Hartal ISA at PWTC : Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Got to the meeting point at the Mall just before 11am and almost immediately realised that the plan to stand in a row at the entrance as the diplomats and dignitaries arrived would not work as we were informed that they would drive up straight to the 4th floor.

The plan would have to be re-worked. And this might have to take on board the Hindraf group that we were informed would be arriving as well.

Soon people started to show up.

11.25am, and with about 25-30 people assembled and a new plan hatched, we started out for PWTC, encountering groups of Hindraf members along the way.

As we reached the entrance to PWTC, it became clear that if we were going to pull off the new plan, which was to get into the open house and deliver a message to Pak Lah, we’d have to clear the usual hurdle.

The men in blue!

Cops said we could not enter because of the T-shirts we were wearing.

Amarjit, Visu and I started to negotiate with the cops.

We asked what law made it unlawful for us to enter dressed as we were.

They replied that they were acting under instructions.

Amarjit then insisted that the explanation was not good enough and that we were going to enter and they could arrest us if they wanted.

Cops then asked for our co-operation as they were only doing their job.

We replied that we were also only doing our duty, trying to get our fellow Malaysians freed from unlawful detention.

Did not get us anywhere.

We offered to turn the T-shirts inside out.

No dice.

We offered to take off the T-shirts and enter bare bodied.

No dice.

Cops then said they would revert to their higher ups for further instructions.

Whilst all this was going on, who do we chance on?

The Chinese cop who earned Zorro’s wrath at the candle light vigil last Saturday!

See the arm on the cop’s left shoulder?

That’s Zorro’s!

Seems they kissed and made up!

Okay, okay, just kidding, Zorro. There was no kissing!

As these negotiations were going on, the Hartal ISA group were mulling about, blocking the entrance and simply making that passage impassable to others wanting to get in.

Cops tried to get around this by opening a second line to allow those ‘properly attired’ in.

However, some of us started to complain loudly that foreigners were being allowed in whilst we citizens were being excluded. Others took the opportunity to ask those going in to inform Pak Lah that he should release all ISA detainees immediately.

When Hindraf members tried to get in, they too were told that they could not enter for the same reasons.

Politically incorrect attire.

I’m not sure when, but some time later, Hindraf ran into a spot of bother with the cops when the latter tore a card that Hindraf intended to present to Pak Lah. You can read about this in Malaysiakini.

Cops now came back with their latest instructions. we would be let in, but we were to enter in small groups of three.

Whatever lah! We were getting in!

And Hindraf as well!

The queue to what we thought was the hall where we would meet Pak Lah took forever.

This is the first time I’m attending one of these open houses and, quite honestly, I am amazed that Malaysians actually bother to attend these dos!

Finally after inching our way to the front door of the hall that we were to enter, we were told to wait again.

What seemed strange then and made sense later was that the only ones waiting here were the Hindraf group and the Hartal ISA group.

Seemed almost like we had been isolated from the other attendees.

Took the opportunity to chat with the Hindraf folk. Found out that some came from Penang, Perak, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Johore. Their numbers : about 500.

Finally, the doors to the hall open and we entered into the eating hall, realising immediately that we’d been had.

Pak Lah was not here and he would not be here.

Some enquiries and we’re told that Pak Lah’s on the fourth floor where the VVIPs and VIPs are being hosted.

Quick pow-wow.

We decide that we will try to find our way up to the fourth floor through the various exits.

Michael, Surind and I try to make our way through some doors that were not supposed to be used and are pounced on by the cops who appeared exasperated with us.

‘We’re trying to find our way out’, we explained, with the most innocent of expressions we could put on.

The cops weren’t buying this.

We were finally escorted to the stairs that led us to the basement carpark.

Outside, we discover that everyone finally ended up outside.

We re-grouped.

By now, it was almost 2pm.

Consensus : let’s go in again and try to make our way to the fourth floor.

Here goes round two!

Once inside, we discover that there is a staircase and a lift that goes up to the fourth floor.

We decide to split into two groups, one taking the lift and the other the stairs, in the hope that at least one will make it.

I’m up several flights of stairs with others.

Then we see it. Almost there!

And the entrance to the VVIP hall.

Guards try to stop the crowd but can’t.

We’re in.

We run into a blockade of guards. About ten feet away, Psk Lah and his entourage are receiving guests.

This next photo was taken as I snuck around the blockade during the melee.

Only to run into some rather unfriendly looking minders!

Others also managed to get in. We were now told that we would have to queue to salam with Pak Lah and Co.

No problem. We’ll queue.

First amongst us to get to Pak Lah was Visu.

And he had a gift for Pak Lah, from RPK and Marina.

I was next.

Pak Lah and I had briefly spoken at the MCCBCHST dinner in August and he must have remembered.

As we shook hands he exclaimed, ‘Hi, how are you?’.

I responded : ‘Dato Seri, please release all the ISA detainees immediately. Please, please, please’. Andrew Ong of Malaysiakini got the account of this wrong.

All the others in the group also asked the same thing : free all the ISA detainees.

Like everyone else, I too declined to shake hands with the other ministers in attendance.

All of us declined refreshments that were being served.

Mission accomplished.

I leave you with this group photo taken before we left the hall.

Penangites, don’t forget 4th October.

Posted in: People Power