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May Day celebration Malaysia - Together we shall restore humanity

Malaysian Socialist Party Statement - May 1, 2009

The police warned and stopped us against doing the one procession we planned for this year's May day so we ended up doing three. Workers came from three fronts to the Dataran Seremban, the venue for this year's May day celebration. It was the first time that the May Day celebration was done in Negeri Sembilan since May 1st. committee started organizing May Day since 1994.

Around 500 people gathered in blazing hot weather today to honor the 123 year old workers uprising in industrial countries such as Europe and United States. Many workers and young comrades of all races and political believes were brought together by 1st Mei Committee comprised of JERIT (Oppressed People's Network), PSM (Party Socialist Malaysia) and local organizers from all parties to tell the world as well as our own Malaysian government that it is the workers which needed to be saved and not their cronies. The theme of this year's May day was ECONOMY CRISIS: SAVE THE WORKERS, NOT THE CRONIES. Similar voices were heard all over the world as the class struggle intensifies between the classes – the capitalist and the workers.

At around 10am, workers and young people from Perak, Selangor, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah and other places arrived in buses. The police had a watchful eyes as they have given the organizers a permit with condition that no rallies are allowed. The groups came from from three directions to the venue in a festive mood with banners, placards, headband and with many slogans e.g. "Implement Minimum Wage Now, We Want Retrenchment Fund, Job for All" as well as art work and theater showing exploitation, low wages and the humiliation workers suffer under capitalist system. The extreme hot sun did not deter the spirit of the celebration. PSM leadership, comrade Nasir Hashim, Saraswathy, Arutchelvan, Sivarajan and many others were present to give solidarity.

1st. May is the only day that truly recognizes the endless contribution of the workers and the organizers have maintained this culture of giving full tribute to workers by giving them the space to voice out their views. At least once a year, we hear the workers talking while the politician listen. Today we heard marginalized community giving speech-comrade Munusamy of plantation workers committee, comrade Mahendran of factory workers committee, comrade Teeja from the Orang Asal coalition, comrade Cheng of students group, Shekiren of urban settlers committee and Lai Ah Lee a farmer from Kanthan. Representing the farmer'ss group. They all took turns in highlighting their plight under the current ruling government that has failed to bring genuine development to these people. And these are the most affected group while the country is undergoing global economic crisis.

Deklarasi Mei 1 2009

The May Day history was also reenacted by CDC to remind the world that the struggle is not over and once again the time has come for all activists and political parties who believe in workers liberation and empowerment to re-strategize their move. Slogans of long live workers struggle was heard many times in all 3 main languages – Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

Current crisis that led workers to lose job, pay cut and big companies being bailed out by the government while the workers being left dried was illustrated by DEMA, a student group. Their performance was the climax and with that everyone stood up to read the May Day declaration which was endorsed by 89 civil society groups and political parties. The declaration carries 18 demands that touch on workers right to minimum wage, retrenchment fund, job opportunities, land for agriculture, food ration for the poor, right to form union, equal right to migrant workers and so on. The program came to an end at around 11.30am with the Internationale song led by comrade Chon Kai of PSM.

Today is the day all workers around the world collectively as one voice oppose the capitalist system and demand equal share and equal rights. Together we shall restore humanity.

Released by Letchimi Devi

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