KEN’S PIECE WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED AND I AM SURE THIS ONE FROM DOUG & HELEN WHITE WILL TOO.
Received this in the email at 1146am:
We have just finished a wonderful holiday in Malaysia. Except for a few things, like the toilets and the drivers, it was great. The people are friendly and helpful. The food is quite exciting and the country is spectacular.
There was one incident, which caused us no concern and no problem, but left us more than a little baffled. We were in the Chow Kit area buying some things to take home when we found some shirts with “BERSIH 2” on them. We asked the man what the word meant and he said “clean”.
So, we bought some. They were good quality and cheap. As we were leaving the stall area we were approached by a man who warned us not to wear the shirts or we would be in trouble with the police. We went back to our hotel thinking that we misheard the man at the stall who sold us the shirts and that bersih must be a very dirty word. So we asked the concierge and he told us it meant “clean”. So we were confused.
At dinner that night, we struck up a conversation with the people at the next table. We raised the matter with them. They told us the shirts represented a call to the people and Government for clean and fair elections. They also told us that people wearing the shirts are being locked up without trial for waging war against the King. They explained that the Government and some people were against free and fair elections.
Fair enough, it is not our country. What we still do not understand is why the King would be against free and fair elections because he is not elected. Our friends warned us that even talking about free and fair elections could land us in gaol.
Perhaps the government could put signs at the airport warning travellers that bersih is a dirty word in Malaysia and that the King and Government are against free and fair elections. In this way, no one will make a mistake that could land them in trouble.
Doug and Helen White,
Flinders Park,
South Australia
it is a dirty word to those in the corridors of power ... ppl who are against clean & fair elections bcos they have a lot to lose ... ppl who are corrupt & greedy!
ReplyDeleteYes, Bersih is UMNO's new word for Dirty. And KOTOR is the right word to describe UMNO.
ReplyDeleteBetter warn my Japanese friends who are coming to Malaysia next week not to wear Yellow T-shirt or buy any yellow T-shirt with "BERSIH" printed on it. I do support the statement that "The government should put signs at all the airports warning travellers it is a crime to Wear Yellow T-shirt or buy any Yellow T-Shirt with the word "BERSIH" printed on it !!!"
ReplyDeleteIt is sad when emotions overide intelligence!
ReplyDeleteIs gotong royong against the law in malaysia? We should rally with brooms and bin bag!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Doug and Helen,
ReplyDeleteForemost thank you for sharing your experiences with us. It means an awful lot not only to us but also to the thousands if not millions of citizens in the world-over who may have memories of Malaysia.
If you are confused as insurmountable and puzzling questions pop up in your mind, just imagine what hell we here would be enduring with all this crazy frenzy against a people's peaceful march to plead for fair and clean elections?
Every minute that the clock ticks forward, our papitations go up and our hearts sink even deeper.
Malaysia is setting a world record. It is also most insulting to the US government too as only recently the US Secretary of State went on global record stating that other nations should emulate Malaysia.
Please talk to your government. Maybe they too would want to follow Hilary Clinton's advice.
It should put signs at every port of arrivals and huge billboards on roads leading out of airports and ports in case tourista missed the small signs at their port of arrivals.It should read simple so as not to confused like."All shirts and dresses colored in YELLOW will land you in prison.By order GOM".
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good idea because tourists might be mistaken for communists and be arrested.Then we are going to have officials of our embassies hauled in by their respective governments in protest.It can be very embarassing for our country.
They instead of a war against civil activists it will become a war of governments.We sure do not want to offend countries like USA,UK and France.Because these countries do not C4ed,they usually Tomahawked.We law abiding citizens of Malaysia surely do not want the Umno GOM to be blown to smithereens for chicken feed issues like a "YELLOW SHIRT"
P/S Our GOM should thank Doug and Helen White of Australia.But I doubt that they do not have the decency and courtesy to thank anybody.
Uncle ,
ReplyDeleteIs it ok for us to play Beatle's song-
YELLOW SUBMARINE.
My brother say not only Bersih is a sensitive word but Yellow and Submarine also.
So Yellow fever also cannot see Doctor lah , So How ?
Go to hell, racist Aussies.
ReplyDeleteYou don't treat your immigrants well.
Stop interfering with our affairs.
You don't know what Bersih is all about. So shut up.
Very very bad reviews our Umno GOM has been getting from the International Press Association of Food Gluttons, from the recent crackdown on civil activists.This might caused a lack of appettite to the foreign investors and future FDI's will be zero,nada.
ReplyDeleteGee...as a Malaysian , I feel so "malu" as the two Aussies show how ridiculous it is for Hisapmudin to ban Bersih 2 shirt.
ReplyDeleteYES ! to bn : BERSIH = kotor =haram !
ReplyDelete: corruptions = bersih !
No worries mate!...if you still like to wear our national treasure with Bersih 2.0 printed, please let me know, I shall send to you underwears with logo of our First Fart Lady printed at the front, her botox face confronting my "pillar of joy"
ReplyDeleteWould Bersih guys or some good guys put up some notice or carry some handboards/signs at Airports/Point of entry into malaysia that say : Wearing yellow or having Bersih T shirt is an offence and you might be prosecuted in malaysia ?
