As our Muslim brothers- and sisters-in-struggle brace themselves for the bruising battles to come in the campaign for PRU 13, let us join them this Saturday night on hallowed ground as they reaffirm their faith in steeling themselves to face and overcome all obstacles in their fight for justice, freedom and democracy.
The PAS Kota Raja headquarters on Dragon Hill (Markas PAS KR Bukit Naga) was consecrated by the Reformasi gathering of a hundred thousand people on the Kesas Highway on 5 November 2000.
Barely a kilometer away is the Jalan Kebun bridge where tear gas was fired and water cannon unleashed on the leaders as they finished their speeches that historic day.
The huge demonstration of people power was a harbinger of greater gatherings to come – Bersih, Mansuh ISA, Air Hak Rakyat, Bersih 2.0, Bersih 3.0, culminating in the Himpunan Hijau ke Putrajaya series in each peninsular state paving the way for the mother of all demonstrations this January in and around Stadium Merdeka.
Each time, UMNO emptied their arsenal at unarmed people, but the spirit of the rakyat refused to be snuffed out by gas and smothered by water.
Unbowed, they marched on, and the futility of UMNO’s crass and cowardly ways was finally admitted during Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat when the guns and cannons fell silent on 12 January 2013.
Regards,
Oon Eng H
Hak & NGO JPrK Kota Raja
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