Malaysia's constitutional monarch Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin has made an unusual foray into the country's volatile political field by urging pro-democracy activists and political leaders to settle their differences ahead of a major protest rally planned for later this week.
A handful of opposition politicians, meanwhile, are now challenging Malaysian authorities to arrest them, too, by wearing neckties, T-shirts or headscarves in yellow. "What democratic country arrests people for wearing yellow T-shirts?" said one arrested MP.
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bersih rally a turning point for democracy
By For A Better Malaysia
Tags: Bersih, Democracy
Amidst the frenzy of draconian measures to prevent the July 9 Bersih rally from taking place, many Malaysians have begun to wonder: Has Malaysia descended into a state of lawlessness?
No sooner had the home minister declared that wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirt was illegal, the Inspector-General of Police up the ante by announcing that even “shoes, cars, buses or any medium that promote the Bersih rally are illegal, as this amounts to sedition”, and he said the people involved will be arrested.
To date, more than 100 people have been arrested all over the country in the past four days, mainly for wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirts.
To me, this sounds like someone speaking and acting as if he is the absolute monarch who can order the arrest of anyone at his whim, and whose word is law. For nowhere in the law can you find a provision that allows a minister or a police officer to declare an item such as the Bersih shirt illegal or to arrest someone before a crime is committed or suspected to have been committed. The Bersih rally has not even been held, so how can a crime be committed in connection with the rally?
Bersih rally a turning point for democracy — Kim Quek
June 30, 2011 – Malaysian Insider
JUNE 30 — Amidst the frenzy of draconian measures to prevent the July 9 Bersih rally from taking place, many Malaysians have begun to wonder: Has Malaysia descended into a state of lawlessness?
No sooner had the home minister declared that wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirt was illegal, the Inspector-General of Police up the ante by announcing that even “shoes, cars, buses or any medium that promote the Bersih rally are illegal, as this amounts to sedition”, and he said the people involved will be arrested.
To date, more than 100 people have been arrested all over the country in the past four days, mainly for wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirts.
To me, this sounds like someone speaking and acting as if he is the absolute monarch who can order the arrest of anyone at his whim, and whose word is law. For nowhere in the law can you find a provision that allows a minister or a police officer to declare an item such as the Bersih shirt illegal or to arrest someone before a crime is committed or suspected to have been committed. The Bersih rally has not even been held, so how can a crime be committed in connection with the rally?
BERSIH ABOVE BOARD
So, what has driven the minister and the IGP into such extreme conduct of resorting to brazenly unlawful exercise of power?
Is Bersih a terrorist organisation that plots to overthrow the government by violence? Is Bersih calling people to break laws and create chaos? What terrible deeds have Bersih done to cause such phobia in the authorities that they should strike at everything that moves, so to speak, that smells of Bersih?
None of that.
Bersih is a civil society movement participated by 62 non-governmental organisations to campaign for electoral reform. And the July 9 rally is specifically called to address the problem of the authorities’ recalcitrance to institute any form of reform.
Despite persistent requests over many years, the Election Commission and the incumbent ruling coalition Barisan Nasional have not moved even one inch towards reforming an electoral system that has been reduced to a complete farce through ever escalating vote-buying, abuse of power and massive rigging.
With such noble intention, how could Bersih be branded as anything other than a respectable body that works towards restoration of democracy and return of political power to the people? It should be obvious by now that without free and fair elections, political power is vested in a few incumbent leaders, not with the people.
And when such a respectable body calls for a rally to highlight its cause to the nation, how can such a rally be taboo, and everything connected with it be decreed illegal?
Up to now, the incumbent hegemon Umno and the police have not come up with an iota of credible evidence that the Bersih rally is anything but a peaceful and honourable gathering, called in accordance with the right endowed by the Constitution to every citizen.
Regrettably, the police have so far conducted themselves as a force serving Umno’s parochial political interests, in direct confrontation with the interests of the masses.
AUTHORITIES’ EXCUSES INCREDULOUS
The excuses given so far to justify arrest and to label the rally illegal are laughable and carry no credibility — accusations such as a communist plot to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a movement aided by foreign Christian bodies to subvert the country, an event that will jeopardise public order and national security, and cause economic damage.
These tales of impending threats and calamities are so far-fetched that they are not only disbelieved by decent Malaysians, but also reflect the paucity of rationale of the incumbent power to justify their condemnation and clampdown on the movement.
That their excuses to crucify the Bersih rally are rubbish is amply manifested in the admirable political and economic well-being of those democratic countries where such peaceful rallies are part and parcel of their democratic way of life.
Look at our regional neighbour Hong Kong. Rallies of a few hundred thousand people to demonstrate against the Hong Kong or Chinese government are routinely staged there, and yet there was not the slightest indication that public order was affected or businesses harmed. On the contrary, Hong Kong continues to enjoy ever increasing prosperity and stability.
So, what is Umno afraid of?
The honest truth and the bottom line is: Umno has no confidence to politically survive a free and fair election.
That is why it has not yielded an inch in the direction of moving Malaysian election to a more level-playing field, and it has no intention to do so in the future.
Umno also realises that it has committed too many wrongs that betray the people’s interest, and more people have come to know of these through the fast-growing alternative media. Combined with the growing influence of the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, the coming rally could be a powerful demonstration of the people’s will to reclaim sovereignty from the long-reigning kleptocracy through electoral reform.