ReplyDeleteAt the rate they are banning Malay words, Barisan Nasional might as well declare Bahasa English as their national language ... you know what I mean ... "organisasi" instead of "pertubuhan" ... and a whole lot more ...
ReplyDeleteWhat about the blonde tourists? Should they dye their hair first before coming to Malaysia?
ReplyDeleteThis Yellow-phobia is getting eccentric!!!!
No Free & fair elections? Didn't hear this post march 2008 tsunami. Yes, tsunami, remember? And winning half of by-elections after that?
ReplyDeleteSomebody didn't tell the whole story to the Aussies!
Has there been a formal request to meet Agong and EC in a civilized and professional manner? No? And what has pakatan representatives been doing in parliament ? In case some of you may forget BN doesn't have 2/3 majority at this moment. These are your lawmakers. Street march is no way to make new laws. They are for troublemakers.
Btw, foreign & independent organizations always present and welcomed to observe our GE, & so far they're OK.
And it's truly baffling why we need to use indelible ink like 3rd world countries (most of them do not carry proper identification document) ? We have mykad with built-in biometric finger print data. It's far more advance. Yes! Just like when u go to the bank cashier! Pakatan wants to treat us like 3rd world citizens?
So somebody is not telling the whole truth.
So that is why I think the mail is fake.
fyi doug & helen,
ReplyDeletei feel angry when our pro-lies ill treating our people's representative with slightest reasons, which the citizens don't see no wrong and logic....good luck tourists.
they have more time now to play dirty games.....not that there's no crimes to fight but the citizens are relieving their duties hiring own guards.
our country is upside down - greetings from aisyalam
CLEAN UP THE DIRT - 010711
ReplyDeleteWhere on earth can 'clean' be declared as 'dirty'
Except for those with minds filthy
Living their lives feeling guilty
Being silly and acting petty
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng
http://motivationinmotion.blogspot.com
Fri.1st Jul.2011.
Anonymous June 30, 2011 9:20 PM
ReplyDeleteStop oozing out shit from your mouth if your brain is the size of a pea!...Aussie treating migrants compared to your Bolehland was far honorable and with dignity. We do not take "migrants" to vote for a corrupted govt. Know the facts. Know how we treat illegal and economic refugees and migrants by choice. Shallow head, zip!!
With BERSIH banned as a dirty word, maybe the BERSIH organizers should consider using ANTI-KOTOR as a slogan instead. Personally, I prefer IMNTBN....short and sweet, to the point, no need to spell it out !
ReplyDeleteCheck it out a kind of literary piece on Bersih 2.0. Not a political writing. More of a the author's personal reflection on Chinese and Malay youth relationship with each other and with regards of Bersih 2.0. Poignant, different, deep but still political with in its own sprinkles of literary style of writing.
ReplyDeletehttp://diskopi.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/berlari-mencari-awan-kuning/
Just like Bible allowed but Al Kitab not allowed, change Bersih to Clean la.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article. I would love to own one of the Bersih T-shirt. Going to the rally on Sat July 9, Victoria Sq, near the fountain. Do come along n support us.
ReplyDeletenice fake letter
ReplyDeleteVote wisely? The thing is now that our voting system is outdated and pretty much tainted because the rakyat & NGO alliance believe that the SPR is one-sided by you know who.
ReplyDeleteGenarally, the purpose of the rally is to secure the 8 demands and submit it to the King which is somehow deemed a threat to the national security and now the people is being threaten if they were to take it to the streets. We have laws in the country and engaging it as we follow.
Now the Irresponsible party is going against the very law that protects the people and using it against the people. Where is the equal fairnest in that?
If the ruling party and SPR have nothing to hide then why are they tripping? Siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas.
How does the rally causes instability? In my views, instability or possible chaos can only be cause by perkasa and umno youth's threat of counter rally. If that is the case, the police should take action against those who try to disrupt a peaceful rally, not banning the peaceful rally. The outright ban is only an excuse. It would be akin to the police banning people from certain streets just because there are a group of snatch thieves plying those streets. That is a no brainer.
ReplyDeleteYou may take a cowardice stand, but we will not be succumbed to threat time and again! Not taking a stand will be the greatest risk of all for Malaysia.
It is bizarre that our government demonizes socialism and communism, but at the same time they are kissing the back side of Cuba, Venezuela and other very socialist countries!! Confused UMNO!!
ReplyDeletewow ! Uncle, your blog is in yellow... aren't you worried you'll be hauled up ? hehe...
ReplyDeleteUncle Zorro, what's your comment on your favorite bloggers comment, Tony Yew making a report against a DAP aide calling for Christians to attend Bersih? He reported her to the police for religious sedition. Never heard of any law such as that in my 25 years of practise in law. Btw, what's your comments on Tony Yew aka the most holy catholic even holier than father paulino? Please tell me has he crossed over to the KOTOR side? Sounds like this idiot is getting smarter each day. Please advise Tony Yew to not support BERSIH anymore! He is no longer impartial just like your other blogger friend Rocky Bru!
ReplyDeleteAnon620pm....Tony my favorite blogger? Where did you read that. He was a good friend once. You want my comment? I say it in Hokkien: Boh soo, chuay soo.
ReplyDelete