PRESS STATEMENT: 19 APRIL 2012

END ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND GANGSTERISM IMMEDIATELY!

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is gravely concern with the gangster-like violent actions taken by a group of youngsters who rudely broke up and attacked the students occupying Dataran Merdeka in the wee hours this morning.  We were informed that several individuals were beaten up and one has been rushed to hospital.

SUARAM condemns the continuous intimidation, attacks and harassment by the non-state actors and this is not the first incident where a group of people who act like gangsters to attack human rights defenders and the opposition.

Similar incident has occurred at several occasions; on 21 January 2012 a ceramah co-organised by the Anything But UMNO (ABU) movement and Hindraf at Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam was rudely broken up when the chairperson began the programme. One of the participants, Khrisnan, aged 33 years old, was beaten up by 15 youths and has been hospitalised at Sentosa Medical Centre.

On 26 February, at Speakers' Corner, George Town, Penang, a group of thugs identified to be UMNO Youth and Perkasa members attacked the anti-Lynas protesters and thus injuring two reporters. Most shockingly, the police personnel looked on and did not do anything. Later, the Chief Police Officer (CPO) of Pulau Pinang Ayub Yaakob blamed it on the organisers for not informing the police about their event.

At Felda Lepar Hilir 1, Gambang, Pahang, YB Nurul Izzah Anwar, PKR MP for Lembah Pantai, was assaulted by Asrullah Affendi Abdullah, an assistant of UMNO Lepar state assemblyperson Mohd Shohaimi Jusoh. Forums by student activists and the Anything But UMNO (ABU) Movement also experienced similar attacks in Klang and until now no one has been charged in court.

This is a stark reminder of the dirty and violent tactics used at an Asia Pacific Coalition for East Timor II (Apcet II) conference held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in November 1996 when a group of thugs stormed the meeting venue and broke down the doors of the conference halls, threw chairs and verbally and physically abused the participants.

Such gangsterism acts must be stopped.  It is the duty and responsibility of the police to protect citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble and speak.

SUARAM demands that the IGP conducts an investigation immediately on acts of violence and arrest the offenders who have committed such crimes. SUARAM is appalled by the arrests and the on-going crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

We also call upon the government to put a stop to such acts of violence, which runs contrary to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution that allows for freedom of speech, assembly and association.

What is wrong in getting free education?  Does the Rakyat not have the right to it?  Trillion have been stolen from this country and placed all over the world into private accounts.  The person who encouraged and taught the UMNO cronies to do so was Mahathir Kutty, the mamak man who had misused his position as Prime Minister during his era.

Today everyone especially the Malays are corrupted from top to bottom without shame.

To the Malays it is their right to steal, lie and bully others who are less fortunate and without cables.

Today the Malays are divided into three groups.  The ones who steal proudly, the ones who watches helplessly and the ones who does not bother.  These are the kinds of Malay who deserve to be backwards and bully by the UMNO talibans.  Today Malays do not think far.  They like to be instructed what to do and as long as they can lepak, watch TV, have their favourite nasi lemak, can change car every Raya and spend their time in mamak restaurant, that is life for them.  It does not matter that the transport system is not working, potholes everywhere, half past six education system, cost of food rising, living condition in despair, UMNO cronies are taking away the wealth and selling off the assets from this country etc.  The Malay lame excuse 'It is fated."

I am proud of the students who are presently protesting at Dataran Merdeka and standing by their aim that the PTPTN Loans should be written off and that Education should be free.

The thugs who attack the students at Dataran Merdeka are ALL MALAY.  Why are the Malays going around attacking and what do they get out of this?  The answer is MONEY.  Najib and Mahathir support the actions of the thugs but the men who planned the attacks are Mydin, Adnan, Johari and Nong Chik.  

Since the beginning of the students protest at Dataran Merdeka, special branch  have been watching them and reporting to Bukit Aman on a daily basis.  So the attack was not a surprise one.  PDRM, DBKL, Rela, UMNO cabinet, Perkasa, Pekida and UMNO Youth were in it.  MCA already warn their members not to be at Dataran Merdeka this week as something bad was going to happen.  So how did MCA happen to know?

Higher Education Minister Khaled is very arrogant to say that the students deserve to be attacked.  Khaled must ask himself 'who paid for his legal and bastard children education'?  As a millionaire surely he can afford to from his own pocket.  

Rafidah Aziz was a millionaire when she insisted on scholarship for her daughter from JPA.

I have many Malay friends who are millionaire and billionaire yet their children take money from the government to study overseas and FAILED not once but twice and thrice.  

Further more we have the recent glaring Tajuddin MAS and Shahrizat Cow case where millions are written off by the grace of Najis, Kutty and Daim.

So if trillion are stolen by UMNO cronies is okay what is wrong if billions are spend on students who are the future developers of this country.

Can someone explain this?