That is something that Umno does not want to see happening.
NO WIN FOR UMNO
We can hence expect that Umno will continue to step up pressure against Bersih by manipulating compliant institutions such as the police and judiciary, at the expense of the Constitution and law, to stifle the Bersih move.
But Umno is in a no-win situation. To be faithful to the Constitution, which means that the peaceful rally must be allowed to proceed, Umno dreads to see a mammoth assembly that could be demoralising to its dwindling supporters. On the hand, a brutal repression that breaks all laws may kindle public fury to an explosive state with unpredictable consequences.
Even if it succeeds in suppressing the rally, it can only bring temporary relief to Umno, as the ugly scenes of unjustified cruelty and transgression of law and fundamental human rights will be mercilessly bared for all to see, thanks to modern IT technology, reminiscent of the Tahrir Square uprising and the subsequent revolutionary fire that has spread across the entire Arab world.
By that time, Umno and BN’s popular support may have so dwindled that even the status quo of skewed election and stooge institutions cannot save it from an electoral defeat.
I am confident that the majority of Malaysians have already reached such a level of political consciousness that the will of the people will prevail to make July 9 rally an important turning point in our struggle to reclaim democracy and sovereignty for the people.
* Kim Quek is the author of “The March to Putrajaya”.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
…source (Malaysian Insider)
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Home
Pro-election reform activists arrested in Malaysia before July 9 rally
Sat, 25/06/2011 - 11:03 | by prachatai
At least eight Malaysian opposition activists were arrested yesterday in the run-up to a nation-wide rally in July 9.
The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections or "Bersih 2.0" released a statement yesterday (June 24) that activist Khairul Anuar was arrested in Shah Alam, about 20 km west of Kuala Lumpur, where a Bersih 2.0 road show was planned at 10.00 p.m . on June 24.
The purpose is to raise awareness of the eight electoral demands of Bersih 2.0.
Organisers could not proceed with the road show due to a heavy police cordon preventing organisers and participants from accessing the whole uptown area.
In Johore, seven other activists from the Socialist Party of Malaysia (Parti Sosialis Malaysia - PSM) were arrested for handing out Bersih 2.0 materials. The local police alleged that the materials may be seditious. The seven activists who were arrested are Letchimi, Devi, Josephine, Shanta, Jaya, William and Saravanan.
“The police arrests are an attack on freedom of expression, which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.”, said a Bersih 2.0 statement.
Bersih 2.0 also strongly demanded that the police immediately release all 8 activists, facilitate the smooth running of all road shows related to electoral reform, and allow citizens to exercise their right to freedom of expression.
Bersih 2.0, which means “clean” in Malay, involves the Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of the three largest opposition parties in Malaysia, and civil rights groups with the stated aim of reforming the electoral process in Malaysia.
Bersih 2.0 has asked the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) to clean up the electoral roll, reform postal voting, use indelible ink, introduce a minimum 21-day campaign period, allow all parties free access to the media and put an end to dirty politics.
The group also plans to launch a fresh rally on 9th July in Kuala Lumpur, which has been deemed illegal by the Malaysian government.
A previous rally demanding electoral reform on November 10, 2007 in Kuala Lumpur was dispersed by police and hundreds of protesters were arrested.
Source:
http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2611
Support Prachatai
Sun, 30/05/2010 - 13:58 | by prachatai
Prachatai has so far relied on funds and grants from donors, and partially on donations. It is now clear that a dependence on funding sources does not ensure our independence in the long run. And given the ongoing political conflicts in Thailand over the past 3-4 years, the options for domestic fund-raising have become very restricted.
Prachatai, therefore, has come up with plans to raise funds and generate income, with contributions from readers and those who wish to support the freedom of expression and the independence of the Prachatai editorial team.
The plans include opening an online store to sell products, placing advertisements, organizing an annual fund raising activity, and offer data and research services such providing summaries of meetings, data handling, and conducting research.
Prachatai will still continue as a membership organization, and will make it easier to subscribe and make donations.
During the political crisis in the past two months, Prachatai’s fund-raising plans have come to a halt, resulting in Prachatai’s financial crisis. We have to inform our readers and supporters in the hope that you can help us get through this difficult time.
Prachatai has set the goal of raising 1,000,000 baht (one million baht) from your donations to meet its immediate needs. In the principle of transparency, Prachatai will report donations on its website.
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Yahoo News
Malaysia has detained six members of an opposition party, including a lawmaker, under a tough security law ahead of a rally for electoral reforms, an activist group and police said on Saturday.
The six members of the Socialist Party of Malaysia were arrested under the Emergency Ordinance, which allows indefinite detention without trial, said Nalini Elumalai, a representative of local rights group Suaram.
The six were arrested last weekend together with 25 others on the way to a party rally in northern Penang state and were being held on accusations of "inciting people to wage war against the king."
"The six were released... but they were still in the police compound, when they were re-arrested and told they were being held under the Emergency Ordinance," Nalini told AFP.
A federal police official confirmed the arrests but could not immediately give further details. National news agency Bernama quoted federal police deputy head Khalid Abu Bakar as saying more investigations needed to be done.
"Police re-arrested them to prevent any crimes of a violent nature from happening besides allowing us to do follow-up investigations," he said.
Nalini said the detentions and arrests were part of a government crackdown to prevent people from attending a July 9 rally by electoral reform group Bersih. Organisers have vowed that the rally will be peaceful.
