Keadilans second gathering a washout
Zakiah KoyaPublished: Jan 22, 2001 8:01 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
What was to be another '100,000 People's Gathering' at Kampung Medan, Teluk Panglima Garang, last Saturday turned out to be a non-event, partly due to banned political speeches, cultural performers turned away by police and a final dousing by God.
The police informed the organisers at the last minute to cancel all cultural performances as they would require a permit. Organiser Saari Sungib said they were told that they would need a special permit for such performances.
The kompang group and the lion dance troupe were sent away at the entrance but the Indian traditional drummers managed to sneak in and performed for five minutes before being stopped by the police.
The police told malaysiakini that the drums might "rouse" the crowd. Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, when asked later, retorted, "I did not know drums could rouse people!"
Thus, a non-event it turned out to be. If at all there was a story to tell, it would have been about the mega traffic crawl all the way from Federal Highway, to the Damansara-Puchong highway, the Kesas highway and right up to the venue in Teluk Panglima Garang.
Water cannon
Traffic police diverted motorists into kampung roads. As the map provided by the organisers indicated the main roads - and many were outsider to this very rural area - it was easy to get lost for hours, driving in vicious circles and missing all the designated landmarks. Some even went home.
What was to be another '100,000 People's Gathering' at Kampung Medan, Teluk Panglima Garang, last Saturday turned out to be a non-event, partly due to banned political speeches, cultural performers turned away by police and a final dousing by God.
The police informed the organisers at the last minute to cancel all cultural performances as they would require a permit. Organiser Saari Sungib said they were told that they would need a special permit for such performances.
The kompang group and the lion dance troupe were sent away at the entrance but the Indian traditional drummers managed to sneak in and performed for five minutes before being stopped by the police.
The police told malaysiakini that the drums might "rouse" the crowd. Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, when asked later, retorted, "I did not know drums could rouse people!"
Thus, a non-event it turned out to be. If at all there was a story to tell, it would have been about the mega traffic crawl all the way from Federal Highway, to the Damansara-Puchong highway, the Kesas highway and right up to the venue in Teluk Panglima Garang.
Water cannon
Traffic police diverted motorists into kampung roads. As the map provided by the organisers indicated the main roads - and many were outsider to this very rural area - it was easy to get lost for hours, driving in vicious circles and missing all the designated landmarks. Some even went home.
For those who managed to get through the traffic crawl, it took at least two hours. At 6pm, even when the whole gathering was unofficially over, people were still arriving.
If not for the fact there were so many police officers, police trucks, FRU trucks and at one time a water cannon, it was truly like an open house atmosphere.
With people walking in and out of the piece of land - courtesy of 76-year-old Mak Timah - it was difficult to estimate the number of the crowd. At any one given time, there were an estimated 6,000 people present. It could well be many times the number but as everybody was walking in and out of the area as there was nothing else to do but walk around - it was difficult to tell.
The only sign that this was a Barisan Alternatif gathering was the occasional shouts of reformasi from those who just could not help it. Kesas highway on Nov 5 must have seemed so long ago.
Kampung help
The police presence was nevertheless very much felt. Ten kilometers away from the venue, the police blocked the road completely.
Parti Rakyat Malaysia president asked the traffic policeman to let him through. The traffic policeman did as asked and moved the traffic cones from the road. Syed Husin said, "See, do not follow blindly without questioning."
On reaching the venue, people were walking along the road, having left their cars kilometers away. One man told us that there were cars parked about 10 kilometers away and people were walking to the venue.
On the other side of the road, a group of policemen was busy deciding whether to tow away cars parked alongside the roads.
Despite a banner put up at the kampung stating "Do not disturb the peace and harmony of our kampung", some of the kampung people were busy showing motorists a muddy short cut to the actual venue.
At the venue, tents were put up, and under one tent, all BA leaders were seated. The situation was tense with a crowd of a few hundred in front of the tent while thousands strolled endlessly on the piece of open ground, which is about the size of two football fields.
'No reformasi'
About 50 FRU men were standing among the crowd. As DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang began his speech, the police moved in.
The organisers went into intense discussion with police officers, trying to convince them that Lim was just giving an innocent Hari Raya speech.
Syed Husin then arrived with BA supporters welcoming him with shouts of "reformasi".
Apparently, someone took the microphone from Lim and said, "Tolong jangan laung reformasi! Tak ada reformasi ! (Please do not shout reformasi. There is no reformasi!)"
The police then were convinced and the FRU moved out of the jeering crowd.
The leaders then gave speech after speech. It was from then on truly a Raya gathering with a permit.
The leaders tried to get people to listen to their speeches. It was obvious that people were getting bored. As there was no such thing as a politician giving merely Hari Raya speeches, their speeches were laced with political messages.
Massive debt
After a tirade of festival goodwill wishes for Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and Ponggal, Wan Azizah then revealed that Kedah BN government has accumulated RM1.2 billion debt.
She said, "I am not talking politics. I am talking about management. I am talking about morality." She obviously said this for fear the police would interpret the remarks as a political speech.
She also spoke of the "ridiculous projects" run by the Kedah government which is "out of ideas".
"They have a safari, beauty contests for cows, planting padi on the roofs, how to woo your wife," said Azizah.
"It is so much fun to get a permit. It is so much fun to be able to give a speech," she added, much to the amusement of the crowd.
It was about 5pm that the speeches were over and people either stood staring at others or started to walk in and out of the piece of land. The police trucks were definitely a conversation piece.
