8th March 2009, One year of Pakatan Rakyat in Penang

Photo taken by Lilian Chan

The sky was gloomy, it drizzled a little earlier in the evening, but it was all cool and nice after 8:00pm. My Citizen Journalism course mates, Lilian Chan, Lim Boo Seng, Lucia Lai and I, mingled among the crowd and took some feedbacks from people with regards the performance of the new government in Penang, at Esplanade yesterday.

The ADUNs and assemblymen of Pakatan Rakyat celebrated a year of control in Penang with the rakyat. 8th March 2009, marks a year of change, "a change where we can see, feel and touch", said the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng.

In addition to this, Lim Guan Eng and his team has pledged to eradicate hardcore poverty as Pakatan Rakyat never forgets this group of citizens.

It was found in a recent detailed survey that there are approximately 1,000 families who earn RM 400.00 a month and these families will be assisted accordingly.

Lim Guan Eng also mentioned that the Penang has attracted RM 10.5 billion foreign investment and has broken all records within a year of Pakatan Rakyat's control. He promised that his team will now work even harder to move forward and there is no turning back.

Worth to mention that we were fortunate to have a few moments with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the end of the event.

The Tree Of Democracy, the roots to our Freedom, Part 2

Photo by Anil Netto

The Tree Of Democracy, Ipoh, Perak

The Tree Of Democracy, the roots to our Freedom, Part 1

Photo courtesy of blogger delCapo
Live Coverage by Anil Netto

10:07am

The Speaker and the PR Aduns are all at one corner outside the state government building. MB Nizar is inside the car. The Speaker seems about to make an announcement as to what they are going to do next, reports another contact at the scene.

10:16am

The Speaker has just announced that he will be holding the sitting of the State Assembly about 50 metres from the entrance in an open space near a couple of trees.

10:17am

They are starting the proceedings with a prayer as a crowd of about 500-600 look on.

10:21am

They are having the Dewan assembly sitting under a tree! They are meeting right next to my contact's car. It's all very formal and they are addressing the Speaker as Yang DiPertua etc.

Comments from the public.
Melaka was also found under a tree right..... is just the right time to make history again... UNDER a tree

Comments from the public.
I can feel the unification of different races and religions here. After all, we are all human with same values in life. This is the Malaysia, we want.

10:36am

The resolutions expressing support for the MB and calling for the dissolution of the assembly have been passed. Everyone is now adjourning to the DAP office.

10:37am

A man was scene carrying a placard, which read "The world is watching".

Comments from the public.
It seems yesterday, the order to lock the dewan was retrieved according to Star today. IPOH: The State Secretary’s office issued circulars last evening directing staff members to cancel all appointments in the premises today because the entrances to the building would be shut. However, the circulars were retrieved about an hour after they were pasted on the doors of several offices. Later when asked if the directives had been withdrawn, State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim said: “My officer informed me that they had been collected back. I cannot comment further on that.”

10:47am

Blogger delCapo reports that Nizar has also gone upstairs at the DAP office nearby for a press conference. The PKR Youth leadership is also present.

10:50am

The crowd in the area has dispersed

10:52am

About 1,000 people had witnessed the proceedings.

Comments from the public.
With God all things are possible.The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. Let us continue to pray that the rakyat's desire and His will be done.

Comments from the public.
"Even though I am one of the BN component party member, I disagree to the action of the BN. BN should agree to dissolve the state assembly and let the perak people elect their own govt. Court has no right and power to decide for the people of Perak. The best solution is to dissolve the state assembly and let the people of Perak to elect their own govt. BN, you are too much. You have created hatred among the rakyat. Please stop it. The speaker, YB Siva is 100% right to call for the assembly sitting. Thank you, YB Siva."

10:58am

"It was really a fantastic experience," says my other contact. It was an open space with a couple of huge high shady trees - a large mango tree and the other one appears to be angsana tree, about 200 metres away from the entrance to state secretariat building.

