Bersih3 : A monyet's observations and intepretations
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Those of you who have been following my blog would probably know that I am an avid reader. Everyday I read all the main English newspapers and portals (The Malaysian Insider, Malaysiakini, Nutgraph, The Star, NST, The Sun, MalayMail). I also read BBC and CNN. I read Utusan Malaysia but not regularly, perhaps once a week. Everyday, I also read about 20 different so-po blogs – roughly half of which are pro-BN, the other half pro-Pakatan. Plus miscellaneous websites, blogs, etc – time permitting. I also follow a number of pro-Pakatan and pro-BN folks on twitter. [These are, of course, on top of the technical stuff that I have to read for my office work].
2. There was carnival atmosphere at many places, Malaysians holding hands, singing and mingling. Some brought their individual banners, some had their drums, some came in fancy costumes and many had smiles on their faces. Most participants came to make their point and they did just that. [I like. This is how rallies should be. I might even join the next rally if….].
3. There were dickheads who brought children to the rally.
11. Most of the blogs have chosen to highlight photos, videos and stories from their side only. All the pro-BN folks on blogs, FB and twitter show only the videos and pictures of the rampaging thugs attacking the police cars. All the pro-Pakatan folks on blogs, FB and twitter show only videos, photos and stories of the innocent faces of the protestors and the police whacking them.
13. If Pakatan was hoping to win votes through their rhetoric yesterday, they are going to be disappointed. Most people who marched yesterday are already pro-Pakatan folks – so no new votes there. The pro-BN folks would have hardened their stand in response. And as for the middle ground, especially in the rural areas, the images of protestors attacking the police are going to severely harm Pakatan's prospects.
15. Bersih3.0 had given an opportunity and courage for many Malaysians to march, rally, protest and speak up. Many of the marches were genuinely passionate about the cause. Many of them were also my friends. If the government can overcome their fear of rallies and the organizers can discipline their participants better, there is no reasons why we can't have a lot more peaceful rallies.
Read More @ Source
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More » Barisan Nasional (BN) | Pakatan Rakyat (PR) | Sociopolitics Plus | 大马社会政治
Those of you who have been following my blog would probably know that I am an avid reader. Everyday I read all the main English newspapers and portals (The Malaysian Insider, Malaysiakini, Nutgraph, The Star, NST, The Sun, MalayMail). I also read BBC and CNN. I read Utusan Malaysia but not regularly, perhaps once a week. Everyday, I also read about 20 different so-po blogs – roughly half of which are pro-BN, the other half pro-Pakatan. Plus miscellaneous websites, blogs, etc – time permitting. I also follow a number of pro-Pakatan and pro-BN folks on twitter. [These are, of course, on top of the technical stuff that I have to read for my office work]. Reading a diversity of material and speaking to a variety of people is actually quite interesting. Most importantly, it gives you multiple takes on a single subject. Different people say different things about a subject. Take the Bersih3 rally yesterday. Depending who you speak to or what you read, you will get very different stories. If you speak to a hardcore BN supporter, he/she will blame Pakatan blame for everything that went wrong. If you spoke to a hardcore Pakatan supporter, the BN government is to blame for everything that went wrong.
2. There was carnival atmosphere at many places, Malaysians holding hands, singing and mingling. Some brought their individual banners, some had their drums, some came in fancy costumes and many had smiles on their faces. Most participants came to make their point and they did just that. [I like. This is how rallies should be. I might even join the next rally if….].
3. There were dickheads who brought children to the rally.
8. Anwar and Azmin should shut the f*&k up. They have caused too much problems already.
10. Malaysians are extremely guillible and take everything at face value if the messenger is someone on their side. There were many doctored photos circulating – and people, who otherwise are quite intelligent, were busy circulating photos online without checking their authenticity. This applies to both pro-Bersih and anti-Bersih online crowd.
11. Most of the blogs have chosen to highlight photos, videos and stories from their side only. All the pro-BN folks on blogs, FB and twitter show only the videos and pictures of the rampaging thugs attacking the police cars. All the pro-Pakatan folks on blogs, FB and twitter show only videos, photos and stories of the innocent faces of the protestors and the police whacking them.
12. Bersih3.0 succeeded in rallying together the converted (i.e. Pakatan supporters or rather anti-BN folks). It also perhaps helped Pakatan's aim to embarrass the BN government. Whether it is going to hasten or help electoral reform remains to be seen. The violence that ensued later part of the evening is not going to help Bersih's cause.
13. If Pakatan was hoping to win votes through their rhetoric yesterday, they are going to be disappointed. Most people who marched yesterday are already pro-Pakatan folks – so no new votes there. The pro-BN folks would have hardened their stand in response. And as for the middle ground, especially in the rural areas, the images of protestors attacking the police are going to severely harm Pakatan's prospects.
15. Bersih3.0 had given an opportunity and courage for many Malaysians to march, rally, protest and speak up. Many of the marches were genuinely passionate about the cause. Many of them were also my friends. If the government can overcome their fear of rallies and the organizers can discipline their participants better, there is no reasons why we can't have a lot more peaceful rallies.
Monyet King also says
Malaysians are getting more matured politically. Those in the urban areas understand their rights better and are not afraid of speaking up or joining protests. Rallies will become increasingly common in the years to come. I hope all parties will learn from yesterday's events and plan and prepare accordingly. DBKL, in particular, should seriously start planning, how to handle future rallies. I have already written about this earlier (read here) – we should facilitate rallies. NGOs like Bersih and others should also seriously consider building their skills on how to handle, communicate with and control large crowds. It would be irresponsible if you can only attract large crowds without being able to control them. So start planning and learning. Most importantly, civil society should not allow politicians to hijack their events.
Most of you folks who follow my blog generally read the English language media. I suggest that you, from time to time, also read what other language media are saying. Several million Malaysians follow the Bahasa Malaysia newpapers and newsportals. Their views could be very different from yours. Similarly for the Chinese media. I admit that what I read is not very representative of newspapers in the country. Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese language have large circulations. In fact, Metro Ahad has the largest paid circulation (over 400,000 copies).
Read More @ Source
BERSIH 3.0: Gabungan Pilihanraya Bersih & Adil
More » Barisan Nasional (BN) | Pakatan Rakyat (PR) | Sociopolitics Plus | 大马社会政治
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