Then it started pouring and everybody rushed for cover under the tents. Those who were under the tent of the leaders posed with Azizah and her daughter for photographs. Half an hour later, the rain turned into a drizzle. A group calling themselves "Mahasiswa independent" led the crowd of a few hundred in singing "Suara Rakyat", a reformasi song.
As the rain had put a damper on things and there was slush everywhere, people started going home.
The party was over by 6pm, one hour earlier than the time given by the police.
Sad politics
Despite that this was supposed to be a Raya gathering, the people's spirits were high and many were heard mumbling that they should just go ahead and make this a political gathering.
One Keadilan member, who declined to be named, said, "Why are we trying to fool ourselves? We know why all of us are here. It is a political gathering and if the police do not want it to be, then we should not hide under the pretext of holding a Raya gathering."
Another BA sympathiser, Amini Shafiqq said, "The reason why we are here is the sad politics of this nation. This has turned into one big boring party."
ZAKIAH KOYA is a malaysiakini journalist.
The police informed the organisers at the last minute to cancel all cultural performances as they would require a permit. Organiser Saari Sungib said they were told that they would need a special permit for such performances.
The kompang group and the lion dance troupe were sent away at the entrance but the Indian traditional drummers managed to sneak in and performed for five minutes before being stopped by the police.
The police told malaysiakini that the drums might "rouse" the crowd. Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, when asked later, retorted, "I did not know drums could rouse people!"
Thus, a non-event it turned out to be. If at all there was a story to tell, it would have been about the mega traffic crawl all the way from Federal Highway, to the Damansara-Puchong highway, the Kesas highway and right up to the venue in Teluk Panglima Garang.
Water cannon
Traffic police diverted motorists into kampung roads. As the map provided by the organisers indicated the main roads - and many were outsider to this very rural area - it was easy to get lost for hours, driving in vicious circles and missing all the designated landmarks. Some even went home.
For those who managed to get through the traffic crawl, it took at least two hours. At 6pm, even when the whole gathering was unofficially over, people were still arriving.
If not for the fact there were so many police officers, police trucks, FRU trucks and at one time a water cannon, it was truly like an open house atmosphere.
With people walking in and out of the piece of land - courtesy of 76-year-old Mak Timah - it was difficult to estimate the number of the crowd. At any one given time, there were an estimated 6,000 people present. It could well be many times the number but as everybody was walking in and out of the area as there was nothing else to do but walk around - it was difficult to tell.
The only sign that this was a Barisan Alternatif gathering was the occasional shouts of reformasi from those who just could not help it. Kesas highway on Nov 5 must have seemed so long ago.
Kampung help
The police presence was nevertheless very much felt. Ten kilometers away from the venue, the police blocked the road completely.
Parti Rakyat Malaysia president asked the traffic policeman to let him through. The traffic policeman did as asked and moved the traffic cones from the road. Syed Husin said, "See, do not follow blindly without questioning."
On reaching the venue, people were walking along the road, having left their cars kilometers away. One man told us that there were cars parked about 10 kilometers away and people were walking to the venue.
On the other side of the road, a group of policemen was busy deciding whether to tow away cars parked alongside the roads.
At the venue, tents were put up, and under one tent, all BA leaders were seated. The situation was tense with a crowd of a few hundred in front of the tent while thousands strolled endlessly on the piece of open ground, which is about the size of two football fields.
'No reformasi'
About 50 FRU men were standing among the crowd. As DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang began his speech, the police moved in.
The organisers went into intense discussion with police officers, trying to convince them that Lim was just giving an innocent Hari Raya speech.
Syed Husin then arrived with BA supporters welcoming him with shouts of "reformasi".
Apparently, someone took the microphone from Lim and said, "Tolong jangan laung reformasi! Tak ada reformasi ! (Please do not shout reformasi. There is no reformasi!)"
The police then were convinced and the FRU moved out of the jeering crowd.
The leaders then gave speech after speech. It was from then on truly a Raya gathering with a permit.
The leaders tried to get people to listen to their speeches. It was obvious that people were getting bored. As there was no such thing as a politician giving merely Hari Raya speeches, their speeches were laced with political messages.
Massive debt
After a tirade of festival goodwill wishes for Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and Ponggal, Wan Azizah then revealed that Kedah BN government has accumulated RM1.2 billion debt.
She said, "I am not talking politics. I am talking about management. I am talking about morality." She obviously said this for fear the police would interpret the remarks as a political speech.
She also spoke of the "ridiculous projects" run by the Kedah government which is "out of ideas".
"They have a safari, beauty contests for cows, planting padi on the roofs, how to woo your wife," said Azizah.
"It is so much fun to get a permit. It is so much fun to be able to give a speech," she added, much to the amusement of the crowd.
It was about 5pm that the speeches were over and people either stood staring at others or started to walk in and out of the piece of land. The police trucks were definitely a conversation piece.
As the rain had put a damper on things and there was slush everywhere, people started going home.
The party was over by 6pm, one hour earlier than the time given by the police.
Sad politics
Despite that this was supposed to be a Raya gathering, the people's spirits were high and many were heard mumbling that they should just go ahead and make this a political gathering.
Another BA sympathiser, Amini Shafiqq said, "The reason why we are here is the sad politics of this nation. This has turned into one big boring party."
ZAKIAH KOYA is a malaysiakini journalist.
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