Category: Election

By Aspan Alias
June 20, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

20 JUN — Pihak parti-parti dan kerajaan yang memerintah usaha mereka ialah untuk menggagalkan niat Bersih untuk mengadakan rally besar-besaran pada 9 Julai nanti. Semua pihak tahu lebih-lebih lagi pihak pemerintah dan parti-parti yang berkuasa bahawa rally anjuran Bersih ini pasti akan mendapat sambutan yang ramai, malahan dijangkakan lebih besar dari yang dianjurkan pada 2007 yang lalu.

Inilah yang sangat ditakuti oleh Umno terutamanya kerana Umno tahu jika rally ini berlaku kali ini, ianya akan membawa kemenangan tambahan kepada Bersih seperti yang dialaminya pada 2007 yang lalu. Sebagai pihak yang memerintah memanglah mereka tidak mahu melihat Bersih mengulangi kejayaan itu lagi kerana pilihanraya umum ke13 akan diadakan tidak lama lagi. Continue reading “Biarkan rally Bersih diadakan”

Aliran Online
June 19, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 19 — The scheduled Walk for Democracy organised by Bersih 2.0 — the election watch dog comprising 62 NGOs — on 9 July 2011 is in keeping with the democratic tradition to highlight issues of concern. This democratic process is intended to draw the attention of the government to grievances that greatly bother the citizens of a country so that their grievances can be addressed. Their call is to conduct free and fair elections, which will legitimise election results and make them acceptable to all contestants.

Bersih had organised a similar gathering on 10 November 2007, which attracted close to 50000 participants in a peaceful attempt to demand ‘free and fair’ elections. One cannot help but be impressed by the disciplined and responsible conduct of the protesters then. They even cleared and cleaned the streets of all rubbish that littered the streets. They had traffic marshals to manage the crowd. They were that responsible. Continue reading “Perkasa, have your demo before or after 9 July — not on the same day!”

By Yow Hong Chieh
June 19, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — The opposition will use next month’s Bersih 2.0 rally to trigger an uprising similar to the popular protests which toppled Egypt’s Mubarak regime and now threatens governments in Libya, Syria and Yemen, Utusan Malaysia said in its Sunday edition today

Its Mingguan Malaysia weekend edition said those who intend to mass in the capital on July 9 to demand electoral reform have lost faith in democracy after realising they cannot win federal power through the ballot box.

“Peace is no longer important to them. They want only to seize power and install their leader as Malaysia’s prime minister using whatever means possible,” the Umno-owned daily said in its Maulana Arrif column.

“The enemies of Islam, both humans and syaitan-syaitan (devils), are working to aid them,” it added. Continue reading “Utusan: Bersih is Pakatan’s bid to spark Middle East-style protests”

By R. Shan
June 18, 2011 The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 18 — Much has been said of the Bersih rally by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, to the horror of the ruling elites.

But the gist of its original objective has also been lost to the people and public. Both sides are using this event to maximise their purported need — from race, religion and anything that they can lay their hands on.

For a start, we love a battle when we are not a part of it, especially when there is someone else to fight it out for us. We are good only at scrapping in the cyber world. Continue reading “Bersih rally: People’s will or just politics?”

By Kow Gah Chie
Jun 17, 11 | MalaysiaKini

MCA Youth has turned down its Umno counterpart’s invitation to join them in the July 9 street rally in the belief that such activities would be detrimental to the national economy.

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong said at a press conference at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today that though the movement disagrees with groups intention, it still respects their views. Continue reading “MCA Youth turns down Umno Youth’s rally invite”

Oleh Syed Mu’az Syed Putra
June 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 Jun — Yang Dipertua Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) Datuk Aziz Jamaludin Mhd Tahir mendakwa Himpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini bertentangan dengan nilai dan etika Islam.

Selain itu menurut beliau, perhimpunan aman anjuran Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) merupakan satu helah untuk mengheret rakyat ke dalam kancah politik yang lebih besar.
Continue reading “Himpunan Bersih 2.0 canggah nilai Islam, dakwa YDP Yadim”

By Mustafa K. Anuar
June 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 17 — We’ve heard it all. Dire warnings issued, threats yelled out, police reports filed, scathing commentaries published in incredulous and incredible news sheets. And all this prior to the planned Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.

If these “noises” were to be believed, our collective mind would be filled to the brim with mental pictures of Bersih participants, in the worrying words of Perkasa boss Ibrahim Ali, throwing stones and burning cars!

Why, these people might even go the whole hog and work themselves into a frenzy on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, wildly throwing Molotov cocktails into the tourist spots of, say, Bukit Bintang, storming the Parliament building, running amok and attacking whoever dare come their way. Continue reading “What’s so “dirty” about Bersih 2.0 rally?”

By Boo Su-Lyn
June 16, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KLANG, June 16 — PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has urged the police to protect protestors at the Bersih 2.0 rally next month instead of working to prevent them from gathering.

Mohamad pointed out that in the West authorities usually ensured the safety of protestors, unlike the recent revolts in the Middle East where demonstrators were killed by government forces.

“The police here should not imitate the police in the Middle East,” he said at a ceramah here last night.

“We acknowledge the strength of the police. They can arrest us under the ISA (Internal Security Act), launch tear gas, and kick us. [But what] do you profit by doing that to the rakyat?” asked Mohamad, more popularly known as Mat Sabu. Continue reading “Mat Sabu tells cops to shield Bersih protestors”

By Hafiz Yatim
Jun 13, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Despite chances of a head-on collision on July 9 with Malay rights group Perkasa planning a counter-protest to stop the Bersih 2.0 rally, its chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan is unfazed over this possibility and reiterated that the Bersih rally to back free and fair elections will go on.

Contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon, Ambiga said she respected the views aired by Perkasa chairperson Ibrahim Ali, who declared Perkasa was ready to “fight to the end” (lawan habis-habisan) to stop the rally if the organisers insisted on taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

“(If they proceed), there will be a clash (pertembungan). If that happens, it is for the better,” Ibrahim told a press conference in the Parliament lobby today. Continue reading “Ambiga unfazed by Perkasa belligerence”

By Boo Su-Lyn
June 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan today urged leaders from both sides of the political divide to attend next month’s rally seeking for free and fair elections

“We need them to hear our grievances,” said Ambiga at a ceramah in Brickfields here today.

“It is the Sarawak election that has caused Bersih to call this rally on July 9. We’ve been engaging with the Election Commission (EC), but we’re not going anywhere… there is no real meaningful change,” added the former Bar Council president.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has warned against the rally, saying it will turn chaotic should opposing supporters clash. Continue reading “Ambiga asks politicians to join Bersih rally”

By Shannon Teoh | May 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — DAP said today that political parties should also be allowed to monitor the new advance voting process for the police and military to ensure that there is no cheating.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that while it welcomed the abolishment of postal votes, there would be “no difference in ensuring a free, fair, neutral and independent election if political parties still do not have full access during the voting process.”
Continue reading “DAP wants advance voting open to scrutiny”