When Expletives And Profanity Are Necessary

There's are two interesting notions I can draw about from how these ignorant and insensible people making burgers, showing their buttocks and making the bro hahas around Ambiga's residence in Damansara Heights. I don't really want to talk much about what other people have said - what they are doing, why they are doing and so forth, except the whole thing summarizes that these people who claim to be themselves pious, praying to God almost everyday yet they indirectly say it is legitimate and halal to support what is expressively forbidden by God and the things that have been written into stone - e.g commit corruption, supporting or doing evil. Even by saying no to Bersih, it also means that they really want to play dirty or they do not know what is actually behind the whole thing so to speak.

Anyhow, the first part I want to talk about today is about the business. In business, there is such a thing called a firesale, meaning, you make sale at an very well discounted price, just to take advantage of the situation. At Bersih 3.0 recently, there are some traders who knew who to grab the opportunity in that situation. There were many people out there to grab a quick bite or have a quick drink to quench their thirst. Those who did so made a decent amount of money on that day. Those who didn't, well it's their own business and their mistake anyhow.

I once used the comparison of the parking management companies and their parking prices in general as the example case in point of how smart and savvy traders use ways to get people to come again vs those who do not know about it and use only one poor way to recuperate their operations and investment. The missing piece that separates between what makes a good sale vs an unsatisfactory sale (high price but unsatisfactory service) is the elements that form a carrot stick for the people. Taking off other factors into consideration for the price setting (including target audience, target revenue and so forth), I get the opinion view that smart and savvy managed companies will offer a unique pricing way to attract people into coming. How's the idea of RM1 - 2 for the first three hours on weekdays sound? In the view of the consumer, it's worthwhile, assuming that if one stays there for a little more than 3 - say 5 hours for the price of 60% of the actual.

Compare it with RM 4 per hour with no attractive marketing strategy - people will get angry and you lose their services. How does that approach sound like?

The traders who demonstrated at Ambiga are mostly those who don't really know how to finesse themselves in the art of selling things out to attract people. The claim of the Bersih rally losing money is not really concrete. The main reason is that there was never a police advisory board of them to close the business. Instead, it is their folly and their decision with lack of wisdom to close that got them into the mess. They should not instead blame Bersih and their organisers and instead should blame themselves for it.

The notion that I got is following and being mislead by the ringleader by the name of Jamal Younus. It is well known that Jamal is an UMNO member and a known bedfellow of Noh Omar (note: Sekinchan Ikan Bakar is also first based in Tanjung Karang). One thing that caught my attention is his claim of being a nasi lemak seller, whereas it was proven that he was seen several times driving a luxorius car that no commoner would be able to buy given of its price inclusive of its import duty 100% of its original value. Another that caught my attention is that the campaign of getting support for their traders anti-Bersih rally indirectly is profiteering one man alone - him. Maybe you might want to read more about DAP's alleged claim about this fellow here.

Who's more a fool? A fool himself or the fool that follows the fool? The other thing is that those who said no gets mislead by an unfounded claim by a man who is affiliated to UMNO. And you're not a savvy trader who immediately gets duped into believing Bersih is anarchy? Why do you blame people whereas it is their own wrong decision that gets them into the trouble? Were if they are able to sell like some of their own ilk who did that on the event day, they could be making some additional money out of it. Were they aware that the event was attended by everyone of all races for just one cause - eliminating the gerrymandering in elections and instead pursue the goal of level of playing field?

You mean that you people out tell us that playing dirty is fine and legit?

This is why expletives and profanity words at you are necessary to get your brain right: words like -

cibai - niamah chow hai -  so hai - fuck you -  churn choi - sor hai - bodoh - tolol -  kena tipu - malaon

and the list goes down to say that people like you will not make the country mature and progress better.

Amateur Day(s) At Casino UMNO

Before Bersih 3.0, I wrote a posting about Casino UMNO. I also had said that if the people turnover on that very day, April 28 was quite much compared to the first two, then like a Casino, then can make a big bucks or losing out a lot. Having read several accounts in the post-Bersih period, I can imagine how the present government acts now, including damage control measures, arresting people and deflecting accusation at others as a way of recuperating a sudden money blitz in one day.

It's like watching that critical blitz scene from Ocean's Thirteen where at the end of the day $500 million went out of the door, no doubt thanks to the shrewd manipulation of gambling inventory (rigged card shufflers, dice added with polymer material. and some internal sabotage from the people inside The Bank). There are still people out there who are unwilling to take the fact that about 250,000 people alone in Kuala Lumpur have come out to say that the election system is still inefficient and full of discrepancies.

