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Saturday, October 18, 2014

Quietly, free speech and ideas still flow at Penang’s Speaker’s Square

Senior citizens gather at the Speaker's Square at the Esplanade in Penang for a chat and to exchange views on current issues. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 18, 2014.Senior citizens gather at the Speaker's Square at the Esplanade in Penang for a chat and to exchange views on current issues. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 18, 2014.
First launched with great fanfare four years ago, the Speaker's Square in George Town, Penang, now attracts mostly senior citizens who meet to chat and enjoy the sea breeze.
The square at the Esplanade has seen its fair share of action and peaceful demonstrations which often turned rowdy – a sign, perhaps, that some Malaysians are still not matured enough to handle critical speech and freedom of expression.
A case in point was Sunday evening's ruckus when a right-wing Malay coalition stormed a peaceful demonstration against the Sedition Act.
They used a loud hailer to shout down Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) coordinator Ong Jin Cheng as he began his speech, and chased a British tourist couple who had arrived to watch the event, shouting obscenities at them and calling them "Jews".
This was the most recent action the square has seen in over a year, following a quiet spell as the novelty of its purpose fades, possibly along with overall political fatigue among voters.
Now, most evenings, if the weather is good, senior citizens, mostly in their 60s, gather at the Millennium Square, arriving at different times on their motorcycles which they park on the concrete stage. A handful are younger, in their 50s or 40s.
Politics and current issues are the mainstay topics as they take in the breeze and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing against the Esplanade's sea wall.
There were more than 10 people more than a week ago when The Malaysian Insider checked out the Speaker's Square, but nobody was making a speech that evening.
"People haven't been making speeches here since last year. There is no election coming," said a man in his 40s, as he fiddled with his smartphone to check lottery results online.
"Wait until the next general election is near. There will be people making speeches for sure... now it is more like a spot for seniors to sit and chat," he said.
The state government initiated the Speaker's Square in May 2010 to promote the freedom of speech. Activists welcomed the idea which piqued the public's curiosity.
The square is open every Wednesday and Sunday from 6pm to 9pm to anyone who wishes to speak. As expected, Sundays have always drawn a bigger crowd.
But why doesn't anyone give speeches any more?
An older man said: "Maybe people are afraid to speak their thoughts."
The Speaker's Square in Penang was set up to promote free speech. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 18, 2014.The Speaker's Square in Penang was set up to promote free speech. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 18, 2014.He wouldn't say why, but another man in his 60s alluded to the feeling of being intimidated when the square was used by unruly groups, or when peaceful events were hijacked by detractors.
"Some people get unreasonable and agitated when they do not like the criticism against the government," he said.
Prophetic words, indeed, ahead of Sunday's hostilities by Malay rights activists against GHAH supporters over the Sedition Act.
But enough has happened in the past to temper excitement about giving speeches in the open.
On February 26, 2012, the Speaker's Square hosted an anti-Lynas rally organised by Penang Suaram. The rally proceeded peacefully at first until it was disrupted by a group of people, allegedly from Umno and Perkasa.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who had given a speech at the rally, became the target. The group that stormed the event shouted obscenities at him and turned unruly. Lim had to be escorted from the venue for his safety.
At the same rally, two journalists were reportedly roughed up in the commotion.
Lim lodged a police report on the incident, in which he mentioned that the group of some 100 people had directed foul language, curse words and racial epithets at him upon his arrival at the Speaker's Square.
Lim wrote in his report: "The Umno and Perkasa members surged forward, aiming their fists at me, again using racist language and threatening words like 'you jaga' (you beware). If not for the members of the public who surrounded me, I believe they would have attacked me."
In March 2012, Malay NGOs organised the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu Pulau Pinang – a huge protest against the Pakatan Rakyat state government and Lim.
The protestors marched towards the Esplanade carrying banners and chanted slogans. Youths on motorcycles also circled the area while holding the flags of Barisan Nasional and the participating NGOs. Several state BN leaders also turned up.
Perkasa members allegedly disrupted another event on migrant rights in 2012 which was captured on a YouTube video.
Free speech, but quietly
Despite these unruly events, the Speaker's Square still has its regulars, said a man, who introduced himself as Peh.
He said they would meet at the square after work or dinner to discuss issues they had been reading about in the newspapers.
In this more low-key manner, ideas and views get exchanged, and debates are held. Perhaps, the purpose of a Speaker's Square is not lost after all.
"Most of them depend on newspapers for the latest information and news. A few of them like the younger ones read news from the Internet," said Peh.
"So they go to the square to share, discuss, and debate about the information they learned from different sources.
"They touch on local and national issues, and sometimes international issues too. Like the Islamic State (Isis) that everyone is talking about," he said, adding that recently one of those gathered at the square used his mobile phone to show the beheading of hostages by Isis terrorists to the older men who were not so Internet-savvy.
Peh said there were several people among the regulars who really knew their stuff, although the discussions were very casual and impromptu.
"They are well-informed and can articulate their views well over different issues and topics," he said.
Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik, when asked what he thought about the lack of activities at the square, did not rule out the possibility that people were refraining from making speeches because they felt intimidated.
"Some may fear that they will be assaulted if they gather at the square.
"This could be due to previous incidents involving Malay groups Perkasa and Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang.
"But the Speaker's Square is open to everyone, even BN supporters," he said.
Claiming their right to free speech however, the GMIPP justified their heckling and use of obscenities at the anti-Sedition Act protestors.
"We were also there on the basis of freedom of speech. We can also say what we want," GMIPP secretary-general Ahmad Yakuub Nazri had said.
Until more people understand that restraint, non-violence and respect for one's opponents are part of the right to free speech, the Speaker's Square may continue to see quieter gatherings and fewer and fewer speeches. 
- TMI

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