Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Update (2)
August 8, 2007
I apologise for the delay in posting this update.
Your organising team ( Farida, Jayanath, Ben, Bernard, Tony and myself ) met last Friday.
It was unanimously decided that our event is not intended to be in competition with any official function that is being planned by the authorities.
Also, bearing in mind that people may be planning to take advantage of the long weekend over the 31st August weekend, we opted to avoid that weekend to hold our event.
We have therefore scheduled the Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka get-together for the evening of 25th August, 2007.
Venue : Blog House, Damasara, KL.
The organising team is presently trying to get the best possible price from food caterers and tent rental companies so as to keep the price-per-head as low as possible. If anyone out there is engaged in either one of these businesses and wishes to offer your services at cost, we would be happy to hear from you through thepeoplesparliament@gmail.com
Give us a few more days to work out details after which I will put up a further post inviting attendance to the
MERDEKA GET-TOGETHER
August 8, 2007 at 7:28 pm
great to hear some updates was planning and went to take some time off and probably have a first meet with some bloggers as I’m in Kuala Lumpur. Hmm, do let us all know once everything is final. Take care and good luck on all your efforts!!!
Wish I was in Kl at times like these so I can lend more than just support.
August 8, 2007 at 10:25 pm
lulu’s excited!
August 9, 2007 at 12:27 am
i will be there. like i said, may be you should invite Raja Nazrin.
August 9, 2007 at 12:52 am
[...] it’s now official that the Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka get-together will be held on the weekend before the Merdeka Day! [...]
August 9, 2007 at 7:51 am
It is okay to try to avoid the long weekend; that is a logistic issue. But sorry to say, the event must nevertheless be seen, perceived and taken as an alternative to the one written, produced and directed by the powers that be. Let’s not fall into the same trap of surrendering the rights of ordinary Malaysians. In this case, the right to determine how our independence is to be celebrated and the historical social contract upon which the birth of the nation was based. Forgive my ignorance of Blog House but nothing short of historic relevance should dictate the choice of venue. Food is irrelevant to this occasion. We can come together before or after dinner. The main thing is Malaysians who believe in Bangsa Malaysia will have a chance to meet one another irrespective of ethnic origin or religious affiliation.
August 9, 2007 at 9:56 am
Thank you for the update. Though I do not know where Blog House is ………i shall be there
Full details in the next posting on the event. Looking forward to meeting
August 9, 2007 at 10:23 am
Great….although lving not too far from Damansara….but where on earth is Blog House? so how do we confirm our attendance or pay up or whatever?
Full details in the next post. About the wager, shall we say the 25th is the cut off date. Single malt?
August 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm
coming from singapore. 90% chance i will be there.
invite raja nazrin? good idea! let’s see the cops deny his highness a permit.
http://ghostline.wordpress.com
Ghostline, why only 90%?
Raja Nazrin? Banyak protocol, lah.
Police permit? No worries, the way this is being planned, no permit required.
See you on the 25th
August 9, 2007 at 1:21 pm
hey haris wanted to tell you that I spoke to a bunch of bloggers who used to join bloggers meets and has stopped because the person states that most of this blog meets are very political and the bloggers often try to push their ideas on to you and expect you to blog like them instead of what they usually blog on…etc..What do you think about this and hope it affects blog meets?
Hi, if this is in reference to our get-together on 25th August, let’s get one thing clear.
This is not a bloggers meet.
This is a chance for many of us who have interacted through cyberspace and share a common concern about our country to meet and, if possible, to discover the spirit of 57.
If I have misunderstood the question and it refers to bloggers meets generally, perhaps we can talk about this rather than thru this comments section
August 9, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I have to attend a 3-day confrence in Melaka that will only end on the 25th. I will definitely try to rush down to KL earlier for the get-together. I agree that this this should be a BANGSA MALAYSIA get together – people of all origins, shedding their tribal thinking and with one common goal of uniting as one. Like I mentioned earlier, we may even make history, only if we dare to dream.
Legit, please join us, however late you make it back from Malacca.
