My Facebook looks busy due to various invitation to events related to the ongoing Kuala Lumpur Alternative Book Festival at the Central Market Annexe. Since there are people that actually took the effort to invite me via Facebook, I thought, I might as well give it a visit. Besides, I unfortunately decided not to go to Endau-Rompin with my fellow hikers in the Nature Society. So, my weekends were empty and attending the book fest would be a good way to fill it.

The KLAB, as people are calling it, sells mostly local publications. More importantly, it is held in conjunctions of World Press Freedom Day. But who cares for all that. I was there for the chicks.

My first stop was the Center for Independent Journalism’s exhibition. Guess what are they bitching about? No idea? Let me give you a clue:

Biased MSM.

There was a talk associated with that and Jacky Ann Surin was one of the speakers. She basically repeated her presentation at BUM which was held earlier on Thursday. Oh, didn’t I tell you that I attended the second BUM on Thursday?

The other speaker was Zainon Ahmad, the editor at The Sun.

Next, Faisal launched a BERSIH coffee table book.

I took a lot of shots at the BERSIH rally (here and here as well) and Faisal for some reason like one of it. So, one of my photos is featured in the book and because of that, I got a complementary book. Hurrah!

General scene early on.

Then, it was Farish Noor’s public lecture #2.

Farish: I’M MACHO. LOOK AT ME! ROAR!

OMG! The girl in red is CUTE!

I’ve heard of flash mob before but I had never seen it, until today. The objective: to express displeasure against the mainstream media. Just by luck, Mr. Haris Ibrahim is running a cyber-campaign to boycott the mainstream paper. Coincidence?

Hmm….

In between Mr. Haris’ encouragement for a boycott, a stranger posted something about having a flash mob on Mr. Haris’ blog. Mr. Haris wasted no time to publicize it and that was how I found out about the flash mob planned at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers.

And having little to do on that day, I decided to check it out.

At 15:00, the scene was typical of a Malaysian shopping complex. People moving around, doing their own business.

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Okay.

I felt bad that KL Metblogs lacks photos of the Bersih rally despite the fact that I was there. Here is the chance for me to redeem myself before everything goes haywire as Sunday succumbs to Monday, when work overwhelms any other interests.

Here at Metblogs, there was a comment that tried to spread disinformation, claiming the rally had been postponed due to the absence of the King. I withheld that comments and only published them after the rally took place, hoping to limit the effect of the disinformation. According to others, the same SMS was widely distributed among the city folks as well as those from outside the city. Several versions are known to exist but most amusing was this: the King sent the SMS himself. LOL!

A number of photos taken from my blog (of before and during the rally) have been posted in Metroblogging Kuala Lumpur group at Flickr. I won’t repost the same photos here and since I managed nearly 300 shots, I plan to share other photos. Well, okay, some of the photos will be repeated due to the fact that it complements the story but I promise, most photos here have not been published elsewhere on the internet.

The first shot describes the scene just outside the Masjid Jamek station. Situation appeared normal…

…and people could be seen walking merrily, minding their own business…

… and it would indeed be normal if it wasn’t for the large riot police presence. Yes, the police knew about the large rally that demanded for free and fair election.
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let’s have a minute of silence for eight-year-old nurin who found dead last week…who was tortured, raped and murdered…although i am a non-malay…but i felt pityful for her family though…i felt that it is very disappointed towards the government for letting thiss happened to the young child…
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It has been a sad week for Kuala Lumpur. A little girl, Nurin reported kidnapped several weeks earlier was found stuffed inside a bag just two days ago, dead after being molested and rape mercilessly. The New Straits Times published a shocking picture of the kid on its front page later. I’m unsure if the posting of the terrible picture was necessary but it had its effect on the public. It emotionally moved the masses.
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I’m not quite a fan of big concerts and I didn’t know that Gwen Stefani is coming down to Kuala Lumpur to perform live.

I only found out about it when a group of easily offended people with self-absorbed sensibility protested the concert and threatened (wooo, I’m scared already…) to demand the local authority to intervene if the organizer — Maxis Communication — of the concert does not canceled the show.
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News of Nat’s detention and the subsequent 4-day remand has hit the mainstream media today. The Star reports that his arrest is related to “police case files on detainees or suspects investigated under the Emergency Ordinance.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information bureau staff Nathaniel Tan, 27, has been remanded for four days under the Official secrets Act (OSA).

Tan, who is also secretary of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Foundation for Future, is believed to been remanded under the Section 8 of the OSA over allegations that he had documents linked to Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharom’s alleged involvement in corruption. [Nathaniel Tan remanded for four days under OSA. The Star. July 14 2007]

Initially, the Star reported that the arrest is “believed to be in connection with a doctored picture of Deputy Prime Minister which was posted on the Internet.”

PETALING JAYA: An aide of Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was arrested, believed to be in connection with a doctored picture of Deputy Prime Minister which was posted on the Internet. [Anwar’s aide held over doctored DPM pictures. The Star. July 14 2007]

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Photo from flickr.com by moroiu.

Possibly aware that they have to make some noise in parliament to boost support for the looming general election, two MPs slammed the Youth and Sports Ministry for allowing ’scantily’ clad sexy models in the Super GT Grand Prix held in Malaysia.

But it’s the reply that takes the cake.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Youth and Sports Ministry S. Vigneswaran said the models did not wear swim suits but were attired in hot pants.

Photo from flickr.com by akbar1947.

KUALA LUMPUR (SUN - Jun 17, 2007): The freedom given to the press and political parties is not to be abused, said Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin.

“It is not the Prime Minister’s intention to allow the freedom to be breached and for questions to be raised on the fundamental rights of Malaysians under our social contract,” he said yesterday.

“It (freedom) was also not granted to the media to raise sensitive issues relating to religion and the rights of any particular race.”

More @ The Star.

Meanwhile, there may be stealth attempts to suppress freedom of speech by censoring the internet. Read Access blocked is access denied by StarOnline editor, Raslan Sharif.

Words may have different meanings. And some may be misleading, especially the acronym for the city’s RM1.9bil (USD543mil) Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel — SMART.

Among the definitions for ’smart’ as an adjective in Dictionary.com are:

7. quick or prompt in action, as persons.
8. having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability: a smart student.

Hence, when it rained last Sunday (Jun 11), we didn’t really expect this

A main road in the heart of the city, Jalan Sultan Ismail, submerged. In the background is the city’s signature skyscraper, the Petronas Twin Towers.
Photo by GLENN GUAN/The Star on flickr.com.
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