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Why must the demonstrators guaranteeing good behaviour and peace when the police can't guarantee demonstrators peaceful access to Dataran and the government guarantee us free and fair elections?
Christopher Loi: According to the DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, the police carried out their responsibilities professionally to control the riots.
Come on Mr DPM, please look at the videos posted - who was really hurting who. Just because they are police personal, they can beat up people?
The police caused the commotion; ask any international human rights activist. We have no problems with the police apprehending those breaking through the barricade but when they started attacking the crowd that was when chaos broke out.
Bad planning by the police, but then again, that may have been what their political leaders want.
Wira: The event in Penang, though well-attended, was a non-event. People gathered, listened to a few speeches, shouted for several minutes and dispersed. The government could have done the same in Kuala Lumpur.
But hell no, they preferred to play the one upmanship with Bersih and made a last-minute offer of the Merdeka Stadium, which, based on past behaviour, was an offer which might not have been honoured.
You angered many people in the process. Even though you control the mass media, your lies are overwhelmed by those who have reported the truth with their cameras, handphones and stories from personal experience. Muhyiddin, you and Umno really goofed up this time.
Chandran Sukumaran: Why was there no violence in the rallies in the other states? Don't talk bull to us, DPM.
Even I who have been neutral until yesterday is totally convinced that a change is imminent. The rakyat have finally woken up. May God save Malaysia.
Jbsuara: Personally, I think the whole event would be a peaceful and orderly one if the protestors had been allowed to sit in at Dataran Merdeka. The sudden unexpected decision to cordon off Dataran Merdeka was a costly and big mistake, whatever the rationale.
TimsTime: Dear DPM, this is Dataran Merdeka we are talking about, not your residence, that you need barbed wire, tear gas and water cannons to push people back. Instead of listening to the protestors, you asked the police to use force against them.
If this is the case, do not expect the 50,000 people and their friends, relatives and business associates to ever give you the respect and confidence to govern the country. A respectable leader of a country would die for the people, here the people die because of the leader.
For the last time, please treat you fellow citizen well. If this government cannot take care of us, then we will find another government who is more than willing to take care of us.
Cannon: The razor wire and barricades cordoning off Dataran Merdeka making it off-limits to citizens show to the whole world that this regime which has been stealing taxpayers' funds - treating and milking them like cows - has stolen our freedom and is set to steal the GE13, through a rigged electoral system with the connivance of the EC.
Hiding behind razor wire and protected by a phalanx of its uniformed enforcers, our rulers are arrogant as ever. Muhyddin and his cohorts hold Bersih, representing our civil society for free and fair elections, in contempt.
There's silver lining in Bersih 3.0. A policeman was overheard confiding with a female senior citizen saying, "It's good you can turn out for this rally. I am on duty today. If not, I, too, would join."
Not all our police personnel are hardcore supporters of the regime. This despotic regime will fall. It'll meet the same end following the way of dictatorships. It's only a matter of time.
Jack Leong: These are very shallow arguments from the DPM. It's like telling women that they are inviting trouble with what they are wearing.
Louis: Muhyddin, I cannot bring myself to address you as the DPM because you do not act as one, neither do you have the quality.
Had the authorities allowed the facilities requested and if the police were to just direct traffic, the assembly would have been a peaceful one. No matter what, the government wanted trouble so that it can blame Bersih.
Thana55: I was at ground zero and I know who started the fracas. And it was not Bersih or Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Your time will come and we will be back at Dataran to celebrate.
Stevencbs: Dear DPM, if Bersih is to be blamed for the fracas, who is to be blamed for the arrests of journalists and damage to their equipment? Gotcha!
MissPandora: A government that loves its rakyat will ensure the safety of its rakyat, not fire tear gas, chase them, etc. It is obvious that you wanted to create havoc or a stampede.
Around 100,000 people could have done a lot of damage if they were really violent. A lot of people would have been hurt had a stampede occurred. So get real and shut up. We blame you for the dirt that has happened.
Bender: I say it's the government's fault for not giving Bersih 3.0 the access to use Dataran. Had DBKL (the City Hall, which is under Umno's thumb) given access to Dataran, then none of this would have happened (although considering the fact that the police were all lined up with itchy fingers, I think the clash was inevitable - someone did want the fracas to happen anyhow).
Also, had none of the police personnel carried any weapons, there shouldn't be any incident where a gun was stolen (what the hell did the police need a gun for?).
The firing of tear gas and water cannons was uncalled for and completely unnecessary. Regardless of what Muhyiddin says, we all bear witness to what really happened, and that's the ultimate truth.
Bumiasli: If Bersih really planned to resort to violence, 100,000 people would be enough to demolish the police who used tear gas on them. The ones who turned unruly were the police and not Bersih.
What necessity was there to use tear gas and water cannons against a group of peaceful protesters? BN is so hard up that they will do and say everything to destroy anyone who opposes them.
Bersih co-coordinator S Ambiga was honourable enough to say sorry for something which was not Bersih's fault. Did BN say sorry for the damage they have caused at Bersih 2.0? The police have been used as a pawn in this game.
BN, we are not fools. We know your tricks inside out. We can read your mind and predict your every action. Sorry, you don't convince us with your lies!
Ketot: Muhyiddin, do you think the rakyat are so stupid? We follow the alternative media and we knew what was going on.
Umno should be responsible for this fracas. The ploy to ban the use of Dataran Merdeka, providing an alternative site at the eleventh hour, employing agent provocateurs to break through barricades and employing thugs to litter the streets were strategies to put the blame on Bersih.
Raw: Ultimately, the government of the day is responsible for what had happened. Had it provided proper ways for citizens of the country to voice their concerns, listened to them and genuinely attempted to address their concerns, there would be no need for all this.
After all, what are the citizens asking for? Clean and fair elections - is this something so hard to accept?
Vote Me Everyday
23 April - 13 May 2012
