Quo vadis, 1Malaysia? Whilst waiting for multiple street protests to erupt, a mobile riot police truck stands by at Dataran Merdeka here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ostensibly, the scheduled demonstrations were aimed against the Internal Security Act (ISA), which permits indefinite detention without trial. The demonstration came in a month before the nation's Independence Day celebration, which bore the theme 1Malaysia, as coined by the Prime Minister of Malaysia himself. However, beneath the surface, it was also a show of strength by the opposition Islamist party, PAS, against a right-wing 'independent' parliamentary member who supported the retention of ISA and had had organized a counter-demonstration on the same day that fizzled out before it even began. Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the MP in question, used the former as a launching pad for his political career after being booted out from the right-wing ruling party, UMNO. Photographed for posterity on August 1, 2009.
You know the day destroys the nightNight divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah
Break On Through (To The Other Side) by The Doors
With linked arms and an eye on the riot police, sight unseen to the right, members of Unit Amal Malaysia, seen here wearing red matching polo shirts, shepherd countless protesting citizens at Masjid Jamek here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taken on August 1, 2009, multiple protests erupts throughout Kuala Lumpur against the Internal Security Act, ISA, which permits indefinite detention without trial. An hour earlier, two women were arrested for distributing the RedBook pamphlet, issued by the Malaysian Bar Council, which explains the basic rights of citizens and police power. The Malaysian Bar Council sent observers to all protest sites. One of the said observers attempted to secure the liberty of the aforesaid women, without success.
An estimated 10,000 strong crowd congregates at Jalan Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in multiple street demonstrations against the Internal Security Act, or popularly known as ISA. In an attempt to reach the National Palace, the mass rally moves against the traffic by turning into Jalan Raja Laut. Fifteen minutes later, the police responds with a water cannon truck and barrages of tear-gas followed by a phalanx of riot police bearing batons and shields. Taken on a hazy afternoon of August 1, 2009.
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