Considering if every of the 250,000 in attendance are high rollers in a casino, then UMNO lost maybe around $750 million or more in one day itself. It can be considered as a "Amateur Day" event. The amount falls between the estimated amount of RM600 - RM1.2 billion of election war chest to be used for the next general election. Amusingly, there are people out there who scream things that point out on "capitulation" to the enemy. Even Najib himself declared that the whole thing was like the Arab Spring, which was never intended by the organizers.

Maybe Najib was misadvised by the intelligence reports of the Duduk Bantah plan or maybe not. However, if we are to put in comparison what is the same thing happening here with Ocean's Thirteen is not about faulty equipment, it's about accidental screwing up by those in charge. Two parties notable for this is the DBKL and of course the police. 

I keep wondering if Ahmad Fuad would have said yes instead, those around him would immediately point fingers at him as insubordination to political demands of the main party lynchpin (read UMNO). Indirectly, it has got people more and more angry and hostile towards the City Council. The other one, which I found it more amusing  and a reason to ridicule at is the IGP cop himself. It was surprising to read that instead of acting base on the situation, it was the "cry to mummy" case.

Here's an excerpt by Raja Petra about the IGP recently in his "The IGP must fall on his sword" piece:

When news broke that Bersih is, yet again, going to organise a rally in April, the IGP went running to the Prime Minister to ask him as to what to do. What the hell is going on? The IGP should be having his fingers on the pulse of the nation. He should be the one advising the Prime Minister as to what to do, not asking the Prime Minister what the police should do.

Yes, on Twitter, the rumors have been of a few police officer's death on that day that got the police being too emotional instead of being professional. The same brutality as in Bersih 2.0 happens again, but approach was different. The second one was considered like a witchhunt. This one was more of a hate yellow thing. That's why there are pictures of cops identified in assaulting people including journalists. More shocking was that IGP privately admitted that he had lost control of the force.

The IGP crawled back to Najib’s office with this tail between his legs and sheepishly told the Prime Minister that he had lost control of the police on that day. 

What happened? What made the police go berserk?

It was because of the rumour, the IGP replied. There was a rumour circulating amongst the police that three police personnel had died, killed by the Bersih protestors. Hence the police were outraged and were out for revenge. They no longer could control the police personnel on the ground.

It's true that the brutality exhibited in the second rally drew a lot of people that many wanted to come out and witness / participate in person for Round 3. It is also likely that if there is a Round 4 of the rally, the number would have been doubled, close to a million - as what Mat Sabu is talking lately on 1 million for Round 4.

 

Picture this in a film, both men might have played a roll of a pitboss. The cops can be considered as the security personnel of a casino. What about Hishamuddin? Where does he fit into that day itself? He was not consistent in his words. Hence his moniker as "Mat Lidah Kontot" called by a few people on him is accurate. One moment said that Bersiih was not a threat to security. Later, what he said seems to imply that it's a threat to security and pushing for Stadium Merdeka. Hold on: if previously Bersih was not given the right to sit at Stadium Merdeka then what the hell this time you said ok for?

If there is another Bersih that happens, first it means, that more people are starting to get awake from slumber, with the amount of the 3rd rally attracts them. Secondly, it's another amateur day to go to Casino UMNO. With the same type of players sabotaging by accident in the casino, it is likely that it will be another 1 -4 billion ringgit out of the door in one amateur day, if 1 million high rollers come in to that day itself. 

Consider that as taking back the money you paid to the government of the day.

A/N: I know I have not been writing anything in the last few weeks but I admit that being in the period of work transition, it means a hard time to pass and adjust to the new environment so it will take more time than writing here, which I am trying to accommodate some time here.

Bersih 3.0: Third Time's A Charm

Some people have asked me during my breakfast and lunch break on that fateful day whether if the Bersih 3.0 rally was the first time I've been there. Many have admitted that it's their first since the second one in 907 gained popularity everywhere. If the first one didn't draw that much, while the second got much attention due to people being accused as villains, then the third one sparked everyone and the numbers swelled. Those who had been into the first two and had foresaw the whole thing were right all along.

Some were surprised when I answered that it's my third time. I got the tendency to believe that third time's a charm. I have also went with some of those "veterans" (those who have participated into this previously). My cousin's group whom many have told me it's the first time being among the swarm of people walking on the streets.

In the previous rally, I've done a live online coverage where a lot of people worldwide were tuning in. But this time I didn't because I thought that there are other channels and media providing the on the ground coverage. Therefore it allowed me to concentrate on doing my walkabout and photography work there.