"Of course, it's politically motivated," she said. "It's all about Bersih. They want to stop people from going to Bersih... This is to create fear."
Nalini said the six were expected to be taken to the federal police headquarters in the capital Kuala Lumpur, while 24 others were expected to remain in police custody in Penang. A South Korean woman has been deported.
Police have arrested about 150 opposition politicians and activists over the past week for trying to shore up support for the electoral reform rally. Most have been released after questioning.
Police have said the rally is against the law as it has not received special police permission and so promoting it is illegal too.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Saturday that the rally was a ploy by the opposition to cause disruption.
Security laws such as the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance used to be used frequently to detain activists and opposition politicians, but in recent years fewer such arrests have been made.
http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-holds-mp-five-activists-under-security-law-115452555.html
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Bersih 2.0 Crushed?
Posted on July 3, 2011 by proud2bmalaysian 0
Bersih 2.0 has just been declared illegal by the Home Minister (read here).
This drastic move is the latest attempt to stamp out the Bersih 2.0 Walk for Democracy. Bersih is a coalition of the Rakyat who are striving for a clean and fair elections. This declaration is equivalent to the previous action on Hindraf who were pushing for attention on the plight of the Indians.
The Government really can’t be bothered about the indians as in the case of Hindraf and now has total disregard for the Rakyat’s appeal for a clean and fair election.
This draconian act show sheer desperation of the ruling parties to prevent what they fear of a premature demise likened to recent happenings in Egypt, Libya and other middle east countries.
The BN Government has now outdone itself in oppressing the Rakyat. It will not be surprising that the GE13 will spell the doom of BN with such high handed antics on noble aspiration that is apolitical.
Certainly, our PM only wants to demonise Bersih and Ambiga and PAS in total ignorance of what Bersih is pushing for. This is a personal attack on what he considers a clear and present danger not to the country but his position and that of Umno.
By so doing will be his undoing and unleashing agonising sentiments against the government by the Rakyat. This show of force by Najib may stroke the anger of the Rakyat against his unreasonable and what can’t be simply understood by the Rakyat. Using authoritarian power to stomp on Bersih tantamounts to stomping on the Rakyat and now everybody feels the sheer disgust about the Government.
A simple Bersih 2.0 rally has turned into a political suicide for Umno by turning on the Rakyat in ways only imagined by Gadaffi, Idi Amin, Marcos, Saddam Hussein but never Najib.
One just can’t imagine the noble demands for a clean and fair election in Malaysia can be construed as a threat to the country. Perhaps to Umno but not to Malaysia.
His 1Malaysia rhetorics have just gone poof! He is not the PM of all Malaysians, just those who tow his line. He now seems to be totally out of touch with the Rakyat.
The July 9 date may turn out to be much bigger now. But now it suffices to show the world that Malaysia is totally intollerant of the Rakyat wanting clean and fair elections that can bring down BN. The Malaysian Human Rights record will be smeared by this action. Especially there are confidential instructions to the media to highlight “damages” by Bersih and blackout Police brutality and oppression.
So is Bersih crushed now? Even if the entire committee is arrested ahead of July 9, it is now widely believed that the Rakyat will walk and spur a surge of social consciousness across the country.
On the contrary, Bersih 2.0 has raised the awareness of the Rakyat’s social standing as well as unveiling the draconian and oppressive reaction of the BN Government. This is a milestone achievement and will certainly continue through GE13.
We can be sure that CNN, BBC and other global news coverage will certainly be there and the world can see what the Rakyat feels about calling for electoral reforms that can be declared illegal and faces oppressive actions from the Government.
Only Najib and Hishamuddin can tell why they did what they did and yet not declare Perkasa and Umno illegal at the same time for instigating seditious counter rallies against Bersih.
We now live in a country where people can be arrested for wearing Bersih t-shirts and for calling for clean and free elections. To make something illegal, there must be a law passed that the legality can be based. But no. Our Home Minister can outlaw anything and anyone as he so pleases.
http://proud2bmalaysian.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/bersih-2-0-crushed/
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YAHOO NEWS
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia continued its attacks against Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan today with its weekend edition portraying her as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.
The Mingguan Malaysia lead story today read “Siapa sebenarnya Ambiga? (Who is the real Ambiga?” and featured pro-Umno political analysts like Perkasa member Datuk Paduka Prof Dr Ramlah Adam and Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling.
The article quoted the analysts as warning Malays against supporting the Bersih rally, and accused Ambiga of having a track record of “angering Muslims and Malays.”
The Malay paper pointed out that the former Bar Council president had defended apostate Lina Joy and opposed Syariah laws banning apostasy among Muslims. Utusan also said that as Bar Council president Ambiga had accepted a memorandum on the formation of an inter-faith commission, which made 14 demands which “questioned” the position of Islam.
“As a lawyer, Ambiga knows better than most that an assembly without a permit is illegal. I don’t understand why she is planning to go ahead with it despite protests from various groups,” Ramlah was quoted as saying.
UPSI academic Zainal Kling charged that the Bersih rally was political in nature, and that the organisers were pro-Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
“They (Bersih organisers) should demonstrate as a political party rather than an NGO. Then people will know what their real objectives are,” he said.
A death threat has been issued against Ambiga earlier this week for planning the July 9 rally to fight for free and fair elections. She has stressed however that the rally will carry on as planned.
