 100 policemen. wahh! so many policemen? so now the police are more concerned with preventing people from having a rally (which is their rights under the constitution) than going out there fighting crimes?

i saw on tv there, many asian countries, like taiwan, korea, philippines also held march and rally on occasion of labour’s day.  their crowd were even much bigger than malaysia’s. they were allowed to go on with their march… but in malaysia… gosh…. grrr!!….  i’m too mad to go on…..

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Malaysiakini

May Day: Sg Siput MP among dozens arrested

May 1, 11 11:02am

PSM’s Sungai Siput MP was among about 20 political, labour and rights activists and leaders caught today in a police dragnet on what was supposed to have been a May Day march in solidarity for workers to call for a minimum wage law.

M Jeyakumar Devaraj (left) had just arrived this morning at the corner of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Dang Wangi, near the Maju Junction shopping complex when, after a few minutes of talking to the police to persuade them to let the group march, Jeyakumar was arrested and taken away.

Police have also barricaded both roads leading to the Dataran Merdeka – Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut – where the march, beginning at the Chow Kit monorail station, was supposed to end.

Two water cannons and three FRU trucks were seen on site.

PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan (right) had earlier also tried to negotiate with the police near the Chow Kit monorail station before being taken away by police officers, believed to be from the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

It took about ten police officers to seize the PSM leader who was taken away without being informed of what he was arrested for.

The activist shouted “Hidup rakyat!” (long live the people!) several times before the officers could force him into the waiting squad car and whisk him away.

Arutchelvan, one of the key members of the Labour Day organising committee, was supposed to have joined others in the march from Chow Kit to the Dataran Merdeka.

In a a short press conference prior to his arrest, Arutchelvan told reporters that he considers the police obstruction to the peaceful march a “violation of basic rights”.

He also said that he had already informed the police prior to the march, and said such a notice is sufficient as opposed to a police permit.

‘No permit issued’

The police argued that it was an unauthorised gathering and must be dispersed if anyone was seen to be in groups of more than five.

Several officers from the 100-member strong police contingent who had assembled at the monorail station since early morning moved in to arrest Arutchelvan shortly after he finished giving a short press conference to 35-odd reporters.

Three landrovers full of riot equipment were also on scene as well as about 20 riot police Light Strike Force personnel.

They were were not deployed, however, as the march had not even began when Arutchelvam was arrested.

Neither were there any roadblocks seen, though about 30 cops were observed to have been waiting at the nearby Medan Tuan Monorail Station, one stop down the line.

PSM treasurer A Sivarajan was also arrested at the same time with Arutchelvan, but the party official was not taken away in the same squad car but was placed in the back of a police Black Maria prisoner transport truck.

Twenty-one people were eventually arrested in the police dragnet.

Statements recorded

Bernama, meanwhile reported Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman as saying those detained were held under Section 27 of the Police Act for participating in the gathering.

“They will be detained for a while to have their statements recorded,” he told reporters.

Having witnessed Arutchelvan and Sivarajan’s arrests, groups of protesters left Chow Kit in twos and threes and re-assembled at the nearby Maju Junction shopping complex.

Made up of activists from PSM and other organisations such as grassroots workers network Jerit and student activist group Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), they organised a sit-in protest at the new Suhakam headquarters on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman near Maju Junction.

There, at least two other PSM activists were arrested after a short altercation with police when the latter confiscated the activists’ pamplets containing a declaration for May Day.

The small demonstration filled the driveway in front of the Maju Junction-Tabung Haji office, where they chanted “Hidup Rakyat!” (Long live the people!), “Harga barang naik! Gaji bila lagi?!” (Goods prices have gone up! When will wage follow suit?) and sang workers’ songs.

About 100 police were on hand to observe but did not move in.

They blamed the police for obstructing their peaceful march and demanded the release of their arrested compatriots.

Under the watchful eye of the police, a group of students wearing black headbands with the words “May Day Parade” printed on it, unfurled several banners.

One of the banners read “Pergi Mampus Dengan Kapitalis” (‘To Hell with the Capitalists!), while others protested free trade agreements and the conditions of workers.

Met by reporters at the sit-in, Suaram coordinator E Nalini said she believed that the May Day march, despite what happened, was a major success as they still managed to get their message across to the rakyat.

‘Release them, or charge them’

Asked about police insistence that they did not have a permit to organise the march, Nalini said the right to assemble peaceably is constitutionally guaranteed.

By 12.50pm, the areas around Maju Junction and the Chow Kit monorail station were empty of protestors, many of whom were picked up by three chartered buses to transport them to their respective homes.

By that time, some had already headed to the Dang Wangi police station near Stadium Negara where 19 of their arrrested compatriots were behing held- including three reported minors and a student.

When met at the police station, Bar Council’s human rights committee deputy chair lawyer Roger Chan said those arrested were not told the reasons for their arrest.

“They (police) should either release or charge them. In these circumstances, I think they should be released,” said Chan.

One activist was arrested outside Dang Wangi police station after he unfurled a May Day banner.

As of 4.48pm, none of the 21 arrested have been released.

In a statement on the developments, human rights group Suaram slammed the violation of “the rights of the people to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”

“Suaram strongly condemns the police for their continued attacks on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, fundamental irghts guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia; and the misuse of police powers to arrest citizens who are merely exercising these constitutional rights.”