YOURSAY | 'Peaceful assembly is rakyat's fundamental right enshrined in our Constitution.'

Gerard Lourdesamy: Not all public protests can be equated with riots. If that were the case, the famous Salt March by Mahatma Gandhi could also be regarded as a riot that would cause chaos and destruction, albeit, to the British colonial masters!

Freedom of peaceful assembly is enshrined in Part II of the Federal Constitution and facilitated by the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. It is a fundamental freedom.

Not all issues of public concern and controversy can be resolved by recourse to "constructive" engagement and "appropriate" channels when the political establishment only believes in engaging with voters once every five years.

I have always believed that the "back channel" approach to problem-solving invariably leads to corruption and abuse of power. Something that only benefits the elites and their propensity for greed and avarice.

The May 13, 1969, communal riots cannot be attributed to the DAP when the role of Umno has not been properly studied and evaluated. The Bersih rallies by far and large were peaceful, except for a few fringe elements and saboteurs.

It is not the place for an unelected institution to attempt to truncate the fundamental freedoms and rights of the people. As famous British constitutionalists and historians have said, "Monarchy only exists by the consent of the people."

Vijay47: Riot? What is a riot?

I wonder whether it is a riot when the citizens of a country gather peacefully in accordance with what the law allows and the Constitution provides for when the people come together to plead for justice, a fairer and better life and an end to the corruption and abuses by the forces in power.

If that is to riot, we must ask what the appropriate description should be when the government prevents the people from assembling legally and hurling tear gas canisters at them just for being there.

The Bersih rallies had their share of violence - when the Federal Reserve Units (FRU) attacked those who chose to march. I should know, I was there, 65 years old and I was one of the innocent victims.

An incident I experienced was an apt reflection of the reality and symbolism of what Bersih’s call represented. When the gathering had ended, after then Bersih chairperson S Ambiga had made a brief speech, we were returning home.

Let me repeat that, we were walking along the embankment away from the epicentre of the walk near Bank Negara. Suddenly a troop of FRU men appeared in front and fired tear gas at us. For what? We were tired, we were quietly going home and we get attacked by the police?

An elderly Chinese gentleman was on the verge of collapsing, overcome by the fumes and a Malay lady was supporting him from his back, holding him up. An Indian youth was in front of the gentleman, using a handkerchief to fan the old man’s face.

To me, that scene was the soul and spirit of Bersih. I will never forget it. I wish I had the guts to say more, but my little wisdom demands I hold my tongue and curb my fingers.

6th Generation Immigrant: Protests, when they do occur after all other avenues have been exhausted, are usually the last resort remaining for citizens to collectively sound out their dissent. This is a democratic principle which must always be allowed and maintained.

Antagonists, on the other hand, do also exploit protests to serve personal, selfish and unuseful means. These forms of protest should cease and desist.

This is why permits are issued by authorities to allow peaceful assemblies. The problem with protests in Malaysia is that they are always controlled by biased enforcing authorities, which are nonetheless always aligned with the political masters who put them there.

MVA: Ultimately, all power comes from the people. Good leaders can sense the people’s wishes and act accordingly, but others need to face protests before they change course.

Unfortunately, there are those who would only accept reality after much destruction and even bloodshed.

Darmakochi: Looking at the recent regressive trend of the political situation in our beloved nation, peaceful rallies by bodies like Bersih are extremely important. There is no proper and functional check and balance system in our nation.

Tuanku, the average Malaysian is suffering to get a decent three meals a day. I am sure Tuanku had read about the fat salaries and allowances of ministers and appointees to head government-linked companies (GLCs) such as FGV.

We have the most bloated cabinet in the world with clueless ministers. A number of these ministries are completely irrelevant and can be merged. These peaceful rallies are the only alternative left for us to channel our frustration.

Vgeorgemy: Our politics divide the communities along racial and religious lines and encourage feudalistic tendencies.

The majority population went along happily, thinking it was the minorities who are causing divisions until the economy collapsed under the weight of incompetency, cronyism and looting of public funds.

UB40: Thank you, Bersih, for your enlightening reply. Note that all of the protests organised by Bersih were peaceful and not one life was lost.

This is democracy and the sultan needs to respect the rights of the rakyat. It is not fair that people cannot protest if the government of the day fails to fulfil its obligations.

PinkCougar9549: Who on earth would welcome a chaotic situation? If Tuanku can correct the wrongdoings of the governing body, by all means, do it. Then we don't need to think about going to the streets.

Let's start with Johor and let it serve as an example of a clean, effective and progressive government.

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