The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.
Malay rights group Perkasa has also threatened a counter rally if Bersih continues with its plans while Umno Youth said it will hold a rally in support of the Election Commission, which is the subject of Bersih’s demands.
PAS has asked for one million members to take to the streets on July 9 to support Bersih, which has also organised rallies in several cities across the world.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/utusan-demonises-ambiga-ahead-of-bersih-rally-003454970.html
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Malaysia:
Government Refuses Permit for Opposition Rally, Jails Pamphleteers
JUNE 27, 2011
Free Malaysia Today- Arrests Shows Govt Won’t Listen to Other Views
These arrests show the government’s fundamental disregard for the democratic process and its willingness to go to great lengths to frighten Malaysians with political bogeymen from the distant past.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch
(Bangkok) - The Malaysian authorities should order the immediate release of 30 members of the opposition Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) who were pulled off their bus and arrested on the way to a political rally in Penang on June 25, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. They were charged with "waging war" against the king of Malaysia.
The authorities are holding the 30 in remand for seven days while the police investigate the charge that the party was restarting the Communist Party of Malaysia, a long vanquished communist movement that signed a peace treaty with the government in 1989. The Penang police publicly presented as evidence against the activists a few shirts with photos of former Communist Party of Malaysia leaders and several leaflets promoting political change in the next election.
"Charging the political opposition with restarting a movement that died with the Cold War 20 years ago is more than a little absurd," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These arrests show the government's fundamental disregard for the democratic process and its willingness to go to great lengths to frighten Malaysians with political bogeymen from the distant past."
The charge of "waging war" against the king, section 122 of the Penal Code, carries penalties of up to life in prison as well as fines.
General elections are not slated for Malaysia until 2013, but the government has tightened repression on all election-related activity. The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) 2.0, a civil society coalition urging electoral reforms, announced a major public march and assembly for July 9. The home affairs minister, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, responded that the government would not permit the march and the Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, Dr. Rais Yatim, called the event an "evil and unlawful rally."
Prime Minister Najib Razak accused Bersih 2.0 of trying to "wrest back political momentum" from the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front), a charge that Bersih's steering committee immediately rejected.
According to a media account, 81 opposition activists have been arrested since June 22. They include 28 Socialist Party members arrested in Johor on June 25, who were reportedly charged under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Police also arrested a number of activists in various locales for selling or wearing yellow Bersih 2.0 shirts.
In November 2007, the first Bersih march and rally for clean and fair elections brought together approximately 60,000 participants.
The Malaysian government's actions to deny the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly run counter to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the government's commitments to respect international human rights standards as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The government should heed the call of the governmental Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and permit the Bersih rally to proceed, as well as possible counter-marches to Bersih being planned by United Malays National Organization (UNMO) Youth and Perkasa, Human Rights Watch said.
"Rather than trying to silence peaceful critics, the Malaysian government should be working to ensure that election processes are fair and that they fully protect the civil and political rights of all Malaysians," Robertson said. "Arresting people for wearing t-shirts and distributing leaflets simply shows the depths of the government's intolerance of opposing viewpoints."
http://www.hrw.org/node/100131
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Friday, April 15, 2011
Free and Fair Elections in Sarawak Jeopardised (BERSIH 2.0)
Press statement: 13 April 2011
Free and Fair Elections in Sarawak Jeopardised
BERSIH 2.0 would like to express serious concerns regarding several issues that jeopardise free and fair campaigning in the days leading up to the Sarawak state elections on 16 April 2011.
1. Distinction between political interest and administrative positions
BERSIH 2.0 is appalled that Prime Minister Najib Rajak has cancelled this week’s Wednesday cabinet meeting to campaign in Sarawak. As the leader of the national government and Barisan Nasional (BN), Najib has set a bad example of blurring the lines between the federal government on the one hand and party politics on the other. Instead, Najib should emulate the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman who took two months leave to campaign in the 1959 elections. During his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Razak acted as head of the government. We are disappointed to note that both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin were in Sarawak campaigning for Barisan Nasional in the past few days. It is not stated if the head and deputy head of the government took leave to campaign in Sarawak.
This separation of powers is further confused by the manipulation of the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat (RELA) and the armed forces in the Sarawak state elections. It has been reported that political secretary to the Sarawak Chief Minister, Wilso Nyabong Ijang, called on RELA members to ensure victory for BN candidates in the upcoming elections, equating administrative obedience to the government with political support for the party in power. This is in breach of administrative neutrality. In addition, there are also allegations that the military has been intimidating constituents to vote for BN by threatening to tear down schools should the opposition win[1]. Such dirty tactics must not be employed in election campaigning and the Election Commission must investigate into such claims and take action against those responsible. The latest incident involves Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin allegedly “reminding” an official gathering of teachers held on government time to mark “X” next to the BN candidate on their ballot papers[2].
BERSIH 2.0 would like to emphasise that those holding executive and administrative roles must not confuse or sideline their duties in favour of partisan political interests. We remind politicians on both sides of the political divide, including Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, to abide by this principle.