August 9, 2007 at 3:18 pm
haris, i’m working on the remaining 10%
August 9, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Hi Haris,
Going by what cherwith has pointed out, there is no gurantee that it would end up with some guys who may be active in blogs, writing and commenting, dominating the gathering with their viewpoints. But it should not stop us from gathering and share moment like this about our aspiration to shed our prejudices and to try to move ahead in forging our national identity through unity in diversity, respecting one another, toleranting dissent, upholding justice through rule of law and building social justice for all.
On a lighter note, I suppose it is everybody’s wishful thinking to have Raja Nazrin breaking protocol to join in the gathering with everyone present in a relax manner. Not that this had never happen…there was a Sultan of Melaka who did that by going round incognito among his people back in the old days, right? Anyway, like I said it is everyone’s wishful thinking and hope for a better future for Malaysia.
Raja Nazrin, if you are reading this, wanna give a go?
Regards
August 9, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Oh…for everyone’s info, I have never attended any blogosphere real-life gathering thus far due to a new and young family commitment. But in the future, will attempt to accomodate time to be acquinted with all the Malaysian blog’s “taikos” and “superstars” writer and commenters.
Cheers
August 9, 2007 at 4:52 pm
No haris isn’t not about this event of course
I’m talking in general. Just spoke to some bloggers so I was just wondering your opinion on this matter. I frankly told this person that anywhere you go,you will find those who will force their ideas on to you, you just have to know when to switch off and when to switch on.Ya we shall talk about this further when we meet k.Jangan mareh ye?
No worries
August 9, 2007 at 4:53 pm
SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA…sorry haris…x dpt akak nak join…hope sumday!!
Let’s hope this is the first of many more.
Yes, someday
August 9, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Hi twotablet, sorry there wont be any “taikos” and “superstars” at the do, only Bangsa Malaysians. But who knows on that day, Raja Nazrin might just walk in and say ‘hello’ to you. Glad to have you on board.
August 10, 2007 at 9:04 am
Hi Bangsa Malaysia, I am trying to organize a bus load of us from JB to KL just for this. So please help pass the word around.
We can no longer sit and wait for things to happen. 50 years of hoping and frustration is enough to tell us that the slide will continue if we do not sow the seeds of love. Your platform and efforts to unite us is admirable and should be supported. No “ifs” or “buts”, otherwise we should just suck up whatever nonsense dished out to us.
What we want is to live as Malaysians united in our diversity and mutual respect. I see this happening “if not now, when? If not us, then who?”
August 10, 2007 at 9:32 am
Can chicken feet come in kakiayam fashion? Will there be lots of ladies in high heels?
my knees goes weak with ladies in high heels around… i have been stepped on one too many…
good day…
August 10, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Yes Ben, I am really proud of you. I deeply share the same sentiment and spirit as you. I remember as a child, during May 13 of ‘69 agonising in the house during those long endless 24 hour curfews and seeing mobs with broken bottles and parangs outside. God, I promised myself that one day all this will change, must change. We did not achieve Merdeka to end up like this. I think the winds of change has come. For 50 years, we have been duped by self-serving racist politicians. There certainly HOPE now for this beloved nation and Bangsa Malaysia cos with outstanding and enlightened individuals like Haris and his team, HRH Raja Nazrin who have truly set the true spirit of ‘57 aflame. In solidarity with you and all like-minded Bangsa Malaysians.
August 10, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Hi Haris,
My colleague likes to relate an amusing anecdote about Mahatma Gandhi’s civil resistance campaign for Indian Independence, which I think is relevant to our BMM gathering. The story may or may not be an urban legend, but it is instructive and amusing nonetheless.
One of Gandhi’s favourite methods was to call for a peaceful stop-work protest, and his influence was such that the city ground to a virtual standstill every time one of these protests was on. Exasperated, the government sent policemen to the ashram to arrest Gandhi for inciting the strikes.
When Gandhi inquired into the charges which the government wished to place against him, the officer said, “You, sir, are charged with illegally instigating a strike.”
Gandhi beamed benevolently at the officer and said,
“No, Sir, I never called for a strike; I merely called on my fellow citizens to join me… in a day of prayer and fasting.”