National laureate urges intellectuals to take a stand
Preparing to be arrested as the dragnet for Bersih 2.0 supporters widens, national laureate A Samad Said urged intellectuals to stop being 'carma' but dare to make a stand against cruelty and injustice.
He coined the word 'carma' which is the acronym of 'cari makan' (seeking to profit), during political satirist and cartoonist Zunar's book launch last night at Kuala Lumpur.
"Writers seldom take a stand. Most of them are 'carma' and are always prepared to not take a stand. This has caused all the evil to grow and spread tremendously."
The septuagenarian then directed his criticism against editors of mainstream media which has been demonising the July 9 rally called by Bersih 2.0 in favour of free and fair elections.
"For the mainstream media, Bersih is dirty. I'm also surprised, why these experienced pressmen who have won awards here and there, can smear Bersih. I know they are from the 'carma' group.
"Fortunately there is still a small number of writers who dare to take a stand, who know that Bersih is pure," Samad (left) told the 250-strong audience who packed the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium under the watchful eyes of several plainclothes policemen.
The launch, which had Samad and Lembah Pantai MP cum PKR vice-president Nuruk Izzah Anwar as guests, was held few hours after police detained six Parti Sosialis Malaysia leaders without trial under Emergency Ordinance because of their "involvement with foreign elements. They were also said to have "subversive tendencies".
Yellow ribbons
He coined the word 'carma' which is the acronym of 'cari makan' (seeking to profit), during political satirist and cartoonist Zunar's book launch last night at Kuala Lumpur.
"Writers seldom take a stand. Most of them are 'carma' and are always prepared to not take a stand. This has caused all the evil to grow and spread tremendously."
The septuagenarian then directed his criticism against editors of mainstream media which has been demonising the July 9 rally called by Bersih 2.0 in favour of free and fair elections.
"For the mainstream media, Bersih is dirty. I'm also surprised, why these experienced pressmen who have won awards here and there, can smear Bersih. I know they are from the 'carma' group."Fortunately there is still a small number of writers who dare to take a stand, who know that Bersih is pure," Samad (left) told the 250-strong audience who packed the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium under the watchful eyes of several plainclothes policemen.
The launch, which had Samad and Lembah Pantai MP cum PKR vice-president Nuruk Izzah Anwar as guests, was held few hours after police detained six Parti Sosialis Malaysia leaders without trial under Emergency Ordinance because of their "involvement with foreign elements. They were also said to have "subversive tendencies".
Yellow ribbons
Although those who attended the launch, including former PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali and Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong, were not dressed in yellow, many wore yellow armbands to express their support for Bersih 2.0.
One Chinese man in the audience was spotted wearing the banned Bersih T-shirt under a white cloth. He only showed the yellow t-shirt when taking a photograph with Samad and Zunar.
Unperturbed by the arrests in relation to the Bersih rally, Nurul (right), without naming it, continued to call the public to attend it on July 9.
"Let's join the rally that cannot be named, which will be held one day after our prime minister leaves for Europe," she quipped.
On the crackdown of Bersih supporters, Samad commented that the spectre of the communist bogeyman was purposely revived by the authorities to create a fearful atmosphere in order to pave the way for more arrests.
"Now is the era of intimidation, so that the people are cautious and dare not protest. Obviously the archaic laws have been resurrected to oppress (critics).
"There is an illusion, only two persons have it. I don't need to say who they are because the police is only taking orders (from them). Sometimes the illusion of the police is also extraordinary," he quipped.
One Chinese man in the audience was spotted wearing the banned Bersih T-shirt under a white cloth. He only showed the yellow t-shirt when taking a photograph with Samad and Zunar.
Unperturbed by the arrests in relation to the Bersih rally, Nurul (right), without naming it, continued to call the public to attend it on July 9."Let's join the rally that cannot be named, which will be held one day after our prime minister leaves for Europe," she quipped.
On the crackdown of Bersih supporters, Samad commented that the spectre of the communist bogeyman was purposely revived by the authorities to create a fearful atmosphere in order to pave the way for more arrests.
"Now is the era of intimidation, so that the people are cautious and dare not protest. Obviously the archaic laws have been resurrected to oppress (critics).
"There is an illusion, only two persons have it. I don't need to say who they are because the police is only taking orders (from them). Sometimes the illusion of the police is also extraordinary," he quipped.
Era of arrests
Pak Samad, as he is popularly known, warned that the police's decision to stop negotiations with Bersih2.0 signalled that mass arrests are imminent.
"This means we are entering the era of arrests. Zunar has to be prepared. I also have to be prepared. May God bless me," he said to a round of applause and cheering from the audience.
Last week the police had called Samad to give a statement over hispoem recital during a Bersih 2.0 event. He is being investigated under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967 which is related to unlawful assembly.
Samad, a celebrated Malay poet and novelist, is no stranger to protest rallies, being one of the big names who joined the March 2009 mass gathering to protest the government's policy on the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI).
He was honoured as a national laureate, or Sasterawan Negara, in 1985.
The latest cartoon publication of Zunar (right) titled 'Even My Pen Has a Stand' is published by Kinibooks, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofMalaysiakini.
The book features a collection of his political cartoons which have appeared on the news portal from September 2010 to June 2011 as well as in Cartoonmovement.com, an international cartoon website.
During the book launch last night, Zunar reiterated he will continue to express his critical views against the powers-that-be through his cartoons.
"I'm very happy to attend my own book launch because last year I could not attend. This morning I told my wife to prepare things like a toothbrush for me to enter a detention centre," he quipped, sending his audience into guffaws.
Zunar, whose real name Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, was arrested on Sept 24 last year and was locked up for two days just hours before the launch of his penultimate cartoon book.
Prior to that, the government had also banned six of his cartoon books.
However Zunar will miss the July 9 rally as he will fly to Florida, US, today to receive the Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning from US-based Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI)
"This means we are entering the era of arrests. Zunar has to be prepared. I also have to be prepared. May God bless me," he said to a round of applause and cheering from the audience.
Last week the police had called Samad to give a statement over hispoem recital during a Bersih 2.0 event. He is being investigated under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967 which is related to unlawful assembly.
Samad, a celebrated Malay poet and novelist, is no stranger to protest rallies, being one of the big names who joined the March 2009 mass gathering to protest the government's policy on the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI).
He was honoured as a national laureate, or Sasterawan Negara, in 1985.
The latest cartoon publication of Zunar (right) titled 'Even My Pen Has a Stand' is published by Kinibooks, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofMalaysiakini.The book features a collection of his political cartoons which have appeared on the news portal from September 2010 to June 2011 as well as in Cartoonmovement.com, an international cartoon website.
During the book launch last night, Zunar reiterated he will continue to express his critical views against the powers-that-be through his cartoons.
"I'm very happy to attend my own book launch because last year I could not attend. This morning I told my wife to prepare things like a toothbrush for me to enter a detention centre," he quipped, sending his audience into guffaws.
Zunar, whose real name Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, was arrested on Sept 24 last year and was locked up for two days just hours before the launch of his penultimate cartoon book.
Prior to that, the government had also banned six of his cartoon books.
However Zunar will miss the July 9 rally as he will fly to Florida, US, today to receive the Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning from US-based Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI)
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