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Contributed by Aston Philip Paiva, with photos by Lim Kar Mern

Seremban, Friday 1 May 2009:  What felt like possibly the hottest day of the year saw a gathering of Malaysians at Dataran Seremban to commemorate May Day to witness the message of Malaysia’s Workers.  As in the previous year , the Bar Council Human Rights Committee was requested to send a monitoring team to observe the annual May Day rally. 

The event was planned and organised by the 1st May Committee comprising JERIT (Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas), PSM (Parti Sosialis Malaysia) and a number of other organisations.  Owing to the recent economic slump that has hit the world and affected Malaysia, the theme for this year’s May Day rally was “Krisis Ekonomi: Selamatkan Pekerja Bukan Kroni” or its English equivalent, “Economic Crisis: Save The Workers, Not The Cronies”

Traffic was calm and the sun was beginning to illuminate the sleepy Friday morning as people converged at the centre square of Dataran Seremban at 10 a.m.  A host of men and women of all ages, races and faiths assembled peacefully carrying placards that highlighted the plight of the working class in Malaysia as well as the reforms being demanded.  As minutes passed, hundreds more people poured in, creating an active and lively congregation that was focused and determined in their calls for social justice.  

The demands made essentially revolved around the loss of jobs and wages as a result of the recent economic downturn.  The rally sought to increase awareness of these issues and to demand that the Government reach out to Malaysian workers – the backbone of our country – by setting up a retrenchment fund for workers who have been laid off, offering a stimulus package for projects to help the unemployed, and negotiating with financial institutions to restructure loans and mortgages of workers to ease their financial burden.

At about 11 a.m., a number of representatives from the plantation workers committee, the factory workers committee and the urban settlers committee addressed the public and detailed the hardships they are facing as a result of the recession.  They urged the Government to provide adequate relief in helping them to cope with their current situation.  The rally was also graced by Teeja, the Orang Asal coalition’s representative, who highlighted the marginalisation suffered by the indigenous communities in Malaysia, including the lack of basic amenities and the denial of education for their children. 

The organisers performed a sketch to re-enact the history of May Day and the struggles of the early workers’ movements towards establishing fair and just working conditions for all.  Throughout the rally, all three languages –Malay, Mandarin and Tamil – were used to communicate the message forward in an inclusive manner.

The approximately 500 attendees conducted themselves peaceably and respectfully, in line with what we expect from a mature, democratic and united nation.  They listened attentively when they were addressed, refrained from engaging in anything that might affect public order and gave their fullest support and encouragement for each other’s cause.  There was also minimal police presence and no interruption to the rally.

However, the police had disallowed the organisers from holding a one-kilometre procession through the streets of Seremban before the rally.  The police permit was only granted for the gathering to be held in a single area.  When queried about the matter, Seremban police chief ACP Saiful Azly Kamaruddin commented that the procession was denied as it might affect public roads causing disruption to the city’s traffic flow.  ACP Saiful also added that interruption to public life by such a procession might also give the public a negative perception of the rally’s organisers.


The event also saw the attendance of several State Assemblypersons (ADUN) and Members of Parliament (MP), including Dr. Nasir Hashim (Kota Damansara ADUN), John Fernandez (Seremban MP), Arumugam Karuppan (Rahang ADUN) and Loke Siew Fook (Rasah MP).

At 11.20 a.m., an 18-point Declaration was read detailing all the requests made by the people gathered at the rally.  Among the requests was a call to repeal draconian and repressive laws such as the Internal Security Act 1970, Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Emergency Ordinance, and a demand for a more credible, transparent and corruption-free Government.  The reading was accompanied by a listing of all 89 groups that have endorsed the Declaration.


At 11.30 a.m., under a blistering sun, the event came to a close with the singing of the Workers Song.  The crowd then dispersed quietly and peacefully after the song and a press conference, which saw a number of politicians giving their views in relation to workers’ rights and the Government.   

The Bar Council Human Rights Committee was represented by Dara Waheda Mohd Rufin, Pushpanathan Sellam, Suzana Norlihan Alias, Lim Kar Mern, Siti Zabedah Kasim and Aston Philip Paiva.