2. Corrupt practices
BERSIH 2.0 condemns the ongoing bad practice of offering gifts, money and promises of development with the intention of influencing the voters’ choices. This amounts to election offences. One key example that mars the reputation of PM Najib Razak is the scrambling for “goodies” containing Tupperware merchandise during a rally at MBKS stadium on 9 April. Another more serious example is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president Peter Nyarok’s threats to longhouse chiefs that he would use his “ministerial power” to withdraw promised minor rural projects if the opposition wins in the respective longhouses[3]. We call on all candidates and politicians to respect the Election Offences Act 1954. The EC must prove its independence by taking immediate action against those who commit election offences, and not “pass the buck” to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
3. Postal votes
Based on the figure released by the EC, there are only 34 overseas Sarawakians who will be voting via postal ballot. We question if this figure is an accurate reflection of the actual number of registered Sarawakian voters living overseas considering the restrictive postal voting regulations which only allow postal votes from diplomats and overseas students.
The EC, which has extended postal ballot rights to police spouses under Sub-regulation 3(1)(f) of the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations, should have done so for all Sarawakians studying or working in Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah, Singapore, Brunei and other countries. The expensive transportation cost is believed to be one of the reasons why Sarawak had a low turnout of 62% in the 2006 state poll. In the 2008 general elections, Sarawak registered a lower turnout at 58%, the lowest amongst all states and a stark comparison to 79% for Semenanjung Malaysia.
BERSIH 2.0 is deeply disappointed that the EC has simply ignored the appeal of civil society on March 22 calling for both postal voting rights for Sarawakians and a campaign period of at least 21 days to allow for large scale postal voting. The EC should be responsible for the potential disenfranchisement if the turnout in Sarawak elections is again much lower than the national standard.
4. Barring of activists from entering Sarawak
In the past week, two activists – BERSIH Steering Committee member Dr Wong Chin Huat and Steven Ng – have been barred from entering Sarawak. We reiterate that this is an outrage and outright abuse of power by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud in his effort to stifle dissent. Bersih 2.0 demands that the complete list of individuals barred from entering Sarawak is made public, together with the reasons for such a denial of entry. We will support any legal challenge to define and test the scope of the constitutional provision enabling Sabah and Sarawak to control movement and immigration.
Yours sincerely,
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
Bersih 2.0 Chairperson
The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, (Chairperson), Andrew Khoo, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, Zaid Kamaruddin, Subramaniam Pillay and Arul Prakkash.
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Electoral fraud in Malaysia – BERSIH calls for reforms
March 15th, 2011 by Greg Lopez · 3 Comments
The elections of 8 March 2008 represented an important step towards democratisation in Malaysia. BERSIH 2.0 (The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) is concerned that this process of democratisation in Malaysia will be reversed without genuine electoral reform.
BERSIH 2.0 lists seven urgent electoral reforms that should be addressed before the next general elections. The 16 by-elections since 2008 have seen a blatant misuse of state apparatus and other unfair tactics some of which violate the Elections Offences Act. Regrettably, the Election Commission (EC) has failed to act impartially and proactively to promote free, fair and clean elections.
BERSIH 2.0, therefore, urges the public to be ready to step up pressure for serious reform as they did in 2007 if the Federal Government and the EC continue to ignore reasonable and legitimate demands for real electoral reform. If EC continues without bringing reforms, the Sarawak State Elections will serve as a guide for mass support for democracy.
Power abuse, vote buying and other misconduct in By-Elections
If the 16 by-elections since 2008 are an indicator of what is to come, the coming Sarawak State elections and the next general elections will be seriously marred by blatant abuse of State power, vote-buying, transfer of voters, phantom voters, imbalanced media coverage and intimidation.
The most disturbing trend is the unashamed abuse of governing power by the Federal Government to pressure the voters to exchange votes for development something that the citizen is entitled to as of right.
The infamous line, “You help me, I help you” uttered by the Prime Minister first in the Sibu by-elections is now repeated by the Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister to entice the voters to vote for them in the coming State elections. The Election Commission has unfortunately refused to act, giving the impression to the public that they are helpless to check offences under the very legislation they should ensure compliance of. The EC could have lodged a police report against the politicians under Section 10 (Bribery) of the Election Offences Act 1954, which will serve as a moral sanction. They choose instead to leave it to the other agencies like the MACC and the police, which we know is a pointless exercise.
Equally worrying is the vote-buying through dinners and lucky draws by the suspicious 1Malaysia group in Galas, Tenang, Merlimau and Kerdau. The EC ought to have lodged police reports to have the group investigated under Section 8 (Treating), Election Offences Act 1954 since these dinners and lucky draws were only organised in by-elections and attended by politicians from the BN party.
More importantly and of great concern is that politicians show no respect or regard for the law of this country that they of all people, are duty-bound to uphold.
The partiality of EC is also demonstrated in the choice of the by-election dates. Six out of eight PR-held seats had their polling on a weekday, making it difficult for out-of-town voters to return to vote. In sharp contrast, six out of eight BN-held seats had their polling on a weekend and the remaining two (Batang Ai and Batu Sapi) were held simultaneously with one or more PR-held seats, on a weekday.
BERSIH 2.0 disputes EC’s claim that they are powerless.
Whenever faced with blatant abuse in the electoral process, the EC reacts by saying they are powerless to act. For reform of electoral laws, the EC also claim that they need to follow the decisions of the Cabinet which instructs the Attorney-General Chambers. This is an insult to the wide powers they are given under the Federal Constitution and the Election Offences Act and to the public interest that they hold in trust. At the very least, the EC must make reports on blatant election offences and propose to the public the necessary reforms they see fit regardless of the Cabinet’s preferences.