On the night before I've done some scouting on the possible entry and exit points. Neither seems to be appealing because of the lack of parking space and as I've anticipated, entry into the Royal Selangor Club was off limits to everyone including member even though the court order provides an exception to that. At least with that there's a proper entry plan. There were three ways of entering into the city, but as agreed with other friends, there is need to pick a group and stick with it before the rally began.

Anticipating the possibility of the main LRT stations beginning to close in the later part of the morning, I started off from Masjid Jamek walking along Jalan Tun Perak to see the crowd level. It's still more or less the same as was the night before except that the traffic was cleared off to allow people to gather at that point. Since there's a group of people whom I am to about to meet in Petaling Street, I took the back route heading to Petaling Street, via Central Market.

I could count about one to two policemen barricade through Central Market on the way to Petaling Street. There, there were a lot of people, yellow and green having breakfast while waiting for the time to come down to Jalan Tun Perak. Former PKA chairman Hwa Beng happened to be spotted by the author at Petaling Street as well.
 

Meanwhile, Central Market opened at 10 a.m. At around 11 plus, Ambiga, surrounded by some Unit Amal men had a little conference and meeting with her supporters and fans alike. Central Market was one of the meeting spots and the police doesn't seem to care much until later in the afternoon. Not much for me to move around except to check back with the other group I intended to meet at Coliseum Cafe later on.

The number of people increased a lot during my return walk to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman / Tun Perak intersection, with more people appearing. At lunch with my cousin's group, I enquired whether most of them are first timers. I knew that my cousin was at the Lawyers' march in 2007 (the march in light of the Lingamtape video) so he can be counted as an exception to this. 

By the time lunchtime was over, cops -  about a few hundred of them - started marching from Sogo all the way to the junction. People cheering at them, thinking that they might helping out the crowd later on. At that point of time, the crowd, especially those who came from KLCC started to fill up the streets all the way up to Menara Maybank with the kick off to protest barely 30 minutes away. People around here have started to chant a lot of common phrases you can hear at any ceramahs, like "Reformasi", "Hidup Rakyat", "Hancur UMNO", "Stop Lynas" and a few more.

I knew that by the time the sit-in starts I would not be able to move in and out easily with people sitting on the road. Fortunately, I managed to bump into another group of friends (one of them is ABU's Sam Haris) and we moved out through the small lane back to Lebuh Pasar and Bar Council.

At the intersection of the Jalan Silang / Tun Tan Siew Sin, people from Central Market / Petaling Street have started to converged to the intersection of Jalan Tun H.S Lee / Tun Perak. At this time. The numbers have started to swell at that spot already. However, we were not aware that the protest kicked off earlier than the planned 2.00 pm start point. Back at the Bar Council building, the FRUs have already formed a line.

There has been some instruction to head down to Menara Maybank in Jalan Tun Perak. Some when down there, while some remained before the barricade of barb wires there. Away, we could hear some shots of tear gas being fired at Tun Perak. There was a FRU truck that was siphoning the river water to fill up their water tanks. Minutes before the police dispersing of protesters, the barricade in front was removed. Many thought that they were allowed to move further in but the FRUs have moved several yards back. People there were cautious. And at 3.26 pm, the FRUs have started their crowd dispersal ways. Tear gas grenades and the water cannon started raining onto the weary public.

The crowd at Lebuh Pasar started running helter-skelter. Some ran back towards Masjid Jamek, some retreated to Central Market / Petaling Street. The effects from the tear gas had my tears a little teary, blurred vision and pretty dizzy that I could not concentrate well on walking except keeping in mind to get out of war zone before the cops swarm in like possessed demons and beasts. At that end, I could not stop and take more pictures.

RapidKL had a share of the blame for not opening exit points for people to leave the city. As what the findings from the observers say, the cops are more or less intending on boxing the participants with no exits up or down. This was the same case as happened at the Tung Shin hospital portion during the the Bersih 2.0 rally.  If the exit stations of Dang Wangi and Pasar Seni were open and had they ignore the cops demand to shut down the station, people could have disperse better. I had to retreat back to Petaling Street, cutting through the lanes to reach back to the old railway station to leave.

I knew the risks before coming. But in those risks, there's the fun. But the point of contention and anger is how those cops act like gangsters and another thing was how our DBKL people are behaving like schoolchildren, unwilling to share a piece of a toy for others. I thought the iconic field was for everybody, but Pak Samad was right on statement: it should been branded as Dataran Tak Merdeka. I knew there were a lot of naysayers who talk trash of the rally including the last one. Were I to bet with them, they would have loss big and ridiculed for lack of substance.

Full photo album here.