10:59am

The bodyguards just formed a ring around the open-air assembly and the people were encircled around Aduns, who were standing in front of the Speaker, who was also standing in his full regalia, the songkok, the black and yellow suit.

11:01am

A moment of humour occurred when the Speaker asked the Aduns, "Setuju?" Instead, of just the Aduns responding, the whole crowd shouted "Setuju!" The Aduns had to explain to the crowd that the Setuju response was only for the Aduns. Someone in the crowd muttered to my contact, "We are also part of this assembly. We have a right to express our confidence in the MB."

11:03am

The press conference at the DAP is still going on. A crowd of about a couple of hundred people are waiting downstairs to find out about latest developments.

Comments from the public
Meleleh ayor mata teman..bila terbaca ayat: someone in the crowdmuttered to your contact, "We are also part of this assembly .We have right to express our confidence in the MB. Thank you...awak mewakili kami yang tidak dapat bersama anda semua ...kami mendoakan semoga beroleh kejayaan bagi segala susah payah yang saudara saudara hadapi sewaktu berkumpul di IPOH.. semangat persaudaraan tanpa mengira kaum dan ugama ....what a lovely day...

Comments from the public.
I followed the political event in Perak lately, and with tears flowing freely down my cheek, tears of joy , joy of knowing these group of people like speaker Siva, MB Nizar never giving up the struggles for demoracry.... these are people should run the country... I rejoice together with them for the rebirth of Perak demoracry under the tree, will be remembered in history for a long time. Syabas to those who are there this morning to witness the historic event in Perak.

To be continued......

Scuffle in Parliament.

Megat Zulkarnain seems to warn Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong during the confrontation in the Parliament compound.

Another "wayang" by UMNO Youth, maybe there is another candidate for position of kepala UMNO Youth. Want to show terror, want to play hero, die for UNMO konon. Die for money maybe.

Karpal used words, UNMO Youth used force and they really looked like some gangsters from behind the alleys. If you have seen one, you have seen all. Behave, be properly represented, state your case, not show of force. Don't be like in some countries, they beat up each other silly in Parliament, it is not our culture. "Jagalah maruah sendiri, budi bahasa budaya kita"

Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — A group from Selangor Umno Youth, led by its Serdang chief Ungku Mat Salleh, attempted to stop DAP veteran leader Karpal Singh from entering the Parliament building today to demand that he apologise for saying yesterday that Umno Youth was responsible for sending bullets in the mail to him recently.

Pakatan Rakyat representatives N. Gobalakrishnan and Lim Lip Eng tried to protect Karpal but were roughed up by the Umno group members. Karpal eventually managed to make it into the Dewan Rakyat safely.

Also present outside the Parliament building was Gombak Umno Youth chief Megat Zulkarnain Omardin who told reporters that they are Umno members who are willing to die defending the party.

Perakians to decide

Now that's a smart person talking. The people of Perak has been asking for this from the beginning ever since the "rampasan kuasa" by BN. New MB suspended with his excos because of some kind of misconduct or was it someone complained about them, old MB suing the new MB for things that nearly half of the Perakians do not understand (too many lawyer language), everything is too "technical". While you guys are fighting in court, do you have time for the rakyat? So what if one side wins due to technicality, it is just like a technical knock out in boxing, not like a real Knock Out which is decisive and final. If you don't stand up by the tenth counts, you are out! So, put up your gloves and stop wasting people's time.

KUALA LUMPUR: The legal wrangle in Perak is best settled by going back to the people for an effective and definitive solution, said Bar Council president Datuk S.Ambiga.


“There is a reality on the ground that we must face. While we wrestle with these constitutional and legal issues, the legal actions are not the first and are unlikely to be the last.


“This does not provide an effective and definitive solution,” said Ambiga in a press statement.


The Bar urged all parties to seriously consider doing so, not only in the interest of Perak folks, but also in the interest of stability and the nation