BERSIH 2.0’s Demands for Seven Major Reforms
To ensure the legitimacy of the new governments and political stability, we urge the EC and the BN Federal Government to initiate the following seven major reforms:
1. Automatic voter registration – As it stands, more than four million eligible citizens are still not registered as voters. This includes many who have submitted their registration forms but which have yet to be processed by the EC. Automatic voter registration, by synchronising the EC database and the National Registration Department database, can easily resolve this issue. It can also remove multiple registrations and deceased voters. No credible argument against automatic voter registration has been advanced to date.
2. Postal voting reform – the recent increase of postal voters is highly suspicious. The EC’s claim that many spouses of police personnel have opted for postal voting is in fact unlawful as the by-laws – Elections (Registration of Electors) Registrations and Elections (Postal Voting) Registrations have no provision at all for the spouses of police personnel to be registered as voters. The present arrangement with a separate roll of postal voters is rigid, open to abuse and completely unnecessary. Postal voting (or absentee voting in general) should be compulsory to none but available to all voters with valid grounds for being away from the constituency on the polling day. With a longer campaign period, the current practice which allows the election workers to apply to vote with postal ballots on an ad hoc basis can be extended to the entire electorate. This will not only help all overseas Malaysians but also East Malaysians who work in West Malaysia. Absentee voting must only apply where the voter is physically unable to be present.
3. Indelible ink – Indelible ink is the most straight forward way to prevent multiple voting. This was agreed by the Election Commission itself in 2007 before making a u-turn a few days before polling day in 2008, wasting RM 2.4 billion in tax-payers money. For the next general elections, indelible ink must be implemented to put to rest any allegations of multiple voting.
4. A minimum campaign period of 21 days – The 16 by-elections show a trend in a reduced campaign period from 10 days in Permatang Pauh to 8 days in Merlimau and Kerdau. This raises questions whether the campaign period for the next general elections may be as short as in 2004, 8 days. To allow voters to make an informed choice and to reduce intensity of campaigning activities, BERSIH 2.0 wants the campaign period to be set at a minimum 21 days, which is only half of what was granted by the British Government for Malaya’s first general election in 1955. There is all the more reason to extend the campaign period to cater for overseas voters.
5. Free and fair media access – All contesting parties and candidates should have free access to all state media and fair access to private media. BERSIH 2.0 demands that the Election Commission request the Radio and Television Malaysia and Bernama provide airtime for all parties and organise televised debates for the party leaders. This is completely within the power of the EC as Article 115(2) of the Federal Constitution stipulates that “all public authorities shall on the request of the Commission give the Commission such assistance in the discharge of its duties as may be practicable”.
6. Prohibition of vote buying through development offer and treating – The Election Commission (EC) must put a stop to the de facto vote-buying practices through development pledges ala “you help me, I help you” and treating by the suspicious “NGO” 1Malaysia group. The EC should move immediately to issue directives to all incumbent federal, state and local governments NOT to link any pledges and delivery of development and public works to voters’ choice in the elections. The EC must also press for the investigation of the PM, the Deputy CM of Sarawak and the 1Malaysia group and all other parties carrying out similar activities, under Section 10 (Bribery) and Section 8 (Treating) of the Election Offences Act 1954. In the long run, the EC should propose a legislation or amendments to the existing laws to promote administrative neutrality and level playing fields.
7. Impartial Constituency Redelineation – As the previous constituency redelineation exercises have been marred by blatant gerrymandering and malapportionment, BERSIH 2.0 urges the EC to be transparent and professional in the next exercise which may begin in March 2011. Specifically, BERSIH 2.0 requests the EC to subscribe to the following criteria:
a. No boundary of parliamentary or state constituency should cross the boundary of local authorities or administrative districts.
b. Within the boundary of local authorities or administrative districts, constituencies should consist of areas with similar socio-economic or cultural interests.
c. No neighbourhood should be partitioned arbitrarily into different constituencies.
d. Within the same state, in terms of electorate size, the largest state constituency must not be larger than half of the smallest parliamentary constituency.
Tags: Corruption · Malaysia · Politics
3 RESPONSES SO FAR ↓
1Rocky // Mar 15, 2011 at 4:30 pm
It’s time for change! Malaysia desperately needs responsible leaders in Parliament and the State Assemblies. The current electoral process is rigged in favor of the incumbents. Voters are bought off with taxpayers money , voters are races divided into races causing minorities to loose out, threats of another May13 are constantly made, minority races who are forced to work, study and live are denied the right to vote, there is gerrymandering, the legitimate elected state government of Perak was brought down through abuse of state machinery and royalty,etc, etc.
It’s time Bersih takes to the street again! This time, with the supportof 4 Opposition state governments and on the back of the wave of revolt sweeping oppressive states around the world!
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/03/15/electoral-fraud-in-malaysia-bersih-calls-for-reforms/
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bersih-20-UK-Walk/111909382231134?sk=app_2309869772
the WORLD OVERSEAS MALAYSIANS ARE SHARING THEIR VIEWS AND PARTICIPATING.....
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bersih-20-Sister-Rallies-Worldwide/162151757184140?sk=wall
时间
7月9日 · 10:00 - 13:00
位置
Consulate General of Malaysia
313 East 43rd Street
New York, NY
创建人
Leng-Feng Lee
更多信息
-------click 'See More' to read the details-------------------------------
I am 'forced' to organize this as I couldn't find any Bersih walk in the East coast. Well, come to think about it, Bersih 2.0 were somehow 'forced' to have this walk: if the election is fair and clean, we all would rather spend the weekend with our family instead of having this walk.
