Rumah Anak Teater, Street Theater: RAGUT

I cut it off during the embedded heckler intervention — nice touch to the skit. Shame I didn’t record it until the end.

I got a problem uploading HD file on youtube and vimeo only have 500 MB limit per week. I try to reduce the 1080p to 640, but it got blocky artifacts even with 5000 bit rate. Exporting to 720p turns out decent.

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Raw upload, no colour grading.

Shot with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, wide open f/2.0 with Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM, 29.97fps, 1/30 s, ISO 1600.

Mounted on Manfrotto monopod. Internal microphone.

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Here’s Malaysiakini viceo clip, that captured the ending of the skit.

BERSIH Yellow Rally

It’s 3:05pm, the FRU already fired water cannon and tear gas at the peace rally at Masjid Jamek and thousands march on to Istana Negara, despite the heavy downpour and the government blockade.

Malaysiakini – Live reports: The BERSIH rally
2.50pm: 10,000 who are at the Masjid Negara have begun marching to Istana Negara. They split into two groups using two different routes.

Malaysiakini and BERSIH server is having high traffic volume, making it hard to access the website. Jeff Ooi wears Yellow, and so is Ahiruddin Atan. Malaysia Today got a new URL: http://www.m2day.org or m2day.org

Here’s a still image collage of Dataran Merdeka from 2:35pm to 3:31pm on 10th November 2007, today (taken from Kuala Lumpur City Hall Urban Transportation Department website):

Traffic location : Persimpangan Jalan Tun Perak/Jalan Raja (Dataran Merdeka)

There’s a fleet of FRU convoy along Jalan Raja. Ironically at 3:16pm still image, Bukit Aman Police Headquarter is in full view — towering menacingly — as if the Big Brother camera needs to remind us the Orwellian state we live in.

UPDATE:

Malaysiakini’s visualisation on BERSIH’s mass protest (3:15pm-4.22pm)

3.20pm: A Bersih delegation, which include Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang from DAP and PAS president Hadi Awang, is waiting about 100 metres outside the Istana Negara. The 40,000 crowd are on the highway and are being held back by riot police 200 metres from Istana Negara.

4.00pm: The Bersih delegation led by Anwar Ibrahim handed the memorandum to the King’s secretary at the gate of the Istana Negara. Anwar is accompanied by PAS’ Hadi Awang and Nasharuddin Mat Isa and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng. The organisers are asking the 40,000-strong crowd to disperse.

Another collection of still image at the surrounding area of Jalan Damansara/Jalan Tun Sambathan (near Istana Negara) can be found here:

There’s Light (Justice) at the End of the Tunnel (Torment)

Malaysiakini: ISA detainee gets RM2.5 million

Ex-ISA detainee Abdul Malek Hussin today won his legal suit against the government over his arrest and torture in 1998, and was awarded RM2.5 million in damages.

Malaysian activist wins landmark case against government over police torture

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Malaysian political activist who claimed he was tortured in police custody won 2.5 million ringgit (US$740,000; €520,000) in damages from the government Thursday in a landmark court verdict, lawyers and human rights groups said.

Abdul Malek Hussin, a former key supporter of opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, alleged he was beaten unconscious, stripped naked and forced to drink urine while being held without trial for nearly two months in 1998 after participating in anti-government protests.

He sued the government in 1999, demanding 30 million ringgit (US$8.8 million; €6.2 million) in damages for human rights violations during his detention under the Internal Security Act, which allows authorities to indefinitely detain people considered to be security threats.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday ruled that Abdul Malek’s detention was unlawful, and that his allegations of assault were true, based on medical reports and contradictions in the testimony of police witnesses, said Abdul Malek’s lawyer, Sivarasa Rasiah.

Now, what stopping [you]?

I’m such a fool—an ancient Mariner. Plague by the atrocities of humanity, subjectively to my mind and flesh, by proxy and by attachment of bond to the person (A. Nikita) subjugate by the Bitch, Sultanah Zanariah. I’m a romantic fool, believing that justice could prevail within the system, knowing well that they are above the system. Inside raging with hatred, outside indispose with craven gumption to initiate anarchy. Human Law can’t provide justice to me and her. Death warrant befalls to whom that speaks of truth. This isn’t law, this is tyranny. And that tyranny affects a few, so few perhaps to warrant your judgment and sympathy. I don’t anticipate a clamour of empathy; those only a fleeting righteous anger. Anger can’t uphold justice and justice is quiet non-existence to affect the monarch. There is always a question of national pride, cultural sensitivity and corruption of justice running errands running errant. Why bother. Go for the jugular if you’re sincere enough to justify your tiresome tirade.

They said to overthrow an oppressive monarch is sanctioned by law and humanity.

“Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah.”

Poetic, but the word itself does not reflect justly for the poetic justice aspired.

“Permaisuri raja berurap-urapan,
Baju manikam, berhati sekam;
Mengail berumpan, berkata bertipuan,
Rakyat tertawan, sultanah [zalim] bergurindam.”

It’s already 5 years since they tormented [you]. Forever, in their den of oblivion — unknown by the public.

They analyse [you], re-evaluate the psychiatric assessment with prognosis of insanity, in order to keep [you] from blowing the whistle.

They kept [you] hidden under the pretext of medical attention and security.

They‘re afraid of [you].

I’m used to be the voice of [your] suffering.

Use it.