PAS man climbs tree for democracy
Athi VeerangganPublished: May 15, 2009 7:53 PM | Updated: May 16, 2009 6:00 AM
Malaysia has seen a ‘tree assembly’. There too is a ‘tree of democracy’. Now, we have a climb-the-tree for democracy.
Malaysia has seen a ‘tree assembly’. There too is a ‘tree of democracy’. Now, we have a climb-the-tree for democracy.
While some Malaysians are airing their views on the Perak crisis in cyberspace, a PAS leader has adopted a ‘stone-age’ method to express his opinion on the issue.
PAS Penang leader, Mohd Ariff Ibrahim, today climbed a tree near the Esplanade in Georgetown at 5pm today and vowed to stay on it for eight hours to protest what he called “the rape of democracy by Barisan Nasional”.
He seeks an immediate dissolution of Perak state assembly and fresh state elections be called.
The 37-year-old PAS Tanjung division information bureau deputy chief is staying on the tree - located just outside the Penang legislative assembly - as a way to tell residents that “if BN can tear apart all democratic norms in Perak, it can do it too in the island-state”.
“What BN did in Perak was a rape of democracy that we all cherish. It was blatant disrespect to doctrine of separation of powers,” he shouted from the tree.
“I am here atop a tree as a Malaysian and a Penangite,” he told Malaysiakini. He urged the Perak sultan to listen to his subjects and not those in Putrajaya.
As part of his eight-hour protest, Mohd Ariff displayed placards carrying slogans such as “Bubar DUN Perak Untuk Rakyat” (Dissolve the Perak Assembly for the People); “Law of the Jungle” and “Love Democracy.”
His up-the-tree protest caught the attention of some curious passer-bys and motorists.
Many stopped to read the placards and gave the thumbs-up to Mohd Ariff, who returned the gesture likewise, while several motorists honked as a show of support for his cause.
After midnight, after almost eight hours on the tree, Mohd Ariff returned to the ground.
He said he had developed a backache from the long ordeal but felt his effort was well worth the discomfort.
Najib’s offer to meet Pakatan ‘doomed’
Last Thursday, the PAS Tanjung division community and welfare bureau handed a memorandum to the Penang division of the National Security Council (NSC) protesting against BN’s “usurpation” of power in Perak.
Party bureau chief Rashidi Salim (left) today rebuked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for being a hypocrite in his offer for talks with Pakatan to resolve the political deadlock in the silver state.
He said Najib’s suggestion was doomed due to his lack of sincerity.
“Najib engineered the coup in Perak. He caused the current constitutional crisis. Now he is pretending to offer an olive branch as a way out of the impasse. He is trying to conceal his own wrongdoing.”
While some Malaysians are airing their views on the Perak crisis in cyberspace, a PAS leader has adopted a ‘stone-age’ method to express his opinion on the issue.
PAS Penang leader, Mohd Ariff Ibrahim, today climbed a tree near the Esplanade in Georgetown at 5pm today and vowed to stay on it for eight hours to protest what he called “the rape of democracy by Barisan Nasional”.He seeks an immediate dissolution of Perak state assembly and fresh state elections be called.
The 37-year-old PAS Tanjung division information bureau deputy chief is staying on the tree - located just outside the Penang legislative assembly - as a way to tell residents that “if BN can tear apart all democratic norms in Perak, it can do it too in the island-state”.
“What BN did in Perak was a rape of democracy that we all cherish. It was blatant disrespect to doctrine of separation of powers,” he shouted from the tree.
“I am here atop a tree as a Malaysian and a Penangite,” he told Malaysiakini. He urged the Perak sultan to listen to his subjects and not those in Putrajaya.As part of his eight-hour protest, Mohd Ariff displayed placards carrying slogans such as “Bubar DUN Perak Untuk Rakyat” (Dissolve the Perak Assembly for the People); “Law of the Jungle” and “Love Democracy.”
His up-the-tree protest caught the attention of some curious passer-bys and motorists.
Many stopped to read the placards and gave the thumbs-up to Mohd Ariff, who returned the gesture likewise, while several motorists honked as a show of support for his cause.
After midnight, after almost eight hours on the tree, Mohd Ariff returned to the ground.
He said he had developed a backache from the long ordeal but felt his effort was well worth the discomfort.
Najib’s offer to meet Pakatan ‘doomed’
Last Thursday, the PAS Tanjung division community and welfare bureau handed a memorandum to the Penang division of the National Security Council (NSC) protesting against BN’s “usurpation” of power in Perak.
Party bureau chief Rashidi Salim (left) today rebuked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for being a hypocrite in his offer for talks with Pakatan to resolve the political deadlock in the silver state.He said Najib’s suggestion was doomed due to his lack of sincerity.
“Najib engineered the coup in Perak. He caused the current constitutional crisis. Now he is pretending to offer an olive branch as a way out of the impasse. He is trying to conceal his own wrongdoing.”
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