If you really going to come out that day 7/9, please send me an email at llee3@buffalo.edu so I can have a head count and maybe set up a small committee to discuss things we can do on that day. If you want to help and be a admin of this event, please send me a message as well. Thanks for forwarding this event to your friends around the area (North East of US).
Update: 6/24- if you want t-shirt, pls email Andy Choo boontat81@gmail.com He is looking to print t-shirt here in US. Thanks Andy
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181904048529782
Bersih 2.0 Sister Rallies Worldwide
Bersih 2.0 Paris
Bersih 2.0 Paris
地点： Place du Trocadero, between the Musée National de la Marine and the Musée National des Monuments Français, au parvis du Palais de Chaillot, sous l'ombre de la Tour Eiffel ! (If you are taking the Metro, get off at Trocadero exit 6 Ave Paul Doumer.)
时间： 2011年7月9日 14:00
时间
7月9日 · 14:00 - 17:00
位置
Embassy of Malaysia, Washington
3516 International Court Northwest
Washington, DC
创建人
John Lee
更多信息
The Malaysian Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) is a movement for free and fair elections in Malaysia. If you'd like to help organize our gathering in Washington, just send me (John Lee) a message or email:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222120537822082
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01/07/2011
Rumah kecil dengan 88 orang pengundi berdaftar!
Kongsi
3819
CUBA anda lihat rumah ini baik-baik. Hasil tinjauan di lokasi sebenar, alamat rumah ini adalah, 1155 Kg Bagan Serai, Jalan Sembilang, Seberang Jaya Permatang Pauh. Percayakah anda jika ReJaM© katakan bahawa rumah dengan reka bentuk rumah Melayu ini didiami oleh berpuluh-puluh orang pengundi berdaftar berbangsa Melayu dan India?
Di bawah ini salah satu printscreen dari website Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya sebagai bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa 3 orang pengundi berbangsa India dan Melayu didaftarkan dalam satu alamat rumah yang sama.
Rakyat mahu turun ke jalanraya secara aman pada perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 9 Julai ini bukan kerana rakyat gila nak tumbangkan kerajaan, tetapi kerana rakyat mahukan pilihanraya yang bersih dan adil. Kami tak gila, dan kami tak lupa, kami tak pernah lupa dan kami tak akan lupa, Negara ini negara rakyat!
Anda boleh mengesahkan sendiri bukti ini. Sila semak di website daftar pemilih SPR dengan memasukkan nombor-nombor kad pengenalan di bawah ini dan anda lihat sendiri bagaimana 88 orang pengundi berdaftar telah didaftarkan di bawah satu alamat yang sama. Rujuk sini [Daftar Pemilih]
1 140707755111 L 1914 SHEIK DAWOOD S/O MOHAMMED GANI 1155
6 280702755029 L 1928 SINNAPPAN A/L MUNUSAMY 1155
7 281008075239 L 1928 NARAINA @ V.K VELOO A/L KALLIMUTHU 1155
24 360902025020 P 1936 MON BINTI YUSOF 1155
37 390601025104 P 1939 CHE GAYAH BINTI MAT DAUD 1155
40 400616085659 L 1940 CHE AHMAD BIN CHIK 1155
45 410210025022 P 1941 THANALECHEMY A/P SUBBAREDY 1155
67 431211085089 L 1943 MUNISAMY A/L MUNISAMY 1155
80 450915075026 P 1945 GOVINDAMMAL A/P SAMIAYAH 1155
90 461103075024 P 1946 RUKUMONY A/P MUTHIAH 1155
101 470528025078 P 1947 PADAVETTA A/P SINNIAH 1155
111 480831075528 P 1948 ANJALAI A/P MUNIAN 1155
116 490218085065 L 1949 SATIWELL A/L R NABBU 1155
120 490812025073 L 1949 RETNASAMY A/L SUBBIAH 1155
127 500217085836 P 1950 MURUGAMAH A/P MANIKAM 1155
128 500312025495 L 1950 MD ISMAIL BIN MYDIN PITCHEY 1155
133 500630075068 P 1950 PANJALAIE A/P S.MOTIYE 1155
135 500818025302 P 1950 KUPPAMMAH A/P SUBRAYA 1155
136 500908075354 P 1950 MUNIAMAH A/P RAMAN 1155
137 501003025293 L 1950 PALANYAPPAN A/L SUBRAMANIYAM 1155
155 521101075399 L 1952 SEGAR A/L SUBRAMANIAM 1155
157 530110025267 L 1953 GOVINDARAJOO A/L RAMAN 1155
