Saturday, July 2, 2011

BERSIH AND THE ROLE OF THE ARMY

As July 9th draws near, my heart begins to throb and pound much louder. I am then reminded of some frightful and threatening rhetoric’s made by some leaders and including the police that there are expecting the worse (including bloodshed I presume) during the Bersih rally. The police have ceased to have any more discussions with the organizers’ of Bersih. Bersih has now become a dirty word, even dirtier than the sex-video episode brought about by the famous Datuk Trio. Now even wearing anything yellow is deemed an offence that threatens national security. This is 1 Malaysia at its funniest, and is the police suggesting that being naked is safer than wearing a yellow T Shirt? I thought red is more dangerous because it represents the communist colour, whereas yellow is representative of the royalty.

Visions of the horrendous May 13, 1969 racial rioting comes to my mind; like a rewind to some old horrid and frightening ghost stories. Some Malay NGOs are even ‘sharpening the keris’ and pledging to deploy their warriors all readied and geared for the fiercest battle of their lives. And I have not heard of any Chinese Kung Fu experts or the Indian wrestling groups announcing their participation in the rally. I suppose the Malay warriors will be wearing black like their cousins; the Japanese Ninjas. If I may ask, who are these Malay warriors going to fight with? And who is the Field Marshal to lead the warriors? Will it be the pot bellied miscreant Field Marshal Ibrahim Ali? And to Field Marshal Ibrahim Ali………..I doubt your fitness, so please have the Bulan Sabit Merah ambulance to accompany you because you will faint even before you can start walking, and do not leave your brains behind.

I believe orders (hopefully not from Minister Hishamuddin Hussein) are out for the military to be prepared for deployment; should serious and uncontrollable rioting breaks out during the rally. I am firmly against the use of the military, and they ought to be steadfast in remaining neutral. The police have enough resources, and after all it is their primary responsibility to ‘battle’ a public order situation. The military today is not geared nor equipped for Public Order. In the days gone by, we even had a camera to be used for public order in the ‘equipment table’ in all infantry units. Today, that item is out, and along with it, the gas musk, the stretcher and the banner. Even the Public Order Manual is today a museum piece.

I clearly remembered in 1997 when all Police Field Force units were withdrawn from manning the coastal areas of the country against the entry of Indonesian illegal immigrants, only to be replaced by army units. I think the reason for this change of deployment is to allow more police resources to perform policing duties. As the Chief of Staff of the Army Field Command then, I wasn’t happy with this change of deployment as this will reduce the army’s role to one of a static observatory role that is best suited for the territorial’s or para military forces. And anyway, stopping illegal immigrants surely is neither the primary nor a secondary role of the army. And 13 years later, I am told that this deployment is still being undertaken by the regular forces of the army.

Now, the army is told to be ready for deployment for public order duties. What next? Guarding the homes of our VVIP’s?

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

13 comments:

johnnie lim said...

what has become of our beloved country?
it is not about preventing a riot,because Bersih is not out to create trouble but merely to pass a message to ask for a fair election among other things. but apparently the goverment is in panick mode just trying to find an excuse to cling on to power. wonder are there any good men in the police force or army anymore?

maurice said...

Dato,

The POMAN is not a museum piece! It is a compulsory subject in the Lt-Capt and Capt-Maj Promotion Exams besides Military Law, Administration & Morale, Military Organization and Tactics & Military History.Without mastering the POMAN a Lt cannot be promoted to a Capt and a Capt cannot be promoted to a Major.It is a much sought-after manual for Army officers wishing to advance in their careers.So how can it be a museum piece?

Of course I too would not want the Army to be involved in public order situations for it is not their main task.But as a citizen I expect the Government to use all its existing resources to protect the lives and property of its citizens when they are put at jeopardy.

By the way as per the Public Order Ordinance, the CDF does not take orders from any minister for military deployment instead he makes his own military decision when he receives the Request for Military Assistance from the IGP.

komando said...

You bet your bottom dollar everything has been planned and rehearsed weeks and months prior to this my kawan!

Whatever you are saying....
Do not try and fool others, maybe ONLY some will believe you, not many would!

You should know better....!

hussin said...

on 28 jun 11, i confronted an arty regiment convoys near seremban possibly on exercise possibly an excuse to coincide with 9th july for quick deployment.

this evening, police trainees from 'pulapol langkawi' stitched on their uniforms were sighted in the same general area moving around in public. for what if not 'show of force'? coincidence again?

mask topeng said...

Dato', i feel like hanging myself on a taugeh tree after reading these:

"Perdana Menteri berkata, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) adalah barisan pertama pertahanan negara manakala Askar Wataniah, barisan kedua. Pengamal dan ahli silat seni gayong boleh dianggap sebagai barisan ketiga pertahanan negara yang sanggup berkorban dan menyumbang untuk mempertahankan kedaulatan negara jika diserang musuh".

Barisan ketiga pertahanan negara, sanggup mempertahankan kedaulatan negara jika diserang musuh??? I donno Dato', please elaborate on these...

And he said musuh...who is the musuh???? I am still having sleepless nights thinking who is the musuh... Must be the LANUNS...

hussin said...

komando,

is maurice planted? my gut feelings say so...

maurice said...

Planted or pollinated is not the issue here.

Everyone is free to express his view on this blog.

Readers are too intelligent to be taken for a ride.It is up to them to evaluate the comments made in this blog.

I will continue to contribute as I feel readers need to be informed the facts from the other side of the coin.

Let's discourse with dignity and respect to each other individual's right of expression in this blog.

hussin said...

this is what umno's malaysia negara islam is all about. mahathir kencing melayu umno!

http://hanief.blogspot.com/2011/07/yahudi-masuk-malaysia-mahathir.html

komando said...

Husin, lets not worry who is planted or otherwise, we are here to say our piece as we feel!
We are not saying things out od the blues....we are basing on facts on the ground and what others feel too!
But some are too shy to voice out their opinion for reasons they themselves knows best.
This is our country,we are the real stake holders and we want this country to prosper not DISINTEGRATE into a rubbish-land!
We know this is BOLEH-LAND & BODOH-LAND !
THEY HAVE PROVEN TO US!

apek ironside said...

IGP request direct to PAT? main golf bolehlah...don play play with deploying His Majesty armed forces troops..

don forget the role of majlis keselamatan negara, the committee should suggest to DYMM to get the consent first before declaring emergency....if failed means troops no go, still go means treason....this protocol also stated in Ketenteraman Awam mah, aiya...cincai cincai request direct jadi civil war nanti...

hussin said...

"planted" as to divert people from the main issue. the justification will always be to inform facts from the other side of the coin. so much so people tend to forgets the fact that a coin is coin.

Capt Sudhir said...

This is why the Constitution must be made compulsory subject in all Military colleges. If Even officers don't get the basics right, what will become of the Quality of Military Leadership.

A declaration of Emergency by the YDPA doesn't require the Armed forces to act in anyways unless there is real threat to the Sovereignty of the Nation. The Armed forces role is to protect the Sovereignty of the Nation not policing the streets.

Ministers who don't understand this need to be sent for coaching on the Constitution as well.

BTN should be doing this instead of carrying out ideological(political) brainwashing of civil servants.

Davy Jones Locker said...

Dato'
Please allow me to publish your article in my FB. I'm great fan of General Sudirman -ABRI and his school of thought.

Navy pencen