PETALING JAYA, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Thursday that those who defame the country overseas are people who do not love their country.
"The people are also angry at those who go overseas to seek support and cook up baseless allegations.
"Actually they don't love the country, they only hunger for power and don't care about what happens to the country," he told reporters after receiving a memorandum from the Damai Malaysia group opposing street demonstrations in the country.
Abdullah said that those who were obsessed with their views did not care about the consequences of their acts.
"We are the ones who have to face everything. We have to defend the peace and well-being of the people," he said.
Damai Malaysia, a group of caring Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGOs), submitted the five-page memorandum from 395 NGOs which jointly rejected street demonstrations and called on the government to take stern action against the culprits. Abdullah said the country had become developed and successful based on the practice of democracy which respected and upheld the law and constitution.
Malaysia still gave the people the freedom to voice their opinions, including in the mass media, he said. "If this freedom is used in an irresponsible manner, the people will suffer," he added.
He said that as a result of the recent street demonstrations, various sectors, especially the tourism and business sectors, had suffered losses.
He had been informed that hotels in the Bukit Bintang area had received 10 per cent cancellations of room reservations because of these demonstrations.
"If already 10 per cent of the bookings are cancelled, it's a loss to the hotels. Besides, I believe that the tour agencies and tour bus operators have also received cancellations," he said.
The memorandum submitted by Damai Malaysia coordinating chairman Mohd Saiful Adil Mohd Daud contained a declaration condemning the organisation of any street demonstrations and rejecting discussions on sensitive issues like race and religion through this means.
The declaration also condemned certain parties which resort to fraud, defamation and sedition to get the support of foreign countries and powers to interfere in Malaysia's internal affairs.
Among the 395 NGOs in Damai Malaysia are the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS), Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs, Felda Youth Council Malaysia, Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia and the United Indian Welfare Organisation.
Speaking in KUANTAN later, upon his arrival for a one-day visit to Pahang, Abdullah labelled those who solicit support from outsiders as traitors and the action of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which claimed to fight for the rights of the Indian community in Malaysia, as an attempt to destroy the country and racial unity.
"This is a betrayal of our country. Was there ethnic cleansing? There was nothing about wiping out the Indians in the country," he said at a function to welcome him and his wife, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base.
Abdullah said the Barisan Nasional-led government always listened to the views of the people which were conveyed through the proper channels like the elected representatives, associations, non-governmental organisations and certain committees.
"We carry out development according to the wishes and aspirations of the people and we practise a policy of helping all the races," he said.
True. Those who defame the country overseas surely do not love the country.
The same goes for those who defame the country and tell lies about the country at home, right here in this land.
But that's not to say that those who criticise the ills and wrongs in government do not love or are not loyal to, the country.
People express their opinions and may say things the government does not like to hear.
This does not mean they do not love the country. On the contrary.
This love for the country is not exclusive to the government or its supporters.
I hope we all can make a distinction between those criticising with malicious intent and those making honest criticisms, which may be what the governement does not want to hear.
Now. Street demonstrations. I don't know about you but I believe that PEACEFUL demonstrations are part and parcel of a healthy democratic process and system.
It is a way citizens of democratic countries show their support or express their protest.
The penguin walk in Putrajaya was peaceful. So was the Bersih 10-Eleven rally until the Masjid Jamek incident, which certainly marred the, otherwise peaceful event.
The Dec 9 Freedom (for Human Rights) Walk was peaceful.
No traffic disruption in Putrajaya. None when people walked for human rights.
There was some disruption when police set up road blocks during the Bersih rally.
Whatever disruption caused is no different when Malay Mail holds their annual Big Walk or during our annual Merdeka celebrations.
And the Hindraf rally? It was terribly unfortunate that it turned out and ended the way it did. But surely, that cannot be used against civil society.
I don't support street demonstrations per se. But I do believe that Malaysians should be allowed to assemble peacefully.
Now, I do recall a certain deputy chief of a (youth) political body making fiery speeches in a a not-so-peaceful rally.
I'm sure many of us can still remember that angry face and the loud, almost rowdy, cheers that he got.
Oh well...
And to Damai Malaysia. Bully for you for wanting peace. We all do.
12 comments:
well said
Kofi Annan: Peace is not true or lasting if it is bought at any cost; that only peace with JUSTICE can honour the victims of war and violence; and that without democracy, tolerance and human rights for all, no peace is truly SAFE.
"Actually they don't love the country, they only hunger for power and don't care about what happens to the country" PM quoted.
I think this was a very appropriate statement, but it's not for the Rakyat, it should be for the Gov.
People did not assemble for fun, they were not paid to, they braved the sun,rain, teargas, water cannons and arrest because they love the country. Should the Bersih rally be headed by the PM and BN themselves to prove there is nothing wrong with the EC. Not only it put them in a positive light (which they desperately need nowadays), it will throw opposition parties off its track. Even if there was something wrong with the EC, just by supporting the march signifies true democracry (even if they didnt believed in it), but it was a probably a good strategy. PM and BN win face up, the papers can boast of its accomplishments, the world in agreement, and the millions of non-bloggers or non-internet savvy @ kampung will think nothing of it. In short, they could be winners, if they had strategized wisely.
Unfortunately, it happened otherwise, thus making many people like me believing that there MUST BE something wrong with the system, maybe Gov trying to hide something, the world is laughing at us. Maybe it was an act of a desperate Gov, maybe got the wrong advisers etc. It seemed to be one wrong step after another, not getting any better, not improving, just spiralling downwards.
