Najib's London speech drowned by chants of Bersih...

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s speech to overseas Malaysians at a get-together in London last night was interrupted by repeated chants of “Bersih! Bersih!” from the floor.

The chanting started when Najib took to the stage, and it continued when he began his speech.

According to a footage here and here uploaded on Internet, after some 25 seconds into his speech, Najib was clearly annoyed by the chanting; he raised his right hand and told the protesters to stop it.

“Can you please stop it? Can you stop it, please?” he said, to some inaudible reply from the floor.

“I know, I know, but can you stop it? You can meet with me later, okay? Please, can you stop it?” Najib tried to defuse the anger.

“I want to vote...Why you don’t allow me to vote...,” a participant shouted as the chanting continued.

“No, no, no, okay... alright, alright, you... no, no, you wait for me,” Najib responded.

“You have to respect... (inaudible),” the man replied.

Fortunately the chanting died down soon after that and Najib was able to continue his speech.

The event dubbed ‘An Evening with the Prime Minister’ was organised by the Malaysian High Commission at the prestigious 02 Arena in the UK capital, which can accommodate about 2,000 people.

According to Malaysia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Zakaria Sulong, the event was to enable Malaysians in London to interact in an informal manner with the prime minister.

The O2 Arena is well-known for the staging of pop concerts and prestigious events.

The building which features most uniquely on the European city’s skyline is one among the many venues chosen for the 2012 London Olympics. It was also on the itinerary for the late pop legend Michael Jackson’s final tour which never happened.

The PM’s gathering raises the question whether the lavish event was funded by public funds.- malaysiakini

Najib disambut laungan 'BERSIH' di London...

Kehadiran Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak di satu pertemuan bersama warga Malaysia di London semalam disambut dengan laungan slogan BERSIH oleh sebahagian hadirin.

Sorakan slogan itu menyebabkan Najib hilang tumpuan untuk meneruskan ucapannya dan terpaksa merayu supaya sorakan itu dihentikan.

"Bolehkah anda tolong berhenti? Boleh tolong berhenti," rayu Najib seperti dirakamkan dalam satu video yang dimuatnaik di laman Youtube di sini dan sini.

Rayuan Najib itu disambut oleh seorang hadirin yang bertanya mengenai hak mereka untuk mengundi.

"Kami mahu mengundi. Kenapa anda tak bagi kami mengundi?" tanya individu itu dalam majlis yang diadakan di satu dewan pelbagai guna, indigO2 di kota itu.

Najib kemudian cuba menenangkan kumpulan tersebut agar beliau boleh meneruskan ucapannya.

"Anda boleh jumpa saya kemudian ok...bolehkah anda tolong hentikannya?" kata Najib.

Sorakan tersebut kemudiannya surut dan Najib meneruskan ucapannya seperti biasa.- malaysiakini

 'Senaman punggung' depan kediaman Ambiga...

Sekumpulan bekas tentera pagi ini mengadakan satu senaman aneh di depan kediaman pengerusi bersama BERSIH, Datuk S Ambiga di Bukit Damansara.

Kumpulan 15 orang daripada Persatuan Veteran Tentera Melayu (PVTM) itu melakukan gimik demonstrasi yang dinamakan mereka sebagai "senaman punggung" – dengan membongkok dan menggoyang-goyangkan punggung mereka ke arah kediaman Ambiga.
Kumpulan berkenaan diketuai presiden PVTM, Mohd Ali Baharom yang berkata mereka berhak mengadakan demonstrasi tersebut sebagai bantahan terhadap Ambiga.

Mohd Ali berkata, bantahan itu dibuat terhadap Ambiga yang disifatkannya sebagai "musuh negara yang cuba merosakkan nama negara" melalui perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0, 28 April lalu.

Katanya, senaman itu juga sebagai bantahan ke atas Ambiga yang dikaitkannya dengan gerakan seks bebas.

"Kami beri amaran keras kepada Ambiga supaya segera minta maaf kepada rakyat Malaysia berkenaan BERSIH dan seks bebas," katanya ebelum sesi senaman itu bermula pada jam 8.30 pagi.

'Orang Islam, minum air suam'

Kumpulan itu kemudiannya disambut oleh Ambiga yang muncul di pintu pagar rumah tersebut dan menjemput mereka menjamah satu hidangan minuman ringan, apabila gimik tersebut berakhir kira-kira 15 minit kemudian.

Mohd Ali bagaimanapun menolak jemputan Ambiga dan menyerahkan salah satu sepanduk yang dibawa mereka kepada Ambiga.

"Kami orang Melayu orang Islam, kami minum air suam.

"Saya mahu hadiah (kad manila) sama awak, awak serah pada Anwar. Saya beri amaran supaya awak jangan buat lagi masalah kepada negara.

"Kami akan bertindak jika kamu merosakkan nama negara," kata Mohd Ali, yang juga dikenali dengan gelaran 'Ali Tinju', ketika berdepan dengan peguam itu.

Terdahulu, kumpulan tersebut berarak sejauh kira-kira 20 meter ke arah pintu pagar rumah Ambiga dan membawa sepanduk dengan slogan 'Tolak Ambiga Anwar perusuh haram BERSIH 3.0' dan 'Tolak Ambiga Anwar gila kuasa'.

Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas kumpulan itu beredar, Ambiga berkata beliau sering menerima gangguan seperti itu selepas demonstrasi oleh sekumpulan peniaga burger di hadapan kediamannya pada 10 Mei lalu.

Menurutnya, beberapa individu dengan sinis singgah di hadapan rumah beliau dan meminta burger percuma daripadanya.

Gangguan, bukan himpunan aman

Katanya lagi, beliau turut kesal dengan kenyataan Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar yang menyatakan bahawa tindakan peniaga burger itu dibenarkan selagi tidak mengganggu ketenteraman awam.

"Kenyataan itu tidak bertanggungjawab. Ia membuka ruang kepada sesiapa sahaja untuk berhimpun di luar rumah sesiapa sahaja," katanya.

Katanya lagi, gimik demonstrasi oleh PVTM pagi ini juga merupakan satu bentuk gangguan dan bukan himpunan aman.

Acara senaman PVTM pagi ini merupakan demonstrasi kedua yang diadakan di hadapan rumah pengerusi bersama BERSIH itu dalam masa sebulan, selepas demonstrasi oleh peniaga burger anjuran Pertubuhan Ikatan Usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana Malaysia pada 10 Mei.

PVTM juga sebelum ini hadir bersama NGO Suara Anak Muda 1Malaysia dan Kelab Mahasiswa 1Malaysia turut membuat laporan polis di balai IPD Dang Wangi untuk menuntut kerajaan mengambil tindakan terhadap Ambiga dan ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana mengetuai himpunan BERSIH.- malaysiakini

Ex-army vets do 'butt exercises' at Ambiga's house...

A group of retired armed forces personnel held ‘butt exercises’ in front of the residence of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan in Bukit Damansara early this morning.

The participants, who claimed to be members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVTM), said the event was held to protest against Ambiga for being an “enemy of the nation who had smeared the country’s name”.

On May 10, a ‘burger protest’ was also held in front of Ambiga’s house by a group of traders who claimed to have suffered losses due to last month’s Bersih 3.0 rally.

Today’s ‘butt exercises’, which took place at 8.30am, is the second demonstration to be held in front of the Bersih co-chairperson’s house in a month.

“We armed forces veterans have the right to protest against an ‘enemy’ who tried to smear the nation’s name,” said group president Mohd Ali Baharom.

“We are giving a stern warning to Ambiga to immediately apologise to the Malaysian people regarding Bersih and free sex,” said Mohd Ali before the exercise session began.

The group then marched a short distance of about 20m towards the front gate of the house, which had already been opened as if awaiting their coming.

As soon as they arrived at the house perimeter, they performed a short series of exercises consisting of bending down and shaking their buttocks in the direction of the gate.

They also held up banners with the words ‘Reject Ambiga Anwar illegal rioters of Bersih 3.0' and ‘Reject Power-Crazy Ambiga Anwar’.

The exercise session was led by a former Warrant Officer 1 identified only as ‘Ayah Arka’.

The group then had a ‘shock’ as Ambiga herself emerged from her house and invited them to have canned drinks which she provided.

Mohd Ali refused the invitation, and subsequently handed over one of the banners they had brought to Ambiga.

“We are Malay Muslims, we drink lukewarm water. I want to give you (this manilla card), you can give it to Anwar. I want to warn you not to cause problems to the nation again.

“We will act if your smear the country’s name,” said Mohd Ali, who is also known as ‘ Ali Tinju’ (Boxing Ali).

Commenting on the incident, Ambiga said she had often been disturbed at her house following the ‘burger protest’ incident on May 10.

According to her, there had been several persons who came to her house, asking for free burgers.

She also expressed regret at deputy inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar’s statement that burger sellers were free to do business in front of her house.

“This is an irresponsible statement. It gives room for anyone to hold a gathering in front of anybody else’s house,” she said.

She also said this morning’s exercise session as a disturbance and not a peaceful gathering.
 
On May 1, PVTM, with two other NGOs - Suara Anak Muda 1Malaysia and Kelab Mahasiswa 1Malaysia - made a police report at the Dang Wangi police station urging the government to take action on Ambiga and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly instigating the Bersih 3.0 rally.- malaysiakini

Comments...

Caripasal: This is indeed a great news. The deputy chief of police has just given permission to all Malaysians to sell nasi lemak outside his house, the PM's and all the ministers' mansions, as long as we stay in the ‘public space'.Perhaps we should also add 'lion dance' and 'silat' shows. After all, no request is needed to hold such protests as we are not invading their privacy.

Gunner: Let's us set up a ‘warung' (foodstall) in front of prime minister's house. But expect that within minutes, police would be there to arrest us.

Chedet: Altantuya Shaariibuu staged a one-woman protest in front of Abdul Razak Baginda's house but was taken away and made into burger meat. Now I see the burger connection.

James1067: So Khalid said opening a burger stall outside a VIP's house is not an offence. If one party can do it, so can others as long as they are not disrupting the people. It's time to open a burger stall outside his house and also all the VIPs' houses.

Are you saying that the people have no right to speak or hold a rally when something is wrong? Who are you protecting? The taxpayer or the politician? People have a right to clean and transparent elections. This is their basic right.

1M: You can now sell hamburgers, deliver coffins or even conduct funeral rites outside anybody's house - that's okay with our deputy IGP.
cheers.