Are PKR and PAS who we want to replace BN to govern our country?

Many of you who have visited my blogs know very well which side of the fence I was in the March 8 GE. My sole purpose was to vote for a party that would rule this nation justly. A government that would not discriminate base on race or religion. We all know that we have not seen this from the BN government.

No doubt like most of my friends and relatives, I was very happy with the results of March 8. My close friend Anfielddevotee, was pleased with the results and based of the events over the past few weeks believes that a Snap elections is round the corner and has taken the initiative to get our friends to register themselves.

I am in full support of this. As Malaysians, it is our duty to vote. But who do you vote for is entirely up to you and one should weigh all the options before making up your mind.

Anfielddevotee beleives that if PKR is to take over the governing of this nation, things will be a lot better. I will admit that I shared his views as well. That is why I was saddened to read of the events that took place this morning at the Bar Council office. Threathening protest led by PKR MP for Kulim- Bandar Baharu, Zulkifli Noordin, resulted in the Bar Council Forum on Conversion having to be stopped.

PKR, that stands for freedom of speech and expression seem to be no difference to BN, it seems. Those of you who do not subscribe to Malaysiakini, can read the report below. You make up your mind about PKR and PAS. Mind you this is from Malaysiakini and not NST....


Protesters stop Bar's 'conversion' forum
Andrew Ong Aug 9, 08 9:41am

About 300 protesters gathered outside the Bar Council headquarters demanding that the lawyers group halt its controversial forum on ‘Conversion to Islam’ this morning.

The Bar Council today, adhering to the advice of the police - and an angry mob at its doorstep - wrapped up its half-day forum on 'Conversion to Islam' at 10am, an hour after it had started.

A leader of the protesters - PKR Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentarian Zulkifli Noordin - declared the abrupt end of the forum as a victory for them. By 10.40am, most of the protesters have dispersed.

The open forum on the sensitive religious issue kicked off at 9am but angry protestors have given organisers half an hour to cancel the event.About 15 police officers and an Federal Reserve Unit truck have been deployed to the area and the road leading to the Bar Council office where the forum is held has been closed.

'Don't play with fire'. In the bid to diffuse the situation, the police have told Bar Council to wrap up its forum by 10am.The protesters, many of whom are from Muslim welfare organsation Perkida and Islamic party PAS, shouted, “Hancur Bar Council” (Crush Bar Council), “Hidup Islam” (Long Live Islam) and “Batal forum” (Cancel the forum).

They are carrying placards saying “Jangan cabar Islam” (Don’t challenge Islam) and “Bar Council, Don’t play with fire”.Among the protest leaders seen in the crowd are PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub and Zulkifli.

The protesters, many of whom came just before the forum began, later decided to sit down in front of the Bar Council building and vowed that they would not budge until the event had been cancelled. Some threatened to storm the building to physically stop the forumAmong the speakers at the forum was syariah lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla. Mohd Haniff represented the Federal Territory’s Islamic Religious Council in the case of R Subashini. K Shanmuga and Ravi Nekoo, who were counsel for Subashini and S Shamala, respectively, also spoke.

The forum is moderated by Zarizana Abdul Aziz of the Women's Centre for Change.Former Syariah judge and currently the Federal Territory Islamic Department’s syariah prosecutor Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar pulled out as a panel speaker earlier.

The demonstration was generally peaceful, but several forum participants were subjected to verbal abuse and profanities when they exited the Bar Council building. Shouts of “babi”, “pengkhianat” and “balik China” were heard as forum participants trickled out of the venue. Speaking to reporters later, Zulkifli said that he had led a delegation of four individuals representing the protesters to state their position with Bar Council president Ambiga Sreevenasan and vice president K Ragunath.

Islam-bashing forum“I spoke to them for 15 minutes and I urged them to stop the forum as it is a form of provocation against Muslims,” said Zulkifli, who stressed that he was representing Lawyers in Defence of Islam (Pembela) and not his party PKR. Asked why the protesting groups choose not to participate in the forum and engage the organisers in a discussion, Zulkifli said that he was open to dialogues but the Bar Council’s intention was to provoke Muslims. “For us, this forum is merely (for) Islam-bashing,” he said. Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said the situation was “under control” and that he had advised the forum organisers to cancel the event due to security threats. “There can be civil disorder and disturbance to the peace and we can’t ensure their safety,” he said when asked for details on the security threats. Asked why he did not disperse the crowd in view of the security threats, Zulkarnain said that the police did not engage the crowd after assessing the situation. “If we were to take action, nobody will be safe here,” he said, nothing that the initially passive crowd and turned more aggressive as the demonstration wore on.