Why cant there be peaceful gathering? The jam was caused by unnecessary road blocks. None of the people attended Bersih was armed or dangereous, no one destroyed public properties, in fact, some suffered teargas and beatings too.
Damai is just another Gov's instrument, after all Nazri said he can summon 1 million protestors. It's the show of power and might. In my humble opinion, it's poor strategy on Gov's side and every mistake from them is opening a can of worms, mistakes after mistakes. I understand Hindraf's move but dont agree the letter presented, it was distorted and untrue, but still ISA for them? They couldnt do it for the Bersih's people (how to face the world then),but Hindraf? Wrong timing and wrong choice of words, but still ISA?
Do we love our country? More than ever before! We love it so much that we could bear to see it go down the drain! We live here too.
Nuraina, I salute you for being the voice of reason in a world gone mad. Continue the struggle against lies, oppression, hypocrisy, racism.
Nuraina,
Just ask yourself this question. When have you ever read or heard of Abdullah Badawi responding to anything at all directed at him There have been bales of petitions that have been sent to him. Prose has been written in the nicest way possible giving him all the honour any man deserves. Truth has been conveyed to him in many different ways and yet there has never been a response.
Finally Uthayakumar, presumably, but Hindraf surely, finally found what it took to get a response from this Prime Minister of ours. What ever it is that you say, has got to be such a blatant lie (at least in Badawi's words) that it riles him to anger that he actually loses it. Well, such it would seem was, the statement by Hindraf that Indians were the subject of ethnic cleansing. Of course for all of us who read it, even Indians, it was one of those lies that your papa would once in a while tell you when you were a child that, even then you knew that it was so far fetched that you'd not believe it. And you'd both end up laughing, you at his attempt and he, that his child is not that easily fooled and of course his pride in you.
And yet such a far fetched lie which all could have laughed and scoffed at, has now been spun on its head and acted upon in a manner that totally disregards the economic impact on the country or its social and security implications.
No, Badawi, the threat to the nation is not committed by those who uttered those words. But Badawi himself and his UMNO goons who think might is all that is necessary for us folk to cover in our fear.
I should think that only idiots would look upon this ISA actions as being one done by one so wise. Despite everything Badawi is trying to make this out to be, I still don't have any sense of the tension that I felt in 1987 when there was the rumour of racial conflict in the city. So what is he really talking about?
Daima to represent 395 NGO and 1.5 million members???????????????
=========================================
How this figures came out should be challenged
or anyone can claim representation to no end?
Or distortion of walk be for tensions and not Peace!
Anyone accused in the walks for Peace
should include this in their Appeal
for instigating tension of hate towards walk for Peace!
The List of 394 with the 1.5 million
will serve a good reminder to those in the list
to think doubly wise who are those NGO they are in
and if their rights had been hi-jacked within？
Kee to deciphering Umno semiotics................
So now for Hishammuddin to say that he would use the keris again in 2007 as a protector of all Malaysians – not just Malays – is disingenuous. Any intelligent Malaysian can see through the doublespeak.
What is even worse – and insulting – is what he said about "desensitizing" non-Malays to the issue of the keris. Only a person with a supercilious attitude would behave that way. What he implies by that statement is that non-Malays must accept what he does, no matter how revulsed they are by it. It's like slapping someone in the face and then slapping him again and again, and telling him that he has to tolerate it each time until he gets used to it. What arrogance!
Website - http://www.jeffooi.com/2007/11/kee_to_playing_the_foll_again.php
I thought we criticize because we love the country.
I dont think anyone here was saying that malaysia is clueless, stupid, sleepy, practicing cronyism, corrupt, etc. When se said that, we were talking about a person (or a group of person).
Too bad. The person thinks he is malaysia... How clueless can he get?
Yes, Malaysians are allowed to assemble peacefully. They do it all the time.
Even Oppositions are allowed their 'assemblies', in what ever name they use it such as ceramah, forum, colloquium, party convention, debate, rally etc etc etc, all the time. Even some do it under the guise of "dinner" and "khenduri", which actually they don't have to. Most of these events turned to be Government or ruling party bashing and yet more and more are held after that.
Some political party made it their SOP to hold a ceramah nightly, without fail.
Why does these "peaceful assemblies" have to be on the street? Why can't it be indoors, where most permits are obtained?
Defaming the good name of Malaysia whilst abroad, especially foreign Government to intervene in our domestic affairs and ask for our membership in Commonwealth be suspended, if not sacked are DEFINITELY ACTIONS of people "who do not love this country"!
Right on the dot, Nuraina! And I'm NOT at all surprised to see these "kaki ampu & ayam jantan berkokok"... predictable reactions!
Koffi Anan is one to speak. It was under his leadership in the UN that the worst atrocities happened under a false basis.
Marykate, some of the requests made by Bersih have been implemented by the E.C. Have they done nothing right at all?
Perhaps they should appoint Marykate to be Chairperson of E.C. Then Sue Ellen would want to be too and she'd probably organize a walk on a fine Sunday morning.
Come on! You talk as though the govt doesn't at all represent any one of the rakyat while you represent the majority. Well, you don't represent me.
Let the world laugh at us Marrykate. They certainly won't be there for you when your family cries out of hunger and pain. Don't worry about the world Sunshine! The world has its own problems they can't solve. What you fail to see is that they are not laughing at us, they are actually laughing at the mirror!
Nuraina,
I do agree point to point of what you have mentioned. Peaceful demo should be allowed - UMNO is so scared of the people power that they started to label who dare to protest as the one that does not love the country
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