160 530310025173 L 1953 PERUMAL A/L PERUMAL 1155
161 530322075426 P 1953 ALICE MARY A/P ANTONISAMY 1155
180 531214075351 L 1953 MARIAPAN A/L VELOO 1155
189 540831085218 P 1954 ENDRANI A/P ARUMUGAM 1155
197 550118025155 L 1955 SUBRAMANIAM A/L S.AHNIMANNAN NO 1155
198 550129025441 L 1955 GANESAN A/L SOORAPPAN 1155
207 550415025530 P 1955 MARIAMAH A/P RAJAGOPAL 1155
210 550608025668 P 1955 MANIEE A/P JOSEPH 1155
218 551227025087 L 1955 NAGAPPAN A/L MUNUSAMY 1155
225 560404085967 L 1956 ARUMUGAM A/L PARAMASIVAM 1155
227 560409075450 P 1956 RANGAMAH A/P NALAIAH 1155
230 560415026006 P 1956 RAMAMAH A/P GOPAL 1155
232 560522075022 P 1956 RAJASPORY A/P GOVINDARAJOO 1155
234 560602075006 P 1956 BALOMANI A/P ASIRVATHAN 1155
261 570906025605 L 1957 KRISHNAN A/L NADARAJAH 1155
265 571024075189 L 1957 BEATLICE A/L ASUVATHAM 1155
266 571101026189 L 1957 VIJAYAN A/L MURUGIAH 1155
268 571105075500 P 1957 V.MARY A/P VANATHAIAH 1155
280 580828075066 P 1958 HESHAH BEE BINTI M.M KADER BAWA RAWTHER 1155
285 581106025088 P 1958 HABIDAH BINTI KASSIM 1155
295 590301075931 L 1959 NARAYANASAMY A/L V.K.VELOO 1155
298 590318025367 L 1959 RAVITHIRAN A/L NADARAJAH 1155
299 590318075735 L 1959 DAVID A/L AZIRVATHAM 1155
304 590520025926 P 1959 YASODAH A/P GOVINDASAMY 1155
317 591222075508 P 1959 SHARIPAH B BINTI MAHMUD 1155
322 600407075602 P 1960 SANTHANAMARY A/P AROKIASAMY 1155
324 600515075132 P 1960 PUSPERVALLI A/P NADESON 1155
326 600531075116 P 1960 LAGMI A/P SANNASEE 1155
331 601024085840 P 1960 AMUTHA A/P SUBRAMANION 1155
349 610925105946 P 1961 SELVARANI A/P MURUGIAH 1155
350 611001026038 P 1961 AMUTHA A/P NARASU 1155
380 630421085003 L 1963 SHAMUGAM A/L MUNISAMY 1155
381 630517086617 L 1963 VASOO A/L SUBRAMANION 1155
382 630617025782 P 1963 MURUGAMAH A/P NADARAJAH 1155
397 640531075972 P 1964 PLOMINA A/P KUPPUSAMY NO 1155
399 7432554 640628086483 L 1964 JAYABALAN A/L MUNISAMY NO 1155
425 651218075275 L 1965 MUNIANDY A/L NARAINA @ V K VELOO NO 1155
427 660203086304 P 1966 VASONDA A/P SUBRAMANIAM 1155
449 670227075289 L 1967 PUVANASWARAN A/L NARAINA @ V K VELOO 1155
456 670409025741 L 1967 CHANDRAN A/L PONNAN 1155
463 670719085934 P 1967 PARAMESWARI A/P MUNISAMY 1155
478 680522075491 L 1968 V SEVANASAN A/L V K VELOO 1155
517 700518075611 L 1970 RAVY A/L RAMASAMY @ SUBRAMANIAM NO 1155
527 701213075009 L 1970 SUTHAGAR A/L SUBRAMANIAM 1155
570 730805086222 P 1973 SARALA A/P S SEGAR 1155
579 740710075212 P 1974 MANGALANAYAKEY A/P V SINNAIAH NO 1155
597 750730075198 P 1975 MUNISPERIE A/P SUBRAMANIAM 1155
613 770202085657 L 1977 MANICKAM A/L VERASAMY 1155
618 770723075016 P 1977 RATHNADEVI A/P DHEVAN NO. 1155
623 771127065641 L 1977 VIJAYA KUMAR A/L KARIAMALAI NO 1155
632 780814075256 P 1978 YOGESWARY A/P SUBRAMANIAM 1155
637 790430075141 L 1979 KARUNAGARAN A/L RAJU NO 1155
655 800613075546 P 1980 RAJESWARY A/P RAMASAMY 1155
664 810213075597 L 1981 VERARAKAYAN A/L VIJAYAN 1155
680 820207026050 P 1982 HEMALATHA A/P PERUMAL 1155
692 830113075619 L 1983 MEYYELAHAN A/L VIJAYAN NO 1155
703 830524075744 P 1983 RAJAKUMARI A/P SUBRAMANIAM 1155
705 830527075643 L 1983 NORIES A/L GNANAPRAGASAM 1155
706 830530075783 L 1983 PRABAGARAN A/L RETNASAMY 1155
707 830609086303 L 1983 VELU A/L BALAN 1155
710 831009026096 P 1983 THILAGAVATHI A/P PERUMAL 1155
729 840914075976 P 1984 MAGESWARY A/P BALAN 1155
730 841113075540 P 1984 ANGELINA A/P GNANAPRAGASAM 1155
747 850819075811 L 1985 BASKARAN AL VIJAYAN 1155
774 880611075254 P 1988 LINDA A/P GNANAPRAGASAM NO.1155
779 890311016294 P 1989 MALA A/P BALAN NO 1155
Sumber: [Anak Sungai Derhaka]
source: http://milosuam.blogspot.com/2011/07/rumah-kecil-dengan-88-orang-pengundi.html#ixzz1RCXU2xNk
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umnoO, barisan nasioAnal are parasit kebangsaan!!!!!
Yes, they are national parasites!!!!!!!!!!!!
